Zambia

one-party stateIndependence 24 October 1964 (from UK

Zambia as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 70 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalLusaka

Area752,610 km2

Populationas each edition published it

8.11 million July 1990 · 22.02m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.96% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 16.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 45.56 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7 children per woman 1990 · 3.67 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

80 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 30.1 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $550 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -3% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 752,610 km2

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

Total area

752,610km2

land area: 740,720 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries

5,664km total

Angola 1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zaire 1,930 km, Zimbabwe 797 km

Disputes

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

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

Environment

deforestation;
soil erosion;
desertification

People

14 fields

Population

8,112,782

(July 1990), growth rate 3.2% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

49Death

Ethnic divisions

African 98.7%European 1.1%other 0.2%

Literacy

75.7%

Religion

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

Language

English (official); about 70 indigenous languages

Labor force

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

Organized labor

about 238,000 wage earners are unionized

Government

One-party state

17 fields

National Assembly, 125 seats, elected 26 October 1988one dot, one seat

(136 total, 125 elected) UNIP 125

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

24 October 1964 (from UK; formerly Northern Rhodesia)

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

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

only party--United National Independence Party (UNIP), Kenneth Kaunda

Suffrage

universal at age 18 President--last held 26 October 1988 (next to be held October 1993);
results--President Kenneth Kaunda was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly--last held 26 October 1988 (next to be held October 1993);
results--UNIP is the only party;
seats--(136 total, 125 elected) UNIP 125

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Paul J. F. LUSAKA;
Chancery at 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 265-9717 through 9721;
US--Ambassador Jeffrey DAVIDOW;
Embassy at corner of Independence Avenue and United Nations Avenue, Lusaka (mailing address is P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka);
telephone 2601o 214911

Flag

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

Despite temporary growth in 1988, the economy has been in decline for more than a decade with falling imports and growing foreign debt.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$4.0billion

per capita $530; real growth rate 6.7% (1988)

Inflation, consumer prices

55.7%

(1988)

External debt

$6.9billion

(December 1989)

Budget

Revenues

$570 millionExpenditures

$939 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $36 million (1988 est.)

Despite temporary growth in 1988, 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 1988 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.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$1,184 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco;
partners--EC, Japan, South Africa, US

Imports

$687 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities--machinery, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, fuels, manufactures;
partners--EC, Japan, South Africa, US

Industrial production

growth rate NA% (1986)

Electricity

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

Industries

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

Agriculture

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 produced;
marginally self-sufficient in corn

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-88), $466 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $4.2 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $533 million

Currency

Zambian kwacha (plural--kwacha); 1 Zambian kwacha (ZK) = 100 ngwee

Exchange rates

Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$1--21.7865 (January 1990), 12.9032 (1989), 8.2237 (1988), 8.8889 (1987), 7.3046 (1986), 2.7137 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Airports, 121 total, 106 usable

permanent-surface runways

13runways over 3,659 m

1runways 2,440-3,659 m

4runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

36,370Railroads

1,266Inland waterways

2,250Pipelines

1,724

Highways: ; 6,500 km paved, 7,000 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 22,870 km improved and unimproved earth · Railroads: , all 1.067-meter gauge; 13 km double track · Inland waterways: , including Zambezi and Luapula Rivers, Lake Tanganyika