Plumtree, Zimbabwe
{{short description|Zimbabwean town}}
{{Other places3|Plumtree (disambiguation)}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Plumtree
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| pushpin_map = Zimbabwe
| pushpin_label_position = inline
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Zimbabwe
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = 25px Zimbabwe
| subdivision_type2 = Province
| subdivision_name2 = Matabeleland South
| subdivision_type3 = District
| subdivision_name3 = Bulilimamangwe District
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| subdivision_type5 = Municipality
| subdivision_name5 = Plumtree Town Council
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| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Eroc Garcia
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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
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| population_total = 14459
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| timezone = CAT
| utc_offset = +2
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| coordinates = {{coord|20|28|41|S|27|47|50|E|region:ZW|display=inline, title}}
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| elevation_m = 1374
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Plumtree is a town in Zimbabwe. Marula trees, wild plum trees (Ntungulu in tjiKalanga) grow abundantly in the area. The town was once called Getjenge by baKalanga. It is also often called Titji, meaning station, and referring to the railway station which was operating in the area around 1897.{{cite web|title=Profile of Plumtree, Zimbabwe |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Plumtree |date=20 July 2020 |publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=20 July 2020 |author=((The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica)) | location=London, United Kingdom}}
Location
The town is located in Bulilimamangwe District, in the Matabeleland South Province, in southwestern Zimbabwe, at the international border with Botswana. It is located about {{convert|100.6|km|mi}} by road, southwest of Bulawayo, the nearest large city.{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Bulawayo,+Zimbabwe/Plumtree,+Zimbabwe/@-20.3135203,27.6517829,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x1eb553f3a8738f73:0x1d2d555c3f07ed7e!2m2!1d28.626479!2d-20.1325066!1m5!1m1!1s0x1eb4dc0a765a52d1:0x2eb933c50a5fec5e!2m2!1d27.8018337!2d-20.488399!3e0 |title=Road Distance Between Bulawayo and Plumtree |access-date=20 July 2020}} Plumtree sits on the main road between Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and Francistown in Botswana, about {{convert|94|km|0}}, further southwest from Plumtree.{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Plumtree,+Zimbabwe/Francistown,+Botswana/@-20.8254801,27.3776938,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x1eb4dc0a765a52d1:0x2eb933c50a5fec5e!2m2!1d27.8018337!2d-20.488399!1m5!1m1!1s0x1eb46883156e55a3:0x18db953a74373104!2m2!1d27.5143603!2d-21.1661005!3e0 |title=Road Distance Between Plumtree, Zimbabwe and Francistown, Botswana |access-date=20 July 2020}} The geographical coordinates of Plumtree are:
20°28'41.0"S, 27°47'50.0"E (Latitude:-20.478056; Longitude:27.797222).{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/20%C2%B028'41.0%22S+27%C2%B047'50.0%22E/@-19.6305778,29.4226766,551045m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d-20.4780556!4d27.7972222 |title=Location of Plumtree, Zimbabwe |access-date=20 July 2020}} The border is defined by the Ramokgwebana River. The village of Ramokgwebana is opposite Plumtree on the Botswana side. Plumtree lies at an average elevation of {{convert|1374|m|0}} above mean sea level.{{cite web|url=https://www.floodmap.net/Elevation/ElevationMap/?gi=882859 |title=Elevation of Plumtree, Zimbabwe |date=20 July 2020 |publisher=Floodmap.net |access-date=20 July 2020 | author=Floodmap}}
Overview
It is the local administrative centre for Mangwe District, which consists of two sub-districts; namely (a) Mangwe Urban (Plumtree) and (b) Mangwe Rural. What was Bulilima West, is now Bulilima District. (see:[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Matabeleland_South_districts.png Map of the Districts of Matabeleland South Province]){{cite web|date= March 2019 | url=https://www.cite.org.zw/legislator-pushes-for-establishment-of-bulilima-hospital/ |title=Legislator pushes for establishment of Bulilima hospital |publisher=Cite Organization Zimbabwe | author=Abigirl Khupe |access-date=20 July 2020 | location=Bulawayo}}
At an altitude of {{convert|1374|m|0}} above sea level, the town sits on the watershed between the Limpopo River basin to the south and the Zambezi River basin to the north. The Tati River rises near Plumtree, running west and then south into the Shashe River, a tributary of the Limpopo. The annual rainfall is about {{convert|500|mm|in}}, with a long dry season from April to October.{{cite web|date=20 July 2020 | url=http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Plumtree-weather-averages/Matabeleland-North/ZW.aspx |title=Plumtree Monthly Climate Averages |publisher=Worldweatheronline.com |author=World Weather Online | access-date=20 July 2020}}
The railway from Bulawayo to Francistown crosses the border near Plumtree. There is a functioning casino in Plumtree. There are several elementary and secondary schools in the town. Radio and television reception from within Zimbabwe is weak in this neighborhood. Residents in Plumtree and neighboring communities rely on reception from neighboring Botswana and South Africa for news and general information.{{cite web| url=https://www.thestandard.co.zw/2020/05/03/mat-south-villagers-dark-pandemic/ |title=Matabeleland South Villagers In The Dark About Pandemic |date=3 May 2020 |newspaper=The Standard (Zimbabwe) |author=Silas Nkala |location=Harare |access-date=20 July 2020}}
Population
There are two main languages spoken in Plumtree; (a) tjiKalanga and (b) isiNdebele. Other languages spoken to a lesser extent include seTswana, used near the Botswana border. In 2004, the population of the town was estimated at 2,184.{{cite web|url=https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+the+population+of+plumtree%2C+zimbabwe%3F |date=20 July 2020 |title=Estimated 2004 Population of Plumtree, Zimbabwe |
publisher=Wolfram Alpha LLC |access-date=20 July 2020 | author=Wolfram Alpha}} The 2012 national population census enumerated the population of Plumtree at 11,660 inhabitants. Of these, 6,261 (53.7 percent) were females and 5,399 (46.3 percent) were males. They were grouped into 3,273 households with an average size of 3.6 family members.{{cite web|title=2012 Population of Plumtree, Zimbabwe |url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/census/documents/Zimbabwe/ZWE_CensusPreliminary2012.pdf | date=18 August 2012 |page=83 |publisher=United Nations Statistics Division Quoting Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency |access-date=20 July 2020 |author=Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency}}
Climate
{{Weather box
|location = Plumtree, Zimbabwe (1961–1990)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan high C = 28.1
|Feb high C = 27.5
|Mar high C = 27.4
|Apr high C = 26.2
|May high C = 24.1
|Jun high C = 21.7
|Jul high C = 21.6
|Aug high C = 24.5
|Sep high C = 28.2
|Oct high C = 29.7
|Nov high C = 29.0
|Dec high C = 28.0
|year high C = 26.3
|Jan low C = 16.9
|Feb low C = 16.5
|Mar low C = 15.7
|Apr low C = 13.6
|May low C = 10.8
|Jun low C = 8.4
|Jul low C = 8.3
|Aug low C = 10.5
|Sep low C = 13.8
|Oct low C = 15.9
|Nov low C = 16.7
|Dec low C = 16.6
|year low C = 13.6
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 120.2
|Feb rain mm = 114.0
|Mar rain mm = 70.0
|Apr rain mm = 35.9
|May rain mm = 6.8
|Jun rain mm = 2.7
|Jul rain mm = 1.3
|Aug rain mm = 0.7
|Sep rain mm = 8.8
|Oct rain mm = 32.5
|Nov rain mm = 90.7
|Dec rain mm = 118.8
|year rain mm = 602.4
|Jan rain days = 10
|Feb rain days = 9
|Mar rain days = 5
|Apr rain days = 3
|May rain days = 1
|Jun rain days = 0
|Jul rain days = 0
|Aug rain days = 0
|Sep rain days = 1
|Oct rain days = 4
|Nov rain days = 8
|Dec rain days = 10
|year rain days = 51
|source 1 = World Meteorological Organization{{cite web
| url = http://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=960
| title = World Weather Information Service – Plumtree
| publisher = World Meteorological Organization
| accessdate = 13 May 2016}}
}}
Notable people linked to Plumtree
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.peaceinsight.org/conflicts/zimbabwe/peacebuilding-organisations/plumtree-development-trust/ Plumtree Development Trust] As of December 2017.
{{Authority control}}
{{Matabeleland South Province}}
{{Geography of Zimbabwe}}