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 ZambiaTravel Tips |
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Find important informations
about Zambia
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| OVERVIEW |
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Early humans inhabited present-day Zambia between one and two million years ago. Today the country is made up almost entirely of Bantu-speaking peoples. Empire builder Cecil Rhodes obtained mining concessions in 1889 from King Lewanika of the Barotse and sent settlers to the area soon thereafter. The region was ruled by the British South Africa Company, which Rhodes established, until 1924, when the British government took over the administration.
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.
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| GEOGRAPHY |
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Zambia, a landlocked country in south-central Africa, is about one-tenth larger than Texas. It is surrounded by Angola, Zaire, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia. The country is mostly a plateau that rises to 8,000 ft (2,434 m) in the east.
Location: |
Southern Africa, east of Angola |
Coordinates: |
15 00 S, 30 00 E |
Area: |
total: 752,614 sq km
water: 11,890 sq km
land: 740,724 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) |
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 |
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 |
Geography - note: |
landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe |
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| POPULATION |
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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) |
Median age: |
16.5 years |
Growth rate: |
2.11% |
Infant mortality: |
86.84 deaths/1,000 live births |
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 40.03 years
male: 39.76 years
female: 40.31 years |
Fertility rate: |
5.39 children born/woman |
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% |
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| GOVERNMENT |
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Country name: |
conventional long form: Republic of 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: |
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 Levy MWANAWASA; Vice President Lupando MWAPE; 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 (eligible for a second term); vice president appointed by the president |
Legislative branch: |
unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) |
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) |
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| ECONOMY |
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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.
GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $10.23 billion; per capita $900. Real growth rate: 5%. Inflation: 19%. Unemployment: 50% (2000 est.). Arable land: 7%. Agriculture: corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, vegetables, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), coffee; cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides. Labor force: 4.8 million; agriculture 85%, industry 6%, services 9%. Industries: copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture. Natural resources: copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower. Exports: $1.947 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): copper/cobalt 64%, cobalt, electricity, tobacco, flowers, cotton. Imports: $1.934 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing. Major trading partners: South Africa, UK, Switzerland, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, UAE (2004).
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