Zambia

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Southern Africa, east of Angola

Area

Total area: 752,610 sq km
Land area: 740,720 sq km
Comparative area: slightly larger than Texas

Land Boundaries

Total 5,664 km, Angola 1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Democratic Republic Congo 1,930 km, Zimbabwe 797 km

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime Claims

None; landlocked

International Disputes

Quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; Tanzania-DR Congo-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the DR Congo-Zambia boundary has been settled

Climate

Tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)

Terrain

Mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m
highest point: in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m

Natural Resources

Copper
Cobalt
Zinc
Lead
Coal
Emeralds
Gold
Silver
Uranium
Hydropower potential

Land Use

Arable land: 7%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 47%
Forest and woodland: 27%
Other: 19%

Irrigated Land

320 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment

Current issues: air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros and elephant populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks
Natural hazards: tropical storms (November to April)
International agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

Note: Landlocked

PEOPLE

Population

9,159,072 (July 1996 est.)
9,445,723 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

49% (male 2,272,981; female 2,244,403) (July 1996 est.)
50% (male 2,363,319; female 2,331,820) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

48% (male 2,157,106; female 2,256,935) (July 1996 est.)
48% (male 2,193,363; female 2,332,798) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

3% (male 110,433; female 117,214) (July 1996 est.)
2% (male 111,939; female 112,484) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.11% (1996 est.)
2.7% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

44.73 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
45.47 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

23.65 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
18.42 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
-0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

96.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
86 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 36.31 years (1996 est.), 42.88 years (1995 est.)
Male: 36.15 years (1996 est.), 42.74 years (1995 est.)
Female: 36.46 years (1996 est.), 43.03 years (1995 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

6.55 children born/woman (1996 est.)
6.62 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Zambian(s)
Adjective: Zambian

Ethnic Divisions

African 98.7%
European 1.1%
Other 0.2%

Religions

Christian 50%-75%
Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%
Indigenous beliefs 1%

Languages

English (official)

Note: About 70 indigenous languages

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write in English (1995 est.)

Total population: 78.2%
Male: 85.6%
Female: 71.3%

Labor Force

3.4 million

By occupation:

Agriculture 85%
Mining, manufacturing, and construction 6%
Transport and services 9%

GOVERNMENT

Names

Conventional long form: Republic of Zambia
Conventional short form: Zambia
Former: Northern Rhodesia

Digraph

Type

Republic

Capital

Lusaka

Administrative Divisions

9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western

Independence

24 October 1964 (from U.K.)

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 and head of government: President Frederick CHILUBA (since 31 October 1991); Vice President General Godfrey MIYANDA (since NA August 1994; he replaced Levy MWANAWASA who was elected 31 October 1991 and resigned in NA August 1994) election last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held NA 1996); results - Frederick CHILUBA 84%, Kenneth KAUNDA 16%
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president from members of the National Assembly

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

National Assembly

Elections last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150 total) MMD 125, UNIP 25; note - the MMD's majority was weakened by the defection of 13 of its parliamentary members during 1993 and the defeat of its candidates in 4 of the resulting by-elections

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court

Political Parties and Leaders

Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Frederick CHILUBA; United National Independence Party (UNIP), Kenneth KAUNDA; National Party (NP), Humphrey MULEMBIA; Labor Party (LP), Chibiza MFUNI; Zambia Democratic Congress (ZDC), Dean MUNG'OMBA; Liberal Progressive Front (LPF), Roger CHONGWE, president

Member of

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, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Anthem

Flag

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 continuing progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economy is showing little improvement. Inflation, while slowing somewhat, continues to be a major concern to the CHILUBA government. Four of Zambia's 20 banks collapsed in 1995, and the nation's debt stood at about $7 billion. Zambia's copper mining sector, which accounts for over 80% of the nation's foreign currency intake, is struggling. Production rates are down as are world copper prices. Food production is insufficient to meet the country's needs due to previous droughts and an end to government subsidization of agriculture. While the government's economic program aims for 6% growth in each of the next three years, a growth rate of 3-5% is more likely.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $8.9 billion (1995 est.), $7.9 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

4% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$900 (1995 est.)
$860 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

55% (1994 est.)

Unemployment Rate

Budget

Revenues: $665 million
Expenditures: $767 million, including capital expenditures of $300 million (1991 est.)

Exports

$1.075 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
$1.01 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

Commodities:

Copper
Zinc
Cobalt
Lead
Tobacco

Partners:

Imports

$845 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
$1.13 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)

Commodities:

Machinery
Transportation equipment
Foodstuffs
Fuels
Manufactures

Partners:

EU countries
Japan
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
U.S.

External Debt

$7 billion (1995 est.)
$7.3 billion (1993)

Industrial Production

Growth rate -1% (1992); accounts for 42% of GDP

Electricity

Capacity: 2,440,000 kW
Production: 7.8 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 650 kWh (1993)

Industries

Copper mining and processing
Construction
Foodstuffs
Beverages
Chemicals
Textiles
And fertilizer

Agriculture

Accounts for 12% of GDP and 85% of labor force; crops - corn (food staple), sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava; cattle, goats, beef, eggs

Illicit Drugs

Increasingly a regional transshipment center for methaqualone and heroin

Economic Aid

Recipient: ODA, $734 million (1993), U.S. commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-89), $4.8 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $4.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $533 million

Currency

1 Zambian kwacha (ZK) = 100 ngwee

Exchange Rates

Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$1 - 909.09 (December 1995), 833.33 (1995), 769.23 (1994), 434.78 (1993), 156.25 (1992), 61.7284 (1991), 28.9855 (1990)

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

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 New Kapiri M'poshi where it connects to the Zambia Railways system; TAZARA is not a part of Zambia Railways

Highways

Total: 37,359 km
Paved: 6,575 km (including 56 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 30,784 km (1992 est.)

Inland Waterways

2,250 km, including Zambezi and Luapula Rivers, Lake Tanganyika

Pipelines

Crude oil 1,724 km

Ports

Mpulungu

Airports

Total: 104
With paved runways over 3,047 m: 1
With paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
With paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 35
With unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 54 (1995 est.)

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

80,900 telephones (1987 est.); facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa

Local: NA
Intercity: high capacity micrwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities
International: 2 INTELSAT earth stations (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio

Broadcast stations: AM 11, FM 5, shortwave 0
Radios: 1,889,140

Television

Broadcast stations: 9
Televisions: 215,000 (1995 est.)

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Army, Air Force, Police

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 1,934,845; males fit for military service 1,020,851 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $96 million, 2.7% of GDP (1995), $45 million, 1.4% of GDP (1994)

History
World Atlas

last modified: 21 november 1997

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