Zambia

• tropical;
• modified by altitude;
• rainy season (October to April)

• 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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.993 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.742 male(s)/female

total population:

0.994 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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 (2007)

noun:

Zambian(s)

adjective:

Zambian

conventional long form:

Republic of Zambia

conventional short form:

Zambia

former:

Northern Rhodesia

name:

Lusaka

geographic coordinates:

15 25 S, 28 17 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• 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

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)

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 in 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%

• 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]

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

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

agriculture:

85%

industry:

6%

services:

9% (2004)

lowest 10%:

1.2%

highest 10%:

38.8% (2004)

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

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)

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)

total:

91,440 km

paved:

20,117 km

unpaved:

71,323 km (2001)

males age 18-49:

2,219,739

females age 18-49:

2,159,688 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

1,043,702

females age 18-49:

953,328 (2005 est.)

• 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

• 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