The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Zambia

From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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Zambia

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Map

Location: 15 00 S, 30 00 E -- Southern Africa, east of Angola

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Flag

Description: 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

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Geography

Location: Southern Africa, east of Angola
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references: Africa
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
border countries: 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 has been informally 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
lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m
highest point: in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m
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: 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
Geographic note: landlocked

People

Population: 9,159,072 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 49% (male 2,272,981; female 2,244,403)
15-64 years: 48% (male 2,157,106; female 2,256,935)
65 years and over: 3% (male 110,433; female 117,214) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.11% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 44.73 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 23.65 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 96.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 36.31 years
male: 36.15 years
female: 36.46 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.55 children born/woman (1996 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), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write in English (1995 est.)
total population: 78.2%
male: 85.6%
female: 71.3%

Government

Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Zambia
conventional short form: Zambia
former: Northern Rhodesia
Data code: ZA
Type of government: 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) elected for a five-year term by popular vote; Vice President General Godfrey MIYANDA (since NA August 1994) appointed by the president; election last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held October 1996); results - Frederick CHILUBA 84%, Kenneth KAUNDA 16%
cabinet: Cabinet, appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly: elections last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held October 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 four of the resulting byelections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, justices are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Frederick CHILUBA; United National Independence Party (UNIP), Kenneth KAUNDA; National Party (NP), Humphrey MULEMBIA; Labor Party (LP), Chibiza MFUNI; Zambia Democratic Congress (ZDC), Dean MUNG'OMBA; Liberal Progressive Front (LPF), Roger CHONGWE, president
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
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
FAX: [1] (202) 332-0826
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) 250-955, 252-230
FAX: [260] (1) 252-225
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

Economic overview: Despite continuing progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economy is showing little improvement. Inflation, while slowing somewhat, continues to be a major concern to the CHILUBA government. Four of Zambia's 20 banks collapsed in 1995, and the nation's debt stood at about $7 billion. Zambia's copper mining sector, which accounts for over 80% of the nation's foreign currency intake, is struggling. Production rates are down as are world copper prices. Food production is insufficient to meet the country's needs due to previous droughts and an end to government subsidization of agriculture. While the government's economic program aims for 6% growth in each of the next three years, a growth rate of 3-5% is more likely.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.9 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: NA%
GDP per capita: $900 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 32%
industry: 22%
services: 46% (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 55% (1994 est.)
Labor force: 3.4 million
by occupation: agriculture 85%, mining, manufacturing, and construction 6%, transport and services 9%
Unemployment rate: 22% (1991)
Budget:
revenues: $665 million
expenditures: $767 million, including capital expenditures of $300 million (1991 est.)
Industries: copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer
Industrial production growth rate: -1% (1992)
Electricity:
capacity: 2,440,000 kW
production: 7.8 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 650 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca); cattle, goats, beef, eggs
Illicit drugs: increasingly a regional transshipment center for methaqualone and heroin
Exports: $1.075 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco
partners: EU countries, Japan, South Africa, US, India, Thailand, Malaysia
Imports: $845 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, fuels, manufactures
partners: EU countries, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, US
External debt: $7 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $734 million (1993)
Currency: 1 Zambian kwacha (ZK) = 100 ngwee
Exchange rates: Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$1 - 909.09 (December 1995), 833.33 (1995), 769.23 (1994), 434.78 (1993), 156.25 (1992), 61.7284 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

Railways:
total: 2,164 km (1995)
narrow gauge: 2,164 km 1.067-m gauge (13 km double track)
note: the total includes 891 km of 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; TAZARA is not a part of Zambia Railways
Highways:
total: 37,359 km
paved: 6,575 km (including 56 km of expressways)
unpaved: 30,784 km (1992 est.)
Waterways: 2,250 km, including Zambezi and Luapula rivers, Lake Tanganyika
Pipelines: crude oil 1,724 km
Ports: Mpulungu
Airports:
total: 104
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 3
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 4
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2
with paved runways under 914 m: 35
with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 4
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 54 (1995 est.)

Communications

Telephones: 80,900 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa
domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 11, FM 5, shortwave 0
Radios: 1,889,140
Television broadcast stations: 9
Televisions: 215,000 (1995 est.)

Defense

Branches: Army, Air Force, paramilitary forces, Police
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 1,934,845
males fit for military service: 1,020,851 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $96 million, 2.7% of GDP (1995)

Zambia

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).