Zambia

§1. Zambia Introduction

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 anti-corruption campaign in
  2002, which resulted in the prosecution of former President Frederick
  CHILUBA and some officials of his administration.

§2. Zambia Geography

Location:
  Southern Africa, east of Angola

Geographic coordinates:
  15 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references:
  Africa

Area:
  total: 752,614 km²
  land: 740,724 km²
  water: 11,890 km²

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:
  460 km² (1998 est.)

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, Desertification, Endangered
    Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
    Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
  landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe

§3. Zambia People

Population:
  11,502,010
  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 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 46.3% (male 2,673,891/female 2,656,268)
  15-64 years: 51.3% (male 2,925,910/female 2,969,324)
  65 years and over: 2.4% (male 117,877/female 158,740) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 16.5 years
  male: 16.3 years
  female: 16.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.11% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  41 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  19.93 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 86.84 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 94.08 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 79.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 40.03 years
  male: 39.76 years
  female: 40.31 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  5.39 children born/woman (2006 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 (2005)

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.)

§4. Zambia Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Zambia
  conventional short form: Zambia
  former: Northern Rhodesia

Government type:
  republic

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:
  24 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 Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002); Vice
    President Lupando MWAPE (since 4 October 2004); 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 Lupando MWAPE (since 4 October 2004); note - the 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 27 December 2001 (next to be held December 2006); vice
    president appointed by the president
  election results: Levy MWANAWASA elected president; percent of vote - Levy
    MWANAWASA 29%, Anderson MAZOKA 27%, Christon TEMBO 13%, Tilyenji KAUNDA
    10%, Godfrey MIYANDA 8%, Benjamin MWILA 5%, Michael SATA 3%, other 5%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members are elected by popular
  vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 December 2001 (next to be held December 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MMD 45.9%, UPND 32.4%, UNIP
    8.8%, FDD 8.1%, HP 2.7%, PF 0.7%, ZRP 0.7%, independents 0.7%; seats by
    party - MMD 68, UPND 48, UNIP 13, FDD 12, HP 4, PF 1, ZRP 1, independents
    1; 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:
  Agenda for Zambia or AZ [Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA]; Forum for Democracy
  and Development or FDD [Christon TEMBO]; Heritage Party or HP [Godfrey
  MIYANDA]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger CHONGWE, president];
  Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Levy MWANAWASA, acting
  president]; National Leadership for Development or NLD [Yobert SHAMAPANDE];
  National Party or NP [Dr. Sam CHIPUNGU]; Patriotic Front or PF [Michael
  SATA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Gwendoline KONIE]; United National
  Independence Party or UNIP [Francis NKHOMA, president]; United Party for
  National Development or UPND [Anderson MAZOKA]; 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, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMSIL,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, 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 Martin George BRENNAN
  embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues
  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

§5. Zambia Economy

Economy - overview:
  Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economic
  growth remains somewhat below the 6%-7% 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 again good in 2005, helping 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):
  $10.23 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $5.521 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 21.7%
  industry: 29.5%
  services: 48.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  4.8 million (2005 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):
  19% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  25.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.688 billion
  expenditures: $1.866 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  104.2% of GDP (2005 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:
  9.8% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  8.347 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  5.345 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  2 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  130.2 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  12,250 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
  $-327 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $1.947 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  copper/cobalt 64%, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton

Exports - partners:
  South Africa 25.6%, UK 17%, Switzerland 16%, Tanzania 7.4%, Democratic
  Republic of the Congo 7%, Zimbabwe 5.8% (2004)

Imports:
  $1.934 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity,
  fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners:
  South Africa 46.2%, UK 14.2%, UAE 7.1%, Zimbabwe 6% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $500 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $5.866 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $640.6 million (2002)

Currency (code):
  Zambian kwacha (ZMK)

Exchange rates:
  Zambian kwacha per US dollar - 4,463.5 (2005), 4,778.9 (2004), 4,733.3
  (2003), 4,398.6 (2002), 3,610.9 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Zambia Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  88,400 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  300,000 (2004)

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)

Television broadcast stations:
  9 (2002)

Internet country code:
  .zm

Internet hosts:
  2,789 (2005)

Internet users:
  231,000 (2005)

§7. Zambia Transportation

Airports:
  109 (2005)

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 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 99
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 62
  under 914 m: 32 (2005)

Pipelines:
  oil 771 km (2004)

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)
    (2004)

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

§8. Zambia Military

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 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 1,043,702 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $121.7 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1.8% (2005 est.)

§9. Zambia Transnational Issues

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 88,842 (Angola) 66,248 (Democratic Republic
    of the Congo) 5,791 (Rwanda) (2005)

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


<Factbook 2006>
