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 task force in 2002, but the government has yet to make a prosecution. The Zambian leader was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair.
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)
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
Population
11,477,447
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 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
45.7% (male 2,633,578/female 2,608,714)
15-64 years
51.9% (male 2,969,913/female 2,990,923)
65 years and over
2.4% (male 116,818/female 157,501) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
16.8 years
male
16.6 years
female
16.9 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.664% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
40.78 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
21.46 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-2.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.993 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.742 male(s)/female
total population
0.994 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
100.71 deaths/1,000 live births
male
105.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female
95.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
38.44 years
male
38.34 years
female
38.54 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
5.31 children born/woman (2007 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 diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases
malaria and plague are high risks in some locations
water contact disease
schistosomiasis (2007)
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.)
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)
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]
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 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 - overview
Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economic growth in 2005-06 remained somewhat below the 6-7% per year needed to reduce poverty significantly. 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. Copper output has increased steadily since 2004, due to higher copper prices and the opening of new mines. The maize harvest was good again in 2005, helping to boost GDP and agricultural exports. Cooperation continues with international bodies on programs to reduce poverty, including a new lending arrangement with the IMF in the second quarter of 2004. A tighter monetary policy will help cut inflation, but Zambia still has a serious problem with high public debt.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$11.64 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$5.795 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
5.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$1,000 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
19.9%
industry
28.9%
services
51.2% (2006 est.)
Labor force
4.903 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
85%
industry
6%
services
9%
Unemployment rate
50% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line
86% (1993)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
1.1%
highest 10%
41% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
52.6 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8.8% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
26.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$2.674 billion
expenditures
$2.99 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
South Africa 50%, Zimbabwe 5.4%, UAE 4.7%, China 4.4% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.05 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$4.397 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$640.6 million (2002)
Currency (code)
Zambian kwacha (ZMK)
Currency code
ZMK
Exchange rates
Zambian kwacha per US dollar - 3,601.5 (2006), 4,463.5 (2005), 4,778.9 (2004), 4,733.3 (2003), 4,398.6 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
94,700 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
946,600 (2005)
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; 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)
Radios
1.2 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations
9 (2001)
Televisions
277,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.zm
Internet hosts
3,227 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
5 (2001)
Internet users
231,000 (2005)
Airports
111 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
10
over 3,047 m
1
2,438 to 3,047 m
3
1,524 to 2,437 m
4
914 to 1,523 m
2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
101
2,438 to 3,047 m
1
1,524 to 2,437 m
4
914 to 1,523 m
64
under 914 m
32 (2006)
Pipelines
oil 771 km (2006)
Railways
total
2,173 km
narrow gauge
2,173 km 1.067-m gauge
note
includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2005)
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 branches
Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Army, Air Force, Police, National Service
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
2,219,739
females age 18-49
2,159,688 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
1,043,702
females age 18-49
953,328 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
1.8% (2005 est.)
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): 75,468 (Angola), 61,243 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 5,669 (Rwanda) (2006)
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
