Map of Zambia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

top of page


Background: The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the South Africa Company from 1891 until takeover 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 declining copper prices and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule.


top of page


Location: Southern Africa, between Zaire and Zimbabwe

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 752,610 km²
Land: 740,720 km²

Land boundaries: total 5,664 km, Angola 1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zaire 1,930 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

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 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: landlocked


top of page


Population: 9,188,190 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 2.83% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Zambian(s)

Ethnic groups: African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%

Languages: English (official)
Note: about 70 indigenous languages

Religions: Christian 50-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.83% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 45.99 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 17.65 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.05 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros and elephant populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 85 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 44.18 years
Male: 43.82 years
Female: 44.54 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.68 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 73%
Male: 81%
Female: 65%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


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

Government type: republic

Capital: Lusaka

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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state and head of government:President Frederick CHILUBA (since 31 October 1991; Vice President Levy MWANAWASA (since 31 October 1991; election last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held in 1996; results - Frederick CHILUBA 84%, Kenneth KAUNDA 16%

Legislative branch: Army, Air Force, Police
National Assembly: elections last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held in 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

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-19, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFTU, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UNOSOM, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Roland KUCHEL
From the us chancery: 2,419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us telephone: [260-1] 228-595, 228-601, 228-602, 228-603
From the us embassy: corner of Independence Avenue and United Nations Avenue, Lusaka
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 31,617, Lusaka
From the us FAX: [260-1] 261-538

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: The economy has been in decline for more than a decade with falling imports and growing foreign debt. Economic difficulties stem from a chronically depressed level of copper production and ineffective economic policies. In 1991 real GDP fell by 2% and in 1992 by 3% more. An annual population growth of 3% has brought a decline in per capita GDP of 50% over the past decade. A high inflation rate has also added to Zambia's economic woes in recent years.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -2.8% (1992)

Real gdp per capita: $800 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 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

Industries: copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, and fertilizer

Industrial production growth rate: -2% (1991; accounts for 40% of GDP

Labor force: 2.455 million
By occupation agriculture: 85%
By occupation and construction: 6%
By occupation transport and services: 9%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues:$665 million

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodities: copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco
Partners: EC countries, Japan, South Africa, US, India

Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
Commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, fuels, manufactures
Partners: EC countries, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, US

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $7.6 billion (1991)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$1 - 344.8276 (October 1993), 156.25 (1992), 61.7284 (1991), 28.9855 (1990), 12.9032 (1989)


top of page


Electricity
Capacity: 2,775,000 kW
Production: 12 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,400 kWh (1991)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Dollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $45 million, 1% of GDP (1992 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 113
Usable: 103
With permanentsurface runways: 13
With runways over 3659 m: 1
With runways 2440-3659 m: 4
With runways 1220-2439 m: 22

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 1,724 km

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


top of page


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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: role as regional transshipment center for mandrax and heroin