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.

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S 30 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 752,614 km²
Land: 740,724 km²
Water: 11,890 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 5,664 km
Border countries: (7) 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
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: 7%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 40%
Forests and woodland: 39%
Other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 460 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: tropical storms (November to April)

Geography
Note: landlocked

Population
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 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 1.93% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: 86% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Zambian
Adjective: Zambian

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

Languages: English (official) major vernaculars - Bemba Kaonda Lozi Lunda Luvale Nyanja Tonga and about 70 other indigenous languages

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 47.36% (male 2,324,128; female 2,303,349)
15-64 years: 50.14% (male 2,433,250; female 2,465,747)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 105,694; female 138,031) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.93% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 41.46 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 21.97 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.16 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 90.89 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 37.29 years
Male: 37.06 years
Female: 37.53 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.53 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 19.95% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 870,000 (1999 est.)
Deaths: 99,000 (1999 est.)

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

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 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 Frederick CHILUBA (since 2 November 1991); Vice President Enoch KAVINDELE (since 4 May 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Frederick CHILUBA (since 2 November 1991); Vice President Enoch KAVINDELE (since 4 May 2001); 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; election last held 18 November 1996 (next to be held NA October 2001); vice president appointed by the president
Election results: Frederick CHILUBA reelected president; percent of vote - Frederick CHILUBA 72.5%, Dean MUNGO'MBA 12.6%, Humphrey MULEMBA 7%, Akashambatwa LEWANIKA 4.7%, Chama CHAKOMBOKA 3.2%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 18 November 1996 (next to be held NA December 2001)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MMD 131, NP 5, Zadeco 2, AZ 2, independents 10

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: Agenda for Zambia or AZ [Akashambatwa LEWANIKA]; Labor Party or LP [Chibiza MFUNI]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger CHONGWE president]; Movement for Democratic Process or MDP [Chama CHAKOM BOKA]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Frederick CHILUBA]; National Party or NP [Daniel LISULO]; Republican Party or RP [Ben MWILA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Gwendoline Konie]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Tilyenji KAUNDA]; United Party for National Development or UPND [Anderson MAZOKA]; Zambia Democratic Congress or Zadeco [Eden JERRY acting head]

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 MONUC NAM OAU OPCW PCA SADC UN UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMEE UNMIK UNTAET UPU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Atan SHANSONGA
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 David B. DUNN
From the us embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 31,617, Lusaka
From the us telephone: [260] (1) 250-955
From the us fax: [260] (1) 252-225

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 progress in privatization and budgetary reform Zambia's economy has a long way to go. 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. In late 2000 Zambia was determined to be eligible for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Inflation and unemployment rates remain high but the GDP growth rate should rise in 2001.

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $880 (2000 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 18%
Industry: 27%
Services: 55% (1999 est.)

Agriculture products: corn sorghum rice peanuts sunflower seed vegetables flowers tobacco cotton sugarcane cassava (tapioca); cattle goats pigs poultry milk eggs hides; coffee

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

Industrial production growth rate: 6.1% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 3.4 million
By occupation agriculture: 85%
By occupation industry: 6%
By occupation services: 9%

Unemployment rate: 50% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line: 86% (1993 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.6%
Highest 10: 39.2% (1995)

Budget
Revenues: $900 million
Expenditures: $1 billion, including capital expenditures of NA million (1999 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 27.3% (2000 est.)

Exports: $928 million (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: copper cobalt electricity tobacco
Partners: Japan Saudi Arabia India Thailand South Africa US Malaysia (1997)

Imports: $1.05 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: machinery transportation equipment fuels petroleum products electricity fertilizer; foodstuffs clothing
Partners: South Africa 48% Saudi Arabia UK Zimbabwe (1997)

Debt external: $6.5 billion (2000)

Exchange rates: Zambian kwacha per US dollar - 4,025 (January 2001) 3,111 (2000) 2,388 (1999) 1862.07 (1998) 1314.50 (1997) 1207.90 (1996)

Electricity
Production: 7.642 billion kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 0.55%
Production by source hydro: 99.45%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 5.926 billion kWh (1999)
Exports: 1.6 billion kWh (1999)
Imports: 419 million kWh (1999)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 77,935 (in addition there are about 40,000 fixed telephones in wireless local loop connections) (1997)
Mobile cellular: 6,000 (1998)

Telephone system
General assessment: facilities are 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; Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms
International: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .zm
Service providers isps: 3 (2000)
Users: 15,000 (2000)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $76 million (FY97)
Percent of gdp: 1.8% (FY97)

Airports: 112 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 13
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 99
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 65
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 31 (2000 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 1724 km

Railways
Total: 2,164 km (1995)
Narrow gauge: 2,164 km 1.067-m gauge (13 km double track)
Note: the total includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), which operates 1,860 km of 1.067-m narrow gauge track between Dar es Salaam and Kapiri Mposhi where it connects to the Zambia Railways system; TAZARA is not a part of the Zambia Railways system; Zambia Railways assets are scheduled for concessioning in 2001

Waterways
Note: includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers