Overview
Shona people began their rule in what is now Zimbabwe about A.D. 1000. They built a city called Zimbabwe, or Great Zimbabwe. The city's ruins lie near Masvingo. They include a tower 30 feet (9 meters) high and part of a wall 800 feet (240 meters) around. Today, the Shona (often called the Mashona) make up the largest black ethnic group in Zimbabwe. The Shona speak a language called Chishona.
Excerpt adapted from the "Zimbabwe" article, The World Book Encyclopedia, © 1999