Geography
Area: 752,614 sq. km. (290,585 sq. mi.); slightly larger than Texas.
Cities: Capital--Lusaka (pop. approx. 1 million).
Other cities: Kitwe, Ndola, Livingstone, Kabwe.
Terrain: Varies; mostly plateau savanna.
Climate: Generally dry and temperate.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Zambian(s).
Population: Approx. 10 million.
Annual growth rate: 2%.
Ethnic groups: More than 70 ethnic groups.
Religions: Christian, indigenous beliefs, Muslim, Hindu.
Languages: English (official), about 70 local languages and
dialects, including Bemba, Lozi, Kaonde, Lunda, Luvale, Tonga, and
Nyanja.
Education: No compulsory education; 7 years free education.
Net primary school enrollment: 67%. Literacy--women: 60.6%;
men: 81.6%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--95/1,000. Life expectancy--32.7
years. HIV prevalence (15-49)--16%.
Work force: Agriculture--75%; mining and manufacturing--6%;
services--19%.
Government
Type: Republic.
Independence: October 24, 1964.
Constitution: 1991 (as amended in 1996).
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state and head of
government), cabinet. Legislative--unicameral National
Assembly. Judicial--Supreme Court, high court, magistrate courts,
and local courts.
Ruling political party: Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD).
Suffrage: Universal adult.
Subdivisions: Nine provinces subdivided into 72 districts.
Economy
GDP (2004): $4.3 billion.
Annual growth rate (2004): 5%.
Per capita GDP (2004): $478.
Natural resources: Copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold,
silver, uranium, hydroelectric power, fertile land.
Agriculture: Products--corn, sorghum, rice, groundnuts,
sunflower seeds, vegetables, horticultural products, tobacco,
cotton, sugarcane, livestock, coffee, and soybeans.
Industry: Types--mining, transport, construction, foodstuffs,
beverages, chemicals, and textiles.
Trade (2004): Exports--$1.8 billion: copper, cobalt, lead,
and zinc, cut vegetables, cotton. Major markets--South
Africa, United Kingdom, Tanzania, Malawi, Japan. Imports--$2.2
billion: crude oil, refined petroleum products, manufactured goods,
machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs. Major suppliers--South
Africa, China, Tanzania, Zimbabwe.
Major donors: Donors provided $38 million in development assistance
to Zambia in 2004. The World Bank is Zambia's largest multilateral
donor. Other key multilateral donors include the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union, UN agencies, and the
African Development Bank. Counting direct bilateral assistance and
assistance through multilateral agencies, the U.S. is Zambia's
largest country donor.
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