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This page was last updated on 18 December 2008


Map of Zambia



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Zambia Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Southern Africa, east of Angola
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
15 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Africa
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 752,614 sq km
land: 740,724 sq km
water: 11,890 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
none (landlocked)
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m
highest point: unnamed location in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 6.99%
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 92.97% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
1,560 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
Definition Field Listing
105.2 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Definition Field Listing
total: 1.74 cu km/yr (17%/7%/76%)
per capita: 149 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
periodic drought, tropical storms (November to April)
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe
   People    Zambia Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
total: 16.9 years
male: 16.8 years
female: 17.1 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.654% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
40.52 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
21.35 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
-2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
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:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 38.59 years
male: 38.49 years
female: 38.7 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.23 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
16.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
920,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
89,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Zambian(s)
adjective: Zambian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
total population: 80.6%
male: 86.8%
female: 74.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
Definition Field Listing
total: 7 years
male: 7 years
female: 7 years (2000)
Education expenditures:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2% of GDP (2005)
   Government    Zambia Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Republic of Zambia
conventional short form: Zambia
former: Northern Rhodesia
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
republic
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
24 October 1964 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 24 October (1964)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
24 August 1991; amended in 1996 to establish presidential term limits
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President Rupiah BANDA (since 19 August 2008); Vice President George KUNDA (since 14 November 2008); note - President BANDA was acting president since the illness and eventual death of President Levy MWANAWASA on 18 August 2008, he was then elected president on 30 October 2008 to serve out the remainder of MWANAWASA's term; the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Rupiah BANDA (since 19 August 2008); Vice President George KUNDA (since 14 November 2008)
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 30 October 2008 (next to be held in 2011); vice president appointed by the president; note - due to the untimely death of former President Levy MWANAWASA, early elections were held to identify a replacement to serve out the remainder of his term
election results: Rupiah BANDA elected president; percent of vote - Rupiah BANDA 40.1%, Michael SATA 38.1%, Hakainde HICHILEMA 19.7%, Godfrey MIYANDA 0.8%, other 1.3%
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
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, MINURCAT, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald E. BOOTH
embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues, Lusaka
mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka
telephone: [260] (211) 250-955
FAX: [260] (211) 252-225
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$16.1 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$11.16 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1,400 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 17.4%
industry: 26.1%
services: 56.5% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.989 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 85%
industry: 6%
services: 9% (2004)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
50% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: 1.2%
highest 10%: 38.8% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Definition Field Listing
50.8 (2004)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
26.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $2.655 billion
expenditures: $2.8 billion (2007 est.)
Public debt:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
28.1% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10.6% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
11.73% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
18.89% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$995.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.709 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.968 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, vegetables, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), coffee; cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.3% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9.289 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8.625 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
255 million kWh (2006)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
68 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
150 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
14,760 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
190.6 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
13,810 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
-$228 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$4.594 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
copper/cobalt 64%, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Switzerland 41.8%, South Africa 12%, Thailand 5.9%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 5.3%, Egypt 5%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, China 4.1% (2007)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$3.611 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
South Africa 47.4%, UAE 6.3%, China 6%, India 4.1%, UK 4% (2007)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.09 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.596 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$4.5 billion (2007)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
Zambian kwacha (ZMK)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Zambian kwacha (ZMK) per US dollar - 3,990.2 (2007), 3,601.5 (2006), 4,463.5 (2005), 4,778.9 (2004), 4,733.3 (2003)
   Communications    Zambia Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
91,800 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.639 million (2007)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
AM 19, FM 5, shortwave 4 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
9 (2001)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.zm
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7,610 (2008)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
500,000 (2007)
   Transportation    Zambia Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
107 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
oil 771 km (2007)
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
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:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 91,440 km
paved: 20,117 km
unpaved: 71,323 km (2001)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers) (2005)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Mpulungu
   Military    Zambia Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Zambian Army, Zambian Air Force, National Service (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 16-49: 2,678,668
females age 16-49: 2,567,433 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 16-49: 1,329,343
females age 16-49: 1,218,114 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
Definition Field Listing
male: 147,358
female: 146,771 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
   Transnational Issues    Zambia Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
refugees (country of origin): 42,565 (Angola); 60,874 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 4,100 (Rwanda) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
Definition Field Listing
current situation: Zambia is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; many Zambian child laborers, particularly those in the agriculture, domestic service, and fishing sectors, are also victims of human trafficking; Zambian women, lured by false employment or marriage offers abroad, are trafficked to South Africa via Zimbabwe and to Europe via Malawi for sexual exploitation; Zambia is a transit point for regional trafficking of women and children, particularly from Angola to Namibia and from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to South Africa for agricultural labor
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Zambia is on the Tier 2 Watch List for failing to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking, particularly in regard to its inability to bring alleged traffickers to justice through prosecutions and convictions; unlike 2006, there were no new prosecutions or convictions of alleged traffickers in 2007; government efforts to protect victims of trafficking remained extremely limited throughout the year (2008)
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
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 18 December 2008


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