Bulawayo

The City of Bulawayo is highlighted in this map of Zimbabwe.

Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, after the capital Harare. It is home to over a million people and the largest city in Matabeleland. The name "Bulawayo" means "place of slaughter", from when the warlike Matabele ruled there in the 19th century.

General Information

Bulawayo is a major industrial centre with tree-lined streets and parks, courtesy of Cecil Rhodes, theatres, Victorian houses and several colleges. It is situated along the Matsheumhlope River in southwestern Zimbabwe. Bulawayo is home to Zimbabwe's largest museum, the Mzilikazi Arts and Crafts Centre , the Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage and Research Centre and the Kami Ruins . The Matopo National Park , one of Zimbabawe's major tourist attractions, is nearby.

The name "Bulawayo" comes from the Ndebele word meaning 'place of slaughter'. The city is on the site of the kraal of Lobengula, king of the Ndebele. The Ndebele, an African tribe, founded Bulawayo as a settlement in the mid-1800s. British soldiers drove the Ndebele out in 1893 and populated the town. Bulawayo became a city in 1943.

Bulawayo is also home to the Queens Sports Club and Bulawayo Athletic Club, two of the three grounds in Zimbabwe where test match cricket has been played.

The afropop artist Dorothy Masuka and the artist Taylor Nkomo were born in Bulawayo.

See also

• Matabele
• Ndebele
• Matabeleland North
• Matabeleland South

External link

• A map of Bulawayo