1995 Edition

Area

total area: 752,610 sq km land area: 740,720 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Texas

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

current issues: air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros and elephant populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks natural hazards: tropical storms (November to April) international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

International 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

Irrigated land

320 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total 5,664 km, Angola 1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zaire 1,930 km, Zimbabwe 797 km

Land use

arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 47% forest and woodland: 27% other: 19%

Location

Southern Africa, east of Angola

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none; landlocked

Natural resources

copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower potential

Note

landlocked

Terrain

mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains

Age structure

0-14 years: 50% (female 2,331,820; male 2,363,319) 15-64 years: 48% (female 2,332,798; male 2,193,363) 65 years and over: 2% (female 112,484; male 111,939) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

45.47 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

18.42 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%

Infant mortality rate

86 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force

3.4 million by occupation: agriculture 85%, mining, manufacturing, and construction 6%, transport and services 9%

Languages

English (official) note: about 70 indigenous languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 42.88 years male: 42.74 years female: 43.03 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 73% male: 81% female: 65%

Nationality

noun: Zambian(s) adjective: Zambian

Net migration rate

-0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

9,445,723 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

2.7% (1995 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

6.62 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Lusaka

Constitution

2 August 1991

Digraph

ZA

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Dunstan Weston KAMANA chancery: 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9717 through 9719

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government: President Frederick CHILUBA (since 31 October 1991); Vice President General Godfrey MIYANDA (since NA August 1994; he replaced Levy MWANAWASA who was elected 31 October 1991 and resigned in NA August 1994) election last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held NA 1996); results - Frederick CHILUBA 84%, Kenneth KAUNDA 16% cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president from members of the National Assembly

FAX

[1] (202) 332-0826

[260] (1) 261538

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

Independence

24 October 1964 (from UK)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-19, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Names

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

National Assembly

elections last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150 total) MMD 125, UNIP 25; note - the MMD's majority was weakened by the defection of 13 of its parliamentary members during 1993 and the defeat of its candidates in 4 of the resulting by-elections

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 October (1964)

Political parties and leaders

Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Frederick CHILUBA; United National Independence Party (UNIP), Kebby MUSOKATWANE; National Party (NP), Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA;

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Roland K. KUCHEL embassy: corner of Independence Avenue and United Nations Avenue, Lusaka mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka telephone: [260] (1) 228595, 228601, 228602, 228603

Agriculture

accounts for 12% of GDP and 85% of labor force; crops - corn (food staple), sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava; cattle, goats, beef, eggs

Budget

revenues: $665 million expenditures: $767 million, including capital expenditures of $300 million (1991 est.)

Currency

1 Zambian kwacha (ZK) = 100 ngwee

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-89), $4.8 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $4.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $533 million

Electricity

capacity: 2,440,000 kW production: 7.8 billion kWh consumption per capita: 650 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$1 - 672.8 (September 1994), 434.78 (1993), 156.25 (1992), 61.7284 (1991), 28.9855 (1990)

Exports

$1.01 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco partners: EC countries, Japan, South Africa, US, India

External debt

$7.3 billion (1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

increasingly a regional transshipment center for methaqualone and heroin

Imports

$1.13 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, fuels, manufactures partners: EC countries, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, US

Industrial production

growth rate -1% (1992); accounts for 42% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

89% (1994 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $7.9 billion (1994 est.)

National product per capita

$860 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

4% (1994 est.)

Overview

Prior to 1993 the economy had been in decline for more than a decade with falling imports and growing foreign debt. Economic difficulties stemmed largely from a chronically depressed level of copper production and weak copper prices, generally ineffective economic policies, and high inflation. An annual population growth of 3% brought a decline in per capita GDP of 50% over the decade. However, economic reforms enacted since 1992 have helped reduce inflation, have begun to strengthen the social safety net, and have been accompanied by GDP growth at an estimated 6.8% in 1993 and 4% in 1994. The huge external debt remains a key problem.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 11, FM 5, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telephone system

NA telephones; facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa local: NA intercity: high capacity micrwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities international: 2 INTELSAT earth stations (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Television

broadcast stations: 9 televisions: NA

Airports

total: 113 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4 with paved runways under 914 m: 39 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 4 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 57

Highways

total: 36,370 km paved: 6,500 km unpaved: crushed stone, gravel, stabilized earth 7,000 km; improved, unimproved earth 22,870 km

Inland waterways

2,250 km, including Zambezi and Luapula Rivers, Lake Tanganyika

Pipelines

crude oil 1,724 km

Ports

Mpulungu

Railroads

total: 1,273 km narrow gauge: 1,273 km 1.067-m gauge (13 km double track) note: not a part of Zambia Railways is the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), which operates 1,860 km of 1.067-m narrow gauge track between Dar es Salaam and New Kapiri M'poshi where it connects to the Zambia Railways system; 891 km of the TAZARA line transit Zambia

Branches

Army, Air Force, Police

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $45 million, 1.4% of GDP (1994) ________________________________________________________________________ ZIMBABWE

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 1,953,967; males fit for military service 1,028,113 (1995 est.)