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The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the South
Africa Company from 1891 until takeover by the UK in 1923. During
the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and
immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in
1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices and a prolonged
drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party
rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of
opposition parties.
Area: 752,614 sq km
Population: 9,770,199
Ethnic groups: African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%
Religions: Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous
beliefs 1%
Languages: English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba,
Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous
languages
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.2%
male: 85.6%
female: 71.3% (1995 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 19.95% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 870,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 99,000 (1999 est.)
Capital: Lusaka
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt,
Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western.
Political parties and leaders: Agenda for Zambia or AZ [Akashambatwa
LEWANIKA]; Labor Party or LP [Chibiza MFUNI]; Liberal Progressive
Front or LPF [Roger CHONGWE, president]; Movement for Democratic
Process or MDP [Chama CHAKOM BOKA]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy
or MMD [Frederick CHILUBA]; National Party or NP [Daniel LISULO];
Republican Party or RP [Ben MWILA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP
[Gwendoline Konie]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Tilyenji
KAUNDA]; United Party for National Development or UPND [Anderson
MAZOKA]; Zambia Democratic Congress or Zadeco [Eden JERRY, acting
head]
Economy - overview: Despite progress in privatization and
budgetary reform, Zambia's economy has a long way to go. 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. In late 2000, Zambia was determined to be eligible for debt
relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.
Inflation and unemployment rates remain high, but the GDP growth
rate should rise in 2001
Population below poverty line: 86% (1993 est.)
Currency: Zambian kwacha
Information taken from the CIA
world factbook.
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Cambridge or ex-Cambridge students that
have spent time in Zambia (click here
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