1989 Edition

Agriculture

cash crops — coffee, palm oil, rubber, quinine; food crops — cassava, bananas, root crops, corn

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $998 million; Western (nonUS) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $6.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $263 million

Budget

revenues $856 million; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $655 million (1988)

Climate

tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)

Coastline

none — landlocked

Comparative area

slightly larger than Texas

Currency

zaTre (plural — zai're); 1 zai're (Z) = 100 makuta

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

Electricity

2,574,000 kW capacity; 5,550 million kWh produced, 160 kWh per capita (1989)

Environment

deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

Exchange rates

zai're (Z) per US$1— 465.000 (January 1989), 381.445 (1989), 187.070(1988), 112.403 (1987), 59.625 (1986), 49.873 (1985)

Exports

$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— copper 37%, coffee 24%, diamonds 12%, cobalt, crude oil; partners — US, Belgium, France, FRG, Italy, UK, Japan

External debt

$8.6 billion (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$6.5 billion, per capita $195; real growth rate 2.8% (1988)

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption

Imports

$1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels; partners — US, Belgium, France, FRG, Italy, Japan, UK

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, and cigarettes), processed foods and beverages, cement, diamonds

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

82% (1988)

Land boundaries

5,664 km total; Angola 1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zaire 1,930 km, Zimbabwe 797 km

Land use

7% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 47% meadows and pastures; 27% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Maritime claims

none — landlocked

Natural resources

copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower potential

Note

landlocked

Terrain

mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains

Total area

752,610 km2; land area: 740,720 km2

Unemployment rate

NA%

Birth rate

49 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

12 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

98.7% African, 1.1% European, 0.2% other

Infant mortality rate

80 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990) Zambia (continued)

Labor force

2,455,000; 85% agriculture; 6% mining, manufacturing, and construction; 9% transport and services

Language

English (official); about 70 indigenous languages

Life expectancy at birth

55 years male, 58 years female (1990)

Literacy

75.7%

Nationality

noun — Zambian(s); adjective— Zambian

Net migration rate

—6 migrants/ 1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

about 238,000 wage earners are unionized

Population

8,1 12,782 (July 1990), growth rate 3. 2% (1990)

Religion

50-75% Christian, 1% Muslim and Hindu, remainder indigenous beliefs

Total fertility rate

7.0 children born/ woman (1990)

Administrative divisions

9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, NorthWestern, Southern, Western

Capital

Lusaka

Communists

no Communist party

Constitution

25 August 1973

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Paul J. F. LUSAKA; Chancery at 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-9717 through 9721; US — Ambassador Jeffrey DAVIDOW; Embassy at corner of Independence Avenue and United Nations Avenue, Lusaka (mailing address is P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka); telephone [2601]

Elections

President — last held 26 October 1988 (next to be held October 1993); results— President Kenneth Kaunda was reelected without opposition; National Assembly — last held 26 October 1988 (next to be held October 1993); results— UNIP is the only party; seats — (136 total, 125 elected) UNIP 125

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag

green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side), black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag

Independence

24 October 1964 (from UK; formerly Northern Rhodesia)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State — President Dr. Kenneth David KAUNDA (since 24 October 1964); Head of Government — Prime Minister Gen. Malimba MASHEKE (since 15 March 1989) Political parties and leaders: only party — United National Independence Party (UNIP), Kenneth Kaunda

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

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly

Long-form name

Republic of Zambia

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 October (1964)

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Type

one-party state

Agriculture

accounts for 15% of GDP and 85% of labor force; crops — corn (food staple), sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava; cattle, goats, beef, eggs produced; marginally self-sufficient in corn

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-88), $466 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $4.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $533 million

Budget

revenues $570 million; expenditures $939 million, including capital expenditures of $36 million (1988 est.)

Currency

Zambian kwacha (plural — kwacha); 1 Zambian kwacha (ZK) = 100 ngwee

Electricity

1,900,000 kW capacity; 8,245 million kWh produced, 1 ,050 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$1— 21.7865 (January 1990), 12.9032 (1989), 8.2237 (1988), 8.8889 (1987), 7.3046 (1986), 2.7137 (1985)

Exports

$1,184 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities — copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco; partners — EC, Japan, South Africa, US

External debt

$6.9 billion (December 1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$4.0 billion, per capita $530; real growth rate 6.7% (1988)

Imports

$687 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities— machinery, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, fuels, manufactures; partners — EC, Japan, South Africa, US

Industrial production

growth rate NA% (1986)

Industries

copper mining and processing, transport, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, and fertilizer

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

55.7% (1988)

Overview

Despite temporary growth in 1988, the economy has been in decline for more than a decade with falling imports and growing foreign debt. Economic difficulties stem from a sustained drop in copper production and ineffective economic policies. In 1988 real GDP stood only slightly higher than that of 10 years before, while an annual population growth of more than 3% has brought a decline in per capita GDP of 25% during the same period. A high inflation rate has also added to Zambia's economic woes in recent years.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Airports

312 total, 258 usable; 25 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,4403,659 m; 71 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

121 total, 106 usable; 13 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,4403,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Logistics Corps, Special Presidential Division

Army, Air Force, Police, Paramilitary

Civil air

38 major transport aircraft

6 major transport aircraft

Defense expenditures

$67 million (1988) Livingstone See region*! map VII

NA

Highways

146,500 km total; 2,550 km bituminous, 46,450 km gravel and improved earth; remainder unimproved earth

36,370 km total; 6,500 km paved, 7,000 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 22,870 km improved and unimproved earth

Inland waterways

15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes

2,250 km, including Zambezi and Luapula Rivers, Lake Tanganyika

Merchant marine

4 ships (1,000 CRT or over) totaling 41,802 GRT/60,496 DWT; includes 1 passenger cargo, 3 cargo

Military manpower

males 15-49, 7,970,619; 4,057,561 fit for military service

males 1 5-49, 1,683,758; 883,283 fit for military service

Pipelines

refined products 390 km

1,7241cm crude oil

Ports

Matadi, Boma, Banana

Mpulungu (lake port)

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

1,266 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 1 3 km double track

Telecommunications

barely adequate wire and radio relay service; 31,200 telephones; stations— 10 AM, 4 FM, 18 TV; satellite earth stations — 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 14 domestic Defense Forces

facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa; high-capacity radio relay connects most larger towns and cities; 71,700 telephones; stations— 11 AM, 3 FM, 9 TV; satellite earth stations — 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT Defense Forces