We have reached the end of the alphabet - so this week's Country Focus, is the last in the series.Location: Southern Africa, east of Angola
Population: 11,502,010
Total Area: 752,614 sq km - slightly larger than Texas
Climate: tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west
Environment - current issues: air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands. Signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 October
Economy - brief overview: Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economic growth remains somewhat below the 6%-7% needed to reduce poverty significantly. 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. Copper output has increased steadily since 2004, due to higher copper prices and the opening of new mines. The maize harvest was again good in 2005, helping boost GDP and agricultural exports. Cooperation continues with international bodies on programs to reduce poverty, including a new lending arrangement with the IMF in the second quarter of 2004. A tighter monetary policy will help cut inflation, but Zambia still has a serious problem with high public debt.Budget: revenues: $1.688 billion; expenditures: $1.866 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Labor force: 4.8 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 85%, industry 6%, services 9%
Unemployment rate: 50% (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products: corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, vegetables, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), coffee; cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides
Industries: copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture
Oil - production: 130.2 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - imports: NA
Oil - exports: NA
Exports: $1.947 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities: copper/cobalt 64%, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton
Exports - partners: South Africa 25.6%, UK 17%, Switzerland 16%, Tanzania 7.4%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 7%, Zimbabwe 5.8% (2004)
Imports: $1.934 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners: South Africa 46.2%, UK 14.2%, UAE 7.1%, Zimbabwe 6% (2004)
Government departments:
Zambia Revenue Authority
Zambia Privatisation Agency
National Roads Board
Zambia National Tourist Board
Environmental Council of Zambia
Securities and Exchange Commission
Electoral Commission of Zambia
Zambia News Agency (ZANA)
Bank of Zambia
Media:
THE POST - Zambia's Leading Newspaper
Times of Zambia
Zambia Daily Mail
Travel Information:
Zambia Travel Information Lonely Planet Destination Guide
ZAMBIA ONLINE - The National Homepage of Zambia
Zambia, the real Africa
Other useful links:
Doing Business in Zambia - Doing Business - The World Bank Group
Index of Economic Freedom 2006 - Zambia
Wildlife Africa-Game Parks, Reserves, Zambia, Africa
News headlines
Why Zambia attained HIPC completion point — Mutati Times of Zambia
No more mourning for Zambia dead BBC
Zambia commemorates 13th annivasary of fallen football heroes People's Daily
Zambia embraces circumcision as HIV/AIDS preventive measure People's Daily
Zambia: Scrutinise Parties Before Supporting Them, ZCTU Told AllAfrica.com
Zambia: Inflation Hits Single Digit AllAfrica.com 13:57 28-Apr-06
Previous articles in the series:
Albania Botswana Cayman Islands Djibouti Ecuador Fiji Georgia Honduras Iceland Jamaica Kyrgyzstan Liechtenstein Mauritania Norway Oman Paraguay Rwanda Slovenia Tuvalu Uruguay Vanuatu Wallis and Futuna Yemen
