Chinhoyi

History

The town was established as Sinoia in 1906, as a group settlement scheme by a wealthy Italian, Lieutenant Margherito Guidotti. He encouraged ten Italian families to settle here. The Rhodesian Bush War started in this town in the area occupied by the Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital. The name Sinoria derives from Tjinoyi, a Lozwi/Rozwi Chief who is believed to have been a son of Lukuluba (corrupted to Mukuruva by the Zezuru), who was the third son of Emperor Netjasike. The Kalanga (Lozwi/Rozwi name) was changed to Sinoia by the white settlers and later Chinhoyi by the Zezuru.

Geography

Chinhoyi is located on the western banks of the Manyame River, in Makonde District, in Mashonaland West Province in central northern Zimbabwe. Its location lies approximately by road, northwest of Harare the capital of Zimbabwe and the largest city in the country. Chinhoyi lies on the main road, Highway A-1, between Harare and Chirundu, at the International border with Zambia, about , further northwest of Chinhoyi. The geographical coordinates of Chinhoyi are:17°20'59.0"S, 30°11'40.0"E (Latitude:-17.349722; Longitude:30.194444). Chinhoyi sits at an average elevation of above mean sea level. There are a number of small towns which are close to Chinhoyi. Banket lies about , southeast of Chinhoyi on the road to Harare, while Alaska lies approximately directly west of town, and Lion's Den lies about northwest of Chinhoyi on the road to Chirundu.

Most-observed species

• Red-eyed Dove

  Streptopelia semitorquata (Rüppell, 1837) · Aves
  165
• Black-collared Barbet

  Lybius torquatus (Dumont, 1805) · Aves
  159
• Dark-capped Bulbul

  Pycnonotus tricolor (Hartlaub, 1862) · Aves
  156
• Southern Cordonbleu

  Uraeginthus angolensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  153
• White-browed Robin-Chat

  Cossypha heuglini Hartlaub, 1866 · Aves
  152
• Black-backed Puffback

  Dryoscopus cubla (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  141
• Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove

  Turtur chalcospilos (Wagler, 1827) · Aves
  130
• Rattling Cisticola

  Cisticola chiniana (A.Smith, 1843) · Aves
  127