1987 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1987 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Boundary disputes
short section with Zaire is indefinite
Climate
tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Comparative area
about the size of Texas
Environment
deforestation; soi] erosion; desertification
Land boundaries
6,003 km total
Land use
7% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 47% meadows and pastures; 27% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Special notes
landlocked
Terrain
mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Total area
- 300 km Leake. aN Tanganyika Boundary representation is not Necessarily authoritative Mopulungy “Keaame } Oo. Loke Bengweuta Livingstone
- 752,610 km?; land area: 740,720 km?
People and Society
Infant mortality rate
140/1,000 (1984)
Labor force
2,455,000; 85% agriculture; 6% mining, manufacturing, and construction; 9% transport and services
Language
English (official); about 70 indigenous languages
Life expectancy
47
Literacy
54%
Nationality
noun—Zambian(s); adjective—Zambian Ethnic divisions; 98.7% African, 1.1% European, 0.2% other
Organized labor
about 238,000 wage earners are unionized
Population
7,281,738 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.73%
Religion
50-75% Christian, 1% Muslim and Hindu, remainder indigenous beliefs
Government
Administrative divisions
nine provinces
Branches
modified presidential system; unicameral legislature (National Assembly), judiciary Government leaders; Dr. Kenneth David KAUNDA, President (since October 1964); Kebby MUSOKOTWANE, Prime Minister (April 1985)
Capital
Lusaka
Communists
no Communist party
Elections
general election held 27 October 1983; next general election scheduled for 1988 Political parties and leaders: United National Independence Party (UNIP), Kenneth Kaunda; former opposition party banned in December 1972 when one-party state proclaimed
Legal system
based on English common law and customary law; new constitution adopted September 1973; judicial review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
AfDB, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IAEA, IBRD, 1CAO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 24 October
Official name
Republic of Zambia
Suffrage
universal adult at age 18
Type
one-party state
Voting strength
(1983 election) 63.5% of eligible voters participated; Kaunda, the only candidate for president, received a 93% yes vote; National Assembly seats were contested by members of UNIP
Economy
Agriculture
corn, tobacco, cotton; net importer of most major agricultural products
Budget
revenues $610 million; expenditures $733 million (1984 est.)
Electric power
1,900,000 kW capacity; 11,100 million kWh produced, 1,570 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$788 million (f.0.b., 1985); copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$2.3 billion (1985), $340 per capita; real growth rate 3.4% (1985 est.)
Imports
$513 million (c.i.f., 1985); machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, fuels, manufactures
Major industries
copper mining and refinery, transport,, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, and fertilizer
Major trade partners
EC, Japan, South Africa, US
Monetary conversion rate
13.5 Zambian kwachas=US$1 (December 1986)
Natural resources
copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydroelectric power
Communications
Airfields
128 total, 114 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m, 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 19 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
9 major transport aircraft
Highways
36,370 km total; 6,500 km paved, 7,000 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 22,870 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways
2,250 km, including Zambezi River, Luapula River, Lake Tanganyika; Mpulungu is small port on Lake Tanganyika
Pipelines
1,724 km crude oil
Railroads
1,204 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 13 km double track
Telecommunications
facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa; highcapacity radio relay connects most larger towns and cities; 71,700 telephones (1.0 per 100 popl.); 9 AM, 2 FM, 10 TV stations; 1 Indian Ocean satellite station
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Air Force, paramilitary Police Mobile Force, Police Paramilitary
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,500,000; 786,000 fit for military service