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| Zambia | Plants and Animal | Back to Top |
Most of the nation has savanna-type vegetation—grasslands interspersed with trees. Teak forests are in the southwest. Animals include elephants, lions, rhinoceroses, and several varieties of antelope. Of overwhelming importance are the valuable mineral veins of the nation’s copper belt. The belt extends down into Zambia from southern DRC and contains major deposits of copper, cobalt, and other minerals. Zambia also has substantial hydroelectric potential. The Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River is the nation’s main power source. Zambia shares the Kariba system with Zimbabwe. Other stations on the Lunsemfwa and Mulungushi rivers serve Kabwe. Installations have also been built on the Kafue River. In 1999 the total output of electricity was 7.6 billion kilowatt-hours, nearly all of which was produced by hydroelectric plants.
| Tunisia | Communications | Back to Top |
facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa
domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation; Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
| Zambia | Culture | Back to Top |
orthodox Zambian art consists chiefly of wood carving, pottery making, and basket weaving. Among musical instruments, drums are the most widely used, but there also are stringed bows, flutes, horns and pipes, xylophones, bells, rattles, and the kalimba, or “African piano,” made of strips of steel attached to a small board and vibrated by the fingers. Music, dancing, and song are used in tribal rituals and celebrations, as well as for entertainment, varying in form among ethnic groups. With the object of preserving cultural variety, a government initiative in the 1980s led to the revival of many orthodox ceremonies. Some, such as the kuomboka of the Lozi, survived essentially unchanged; others have taken up new forms. The National Dance Troupe performs the orthodox dances of many groups. There is a national museum at Livingstone and another on the Copperbelt. The Moto-Moto Museum at Mbala focuses on the traditions of the Bemba people, and there are small field museums at some national monuments. Relics of the nation's past are the concern of the Commission for the Preservation of Natural and Historical Monuments and Relics.
The Zambia Publishing House is a government-backed publisher of the works of Zambian authors and school textbooks. The few other publishers are mainly church-supported. Zambian scholars have contributed to knowledge in a wide range of disciplines, often in locally published academic journals, though opportunities for research have been limited in recent years by general economic difficulties.
| Zambia | Defence | Back to Top |
Military branches: Army, Air Force, National Service, police
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,246,640 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,193,047 (2001 est.)
| Zambia | International Disputes | Back to Top |
transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for Southern Africa and possibly Europe; regional money-laundering center.
| Zambia | Economy | Back to Top |
The wealth of Zambia is based largely on mining in the valuable copper belt, and downturns in copper prices have severely damaging economic consequences. Some processing and manufacturing has been started since freedom, and during the 1970s attempts were made to diversify agriculture and to make the nation self-sufficient in food. In 1996 the national budget showed $613 million in revenue and $705 million in expenditure.
Zambia's economy is heavily dependent on mining, in particular the mining of copper. Unfortunately, reserves of copper ore at some mines are becoming depleted, costs of production have increased, and the price of copper on the world market has slumped. There is thus a great need to broaden the base of the economy. Agriculture is comparatively poorly developed, and major investment in manufacturing industry did not take place until after freedom. State involvement in all aspects of the economy has been a feature of independent Zambia and has created a highly centralized and bureaucratic economic structure, although changes in the political structure of the nation in the early 1990s were accompanied by efforts to increase private investment and involvement, particularly in the industrial sector.
contempt progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economy has a long way to go. 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. In late 2000, Zambia was determined to be eligible for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative. Inflation and unemployment rates remain high, but the GDP growth rate should rise in 2001.
| Zambia | Education | Back to Top |
School attendance has increased substantially since Zambia’s freedom in 1964. In 1995 some 1.5 million pupils were listed in primary schools, representing 88 % of school-aged children. Only 29 % of secondary school-aged children were listed. The University of Zambia, at Lusaka, had about 10,500 students in the mid-1990s.
| Zambia | Government | Back to Top |
Zambia became a republic immediately upon attaining freedom in October 1964. The constitution published on August 25, 1973, abrogated the original 1964 constitution. The new constitution and the national elections that followed in December 1973 were the final steps in achieving what was called a "one-party participatory democracy."
The 1973 constitution provided for a strong president and a unicameral National Assembly. National policy was formulated by the Central Committee of the United National freedom Party (UNIP), the sole legal party in Zambia. The cabinet executed the central committee's policy.
In accordance with the intention to formalize UNIP supremacy in the new system, the constitution stipulated that the sole candidate in elections for the office of president was the person selected to be the president of UNIP by the party's general conference. The second-ranking person in the Zambian hierarchy was UNIP's secretary general.
In December 1990, at the end of a tumultuous year that included riots in the capital and a coup attempt, President Kaunda signed legislation ending UNIP's monopoly on power. In response to growing popular demand for multi-party democracy, and after lengthy, difficult negotiations between the Kaunda government and opposition groups, Zambia enacted a new constitution in August 1991. The constitution enlarged the National Assembly from 136 members to a maximum of 158 members, accomplished an electoral commission, and allowed for more than one presidential candidate who no longer had to be a member of UNIP. The constitution was amended again in 1996 to set new limits on the presidency (including a retroactive two-term limit, and a requirement that both parents of a candidate be Zambian-born). The National Assembly is comprised of 150 directly elected members, up to eight presidentially appointed members, and a speaker. Zambia is separated into nine provinces, each administered by an appointed deputy minister who essentially performs the duties of a governor.
| Zambia | History | Back to Top |
The indigenous hunter-gatherer occupants of Zambia began to be displaced or absorbed by more advanced migrating tribes about 2,000 years ago. The major waves of Bantu-speaking immigrants began in the 15th century, with the greatest influx between the late 17th and early 19th centuries. They came primarily from the Luba and Lunda tribes of southern Zaire and northern Angola but were joined in the 19th century by Ngoni peoples from the south. By the latter part of that century, the various peoples of Zambia were largely accomplished in the areas they currently occupy.
In the mid-1970s, the price of copper, Zambia's principal export, suffered a severe decline worldwide. Zambia turned to foreign and international lenders for relief, but as copper prices remained depressed, it became increasingly difficult to service its growing debt. By the mid-1990s, contempt limited debt relief, Zambia's per capita foreign debt remained among the highest in the world.
| Zambia | Introduction | Back to Top |
Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, landlocked republic, southern Africa, bordered on the north-west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo; on the north-east by Tanzania; on the east by Malawi; on the south-east by Mozambique; on the south by Zimbabwe, Botswana, and the Caprivi Strip of Namibia; and on the west by Angola. Formerly the British colony of Northern Rhodesia, then part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Zambia became independent on October 24, 1964. The area of Zambia is 752,614 square kilometres (290,586 square miles). Lusaka is the capital of the nation.
Official Name- Republic of Zambia| Zambia | Land | Back to Top |
N/A
| Zambia | Languages | Back to Top |
About 72 % of the people of Zambia are Christian; many of them adhere to independent churches which combine elements of Christianity and African religions. Most of the remainder follow orthodox religions. More than 70 African languages are spoken, including Bemba, Lozi, Luvale, Tonga, and Nyanja. The official language is English.
| Zambia | Life | Back to Top |
Zambia is separated into nine provinces, each governed by a minister appointed by the president. Lusaka, the capital, had a population (1995 estimate) of 1,317,000. Other major centers are Ndola (376,311), Kitwe (338,207), Mufulira (152,944), and Luanshya (146,275), all in the copper belt.
| Zambia | organization | Back to Top |
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, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
| Zambia | People | Back to Top |
The population of Zambia at the time of the 1990 census was 7,818,447. A 2001 estimate was 9,770,199, giving the nation an overall population density of 13 persons per sq km much of the northeast and west is sparsely colonised.
Zambia's population comprises more than 70 Bantu-speaking ethnic groups. Some ethnic groups are small, and only two have enough people to constitute at least 10% of the population. Most Zambians are subsistence farmers. The predominant religion is a blend of orthodox beliefs and Christianity. Expatriates, mostly British or South African, live mainly in Lusaka and in the Copperbelt in northern Zambia, where they are employed in mines and related activities. Zambia also has a small but economically valuable Asian population, most of whom are Indians. The nation is 42% urban.
| Zambia | Politics | Back to Top |
Agenda for Zambia or AZ [Akashambatwa LEWANIKA]; Labor Party or LP [Chibiza MFUNI]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger CHONGWE, president]; Movement for Democratic Process or MDP [Chama CHAKOM BOKA]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Frederick CHILUBA]; National Party or NP [Daniel LISULO]; Republican Party or RP [Ben MWILA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Gwendoline Konie]; United National freedom Party or UNIP [Tilyenji KAUNDA]; United Party for National Development or UPND [Anderson MAZOKA]; Zambia Democratic Congress or Zadeco [Eden JERRY, acting head]
| Zambia | Provinces | Back to Top |
9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western
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| Zambia | Time | Back to Top |
| Zambia | Currency and General Information | Back to Top |
| Countries Currency Unit | ZMK/Unit | Units/ZMK | |
| DZD | Algeria Dinars | 57.7422 | 0.0173183 |
| USD | United States Dollars | 4,470.00 | 0.000223714 |
| ARS | Argentina Pesos | 1,517.83 | 0.000658837 |
| AUD | Australia Dollars | 2,384.81 | 0.000419321 |
| ATS | Austria Schillings ** | 282.945 | 0.00353425 |
| BSD | Bahamas Dollars | 4,470.00 | 0.000223714 |
| BBD | Barbados Dollars | 2,246.23 | 0.000445190 |
| BEF | Belgium Francs ** | 96.5152 | 0.0103611 |
| BMD | Bermuda Dollars | 4,470.00 | 0.000223714 |
| BRL | Brazil Reals | 1,922.58 | 0.000520134 |
| GBP | United Kingdom Pounds | 6,373.60 | 0.000156897 |
| BGL | Bulgaria Leva | 1,999.40 | 0.000500150 |
| CAD | Canada Dollars | 2,802.22 | 0.000356860 |
| CLP | Chile Pesos | 6.80935 | 0.146857 |
| CNY | China Yuan Renminbi | 540.025 | 0.00185177 |
| CYP | Cyprus Pounds | 6,803.65 | 0.000146980 |
| CZK | Czech Republic Koruny | 126.097 | 0.00793041 |
| DKK | Denmark Kroner | 524.090 | 0.00190807 |
| XCD | East Caribbean Dollars | 1,655.56 | 0.000604027 |
| EGP | Egypt Pounds | 964.922 | 0.00103635 |
| EUR | Euro | 3,893.41 | 0.000256844 |
| FJD | Fiji Dollars | 2,000.00 | 0.000500000 |
| FIM | Finland Markkaa ** | 654.825 | 0.00152712 |
| FRF | France Francs ** | 593.547 | 0.00168479 |
| DEM | Germany Deutsche Marks ** | 1,990.67 | 0.000502343 |
| XAU | Gold Ounces | 1,351,037.51 | 0.000000740172 |
| GRD | Greece Drachmae ** | 11.4260 | 0.0875196 |
| HKD | Hong Kong Dollars | 573.106 | 0.00174488 |
| HUF | Hungary Forint | 16.0114 | 0.0624554 |
| ISK | Iceland Kronur | 44.7028 | 0.0223700 |
| INR | India Rupees | 91.5909 | 0.0109181 |
| IDR | Indonesia Rupiahs | 0.454988 | 2.19786 |
| IEP | Ireland Pounds ** | 4,943.62 | 0.000202281 |
| ILS | Israel New Shekels | 942.453 | 0.00106106 |
| ITL | Italy Lire ** | 2.01078 | 0.497319 |
| JMD | Jamaica Dollars | 93.8878 | 0.0106510 |
| JPY | Japan Yen | 33.6977 | 0.0296756 |
| JOD | Jordan Dinars | 6,304.65 | 0.000158613 |
| LBP | Lebanon Pounds | 2.95244 | 0.338702 |
| LUF | Luxembourg Francs ** | 96.5152 | 0.0103611 |
| MYR | Malaysia Ringgits | 1,176.63 | 0.000849888 |
| MXN | Mexico Pesos | 496.098 | 0.00201573 |
| NZD | New Zealand Dollars | 1,968.96 | 0.000507882 |
| NOK | Norway Kroner | 504.876 | 0.00198068 |
| NLG | Netherlands Guilders ** | 1,766.75 | 0.000566010 |
| PKR | Pakistan Rupees | 74.4380 | 0.0134340 |
| PHP | Philippines Pesos | 87.6127 | 0.0114139 |
| XPT | Platinum Ounces | 2,319,830.99 | 0.000000431066 |
| PLN | Poland Zlotych | 1,087.13 | 0.000919857 |
| PTE | Portugal Escudos ** | 19.4203 | 0.0514926 |
| ROL | Romania Lei | 0.135722 | 7.36801 |
| RUR | Russia Rubles | 143.638 | 0.00696197 |
| SAR | Saudi Arabia Riyals | 1,191.98 | 0.000838939 |
| XAG | Silver Ounces | 20,695.39 | 0.0000483199 |
| SGD | Singapore Dollars | 2,426.45 | 0.000412125 |
| SKK | Slovakia Koruny | 93.2219 | 0.0107271 |
| ZAR | South Africa Rand | 393.564 | 0.00254089 |
| KRW | South Korea Won | 3.38430 | 0.295482 |
| ESP | Spain Pesetas ** | 23.3999 | 0.0427352 |
| XDR | IMF Special Drawing Rights | 5,573.27 | 0.000179428 |
| SDD | Sudan Dinars | 17.1923 | 0.0581655 |
| SEK | Sweden Kronor | 431.429 | 0.00231788 |
| CHF | Switzerland Francs | 2,658.71 | 0.000376122 |
| TWD | Taiwan New Dollars | 127.897 | 0.00781879 |
| THB | Thailand Baht | 102.637 | 0.00974312 |
| TTD | Trinidad and Tobago Dollars | 730.392 | 0.00136913 |
| TRL | Turkey Liras | 0.00332565 | 300.693 |
| VEB | Venezuela Bolivares | 4.85453 | 0.205993 |
| ZMK | Zambia Kwacha | 1.00000 | 1.00000 |
| Zambia : Geographic coordinates | 15 00 S, 30 00 E |
| Zambia : Population growth rate | 1.93% |
| Zambia : Birth rate | 41.46 births/1,000 population |
| Zambia : Death rate | 21.97 deaths/1,000 population |
| Zambia : People living with HIV/AIDS | 870,000 |
| Zambia : Independence | 24 October 1964 |
| Zambia : National holiday | Independence Day, 24 October |
| Zambia : Constitution | 2 August 1991 |
| Zambia : GDP | purchasing power parity - $8.5 billion |
| Zambia : GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $880 |
| Zambia : Electricity - consumption | 5.926 billion kWh |
| Zambia : Exports | $928 million copper, cobalt, electricity, tobacco |
| Zambia : Imports | $1.05 billion machinery, transportation equipment, fuels, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing |
| Zambia : Telephones | 77,935 |
| Zambia : Mobile cellular | 6,000 |
| Zambia : Radio broadcast stations | AM 19, FM 5, shortwave 4 |
| Zambia : Radios | 1.03 million |
| Zambia : Television broadcast stations | 9 |
| Zambia : Televisions | 277,000 |
| Zambia : Internet country code | .zm |
| Zambia : Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 3 |
| Zambia : Internet users | 15,000 |
| Zambia : Railways | 2,157 km |
| Zambia : Highways | 66,781 km |
| Zambia : Waterways | 2,250 km |
| Zambia : Pipelines | crude oil 1,724 km |
| Zambia : Ports and harbors | Mpulungu |
| Zambia : Merchant marine | N/A |
| Zambia : Airports | 112 |
| Zambia : Heliports | N/A |
| Zambia : Military branches | Army, Air Force, National Service, police |
| Zambia : Military expenditures | $76 million |