Matabeleland North Province

Matabeleland North is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 75,025 km² and a population of approximately 700,000 inhabitants (2002). Its capital is the city of Lupane.

Geography

The Matabeleland region, of which Matabeleland North is a part, is characterized by inhospitable terrain compared to other parts of Zimbabwe. It has lower rainfall than provinces such as Mashonaland, and suffers from drought in general. The land is less fertile than other provinces, cash crops cannot be grown, and peasants often cannot produce enough maize to feed their families. However, during the colonial era, a large number of cattle ranches were formed and cattle raising has proven to be more successful than crop production in the province. The upper Nata River flow through Matabeleland North before entering Botswana to discharge at the Makgadikgadi Salt Flats.

The region has significant resources such as gold, limestone, methane gas, coal, and timber. As seen in the Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest game reserve, the area is also known for its large population of wildlife. However, the most famous geographical feature of Matebeleland North is the Victoria Falls, the largest waterfalls found on the Zambezi River, on the northern border of the province.