Zambia |
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Geography |
Location: Southern Africa, east of Angola
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 752,610 sq km
land: 740,720 sq km
water: 11,890 sq km
Areacomparative: 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: 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%
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)
Environmentcurrent 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
Environmentinternational 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: none of the selected agreements
Geographynote: landlocked
People |
Population: 9,460,736 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 49% (male 2,342,043; female 2,316,357)
15-64 years: 48% (male 2,244,251; female 2,326,159)
65 years and over: 3% (male 106,950; female 124,976)
(July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.13% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 44.6 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 22.55 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 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: 0.85 male(s)/female (1998
est.)
Infant mortality rate: 92.57 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 37.07 years
male: 36.81 years
female: 37.33 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.41 children born/woman (1998 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 vernacularsBemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write in English
total population: 78.2%
male: 85.6%
female: 71.3% (1995 est.)
Government |
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Zambia
conventional short form: Zambia
former: Northern Rhodesia
Data code: ZA
Government type: republic
National 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 31 October 1991); Vice President Christon TEMBO (since December 1997); notethe president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Frederick CHILUBA (since 31 October 1991); Vice President Christon TEMBO (since December 1997); notethe 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 October 2001); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Frederick CHILUBA elected president; percent of
voteFrederick CHILUBA 70%, Dean MUNGO'MBA 12%, Humphrey MULEMBA 6%, Akashambatwa LEWANIKA 4%, Chama CHAKOMBOKA 3%, others 5%
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 October 2001)
election results: percent of vote by partyNA; seats by partyMMD 130, NP 5, ZADECO 2, AZ 2, independents 11
Judicial branch: .b> Supreme Court, justices are appointed by the president
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 Lima Party or NLP [Guy SCOTT and Ben KAPITA]; National Party or NP [Daniel LISULO]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Kenneth KAUNDA]; Zambia Democratic Congress or ZADECO [Dean MUNG'OMBA]
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, MONUA, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dunstan Weston KAMANA
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 Arlene RENDER
embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues
mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka
telephone: [260] (1) 250-955, 252-230
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 |
Economyoverview: Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economy has a long way to go. Inflation, while slowing somewhat, continues to be a major concern to the CHILUBA government. 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. Aid cuts by Zambia's donors, arising out of concern for the November 1996 flawed election, will severely damage Zambia's economic prospects. Urged by the World Bank, Zambia has embarked on a privatization program which is to include the all-important copper industry.
GDP: purchasing power parity$8.8 billion (1997 est.)
GDPreal growth rate: 3.5% (1997 est.)
GDPper capita: purchasing power parity$950 (1997 est.)
GDPcomposition by sector:
agriculture: 23%
industry: 40%
services: 37% (1997 est.)
Inflation rateconsumer price index: 43.9% (1996)
Labor force:
total: 3.4 million
by occupation: agriculture 85%, mining, manufacturing, and construction 6%, transport and services 9%
Unemployment rate: 22% (1991)
Budget:
revenues: $888 million
expenditures: $835 million, including capital expenditures of $110 million (1995 est.)
Industries: copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer
Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (1996)
Electricitycapacity: 2.436 million kW (1995)
Electricityproduction: 7.79 billion kWh (1995)
Electricityconsumption per capita: 668 kWh (1995)
Agricultureproducts: corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca); cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, beef, pork, poultry meat, milk, eggs, hides
Exports:
total value: $975 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco
partners: EU countries, Japan, South Africa, US, Saudi Arabia,
India, Thailand, Malaysia
Imports:
total value: $990 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, fuels, petroleum products, electricity, miscellaneous
manufactured goods
partners: South Africa, EU countries, Japan, Saudi Arabia, US
Debtexternal: $7.2 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $2 billion (1995 est.)
Currency: 1 Zambian kwacha (ZK) = 100 ngwee
Exchange rates: Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$11,351.,35 (October 1997), 1,203.71 (1996), 857.23 (1995), 669.37 (1994), 452.76 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications |
Telephones: 80,900 (1987 est.)
Telephone system:
facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa
domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities
international: satellite earth
stations2 Intelsat (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.)
Transportation |
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 New Kapiri Mposhi where it connects to the Zambia Railways system; TAZARA is not a part of Zambia Railways
Highways:
total: 39,700 km
paved: 7,265 km (including 60 km of expressways)
unpaved: 32,435 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 2,250 km, including Zambezi and Luapula rivers, Lake Tanganyika
Pipelines: crude oil 1,724 km
Ports and harbors: Mpulungu
Airports: 111 (1997 est.)
Airportswith paved runways:
total: 12
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airportswith unpaved runways:
total: 99
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 64
under 914 m: 32 (1997 est.)
Military |
Military branches: Army, Air Force, paramilitary forces, Police
Military manpoweravailability:
males age 15-49: 2,037,123 (1998 est.)
Military manpowerfit for military service:
males: 1,078,085 (1998 est.)
Military expendituresdollar figure: $96 million (1995)
Military expenditurespercent of GDP: 2.7% (1995)
Transnational Issues |
Disputesinternational: quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; Democratic Republic of the Congo-Tanzania-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it has been informally reported that the indefinite section of the Democratic Republic of the Congo-Zambia boundary has been settled
Illicit drugs:0.b> transshipment point for methaqualone, heroin, and cocaine bound for Southern Africa and Europe; regional money-laundering center