The Greek

Greeks

The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....

 community in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

comprises about 2,500 of Greek origin, almost half of them from Cyprus.
Zimbabwe currently hosts eleven Greek Orthodox churches and fifteen Greek associations and humanitarian organizations.

History

The Greek community in Zimbabwe numbered between 13,000 and 15,000 people in 1972 but following the deterioration of Zimbabwe's domestic and financial situation has been reduced to a fraction of its former size.

Present situation

The local Greek community and Greece itself are active in the field of humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe. Apart from a few landowners and businesspeople the majority of Greeks in the country are occupied in trade and other activities that contribute considerably to the country's economy. There are Greek communities in various cities in the country, including Bulawayo

Bulawayo

Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...

, Mutare

Mutare

Mutare is the fourth largest city in Zimbabwe, with a population of around 170,000. It is the capital of Manicaland province.-History:...

, Gweru

Gweru

Gweru is a city near the centre of Zimbabwe at . It has a population of about 146,073 , making it the third largest city in the nation. Gweru is the capital of Midlands Province. Gweru was founded in 1894 by Dr. Leander Starr Jameson. The first bank opened in Gweru in 1896, and the stock exchange...

 and Harare

Harare

Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...

 where the local community has been operating a Greek school since 1954. The Holy Archbishopric of Zimbabwe and Southern Africa is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.

See also

• Greek Diaspora
  Greek diaspora
  The Greek diaspora, also known as Hellenic Diaspora or Diaspora of Hellenism, is a term used to refer to the communities of Greek people living outside the traditional Greek homelands, but more commonly in southeast Europe and Asia Minor...
  
  
• Greeks in South Africa
  Greeks in South Africa
  The Greek community in South Africa numbers 130,000 people.-Notable people:*George Bizos - human rights advocate*Stanley Christodoulou - international boxing judge and referee*Ivan Gazidis - sports business executive...
  
  
• Greeks in Zambia
  Greeks in Zambia
  The Greek community of Zambia comprises about 800 people today, roughly half of whom hail from Cyprus. Most are concentrated in the capital Lusaka, while there are smaller enclaves in Luansia and Kitue.-Migration history:...
  
  
• Greeks in D.R. Congo
  Greeks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  The first Greek communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were established prior to the colonization of the country by Belgium. The Greek presence in the Congos reached a peak in the 1950s when many Greeks fled Egypt as their properties were seized by the nationalist government there...