Hwange, town, western Zimbabwe. It was founded about 1900 after the discovery of coal in the vicinity and was named for a local chief, Whanga, who was the dynastic head of the Abananza people. By 1908 a brickyard was established, utilizing local clays, and the production of coke began in 1913. The town is located on road and rail lines to Bulawayo and Zambia, and the coal-mining industry remains the dominant economic factor in the locality. An added source of income has been tourism, based on nearby Hwange National Park and the Deka and Matetsi safari areas. Pop. (2002) 34,950; (2012) 19,870.