Zambia
Republic of Zambia
Capital: Lusaka
History
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, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. 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 abrupt death in August 2008, he was succeeded by his vice president, Rupiah BANDA, who subsequently won a special presidential byelection in October 2008. Michael SATA was elected president in September 2011.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
752,618
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
5,664
km
|
| Border Countries |
Angola 1,110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zimbabwe 797 km |
| Coastline |
0
km
|
| Terrain |
mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains |
| Minimum Elevation |
329
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
2,301
m
|
| Climate |
tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April) |
| Natural Resources |
copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower |
| Arable Land |
4.52% |
| Permanent Crops |
0.05% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$8.35 billion |
| Export Items |
copper/cobalt, cobalt, electricity |
| Export Partners |
China 34.8%, Switzerland 18.2%, South Africa 7.8%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 5.4%, South Korea 4.4% (2011) |
| Imports |
$7.28 billion |
| Import Items |
machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer, foodstuffs, clothing |
| Import Partners |
South Africa 36.7%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 20.6%, China 10%, Kuwait 5.9% (2011) |
People
| Population |
14,222,233 |
| Population Growth |
2.89% |
| Ethnic Groups |
African 99.5% (includes Bemba, Tonga, Chewa, Lozi, Nsenga, Tumbuka, Ngoni, Lala, Kaonde, Lunda, and other African groups), other 0.5% (includes Europeans, Asians, and Americans) (2000 Census) |
| Religion |
Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1% |
| Life Expectancy |
51.51 years |
| Infant Mortality |
1 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
3.2 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
