Harare Province

Harare Metropolitan Province
Province
Location of Harare Province in Zimbabwe
Country	Zimbabwe
Established	1997
Capital	Harare
Government
• Governor	Vacant
Area
• Total	872 km2 (337 sq mi)
Elevation	1,490 m (4,890 ft)
Highest elevation	1,540 m (5,050 ft)
Population  (2022 census)[1]
• Total	2,427,209
• Rank	1st
• Density	2,800/km2 (7,200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (Central African Time)
HDI (2021)	0.665
Website	http://www.zim.gov.zw/index.php/en/my-government/provinces/harare

Harare Metropolitan Province (/həˈrɑːreɪ/^[2]) is a province in northeastern Zimbabwe that comprises Harare, the country's capital and largest city, and three other municipalities, Chitungwiza, Epworth and Ruwa.^[3][4] At independence in 1980, it was originally part of Mashonaland Province which in 1983 was divided into three large provinces, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, and Mashonaland West - at this point, the city of Harare became part of Mashonaland East. In 1997, along with Bulawayo, it became a metropolitan province, along with the then two nearby urban settlements. Harare Metropolitan Province is divided into four local government areas - a city council, a municipality and two local boards.

Harare Province has an area of 872 square kilometres (337 sq mi), equal to 0.22% of the total area of Zimbabwe. It is the second-smallest in area of the country's provinces, after the city-province of Bulawayo. As of the 2022 census, the province has a population of 2,427,209,^[1] of whom 1,849,600 live in Harare proper, 371,244 in Chitungwiza, and the remaining 206,365 in Epworth. In total, Harare Province is home to 16.26% of Zimbabwe's population, making it the country's most populous province. The province is Zimbabwe's leading political, financial, commercial, and communications centre, as well as a trade centre for tobacco, maize, cotton, and citrus fruits. Manufacturing, including textiles, steel, and chemicals, is also economically significant, as is gold mining. The province is home to several universities, a number of leading professional sports teams, and many historical sites and tourist attractions.