Zambia

Republic of Zambia

republicIndependence 24 October 1964 (from UK)

Zambia as the 2006 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 123 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, UTC+2
Position15 00 S, 30 00 E
Area752,614 sq km
LocationSouthern Africa, east of Angola
2006

Every edition of Zambia

Populationas each edition published it
11.5 million July 2006 est. · 8.11m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.11% 2006 est. · 2.96% in 1993
Median ageyears
16.5 years 2006 est. · 16.5 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
40.03 years 2006 est. · 45.56 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.39 children per woman 2006 est. · 7 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
86.84 deaths per 1,000 live births 2006 est. · 80 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$900 2005 est. · $550 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
5% 2005 est. · -3% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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 anti-corruption campaign in 2002, which resulted in the prosecution of former President Frederick CHILUBA and some officials of his administration.

Geography

Southern Africa, east of Angola

18 fields

Land useshare of 752,614 sq km

arable land 6.99%permanent crops 0.04%other 92.97% (2005)irrigated 1,560 sq km (2003)
Area
752,614sq km
land: 740,724 sq kmwater: 11,890 sq kmslightly larger than Texas
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Highest point
2,301m
unnamed location in Mafinga Hillslowest point: Zambezi river 329 m
Land boundaries
5,664km
border countries: 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

Location

Southern Africa, east of Angola

Geographic coordinates

15 00 S, 30 00 E

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

Natural hazards

periodic drought, tropical storms (November to April)

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

Environment - international agreements

party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note

landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe

People

20 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2006 est.)

117,877
65 and over2.4%
158,740
2,925,910
15-6451.3%
2,969,324
2,673,891
0-1446.3%
2,656,268
MaleFemale
Population
11,502,010
growth rate: 2.11% (2006 est.)
Note
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 2006 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2006 est.)

Birth
41Death
19.93Net migration
0

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2006 est.)40.03
39.76 · 40.31Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)86.84
94.08 · 79.37
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)80.6%
86.8% · 74.8%Median age years (2006 est.)16.5
16.3 · 16.7
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write English

Ethnic groups

African 98.7%European 1.1%other 0.2%

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.74 male(s)/female
total population:
0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

89,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk:
very high
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases:
malaria and plague are high risks in some locations
water contact disease:
schistosomiasis (2005)

Nationality

noun:
Zambian(s)
adjective:
Zambian

Religions

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

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002); President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

43.0%
Levy MWANAWASA 43.0%Michael SATA 29.4%Hakainde HICHILEMA 25.3%Godfrey MIYANDA 1.6%Winright NGONDO 0.8%election last held 28 September 2006 (next to be held 2011)

National Assembly, 148 seats, elected 27 December 2001one dot, one seat

MMD 68UPND 48UNIP 13FDD 12HP 4PF 1ZRP 1independents 1

Percent of vote

MMD 45.9%UPND 32.4%UNIP 8.8%FDD 8.1%HP 2.7%PF 0.7%ZRP 0.7%independents 0.7%

Country name

conventional long form:
Republic of Zambia
conventional short form:
Zambia
former:
Northern Rhodesia

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
  • President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002);
  • Vice President Rupiah BANDA (since 9 October 2006);
  • 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 Rupiah BANDA (since 9 October 2006);
  • 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 (eligible for a second term);
  • election last held 28 September 2006 (next to be held 2011);
  • vice president appointed by the president
election results:
Levy MWANAWASA reelected president; percent of vote - Levy MWANAWASA 43.0%, Michael SATA 29.4%, Hakainde HICHILEMA 25.3%, Godfrey MIYANDA 1.6%, Winright NGONDO 0.8%

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (158 seats; 150 members are elected by popular vote, eight members are appointed by the president, to serve five-year terms)

elections:
last held 27 December 2001 (next to be held December 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 [Levy MWANAWASA, acting president];
  • National Leadership for Development or NLD [Yobert SHAMAPANDE];
  • National Party or NP [Dr. Sam CHIPUNGU];
  • Patriotic Front or PF [Michael SATA];
  • 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];
  • Zambian Republican Party or ZRP [Benjamin MWILA]

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA
chancery:
2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 265-9717 through 9719
FAX:
[1] (202) 332-0826

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Carmen M. MARTINEZ
embassy:
corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues, Lusaka
mailing address:
P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka
telephone:
[260] (1) 250-955
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

Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economic growth remains somewhat below the 6%-7% needed to reduce poverty significantly.

42 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$10.63billion
(2005 est.)official exchange rate: $5.351 billion (2005 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
$900
(2005 est.)
Real growth rate
5%
(2005 est.)industrial production growth: 7.9% (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2005 est.)

agriculture 22%industry 29%services 48.9% (2005 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

18.6%
South Africa
47.6%
28.7%
Switzerland
14.4%
UK
12.6%
5.4%
Democratic Republic of the Congo
5.1%
Tanzania
4.1%
Zimbabwe
4.3%
Exports $1.947 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)Imports $1.934 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)(2005)

Budget

Revenues
$1.688 billionExpenditures
$1.866 billion (2005 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

Electricity production
8.347 billion (2003)Electricity consumption
5.345 billion (2003)Electricity exports
2 billion (2003)

Economy - overview

Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economic growth remains somewhat below the 6%-7% needed to reduce poverty significantly. 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.

Copper output has increased steadily since 2004, due to higher copper prices and the opening of new mines. The maize harvest was again good in 2005, helping boost GDP and agricultural exports. Cooperation continues with international bodies on programs to reduce poverty, including a new lending arrangement with the IMF in the second quarter of 2004. A tighter monetary policy will help cut inflation, but Zambia still has a serious problem with high public debt.

Labor force

4.8 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture:
85%
industry:
6%
services:
9%

Unemployment rate

50% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
1.1%
highest 10%:
41% (1998)

Investment (gross fixed)

27.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Public debt

71.5% of GDP (2005 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

Oil - production

130.2 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

12,250 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Current account balance

$-420 million (2005 est.)

Exports

$1.947 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

copper/cobalt 64%, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton

Imports

$1.934 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$559.8 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$4.641 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$640.6 million (2002)

Currency (code)

Zambian kwacha (ZMK)

Exchange rates

Zambian kwacha per US dollar - 4,463.5 (2005), 4,778.9 (2004), 4,733.3 (2003), 4,398.6 (2002), 3,610.9 (2001)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
946,600
(2005)
Internet users
3,227
(2006)
Fixed lines
94,700
(2005) · country code .zm

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:
country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 19, FM 5, shortwave 4 (2001)

Internet users

231,000 (2005)

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

1
over 3,047 m
3
2,438 to 3,047 m
1
4
1,524 to 2,437 m
4
2
914 to 1,523 m
64
under 914 m
32
Paved 10Unpaved 101

Networkskm

Roadways
91,440Railways
2,173Waterways
2,250 (2005)
Roadways: paved: 20,117 km · unpaved: 71,323 km (2001) · Railways: narrow gauge: 2,173 km 1.067-m gauge note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2005) · Waterways: (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers)

Airports

111 (2006)

Pipelines

oil 771 km (2006)

Railways

total:
2,173 km
narrow gauge:
2,173 km 1.067-m gauge

note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2005)

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)

Military

Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Army, Air Force, Police, National Service

5 fields

Military branches

Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Army, Air Force, Police, National Service

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49:
2,219,739
females age 18-49:
2,159,688 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49:
1,043,702
females age 18-49:
953,328 (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues

3 fields

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 88,842 (Angola) 66,248 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) 5,791 (Rwanda) (2005)

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Zambia.” The World Factbook 2006. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/zambia/2006.

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