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.

Land boundaries: 5,664 km total; Angola 1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,930 km, Zimbabwe 797 km

Coastline: none--landlocked

Maritime claims: none--landlocked

Climate: tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)

Terrain: mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains

Natural resources: copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower potential

Land use: arable land: 7%; permanent crops: NEGL%; meadows and pastures 47%; forest and woodland 27%; other 19%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Geography
Note: landlocked

Population: 8,445,724 (July 1991), growth rate 3.5% (1991)

Nationality: noun--Zambian(s; adjective--Zambian

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

Languages: English (official; about 70 indigenous languages

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

Birth rate: 49 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 12 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

Infant mortality rate: 79 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 55 years male, 58 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/woman (1991)

Literacy: 73% (male 81%, female 65%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Zambia

Government type: multiparty system; on 17 December 1990, President Kenneth KAUNDA signed into law the constitutional amendment that officially reintroduced the multiparty system in Zambia and ending 17 years of one-party rule

Capital: Lusaka

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

Independence: 24 October 1964 (from UK; formerly Northern Rhodesia)

National holiday: Independence Day, 24 October (1964)

Constitution: 25 August 1973

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: universal at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--President Dr. Kenneth David KAUNDA (since 24 October 1964; Head of Government--Prime Minister Gen. Malimba MASHEKE (since 15 March 1989)

Legislative branch: Army, Air Force, Police, paramilitary

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Paul J. F. LUSAKA; Chancery at 2,419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 265-9,717 through 9,721; US--Ambassador Gordon L. STREET; Embassy at corner of Independence Avenue and United Nations Avenue, Lusaka (mailing address is P. O. Box 31,617, Lusaka; telephone [2,601] 228-595, 228-596, 228-598, 228-601, 228-602, 228-603, 251-419

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 Zambia ZambiaZambia

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 sustained drop in copper production and ineffective economic policies. In 1990 real GDP stood only slightly higher than that of 10 years before, while an annual population growth of more than 3% has brought a decline in per capita GDP of 25% during the same period. A high inflation rate has also added to Zambia's economic woes in recent years.

Agriculture products: accounts for 15% of GDP and 85% of labor force; crops--corn (food staple), sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava; cattle, goats, beef, eggs; marginally self-sufficient in corn

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2.9% (1990; accounts for one-third of GDP

Labor force: 2,455,000; 85% agriculture; 6% mining, manufacturing, and construction; 9% transport and services

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $300 million (1991 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $1.1 million (f.o.b., 1990)
Commodities: copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco
Partners: EC, Japan, South Africa, US

Imports: $1.1 million (c.i.f., 1990)
Commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, fuels, manufactures
Partners: EC, Japan, South Africa, US

Debt external: $7.2 billion (December 1990)

Exchange rates: Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$1--43.2900 (January 1991), 28.9855 (1990), 12.9032 (1989), 8.2237 (1988), 8.8889 (1987), 7.3046 (1986), 2.7137 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 1,900,000 kW capacity; 8,245 million kWh produced, 1,050 kWh per capita (1989)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $NA, NA% of GDP

Airports: 121 total, 106 usable; 13 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 23 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Pipelines: 1,724 km crude oil

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

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