Zambia |
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Southern Africa, east of Angola and north of Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Land Boundaries:
Angola 1,110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, and Zimbabwe 797 km.
Geography:
Size is 752,614 sq km , slightly larger than Texas, US. Zambia has a tropical climate which is modified by altitude. There's one rainy season which lasts from October to April. Zambia's terrain is mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains. Its lowest point is the Zambezi river at 329 m and its highest point is an unnamed location in Mafinga Hills standing at 2,301 m. Zambia is a landlocked country with the Zambezi river forming a natural boundary with Zimbabwe.
Population:
Just over 11 million people live in Zambia. Life expectancy is around 39 years. Birth rate is on average 5.47 per woman. 16.5% of the population is believed to have HIV/AIDS. Literacy rate is at 80%.
Languages:
English (official); major vernaculars include Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages.
Ethnic Groups:
African 98.7% (major tribes - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, Chewa), European 1.1%, and other 0.2%.
Religion:
Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%.
Brief Political History:
The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the 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 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. The new president launched a far-reaching anti-corruption campaign in 2002, which resulted in the prosecution of former President Frederick Chiluba and many of his supporters in late 2003. Opposition parties currently hold a majority of seats in the National Assembly.
Economic Overview:
Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economic growth remains somewhat below the 6% to 7% needed to reduce poverty significantly. Privatization of government-owned copper mines relieved the government from covering mammoth losses generated by the industry and greatly improved the chances for copper mining to return to profitability and spur economic growth. Copper output has increased steadily since 2004, due to higher copper prices and the opening of new mines. The maize harvest was again good in 2005, helping boost GDP and agricultural exports. Cooperation continues with international bodies on programs to reduce poverty, including a new lending arrangement with the IMF in the second quarter, 2004. A tighter monetary policy will help cut inflation, but Zambia still has a serious problem with high public debt.
Source: CIA World Factbook
Further Reading:
Zambia Travel Links
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