Mutare

Mutare Umtali
City
Aerial view of Central Mutare (October 2001)
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s):  Gateway to the Eastern Highlands, Zimbabwe's Gateway to the Sea
Motto(s):  Justice and Freedom
Mutare
Coordinates: 18°58′S 32°38′E / 18.967°S 32.633°E / -18.967; 32.633
Country	Zimbabwe
Province	Manicaland
District	Mutare
Founded	1897
Incorporated (town)	11 June 1914
Incorporated (city)	1971
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
• Mayor	Simon Chabuka (CCC)
• Council	Mutare City Council
Area
• Urban	191.2 km2 (73.8 sq mi)
Elevation	1,120 m (3,675 ft)
Population  (2022 census)[1]
• Urban	224,802
• Urban density	1,200/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
• Metro	500,000
	estimated
Time zone	UTC+2 (CAT)
Climate	Cwa
Website	City of Mutare

Mutare, formerly known as Umtali until 1982,^[2] is the most populous city in the province of Manicaland, and the third most populous in Zimbabwe, having surpassed Gweru in the 2012 census, with an urban population of 224,802 and approximately 260,567 in the surrounding districts, giving the wider metropolitan area a total population of over 500,000 people.^[3] Mutare is also the capital of Manicaland Province and the largest city in eastern Zimbabwe.

Located near the border with Mozambique, Mutare has long been a centre of trade and a key terminus en route to the port of Beira (in Beira, Mozambique). Mutare is hub for trade with railway links, pipeline transport and highways linking the coast with Harare and Zimbabwe's interior. Other traditional industries include timber, papermaking, commerce, food processing, telecommunications, and transportation.^[3] In addition the city serves as a gateway to the scenic Eastern Highlands, nearby Gorongosa National Park, and the Mozambique coast.^[4]