Chipinge
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{About|the town in Zimbabwe|the district|Chipinge District}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Chipinge
|other_name = Chipinga
|nickname =
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|pushpin_map = Zimbabwe
|pushpin_label_position = none
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|pushpin_mapsize = 200
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = Zimbabwe
|subdivision_type1 = Province
|subdivision_name1 = Manicaland Province
|subdivision_type2 = District
|subdivision_name2 = Chipinge District
|subdivision_type3 = City
|subdivision_name3 = Chipinge Municipality
|government_footnotes =
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|population_as_of = 2022 census
|population_footnotes =[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/zimbabwe/cities/ citypopulation.de] Population of cities & urban localities in Zimbabwe
|population_note =
|population_total = 34959
|population_density_km2 =
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|timezone = CAT
|utc_offset = +2
|coordinates = {{coord|20|12|00|S|32|37|12|E|region:ZW|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = 1132
|elevation_ft = 3635
|area_code =
|blank_name = Climate
|blank_info = Cwb
|website =
|footnotes =
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Chipinge, formerly known as Chipinga, is a town in Zimbabwe, located in Chipinge District, in Manicaland Province, in southeastern Zimbabwe, close to the border with Mozambique.
Location
The town lies approximately {{convert|170|km|mi}}, by road, south of Mutare, the nearest large city.[http://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/Zimbabwe_Distance_Result.asp?fromplace=Chipinge%20()%20&toplace=Mutare%20()&fromlat=-20.2&tolat=-18.9666667&fromlng=32.6166667&tolng=32.6666667 Road Distance Between Mutare And Chipinge With Map] This location lies about {{convert|230|km|mi}}, by road, east of Masvingo,[http://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/Zimbabwe_Distance_Result.asp?fromplace=Chipinge%20()%20&toplace=Masvingo%20()&fromlat=-20.2&tolat=-20.0833333&fromlng=32.6166667&tolng=30.8333333 Map Showing Masvingo And Chipinge With Distance Marker] on the road (Highway A-9) to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second-largest city, approximately {{convert|290|km|mi}}, further west of Masvingo.[http://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/Zimbabwe_Distance_Result.asp?%20fromplace=Bulawayo%20(Bulawayo)&toplace=Masvingo%20()&fromlat=-20.15&tolat=-20.0833333&fromlng=28.5833333&tolng=30.8333333 Road Distance Between Bulawayo And Masvingo With Map] The coordinates of the town are: 20° 12' 0.00"S, 32° 37' 12.00"E (Latitude:20.2000; Longitude:32.6200). Chipinge sits at an elevation of {{convert|1132|m|ft}}, above sea level.[http://www.wolframalpha.com/entities/cities_elevation/what_is_the_elevation_of_chipinge,_zimbabwe%3f/b0/4i/30/ Elevation of Chipinge Above Sea Level]{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Overview
The average annual rainfall in Chipinge is about {{convert|1105|mm|in}}. The warm climate and high rainfall are well suited to agriculture. The local farmers grow tea, coffee, macadamia nuts and rear dairy cattle. The surrounding mountain slopes are covered with pine and acacia plantations. One of Zimbabwe's most famous landmarks, the Birchenough Bridge is located on the Sabi River about {{convert|50|km|mi}}, northwest of Chipinge.[http://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/Zimbabwe_Distance_Result.asp?fromplace=Chipinge%20()%20&toplace=Birchenough%20Bridge%20()&fromlat=-20.2&tolat=-19.9666667&fromlng=32.6166667&tolng=32.3333333 Map Showing Chipinge And Birchenough Bridge With Distance Marker]
The town is the headquarters of Chipinge District and contain the main offices of Chipinge District Administration and the offices of Chipinge Town Council. Royal Bank Zimbabwe, a commercial bank, maintains a branch in the town.[http://www.royalbank.co.zw/index.php/contact-us/branch-locator Branches of Royal Bank Zimbabwe] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326020438/http://www.royalbank.co.zw/index.php/contact-us/branch-locator |date=26 March 2012 }} Chipinge is also served by Chipinge Airport, Telone Exchange telecommunications.
Chipinge is divided into five constituencies for election purposes: Chipinge Central, Chipinge North, Chipinge South, Chipinge East
and Musikavanhu.
History
The town was formerly known as Chipinga. A white settlement began here with the arrival of Thomas Moodie's trek in 1893 and was called South Melsetter. Melsetter was his family home in Orkney, Scotland. In 1903 a police outpost was built here and in 1909 a school was built. The settlement was renamed Chipinga after a local chief in 1907 and in 1946 Chipinga received town status. Dairy farming was established early in the 1900s and by 1931 there were two cheese factories in operation. In 1945 a third cheese factory was open in the town but the same year saw the three factories being amalgamated to form one large factory. Cheese production at this facility continued until 1976. In 1983 Dairibord Zimbabwe under Dairibord Holdings opened a dairy factory making sterilized milk "steri" at 323 Ferreira Street. The area around Chipinge was the first place to grow tea in Zimbabwe, when Grafton and Florence Phillips smuggled seeds from Assam in British India in 1924, while coffee was introduced on a small scale but was not successful until 1950 when a coffee experimental station was established.
Population
According to the 1992 Population Census, the town has a population of 11,582. In 2004, the town's population was estimated at 18,860.[http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=population+of+chipinge+city Estimated Town Population In 2004] The results of the 2012 census indicate 25,675 residents in Chipinge Town.
Climate
{{Weather box
|location = Chipinge (1961–1990, extremes 1932–present)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 37.8
|Feb record high C = 35.6
|Mar record high C = 34.3
|Apr record high C = 36.0
|May record high C = 32.7
|Jun record high C = 29.7
|Jul record high C = 34.9
|Aug record high C = 33.5
|Sep record high C = 38.0
|Oct record high C = 38.4
|Nov record high C = 36.6
|Dec record high C = 34.1
|year record high C = 38.4
|Jan high C = 26.0
|Feb high C = 25.5
|Mar high C = 25.2
|Apr high C = 24.1
|May high C = 22.6
|Jun high C = 20.4
|Jul high C = 20.2
|Aug high C = 22.2
|Sep high C = 24.8
|Oct high C = 26.1
|Nov high C = 26.3
|Dec high C = 26.0
|year high C = 24.1
|Jan mean C = 20.9
|Feb mean C = 20.5
|Mar mean C = 19.8
|Apr mean C = 18.2
|May mean C = 16.3
|Jun mean C = 14.4
|Jul mean C = 14.2
|Aug mean C = 15.8
|Sep mean C = 18.1
|Oct mean C = 19.4
|Nov mean C = 20.3
|Dec mean C = 20.5
|year mean C = 18.2
|Jan low C = 16.9
|Feb low C = 16.7
|Mar low C = 15.9
|Apr low C = 14.3
|May low C = 12.3
|Jun low C = 10.3
|Jul low C = 9.8
|Aug low C = 10.7
|Sep low C = 12.7
|Oct low C = 14.2
|Nov low C = 15.6
|Dec low C = 16.4
|year low C = 13.8
|Jan record low C = 11.0
|Feb record low C = 11.8
|Mar record low C = 9.9
|Apr record low C = 5.8
|May record low C = 4.0
|Jun record low C = 2.4
|Jul record low C = 0.6
|Aug record low C = 2.2
|Sep record low C = 3.8
|Oct record low C = 5.3
|Nov record low C = 7.2
|Dec record low C = 10.0
|year record low C = 0.6
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 208.5
|Feb rain mm = 204.1
|Mar rain mm = 142.5
|Apr rain mm = 61.9
|May rain mm = 31.3
|Jun rain mm = 16.7
|Jul rain mm = 19.9
|Aug rain mm = 20.6
|Sep rain mm = 26.1
|Oct rain mm = 53.0
|Nov rain mm = 103.0
|Dec rain mm = 209.9
|year rain mm = 1097.5
|Jan rain days = 12
|Feb rain days = 12
|Mar rain days = 10
|Apr rain days = 5
|May rain days = 4
|Jun rain days = 4
|Jul rain days = 3
|Aug rain days = 4
|Sep rain days = 4
|Oct rain days = 6
|Nov rain days = 9
|Dec rain days = 11
|year rain days =
|Jan humidity = 81
|Feb humidity = 83
|Mar humidity = 82
|Apr humidity = 80
|May humidity = 73
|Jun humidity = 70
|Jul humidity = 68
|Aug humidity = 67
|Sep humidity = 63
|Oct humidity = 69
|Nov humidity = 75
|Dec humidity = 79
|year humidity = 74
|Jan sun = 235.6
|Feb sun = 196.0
|Mar sun = 226.3
|Apr sun = 234.0
|May sun = 254.2
|Jun sun = 234.0
|Jul sun = 251.1
|Aug sun = 269.7
|Sep sun = 261.0
|Oct sun = 248.0
|Nov sun = 228.0
|Dec sun = 210.8
|year sun = 2848.7
|Jand sun = 7.6
|Febd sun = 7.0
|Mard sun = 7.3
|Aprd sun = 7.8
|Mayd sun = 8.2
|Jund sun = 7.8
|Juld sun = 8.1
|Augd sun = 8.7
|Sepd sun = 8.7
|Octd sun = 8.0
|Novd sun = 7.6
|Decd sun = 6.8
|yeard sun =
|source 1 = World Meteorological Organization,{{cite web
| url = http://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=964
| title = World Weather Information Service – Chipinge
| publisher = World Meteorological Organization
| accessdate = 12 May 2016}} NOAA (sun and mean temperature, 1961–1990)
{{Cite FTP | url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/ZI/67983.TXT
| server = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| title = Chipinge Climate Normals 1961–1990
| accessdate = 12 May 2016}}
|source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (humidity),
{{cite web
| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_679830_kt.pdf
| title = Klimatafel von Chipinge (Chipinga) / Simbabwe
| work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world
| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst
| language = German
| accessdate = 13 May 2016}} Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)
{{cite web
| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=943
| title = Station Chipinge
| publisher = Meteo Climat
|language = French
| accessdate = 10 June 2016}}
}}
Notable people
- Ndabaningi Sithole, ZANU – Ndonga political leader
- Guy Whittall, Zimbabwean cricketer
- Arthur Mutambara, politician
- Lovemore Madhuku, politician
- Jason Sparrow, cricketer
See also
- Districts of Zimbabwe
- Provinces of Zimbabwe
- Tongogara Refugee Camp, a refugee camp near Chipinge
References
{{reflist}}
{{Geography of Zimbabwe}}
{{authority control}}