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 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.

Area
Total: 752,610 km²
Land: 740,720 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries: Total 5,664 km, 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: 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: in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 7%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 47%
Forests and woodland: 27%
Other: 19%

Irrigated land: 320 km² (1989 est.)

Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Zambian(s)
Adjective: Zambian

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Environment
Current issues: air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros and elephant populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks
Current issues Natural hazards: tropical storms (November to April)
International agreements: party to_Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified_Desertification
International agreements note: Landlocked

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
All ages:

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 36.31 years (1996 est.), 42.88 years (1995 est.)
Male: 36.15 years (1996 est.), 42.74 years (1995 est.)
Female: 36.46 years (1996 est.), 43.03 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write in English (1995 est.)
Total population: 78.2%
Male: 85.6%
Female: 71.3%

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 U.K.)

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 and head of government: President Frederick CHILUBA (since 31 October 1991); Vice President General Godfrey MIYANDA (since NA August 1994; he replaced Levy MWANAWASA who was elected 31 October 1991 and resigned in NA August 1994) election last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held NA 1996); results_Frederick CHILUBA 84%, Kenneth KAUNDA 16%
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president from members of the National Assembly

Legislative branch: Unicameral National Assembly:Elections last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held NA 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

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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

Economy overview: Despite continuing progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economy is showing little improvement. Inflation, while slowing somewhat, continues to be a major concern to the CHILUBA government. Four of Zambia's 20 banks collapsed in 1995, and the nation's debt stood at about $7 billion. Zambia's copper mining sector, which accounts for over 80% of the nation's foreign currency intake, is struggling. Production rates are down as are world copper prices. Food production is insufficient to meet the country's needs due to previous droughts and an end to government subsidization of agriculture. While the government's economic program aims for 6% growth in each of the next three years, a growth rate of 3-5% is more likely.

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita:

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:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate -1% (1992; accounts for 42% of GDP

Labor force: 3.4 million
By occupation agriculture: 85%
By occupation mining and construction: 6%
By occupation transport and services: 9%

Unemployment rate: NA

Budget
Revenues: $665 million
Expenditures: $767 million, including capital expenditures of $300 million (1991 est.)

Fiscal year: Calendar year

Exports:
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external:

Exchange rates: Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$1_909.09 (December 1995), 833.33 (1995), 769.23 (1994), 434.78 (1993), 156.25 (1992), 61.7284 (1991), 28.9855 (1990)

Electricity
Capacity: 2,440,000 kW
Production: 7.8 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 650 kWh (1993)

Telephone system: 80,900 telephones (1987 est.); facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa
Local: NA
Intercity: high capacity micrwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities
International: 2 INTELSAT earth stations (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $96 million, 2.7% of GDP (1995), $45 million, 1.4% of GDP (1994)

Airports: 104
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 54 (1995 est.)
With paved runways under 914 m: 35

Pipelines: Crude oil 1,724 km

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

Illicit drugs: Increasingly a regional transshipment center for methaqualone and heroin