ZAMBIA



Levy Mwanawasa
President

Zambia

(pronounced "LEE-vee moo-wah-nah-WAH-sah")

"With all the good attempts at political harmony and democracy, our Constitution fails us. With all the good attempts and intentions at social and economic development, we have been a disaster and continue to remain one of the poorest countries in the world."

The Republic of Zambia is a landlocked country located in the heart of southern Africa. The national territory occupies 752,614 sq km (290,584 sq mi) and consists primarily of grasslands and forests. Zambia is bordered to the north by Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC, formerly Zaire) and Tanzania; to the east by Malawi and Mozambique; to the south by Zimbabwe and Namibia; and to the west by Angola. The population was estimated to be just under 10 million in 2002, with an annual growth rate of 1.9%. Approximately 1.7 million people live in the capital city of Lusaka and almost half of the nation's population is clustered in the densely populated province, Copperbelt. The largest segment of the population is composed of various Bantu-speaking groups, notably the Bemba in the north and the Lozi in the southwest. A handful of whites, Asians, and people of mixed descent are concentrated in the Copperbelt in the north. The official language is English, but Afrikaans and more than 70 other languages are also spoken. Almost 75% of Zambians are Christian; the remainder practice either traditional religions or Islam. The Zambian economy is almost entirely based on mineral extraction and commercial agriculture. Copper accounts for about 90% of Zambia's total exports. Cobalt, lead, manganese, and zinc are also mined. Commercial crops include maize, peanuts, tobacco, and cotton. Agriculture employs about 85% of the labor force, while producing 12% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Zambian per capita GDP was estimated to be US $870 in 2001. The national currency is the kwacha .

ADDRESS

State House
PO Box 135
Lusaka, Zambia

Also read article about Zambia from Wikipedia

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