Africa Information center

ZAMBIARepublic of Zambia

GEOGRAPHY:
• Location:----------------- Southern Africa
• Area:
     Total area:--- 752,610 sq. km
     Land area:--- 740,720 sq. km
• Capital city:------------- Lusaka
• Natural Resources:---------------- Copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower, potential.
  
  PEOPLE:
• Population:---------------- 11,862,740
• Literacy rate:-------------- 78.2% of total population, (Males:85.6%, Females:71.3%).
• Languages:------------------ English(offical), major vernaculars-Bemba, kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages
• Religious:----------------- 50%-75%- Christian, 24%-49%-Muslim and Hindu, 1%-indigenous beliefs.
  
  VITAL STATISTICS:
• Birth rate:------------- 44.37 (per 1,000 population)(1997)
• Death rate:------------- 24.18 (per 1,000 population)
• Infant Mortality rate:------------ 96.5 (deaths per 1,000 live births)
• Fertility rate:--------------- 6.48 (per woman)
• Life Expectancy at birth:
     Total population:--- 35.58 (Males:35.58, Females:35.59).
  
  GOVERNMENT:
• Type of Government:-------------- Republic
• Independence:-------------- October 24, 1964 (from UK)
• Head of State and Govt:-------------- Rupiah Banda
  
  ECONOMY:
• GDP:--------------- purchasing power parity - $9.7 billion (1996)
     GDP real growth rate:--- 6.4%
     GDP per capita:--- $1,060
• Inflation rate (consumer prices):------------- 34% (1995)
• National budget:
     Revenues:--- $888 million
     Expenditures:--- $835 mllion
• External Debt:-------------- $7.2 billion
• Currency:--------------- 1 Zambian kwacha = 100 ngwee.
• Labor force:--------------- 3.4 million
• Unemployment rate:---------------- 22%
• Agriculture:---------------- Corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava(tapioca); cattle, goats, beef, eggs.
• Industries:--------------- Copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer.
• Exports:---------------- $975 billion
     Commodities:--- Copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco.
• Imports:---------------- $990 million
     Commodities:--- Machinery, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, fuels, manufactures.
  
  DEFENCE:
• Defence Expenditures:--------------- Exchange rate conversion - $96 million, 2.7% of GDP

Geography:Zambia is a landlocked country located in south central Africa