Geography

Area: 752,612 sq. km. (290,585 sq. mi.); slightly larger than Texas.

Cities: Capital--Lusaka (pop. approx. 1.7 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 (mid-2009 est.): Approx. 12.9 million.

Annual growth rate (2009): 2.9%.

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; seven years free education.
Literacy--women: 60.6%; men: 81.6%.

Health: Infant mortality rate--70/1,000. Life expectancy--38.63
years. HIV prevalence (15-49)--14.3%.

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 (2008, purchasing power parity): $17.39 billion.

Annual growth rate (2009, projected): 4.3%.

Per capita GDP (2008, current prices): $1,500.

Natural resources: Copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver,
uranium, hydroelectric power, fertile land.

Agriculture: Products--corn, sorghum, rice, groundnuts, sunflower
seeds, vegetables, fruits, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, livestock,
coffee, and soybeans.

Industry: Types--mining, transport, construction, foodstuffs,
beverages, chemicals, and textiles.

Trade (2008 est.): Exports--$5.08 billion: copper, cobalt, lead,
and zinc, cut vegetables, cotton, tobacco. Major markets--Switzerland,
China, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Malawi.
Imports--$5.06 billion: crude oil, refined petroleum products,
manufactured goods, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals.
Major suppliers--South Africa, China, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, United Kingdom.

Major donors: Donor contributions totaled $989 million in 2008, as reported by
Ministry of Finance and National Planning. 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 United States is Zambia's largest country donor,
amounting to approximately $330 million in 2008.