Gweru

Gweru (spelled Gwelo until 1982) is a city in Zimbabwe. Geographical location {{coor dm|19|25|S|29|50|E|}}. Population 78,940 (1982). The city was founded in 1894 by Dr. Leander Starr Jameson.

Related Topics:
1982 - Zimbabwe - 1894 - Leander Starr Jameson

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It is also home to Thornhill Air Base, an army garrison and the Zimbabwe Military Museum.

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Former Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith was born in the city.

Related Topics:
Rhodesia - Ian Smith

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Industries include Zimbabwe Alloys, an iron smelting plant, and Bata Shoe Company. Both are leading employers in Gweru. Gweru is situated in one of Zimbabwe's finest cattle rearing areas and surrounding agricultural activity revolves around the cattle industry (both beef and dairy). (Bata have their own tanning plant for cattle hides and the Cold Storage Commission CSC have an abatoir in Gweru).Flowers are also grown in the area for the export market and Zimbabwe's largest distiller, Afdis, have extensive vineyards in Gweru for the production of wine. Mining is also prevalent, mainly chrome ore from rich ore deposits along the Great Dyke to the East of Gweru. Chrome is smelted in the town of Kwekwe approx. 60 kilometers to the North of Gweru.

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The National Railways of Zimbabwe have a large marshalling yard, Dabuka, on the South side of Gweru. Dabuka plays a pivotal role in rail movement in the country as it is the central hub of the rail links to Mozambique in the East, South Africa in the South and Botswana and Namibia in the South West.

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