The Republic of Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west.
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, economic
mismanagement, and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in
1991 brought an end to one-party rule and propelled the Movement for
Multiparty Democracy (MMD) to government. The subsequent vote in 1996,
however, saw increasing harassment of opposition parties and abuse of
state media and other resources. 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.
Mwanawasa was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and
fair. Upon his death in August 2008, he was succeeded by his vice
president, Rupiah Banda, who won a special presidential by-election
later that year. The MMD and Banda lost to the Patriotic Front (PF) and
Michael Sata in the 2011 general elections. Sata, however, presided over
a period of haphazard economic management and attempted to silence
opposition to PF policies. Sata died in October 2014 and was succeeded
by his vice president, Guy SCOTT, who served as interim president until
special elections were held in January 2015. Edgar Lungu won the
presidential by-election and will complete Sata’s term, which expires in
late 2016.
Country Name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Zambia
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conventional short form: Zambia
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former: Northern Rhodesia
Capital:
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name: Lusaka
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geographic coordinates: 15 25 S, 28 17 E
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time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Independence:
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11 November 1975 (from Portugal)
Government Type:
Executive Branch:
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chief of state: President Edgar Lungu (since 25 January 2015)
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head of government: President Edgar Lungu (since 25 January 2015)
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elections: president elected by popular vote for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); a special election was held
on 20 January 2015 to elect a president to complete Sata's term in
office; Sata died 28 October 2014 (next to be held in late 2016)
Legislative Branch:
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structure: unicameral National Assembly
Judicial Branch:
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structure: Supreme Court; High Court
Population:
- 14,638,505
(global rank: 71)
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growth rate: 2.88% (global rank: 16)
Nationality:
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noun: Zambian(s)
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adjective: Zambian
Major Cities:
Ethnic Groups:
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Bemba 21%, Tonga 13.6%, Chewa 7.4%, Lozi 5.7%, Nsenga 5.3%, Tumbuka
4.4%, Ngoni 4%, Lala 3.1%, Kaonde 2.9%, Namwanga 2.8%, Lunda (north
Western) 2.6%, Mambwe 2.5%, Luvale 2.2%, Lamba 2.1%, Ushi 1.9%, Lenje
1.6%, Bisa 1.6%, Mbunda 1.2%, other 13.8%, unspecified 0.4%
Religions:
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Protestant 75.3%, Roman Catholic 20.2%, other 2.7% (includes Muslim Buddhist, Hindu, and Baha'i), none 1.8%
Languages:
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Bembe 33.4%, Nyanja 14.7%, Tonga 11.4%, Lozi 5.5%, Chewa 4.5%, Nsenga
2.9%, Tumbuka 2.5%, Lunda (North Western) 1.9%, Kaonde 1.8%, Lala 1.8%,
Lamba 1.8%, English (official) 1.7%, Luvale 1.5%, Mambwe 1.3%, Namwanga
1.2%, Lenje 1.1%, Bisa 1%, other 9.2%, unspecified 0.4%
Life Expectancy at Birth:
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total population: 51.83 years (global rank: 217)
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male: 50.24 years
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female: 53.48 years
Infant Mortality:
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total population: 66.62 deaths/1,000 live births (global rank: 17)
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male: 72.15 deaths/1,000 live births
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female: 60.94 deaths/1,000 live births
HIV/AIDS:
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adult prevalence rate: 12.5% (2013 est.) (global rank: 7)
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people living with AIDS: 1,110,400 (2013 est.) (global rank: 9)
Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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total population: 61.4%
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male: 71.9%
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female: 51.8%
Overview: Zambia has had one of the world’s fastest growing economies for the past
ten years, with real GDP growth averaging roughly 5.5% per annum.
Privatization of government-owned copper mines in the 1990s relieved the
government from covering mammoth losses generated by the industry and
greatly increased copper mining output and profitability, spurring
economic growth. Copper output has increased steadily since 2004, due to
higher copper prices and foreign investment. Zambia's dependency on
copper makes it vulnerable to depressed commodity prices, but record
high copper prices and a bumper maize crop in 2010 helped Zambia rebound
quickly from the world economic slowdown that began in 2008. Despite
strong economic growth and its status as a lower middle-income country,
widespread and extreme rural poverty and high unemployment levels remain
significant problems, made worse by a high birth rate, a relatively
high HIV/AIDS burden, and by market distorting agricultural policies.
Economic policy inconsistency and poor budget execution in recent years
has hindered the economy. Zambia has raised $1.75 billion from
international investors by issuing separate sovereign bonds in September
2012 and April 2014, significantly increasing the country’s public debt
as a share of GDP. On January 1, 2015, a new mining tax regime
dramatically increased taxes, and may result in the loss of thousands of
jobs and stifle Zambia’s ability to attract additional foreign
investment.
Gross Domestic Product:
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GDP (PPP): $61.79 billion (global rank: 100)
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GDP per capita (PPP): $4,100 (global rank: 177)
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real growth rate: 6.5% (global rank: 25)
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composition by sector: agriculture: 10.8%, industry: 32.9%, services: 56.3%
Currency:
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currency: Zambia Kwacha (ZMK)
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exchange rate (per US Dollar): 6.1
Poverty:
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population below poverty line: 60.5%
- unemployment rate: 15%
Agricultural Products:
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corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower
seeds, vegetables, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (manioc,
tapioca), coffee; cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides
Industries:
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copper mining and processing, emerald mining, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture
Export Commodities:
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copper/cobalt, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton
Import Commodities:
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machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer, foodstuffs, clothing
Location:
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Southern Africa, east of Angola, south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Area:
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total: 752,618 sq km (global rank: 39)
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land: 743,398 sq km
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water: 9,220 sq km
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comparative: slightly larger than Texas
Climate:
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tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Land Use:
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arable land: 5.11%
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permanent crops: 0.05%
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other: 94.84%
Natural Resources:
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copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower
Current Environmental Issues:
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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
- international disputes: 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
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refugees (country of origin): 17,652 (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
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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; major consumer of cannabis
Published: Tuesday, May 5, 2015