Subdivisions of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has a centralised government and is divided into eight provinces and two cities with provincial status, for administrative purposes.

Each province has a provincial capital from where official business is usually carried out.

[1] The names of most of the provinces were generated from the Mashonaland and Matabeleland divide at the time of colonisation: Mashonaland was the territory occupied first by the British South Africa Company Pioneer Column and Matabeleland the territory conquered during the First Matabele War.

Each province is headed by a Provincial Governor, appointed by the President.

There is also a Rural District Council, which appoints a Chief Executive Officer.