Map of Zambia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 anticorruption investigation in 2002 to probe high-level corruption during the previous administration. In 2006-07 this task force successfully prosecuted four cases including a landmark civil case in the UK in which former President CHILUBA and numerous others were found liable for USD 41 million. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair. Upon his abrupt death in August 2008 he was succeeded by his Vice-president Rupiah BANDA who subsequently won a special presidential election in October 2008.


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Location: Southern Africa east of Angola

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S 30 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 752,618 km²
Rank: 39
Land: 743,398 km²
Water: 9,220 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 5,664 km
Border countries: (7) Angola 1110 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 1930 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
Extremes 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: 1560 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 105.2 km³ (2001)

Natural hazards: periodic drought; tropical storms (November to April)

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


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Population: 11,862,740
Rank: 71
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 higher death rates lower population growth rates and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Growth rate: 1.631% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 82
Below poverty line: 86% (1993)

Nationality
Noun: Zambian
Adjective: Zambian

Ethnic groups: African 99.5% (includes Bemba Tonga Chewa Lozi Nsenga Tumbuka Ngoni Lala Kaonde Lunda and other African groups) other 0.5% (includes Europeans Asians and Americans) (2000 Census)

Languages: Bemba 30.1% (official) Nyanja 10.7% (official) Tonga 10.6% (official) Lozi 5.7% (official) Chewa 4.9% Nsenga 3.4% Tumbuka 2.5% Lunda 2.2% (official) Kaonde 2% (official) Lala 2% Luvale 1.7% (official) English 1.7% (official) other 22.5% (2000 Census)

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 45.1%
15-64 years: 52.6% (male 3,122,305/female 3,116,846)
65 years and over: 2.3% (male 114,477/female 164,199) (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 17 years
Male: 16.9 years
Female: 17.2 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.631% (2009 est.)
Rank: 82

Birth rate: 40.24 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 17

Death rate: 21.34 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 5

Net migration rate: -2.59 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 146

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 35% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 101.2 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 9
Male: 105.97 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 96.28 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 38.63 years
Rank: 222
Male: 38.53 years
Female: 38.73 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.15 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 25

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 15.2% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 7
People living with hivaids: 1.1 million (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 11
Deaths: 56,000 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 12

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 2% of GDP (2005)
Rank: 167

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
Total population: 80.6%
Male: 86.8%
Female: 74.8% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 7 years
Male: 7 years
Female: 7 years (2000)

Youth unemployment


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

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Lusaka
Geographic coordinates: 15 25 S 28 17 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 24 October 1964 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 24 October (1964)

Constitution: 24 August 1991; amended in 1996 to establish presidential term limits

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: President Rupiah BANDA ; Vice President George KUNDA (since 14 November 2008); note - President BANDA was acting president since the illness and eventual death of President Levy MWANAWASA on 18 August 2008 he was then elected president on 30 October 2008 to serve out the remainder of MWANAWASA's term; the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Rupiah BANDA (since 19 August 2008); Vice President George KUNDA (since 14 November 2008)
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); election last held 30 October 2008 (next to be held in 2011); vice president appointed by the president; note - due to the death of former President Levy MWANAWASA early elections were held to identify a replacement to serve out the remainder of his term
Election results: Rupiah BANDA elected president; percent of vote - Rupiah BANDA 40.1% Michael SATA 38.1% Hakainde HICHILEMA 19.7% Godfrey MIYANDA 0.8% other 1.3%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (158 seats; 150 members are elected by popular vote 8 members are appointed by the president to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 28 September 2006 (next to be held in October 2011)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MMD 72 PF 44 UDA 27 ULP 2 NDF 1 independents 2; 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: Forum for Democracy and Development or FDD [Edith NAWAKWI]; Heritage Party or HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [vacant]; Patriotic Front or PF [Michael SATA]; Party of Unity for Democracy and Development or PUDD [Dan PULE]; Reform Party [Nevers MUMBA]; United Democratic Alliance or UDA (a coalition of RP ZADECO PUDD and ZRP); United Liberal Party or ULP [Sakwiba SIKOTA]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Tilyenji KAUNDA]; United Party for National Development or UPND [Hakainde HICHILEMA]; Zambia Democratic Congress or ZADECO [Langton SICHONE]; Zambian Republican Party or ZRP [Benjamin MWILA]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU C COMESA FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA MINURCAT MONUC NAM OPCW PCA SADC UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMIL UNMIS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA
In the us chancery: 2,419 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-9,717 through 9,719
In the us fax: [1] (202) 332-0826
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Donald E. BOOTH
From the us embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues Lusaka
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 31,617 Lusaka
From the us telephone: [260] (211) 250-955
From the us fax: [260] (211) 252-225

Flag description: green field 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


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Economy overview: Zambia's economy has experienced strong growth in recent years with real GDP growth in 2005-08 about 6% per year. Privatization of government-owned copper mines in the 1990s 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 foreign investment. In 2005 Zambia qualified for debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative consisting of approximately USD 6 billion in debt relief. Zambia experienced a bumper harvest in 2007 which helped to boost GDP and agricultural exports and contain inflation. Although poverty continues to be significant problem in Zambia its economy has strengthened featuring single-digit inflation a relatively stable currency decreasing interest rates and increasing levels of trade. The decline in world commodity prices and demand will hurt GDP growth in 2009 and elections and campaign promises are likely to weaken Zambia's improved fiscal stance.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 129
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 60

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 200
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 16%
Industry: 26.6%
Services: 57.4% (2008 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: 6% (2008 est.)
Rank: 40

Labor force: 5.235 million (2008 est.)
Rank: 71
By occupation agriculture: 85%
By occupation industry: 6%
By occupation services: 9% (2004)

Unemployment rate: 50% (2000 est.)
Rank: 193

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 86% (1993)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.2%
Highest 10: 38.8% (2004)

Distribution of family income gini index: 52.6 (1998)
Rank: 20

Budget
Revenues: $3.291 billion
Expenditures: $3.578 billion (2008 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 127.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
Rank: 72

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 10.6% (2007 est.)
Rank: 172

Central bank discount rate: 11.73% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 29

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 18.89% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 21

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $1.968 billion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 91

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 96

Current account balance: -$198 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 117

Exports: $4.594 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 110
Commodities: copper/cobalt 64% cobalt electricity; tobacco flowers cotton
Partners: China 14.2% South Africa 8.5% Democratic Republic of the Congo 8.1% Saudi Arabia 7.9% South Korea 7.9% Egypt 7.7% Italy 6.9% Belgium 4.1% (2008)

Imports: $3.611 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 119
Commodities: machinery transportation equipment petroleum products electricity fertilizer; foodstuffs clothing
Partners: South Africa 51.7% UAE 8% China 6.8% India 4.5% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.09 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 125

Debt external: $2.596 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 124

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $40.34 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 56

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $NA

Exchange rates: Zambian kwacha (ZMK) per US dollar - 3,513 (2008 est.) 3,990 (2007) 3,602 (2006) 4,464 (2005) 4,779 (2004)


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Electricity
Production: 9.752 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 91
Consumption: 8.838 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 88
Exports: 268 million kWh (2007)
Imports: 222 million kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 109
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 117
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 84
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 109
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 118

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 90,600 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 146
Mobile cellular: 3.539 million (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 97

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 and network coverage is improving; 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)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .zm
Hosts: 14,951 (2009)
Hosts rank: 109
Users: 700,000 (2008)
Users rank: 100

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 92

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); Zambian citizenship required; mandatory HIV testing on enlistment; no conscription (2009)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 97 (2009)
Rank: 64
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 88
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 65
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 18 (2009)

Heliports

Pipelines: oil 771 km (2008)

Railways
Total: 2,157 km
Rank: 70
Narrow gauge: 2,157 km 1.067-m gauge
Note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2008)

Roadways
Total: 91,440 km
Rank: 54
Paved: 20,117 km
Unpaved: 71,323 km (2001)

Waterways: 2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers) (2008)
Rank: 40

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Mpulungu


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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: 42,565 (Angola); 60,874 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 4,100 (Rwanda) (2007)

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