| Zambia |
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Zambia | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the South Africa Company from 1891 until takeover by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties.

Zambia | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Southern Africa, east of Angola

Geographic coordinates: | 15 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references: | Africa

Area: | total: 752,614 sq km land: 740,724 sq km water: 11,890 sq km

Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries: | total: 5,664 km border countries: Angola 1,110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zimbabwe 797 km

Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: | none (landlocked)

Climate: | tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)

Terrain: | mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m highest point: unnamed location in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m

Natural resources: | copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower

Land use: | arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 40% forests and woodland: 39% other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | 460 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: | tropical storms (November to April)

Environment - current issues: | air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note: | landlocked

Zambia | People | Top of Page

Population: | 9,770,199 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 47.36% (male 2,324,128; female 2,303,349) 15-64 years: 50.14% (male 2,433,250; female 2,465,747) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 105,694; female 138,031) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 1.93% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 41.46 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 21.97 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | -0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 90.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 37.29 years male: 37.06 years female: 37.53 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 5.53 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 19.95% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 870,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 99,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality: | noun: Zambian(s) adjective: Zambian

Ethnic groups: | African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%

Religions: | Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%

Languages: | English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write English total population: 78.2% male: 85.6% female: 71.3% (1995 est.)

Zambia | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Zambia conventional short form: Zambia former: Northern Rhodesia

Government type: | republic

Capital: | Lusaka

Administrative divisions: | 9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western

Independence: | 24 October 1964 (from UK)

National holiday: | Independence Day, 24 October (1964)

Constitution: | 2 August 1991

Legal system: | based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: | chief of state: President Frederick CHILUBA (since 2 November 1991); Vice President Enoch KAVINDELE (since 4 May 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Frederick CHILUBA (since 2 November 1991); Vice President Enoch KAVINDELE (since 4 May 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 18 November 1996 (next to be held NA October 2001); vice president appointed by the president election results: Frederick CHILUBA reelected president; percent of vote - Frederick CHILUBA 72.5%, Dean MUNGO'MBA 12.6%, Humphrey MULEMBA 7%, Akashambatwa LEWANIKA 4.7%, Chama CHAKOMBOKA 3.2%

Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 18 November 1996 (next to be held NA December 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MMD 131, NP 5, Zadeco 2, AZ 2, independents 10

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court (the final court of appeal; justices are appointed by the president); High Court (has unlimited jurisdiction to hear civil and criminal cases)

Political parties and leaders: | Agenda for Zambia or AZ [Akashambatwa LEWANIKA]; Labor Party or LP [Chibiza MFUNI]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger CHONGWE, president]; Movement for Democratic Process or MDP [Chama CHAKOM BOKA]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Frederick CHILUBA]; National Party or NP [Daniel LISULO]; Republican Party or RP [Ben MWILA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Gwendoline Konie]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Tilyenji KAUNDA]; United Party for National Development or UPND [Anderson MAZOKA]; Zambia Democratic Congress or Zadeco [Eden JERRY, acting head]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Atan SHANSONGA chancery: 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9717 through 9719 FAX: [1] (202) 332-0826

Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador David B. DUNN embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka telephone: [260] (1) 250-955 FAX: [260] (1) 252-225

Flag description: | green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side), black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag

Zambia | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economy has a long way to go. Privatization of government-owned copper mines relieved the government from covering mammoth losses generated by the industry and greatly improved the chances for copper mining to return to profitability and spur economic growth. In late 2000, Zambia was determined to be eligible for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Inflation and unemployment rates remain high, but the GDP growth rate should rise in 2001.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $8.5 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 4% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $880 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 18% industry: 27% services: 55% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: | 86% (1993 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 1.6% highest 10%: 39.2% (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 27.3% (2000 est.)

Labor force: | 3.4 million

Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 85%, industry 6%, services 9%

Unemployment rate: | 50% (2000 est.)

Budget: | revenues: $900 million expenditures: $1 billion, including capital expenditures of NA million (1999 est.)

Industries: | copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer

Industrial production growth rate: | 6.1% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: | 7.642 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 0.55% hydro: 99.45% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 5.926 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 1.6 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 419 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, vegetables, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca); cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides; coffee

Exports: | $928 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: | copper, cobalt, electricity, tobacco

Exports - partners: | Japan, Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand, South Africa, US, Malaysia (1997)

Imports: | $1.05 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: | machinery, transportation equipment, fuels, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners: | South Africa 48%, Saudi Arabia, UK, Zimbabwe (1997)

Debt - external: | $6.5 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient: | $1.99 billion (1995)

Currency: | Zambian kwacha (ZMK)

Currency code: | ZMK

Exchange rates: | Zambian kwacha per US dollar - 4,024.53 (January 2001), 3,110.84 (2000), 2,388.02 (1999), 1,862.07 (1998), 1,314.50 (1997), 1,207.90 (1996)

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Zambia | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 77,935 (in addition there are about 40,000 fixed telephones in wireless local loop connections) (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 6,000 (1998)

Telephone system: | general assessment: facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation; Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 19, FM 5, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios: | 1.03 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 9 (1997)

Televisions: | 277,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .zm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 3 (2000)

Internet users: | 15,000 (2000)

Zambia | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | total: 2,164 km (1995) narrow gauge: 2,164 km 1.067-m gauge (13 km double track) note: the total includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), which operates 1,860 km of 1.067-m narrow gauge track between Dar es Salaam and Kapiri Mposhi where it connects to the Zambia Railways system; TAZARA is not a part of the Zambia Railways system; Zambia Railways assets are scheduled for concessioning in 2001

Highways: | total: 66,781 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1997 est.)

Waterways: | 2,250 km note: includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers

Pipelines: | crude oil 1,724 km

Ports and harbors: | Mpulungu

Airports: | 112 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 13 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 99 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 65 under 914 m: 31 (2000 est.)

Zambia | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Army, Air Force, National Service, police

Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 2,246,640 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 1,193,047 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $76 million (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.8% (FY97)

Zambia | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for Southern Africa and possibly Europe; regional money-laundering center