Zambia




                                 Geography


Location:
     Southern Africa, between Zaire and Zimbabwe
Map references:
     Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     752,610 sq km
land area:
     740,720 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly larger than Texas
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
Coastline:
     0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
     none; landlocked
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
Climate:
     tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Terrain:
     mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Natural resources:
     copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium,
     hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land:
     7%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     47%
forest and woodland:
     27%
other:
     19%
Irrigated land:
     320 sq km (1989 est.)
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




Note:
     landlocked


                                  People


Population:
     9,188,190 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     2.83% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     45.99 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     17.65 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     -0.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     85 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     44.18 years
male:
     43.82 years
female:
     44.54 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     6.68 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Zambian(s)
adjective:
     Zambian
Ethnic divisions:
     African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%
Religions:
     Christian 50-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages:
     English (official)
note:
     about 70 indigenous languages
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     73%
male:
     81%
female:
     65%
Labor force:
     2.455 million
by occupation:
     agriculture 85%, mining, manufacturing, and construction 6%, transport
     and services 9%


                                Government




Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Zambia
conventional short form:
former:
     Northern Rhodesia
Digraph:
     ZA
Type:
     republic
Capital:
     Lusaka
Administrative divisions:
     9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern,
     North-Western, Southern, Western
Independence:
     24 October 1964 (from UK)
National holiday:
     Independence Day, 24 October (1964)
Constitution:
     2 August 1991
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
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
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
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
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
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
     Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Frederick CHILUBA; United
     National Independence Party (UNIP), Kebby MUSOKATWANE; National Party
     (NP), Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA;




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
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
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
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


                                  Economy


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.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $7.3 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     -2.8% (1992)
National product per capita:
     $800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     191% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
     NA%
Budget:
revenues:
     $665 million
expenditures:
     $767 million, including capital expenditures of $300 million (1991
     est.)
Exports:
     $1 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)




commodities:
     copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco
partners:
     EC countries, Japan, South Africa, US, India
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
External debt:
     $7.6 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
     growth rate -2% (1991); accounts for 40% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     2,775,000 kW
production:
     12 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     1,400 kWh (1991)
Industries:
     copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages,
     chemicals, textiles, and fertilizer
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
Illicit drugs:
     role as regional transshipment center for mandrax and heroin
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
Currency:
     1 Zambian kwacha (ZK) = 100 ngwee
Exchange rates:
     Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$1 - 344.8276 (October 1993), 156.25 (1992),
     61.7284 (1991), 28.9855 (1990), 12.9032 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


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


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Army, Air Force, Police
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 1,882,053; fit for military service 988,913
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $45 million, 1% of GDP (1992 est.)