Harare

This article is about the capital city of Zimbabwe. For the city in Ethiopia, see Harar.

"Southerton" redirects here. For people with the surname, see Southerton (surname). For the electoral district, see Southerton (constituency).

Harare
Capital city and province
Harare skyline from Pioneer Park View of the Crowne Plaza from the Harare Gardens Old Parliament House and the Anglican Cathedral Downtown Harare New Reserve Bank Tower Heroes' Acre monument
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  Sunshine City, H Town
Mottoes:  Pamberi Nekushandira Vanhu (Shona) "Forward with Service to the People"
Harare Location within Zimbabwe Harare Location within Africa
Coordinates: 17°49′45″S 31°3′8″E
Country	Zimbabwe
Province	Harare
Founded	12 September 1890
Incorporated (city)	1935
Renamed Harare	18 April 1982
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
• Mayor	Jacob Mafume (CCC)
• Council	Harare City Council
Area
• Capital city and province	982.3 km2 (379.3 sq mi)
Elevation	1,490 m (4,890 ft)
Population  (2022 census)
• Capital city and province	1,491,740
• Rank	1st
• Density	1,519/km2 (3,933/sq mi)
• Urban	1,558,823
• Metro	1,603,201
Demonym	Hararean
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (CAT)
Area code	242
Climate	Cwb
Dialling code 242 (or 0242 from within Zimbabwe)

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Harare (/həˈrɑːreɪ/ hə-RAR-ay) is the capital and largest city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 982.3 km² (379.3 sq mi), a population of 1,849,600 as of the 2022 census, and an estimated 2,487,209 people in its metropolitan province. The city is situated in north-eastern Zimbabwe in the country's Mashonaland region. Harare Metropolitan Province incorporates the city and the municipalities of Chitungwiza, Epworth and Ruwa. The city sits on a plateau at an elevation of 1,483 metres (4,865 feet) above sea level, and its climate falls into the subtropical highland category.

The city was founded in 1890 by the Pioneer Column, a small military force of the British South Africa Company, and was named Fort Salisbury after the British Prime Minister Lord Salisbury. Company administrators demarcated the city and ran it until Southern Rhodesia achieved responsible government in 1923. Salisbury was thereafter the seat of the Southern Rhodesian (later Rhodesian) government and, between 1953 and 1963, the capital of the Central African Federation. It retained the name Salisbury until 1982 when it was renamed Harare on the second anniversary of Zimbabwe's independence from the United Kingdom. The national parliament moved out of Harare upon completion of the New Parliament Building in Mount Hampden in April 2022.

Being the commercial capital of Zimbabwe, it remains an important center of commerce and government, as well as finance, real estate, manufacturing, healthcare, education, art, culture, tourism, agriculture, mining and regional affairs. Harare had the African headquarters of the World Health Organization up to 2006.

Harare has hosted multiple international conferences and events, including the 1995 All-Africa Games and the 2003 Cricket World Cup. In 2018, Harare was ranked as a Gamma World City. It is also home to Dynamos FC, the club with the most titles in Zimbabwean football.