Railroads:
5,254 km total; 3,968 km 1.067-meter gauge (851 km electrified); 125 km
1.000-meter gauge; 136 km 0.615-meter gauge; 1,025 km 0.600-meter gauge;
limited trackage in use because of civil strife
Highways:
146,500 km total; 2,800 km paved, 46,200 km gravel and improved earth;
97,500 unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes
Pipelines:
petroleum products 390 km
Ports:
Matadi, Boma, Banana
Merchant marine:
1 passenger cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,489 GRT/13,481 DWT
Airports:
total:
281
usable:
235
with permanent-surface runways:
25
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
6
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
73
Telecommunications:
barely adequate wire and microwave service; broadcast stations - 10 AM, 4
FM, 18 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 14 domestic
*Zaire, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, Civil Guard,
Special Presidential Division
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 8,879,731; fit for military service 4,521,768 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $49 million, 0.8% of GDP (1988)
*Zambia, Geography
Location:
Southern Africa, between Zaire and Zimbabwe
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
752,610 km2
land area:
740,720 km2
comparative area:
slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries:
total 5,664 km, Angola 1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia
233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zaire 1,930 km, Zimbabwe 797 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement;
Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be
indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the
Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled
Climate:
tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Terrain:
mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Natural resources:
copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium,
hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land:
7%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
47%
forest and woodland:
27%
other:
19%
Irrigated land:
320 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification
Note:
landlocked
*Zambia, People
Population:
8,926,099 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.96% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
46.53 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
16.88 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
83.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
45.56 years
male:
44.97 years
female:
46.16 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.75 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Zambian(s)
adjective:
Zambian
Ethnic divisions:
African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%
Religions:
Christian 50-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages:
English (official)
note:
about 70 indigenous languages
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
73%
male:
81%
female:
65%
Labor force:
2.455 million
by occupation:
agriculture 85%, mining, manufacturing, and construction 6%, transport and
services 9%
*Zambia, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Zambia
conventional short form:
Zambia
former:
Northern Rhodesia
Digraph:
ZA
Type:
republic
Capital:
Lusaka
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern,
North-Western, Southern, Western
Independence:
24 October 1964 (from UK)
Constitution:
NA August 1991
Legal system:
based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of
legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 October (1964)
Political parties and leaders:
Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Frederick CHILUBA; United National
Independence Party (UNIP), Kebby MUSOKATWANE; United Democratic Party, Enoch
KAVINDELE
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Elections:
President:
last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held mid-1995); results - Frederick
CHILUBA 84%, Kenneth KAUNDA 16%
National Assembly:
last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held mid-1995); results - percent of
vote by party NA; seats - (150 total) MMD 125, UNIP 25
Executive branch:
president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Frederick CHILUBA (since 31 October 1991)
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-19, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU,
SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Dunstan KAMONA
chancery: 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 265-9717 through 9721
*Zambia, Government