Background: The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the 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 at least two parties filing legal petitions challenging the results. Opposition parties currently hold a majority of seats in the National Assembly.

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S 30 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 752,614 km²
Water: 11,890 km²
Land: 740,724 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: 7.08%
Permanent crops: 0.03%
Other: 92.89% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 460 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: tropical storms (November to April)

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

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 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 1.9% (2002 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: 47.1% (male 2,357,581; female 2,335,644)
15-64 years: 50.4% (male 2,497,360; female 2,519,227)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 106,160; female 143,065) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.9% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 41.01 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 21.89 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.16 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 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: 0.74 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 89.39 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 37.35 years
Female: 37.66 years (2002 est.)
Male: 37.05 years

Total fertility rate: 5.43 children born/woman (2002 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: 78.9%
Male: 85.7%
Female: 72.6%

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 Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002); 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 Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002); 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 27 December 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); vice president appointed by the president
Election results: Levy MWANAWASA elected president; percent of vote - Levy MWANAWASA 29%, Anderson MAZOKA 27%, Christon TEMBO 13%, Tilyenji KAUNDA 10%, Godfrey MIYANDA 8%, Benjamin MWILA 5%, Michael SATA 3%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 27 December 2001 (next to be held NA 2006)
Election results: percent of vote by party - MMD 45.9%, UPND 32.4%, UNIP 8.8%, FDD 8.1%, HP 2.7%, PF 0.7%, ZRP 0.7%, independents 0.7%; seats by party - MMD 68, UPND 48, UNIP 13, FDD 12, HP 4, PF 1, ZRP 1, independents 1; 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: Agenda for Zambia or AZ [Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA]; Forum for Democracy and Development or FDD [Christon TEMBO]; Heritage Party or HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger CHONGWE president]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Frederick CHILUBA president]; National Citizens Coalition or NCC [Nevers MUMBA president]; National Leadership for Development or NLD [Yobert SHAMAPANDE]; National Party or NP [Dr. Sam CHIPUNGU]; Patriotic Front or PF [Michael SATA]; Zambian Republican Party or ZRP [Benjamin MWILA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Gwendoline Konie]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Francis NKHOMA president]; United Party for National Development or UPND [Anderson MAZOKA]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB C CCC ECA FAO G-19 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM ITU MONUC NAM OAU OPCW PCA SADC UN UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMEE UNMIK UPU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dunstan Weston KAMANA
In the us fax: [1] (202) 332-0826
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-9,717 through 9,719
In the us chancery: 2,419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Martin George BRENNAN
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. However low mineral prices have slowed the benefits from privatizing the mines and reduced incentives for further private investment in the sector. In late 2000 Zambia was determined to be eligible for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative but Zambia has not yet finalized its Poverty Reduction Strategy paper. Unemployment rates remain high but GDP growth should continue at about 4%. Inflation should remain close to 20%.

Real gdp growth rate: 3.9% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $870 (2001 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 24%
Industry: 25%
Services: 51% (2000)

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 horticulture

Industrial production growth rate: 5.1% (2001 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%
Highest 10: 41% (1998)

Distribution of family income gini index: 53 (1998)

Budget
Revenues: $1.2 billion
Expenditures: $1.25 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 21.5% (2001)

Exports: $876 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: copper 55% cobalt electricity tobacco flowers cotton
Partners: UK 25.2% South Africa 24.5% Switzerland 9.4% Malawi 7.5% (2000)

Imports: $12.05 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: machinery transportation equipment petroleum products electricity fertilizer; foodstuffs clothing
Partners: South Africa 67.1% UK 9.8% Zimbabwe 7.5% US 5.9% (2000)

Debt external: $5.8 billion (2001)

Exchange rates: Zambian kwacha per US dollar - 3,849 (January 2002) 3,611 (2001) 3,111 (2000) 2,388 (1999) 1862.07 (1998) 1314.50 (1997)

Electricity
Production: 7.822 billion kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 1%
Production by source hydro: 99%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 5.838 billion kWh (2000)
Exports: 1.536 billion kWh (2000)
Imports: 100 million kWh (2000)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 130,000 (including more than 40,000 fixed telephones in wireless local loop connections) (1997)
Mobile cellular: 75,000 (2001)

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; 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: 5 (2001)
Users: 25,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $32.5 million (FY01)
Percent of gdp: 0.9% (FY01)

Airports: 111 (2001)
With paved runways total: 11
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: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 98
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 63
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 30 (2002)

Pipelines: crude oil 1724 km

Railways
Total: 2,157 km
Narrow gauge: 2,157 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 (2002)

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

Disputes international: none

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 money launderers