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.

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: 6.99%
Permanent crops: 0.04%
Other: 92.97% (2005)

Irrigated land: 1560 km² (2003)

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

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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 1.654% (2008 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: 45.4% (male 2,659,572/female 2,634,379)
15-64 years: 52.3% (male 3,045,536/female 3,053,465)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 115,662/female 160,920) (2008 est.)

Median age
Total: 16.9 years
Male: 16.8 years
Female: 17.1 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.654% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 40.52 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 21.35 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.63 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 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, 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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 100.96 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 105.73 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 96.04 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 38.59 years
Male: 38.49 years
Female: 38.7 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.23 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 16.5% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 920,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 89,000 (2003 est.)

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 (2008)

Education expenditures: 2% of GDP (2005)

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)

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

Independence: 24 October 1964 (from 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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Rupiah BANDA (since 19 August 2008); 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 untimely 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
Elections: last held 28 September 2006 (next to be held in 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: All Peoples Congress Party [Winright NGONDO]; Forum for Democracy and Development or FDD [Edith NAWAKWI]; Heritage Party or HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger CHONGWE]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Levy MWANAWASA]; National Democratic Focus or NDF; 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; 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

Economy overview: Zambia's economy has experienced modest growth in recent years with real GDP growth in 2005-07 between 5-6% 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $16.1 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1400 (2007 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 17.4%
Industry: 26.1%
Services: 56.5% (2007 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: 6.3% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 4.989 million (2007 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 85%
By occupation industry: 6%
By occupation services: 9% (2004)

Unemployment rate: 50% (2000 est.)

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 50.8 (2004)

Budget
Revenues: $2.655 billion
Expenditures: $2.8 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 28.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

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

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

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

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

Market value of publicly traded shares: $4.5 billion (2007)

Current account balance: -$228 million (2007 est.)

Exports: $4.594 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: copper/cobalt 64% cobalt electricity; tobacco flowers cotton
Partners: Switzerland 41.8% South Africa 12% Thailand 5.9% Democratic Republic of the Congo 5.3% Egypt 5% Saudi Arabia 4.7% China 4.1% (2007)

Imports: $3.611 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: machinery transportation equipment petroleum products electricity fertilizer; foodstuffs clothing
Partners: South Africa 47.4% UAE 6.3% China 6% India 4.1% UK 4% (2007)

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

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

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $NA

Exchange rates: Zambian kwacha (ZMK) per US dollar - 3,990 (2007) 3,602 (2006) 4,464 (2005) 4,779 (2004) 4,733 (2003)

Electricity
Production: 9.289 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Consumption: 8.625 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 255 million kWh (2006)
Imports: 68 million kWh (2007 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2006 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 91,800 (2007)
Mobile cellular: 2.639 million (2007)

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)

Internet
Country code: .zm
Hosts: 7,610 (2008)
Users: 500,000 (2007)

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

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription (2008)

Airports: 107 (2007)
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 (2007)
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: 64
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 29 (2007)

Pipelines: oil 771 km (2007)

Railways
Total: 2,157 km
Narrow gauge: 2,157 km 1.067-m gauge
Note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2006)

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

Waterways: 2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers) (2005)

Ports and terminals: Mpulungu

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; 42,250 Congolese refugees in Zambia are offered voluntary repatriation in November 2006 most of whom are expected to return in the next two years; Angolan refugees too have been repatriating but 26,450 still remain with 90,000 others from other neighboring states in 2006

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 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 money launderers; major consumer of cannabis