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This page was last updated on 19 June 2008
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| Introduction | Zambia | Top of Page

Background: | The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over 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. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. The new president launched an anticorruption investigation in 2002 to probe high-level corruption during the previous administration. In 2006-07, this task force successfully prosecuted four cases, including a landmark civil case in the UK in which former President CHILUBA and numerous others were found liable for USD 41 million. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair.

| Geography | Zambia | 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: 6.99% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 92.97% (2005)
Irrigated land: | 1,560 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources: | 105.2 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): | total: 1.74 cu km/yr (17%/7%/76%) per capita: 149 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards: | periodic drought, 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: | landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe

| People | Zambia | Top of Page

Population: | 11,669,534 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 45.4% (male 2,659,572/female 2,634,379) 15-64 years: 52.3% (male 3,045,536/female 3,053,465) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 115,662/female 160,920) (2008 est.)
Median age: | total: 16.9 years male: 16.8 years female: 17.1 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate: | 1.654% (2008 est.)
Birth rate: | 40.52 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate: | 21.35 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate: | -2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 100.96 deaths/1,000 live births male: 105.73 deaths/1,000 live births female: 96.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 38.59 years male: 38.49 years female: 38.7 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 5.23 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 16.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 920,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 89,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: | degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis animal contact disease: rabies (2008)
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: 80.6% male: 86.8% female: 74.8% (2003 est.)

| Government | Zambia | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Zambia conventional short form: Zambia former: Northern Rhodesia
Government type: | republic
Capital: | name: Lusaka geographic coordinates: 15 25 S, 28 17 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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: | 24 August 1991; amended in 1996 to establish presidential term limits
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 Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002); Vice President Rupiah BANDA (since 9 October 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002); Vice President Rupiah BANDA (since 9 October 2006) 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 September 2006 (next to be held in 2011); vice president appointed by the president election results: Levy MWANAWASA reelected president; percent of vote - Levy MWANAWASA 43.0%, Michael SATA 29.4%, Hakainde HICHILEMA 25.3%, Godfrey MIYANDA 1.6%, Winright NGONDO 0.8%
Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly (158 seats; 150 members are elected by popular vote, 8 members are appointed by the president, to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 28 September 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MMD 72, PF 44, UDA 27, ULP 2, NDF 1, independents 2; seats not determined 2
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: | All Peoples Congress Party [Winright NGONDO]; Forum for Democracy and Development or FDD [Edith NAWAKWI]; Heritage Party or HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger CHONGWE]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Levy MWANAWASA]; National Democratic Focus or NDF; Patriotic Front or PF [Michael SATA]; Party of Unity for Democracy and Development or PUDD [Dan PULE]; Reform Party [Nevers MUMBA]; United Democratic Alliance or UDA; United Liberal Party or ULP [Sakwiba SIKOTA]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Tilyenji KAUNDA]; United Party for National Development or UPND [Hakainde HICHILEMA]; Zambia Democratic Congress or ZADECO [Langton SICHONE]; Zambian Republican Party or ZRP [Benjamin MWILA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA
International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA 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 Carmen M. MARTINEZ embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues, Lusaka mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka telephone: [260] (1) 250-955 FAX: [260] (1) 252-225
Flag description: | green field 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

| Economy | Zambia | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | Zambia's economy has experienced modest growth in recent years, with real GDP growth in 2005-07 between 5-6% per year. Privatization of government-owned copper mines in the 1990s 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. Copper output has increased steadily since 2004, due to higher copper prices and foreign investment. In 2005, Zambia qualified for debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative, consisting of approximately USD 6 billion in debt relief. Zambia experienced a bumper harvest in 2007, which helped to boost GDP and agricultural exports and contain inflation. Although poverty continues to be significant problem in Zambia, its economy has strengthened, featuring single-digit inflation, a relatively stable currency, decreasing interest rates, and increasing levels of trade.
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $15.92 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $11.16 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 5.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $1,300 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 17.3% industry: 26.2% services: 56.5% (2007 est.)
Labor force: | 4.989 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 85% industry: 6% services: 9% (2004)
Unemployment rate: | 50% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: | 86% (1993)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 38.8% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 50.8 (2004)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 10.7% (2007 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 26% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $2.542 billion expenditures: $2.678 billion (2007 est.)
Public debt: | 28% of GDP (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products: | corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, vegetables, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), coffee; cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides
Industries: | copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture
Industrial production growth rate: | 7.3% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production: | 8.85 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption: | 8.655 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports: | 243 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports: | 465 million kWh (2005)
Oil - production: | 150 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 14,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports: | 169 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports: | 13,370 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves: | NA
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance: | -$743 million (2007 est.)
Exports: | $4.348 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities: | copper/cobalt 64%, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton
Exports - partners: | Switzerland 38.4%, South Africa 21.6%, China 10.3%, UK 7.6%, Tanzania 6.4% (2006)
Imports: | $3.622 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities: | machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners: | South Africa 47.3%, UAE 10.4%, Zimbabwe 5.7%, Norway 4% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient: | $504 million (2007)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $1.09 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external: | $2.598 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $NA
Market value of publicly traded shares: | $4.5 billion (2007)
Currency (code): | Zambian kwacha (ZMK)
Exchange rates: | Zambian kwacha per US dollar - 3,990.2 (2007), 3,601.5 (2006), 4,463.5 (2005), 4,778.9 (2004), 4,733.3 (2003)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

| Communications | Zambia | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 93,400 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 1,663,300 (2006)
Telephone system: | general assessment: facilities are aging but still 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 and network coverage is improving; Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms international: country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 19, FM 5, shortwave 4 (2001)
Television broadcast stations: | 9 (2001)
Internet country code: | .zm
Internet hosts: | 7,423 (2007)
Internet users: | 334,800 (2005)

| Transportation | Zambia | Top of Page

Airports: | 107 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 98 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 64 under 914 m: 29 (2007)
Pipelines: | oil 771 km (2007)
Railways: | total: 2,157 km narrow gauge: 2,157 km 1.067-m gauge note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2006)
Roadways: | total: 91,440 km paved: 20,117 km unpaved: 71,323 km (2001)
Waterways: | 2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers) (2005)
Ports and terminals: | Mpulungu

| Military | Zambia | Top of Page

Military branches: | Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Zambian Army, Zambian Air Force, National Service (2008)
Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 2,678,668 females age 16-49: 2,567,433 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 1,329,343 females age 16-49: 1,218,114 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.8% (2005 est.)

| Transnational Issues | Zambia | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | in 2004, Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river; 42,250 Congolese refugees in Zambia are offered voluntary repatriation in November 2006, most of whom are expected to return in the next two years; Angolan refugees too have been repatriating but 26,450 still remain with 90,000 others from other neighboring states in 2006
Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 42,565 (Angola); 60,874 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 4,100 (Rwanda) (2007)
Trafficking in persons: | current situation: tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - (2008)
Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for southern Africa and possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it an unattractive venue for money launderers; major consumer of cannabis

This page was last updated on 19 June 2008