Zambia

Airports

total: 113 usable: 103 with permanent-surface runways: 13 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 22

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 (lake port)

Railroads

1,266 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 13 km double track

Telecommunications

facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa; high-capacity microwave connects most larger towns and cities; broadcast stations - 11 AM, 5 FM, 9 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

Branches

Army, Air Force, Police

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $45 million, 1% of GDP (1992 est.)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 1,882,053; fit for military service 988,913

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: 2,775,000 kW production: 12 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,400 kWh (1991)

Exchange rates

Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$1 - 344.8276 (October 1993), 156.25 (1992), 61.7284 (1991), 28.9855 (1990), 12.9032 (1989)

Exports

$1 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco partners: EC countries, Japan, South Africa, US, India

External debt

$7.6 billion (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

role as regional transshipment center for mandrax and heroin

Imports

$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, fuels, manufactures partners: EC countries, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, US

Industrial production

growth rate -2% (1991); accounts for 40% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

191% (1992)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $7.3 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$800 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

-2.8% (1992)

Overview

The economy has been in decline for more than a decade with falling imports and growing foreign debt. Economic difficulties stem from a chronically depressed level of copper production and ineffective economic policies. In 1991 real GDP fell by 2% and in 1992 by 3% more. An annual population growth of 3% has brought a decline in per capita GDP of 50% over the past decade. A high inflation rate has also added to Zambia's economic woes in recent years.

Unemployment rate

NA%

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: poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros and elephant populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

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, between Zaire and Zimbabwe

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

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

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: (202) 265-9717 through 9721

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government: President Frederick CHILUBA (since 31 October 1991); Vice President Levy MWANAWASA (since 31 October 1991); election last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held in 1996); results - Frederick CHILUBA 84%, Kenneth KAUNDA 16% cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president from members of the National Assembly

FAX

[260-1] 261-538

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, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFTU, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UNOSOM, 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 in 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 KUCHEL embassy: corner of Independence Avenue and United Nations Avenue, Lusaka mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka telephone: [260-1] 228-595, 228-601, 228-602, 228-603

Birth rate

45.99 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

17.65 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%

Infant mortality rate

85 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

2.455 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: 44.18 years male: 43.82 years female: 44.54 years (1994 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

-0.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

9,188,190 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

2.83% (1994 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

6.68 children born/woman (1994 est.)