Unification Day, 22 May (1990)
Constitution:
16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994 and February 2001
Legal system:
based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22 May 1990, the former president of North Yemen, assumed office upon the merger of North and South Yemen); Vice President Maj. Gen. Abd al-Rab Mansur al-HADI (since 3 October 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Ali Muhammad MUJAWWAR (since 31 March 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 20 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2013); vice president appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: Ali Abdallah SALIH elected president; percent of vote - Ali Abdallah SALIH 77.2%, Faysal BIN SHAMLAN 21.8%
Legislative branch:
a bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats; members appointed by the president) and a House of Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: last held on 27 April 2003 (scheduled April 2009 election postponed for two years)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GPC 228, Islah 47, YSP 7, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party 2, independents 14
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
General People's Congress or GPC [Abdul-Kader BAJAMMAL]; IslamicReform Grouping or Islah [Mohammed Abdullah AL-YADOUMI (acting)];Nasserite Unionist Party [Abdal Malik al-MAKHLAFI]; National ArabSocialist Ba'th Party [Dr. Qasim SALAM]; Yemeni Socialist Party orYSP [Ali Salih MUQBIL]; note - there are at least seven more activepolitical parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Muslim Brotherhood; Women National Committee
other: conservative tribal groups
International organization participation:
AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MINURCAT,MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO,WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Abd al-Wahab Abdallah al-HAJRI
chancery: 2319 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 965-4760
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen A. SECHE
embassy: Sa'awan Street, Sanaa
mailing address: P. O. Box 22347, Sanaa
telephone: [967] (1) 755-2000 ext. 2153 or 2266
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band, and of Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band
Economy ::Yemen
Economy - overview:
Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, reported average annual growth in the range of 3-4% from 2000 through 2007. In 2008, growth declined slightly as the price of oil dropped and the slowing global economy reduced demand for oil. Yemen's economic fortunes depend mostly on declining oil resources, but the country is trying to diversify its earnings. In 2006, Yemen began an economic reform program designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. As a result of the program, international donors pledged about $5 billion for development projects. A liquefied natural gas facility is scheduled to open in 2009. Yemen has limited exposure to the international financial system and no capital markets, however, the global financial crisis probably will reduce international aid in 2009.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$55.41 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 $53.69 billion (2007 est.)
$51.87 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$26.91 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 118 3.5% (2007 est.)
3.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 175 $2,500 (2007 est.)
$2,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.3%
industry: 56.5%
services: 33.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
6.454 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
Labor force - by occupation:
note: most people are employed in agriculture and herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-fourth of the labor force
Unemployment rate:
35% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 183
Population below poverty line:
45.2% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 30.8% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37.7 (2005) country comparison to the world: 76 33.4 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
25.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Budget:
revenues: $9.243 billion
expenditures: $10.36 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
28.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 46.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
19% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 202 10% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
18% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 24 18% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$3.076 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$4.526 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$2.224 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Agriculture - products:
grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton; dairy products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, camels), poultry; fish
Industries:
crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; small aluminum products factory; cement; commercial ship repair
Industrial production growth rate:
2.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Electricity - production:
5.665 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
Electricity - consumption:
4.133 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
300,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Oil - consumption:
149,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Oil - exports:
274,400 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Oil - imports:
65,860 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Oil - proved reserves:
3 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 118
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 85
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Natural gas - proved reserves:
478.5 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Current account balance:
-$1.113 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 125 -$1.547 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$8.977 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 91 $7.05 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish
Exports - partners:
China 28.4%, Thailand 23.6%, India 16.1%, South Africa 13.4%, Japan 4.7% (2008)
Imports:
$8.829 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 $7.49 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners:
UAE 14.7%, India 11.7%, China 11.3%, Saudi Arabia 6.9%, Kuwait 5.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$8.157 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 73 $7.759 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$5.977 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 $6.044 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar - 199.76 (2008 est.), 199.14 (2007), 197.18 (2006), 192.67 (2005), 184.78 (2004)
Communications ::Yemen
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.117 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 72
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.7 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 96
Telephone system:
general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts have been made to create a national telecommunications network
domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, tropospheric scatter, GSM and CDMA mobile-cellular telephone systems; fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity remains low by regional standards
international: country code - 967; landing point for the international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (including one Egypt-based station that broadcasts in Yemen); plus several repeaters (2007)
Internet country code:
.ye
Internet hosts:
242 (2009) country comparison to the world: 184
Internet users:
370,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 115
Transportation ::Yemen
Airports:
55 (2009) country comparison to the world: 85
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 18
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 9 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 96 km; liquid petroleum gas 22 km; oil 1,367 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 71,300 km country comparison to the world: 65 paved: 6,200 km
unpaved: 65,100 km (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 4 country comparison to the world: 135 by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
registered in other countries: 13 (North Korea 2, Moldova 1, Panama 6, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Sierra Leone 2, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom
Military ::Yemen
Military branches:
Army (includes Republican Guard), Navy (includes Marines), Yemen AirForce (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Jamahiriya al Yemeniya; includes AirDefense Force) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
voluntary military service program authorized in 2001; 2-year service obligation (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,080,038
females age 16-49: 4,852,555 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,733,704
females age 16-49: 3,773,626 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 273,624
female: 263,402 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
6.6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 7
Military - note:
a Coast Guard was established in 2002
Transnational Issues ::Yemen
Disputes - international:
Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 91,587 (Somalia) (2007)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Zambia (Africa)
Introduction ::Zambia
Background:
The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over 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. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. The new president launched an anticorruption investigation in 2002 to probe high-level corruption during the previous administration. In 2006-07, this task force successfully prosecuted four cases, including a landmark civil case in the UK in which former President CHILUBA and numerous others were found liable for USD 41 million. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair. Upon his abrupt death in August 2008, he was succeeded by his Vice-president Rupiah BANDA, who subsequently won a special presidential election in October 2008.
Geography ::Zambia
Location:
Southern Africa, east of Angola
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 752,618 sq km country comparison to the world: 39 land: 743,398 sq km
water: 9,220 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,664 km
border countries: Angola 1,110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zimbabwe 797 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Terrain:
mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m
highest point: unnamed location in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m
Natural resources:
copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 6.99%
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 92.97% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,560 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
105.2 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.74 cu km/yr (17%/7%/76%)
per capita: 149 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic drought; tropical storms (November to April)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe
People ::Zambia
Population:
11,862,740 country comparison to the world: 71 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45.1% (male 2,685,142/female 2,659,771)
15-64 years: 52.6% (male 3,122,305/female 3,116,846)
65 years and over: 2.3% (male 114,477/female 164,199) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 17 years
male: 16.9 years
female: 17.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.631% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Birth rate:
40.24 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Death rate:
21.34 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Net migration rate:
-2.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Urbanization:
urban population: 35% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 101.2 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 9 male: 105.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 96.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 38.63 years country comparison to the world: 222 male: 38.53 years
female: 38.73 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.15 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
15.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1.1 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
56,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Zambian(s)
adjective: Zambian
Ethnic groups:
African 99.5% (includes Bemba, Tonga, Chewa, Lozi, Nsenga, Tumbuka, Ngoni, Lala, Kaonde, Lunda, and other African groups), other 0.5% (includes Europeans, Asians, and Americans) (2000 Census)
Religions:
Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages:
Bemba 30.1% (official), Nyanja 10.7% (official), Tonga 10.6% (official), Lozi 5.7% (official), Chewa 4.9%, Nsenga 3.4%, Tumbuka 2.5%, Lunda 2.2% (official), Kaonde 2% (official), Lala 2%, Luvale 1.7% (official), English 1.7% (official), other 22.5% (2000 Census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
total population: 80.6%
male: 86.8%
female: 74.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 7 years
male: 7 years
female: 7 years (2000)
Education expenditures:
2% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 167
Government ::Zambia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Zambia
conventional short form: Zambia
former: Northern Rhodesia
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Lusaka
geographic coordinates: 15 25 S, 28 17 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western
Independence:
24 October 1964 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 October (1964)
Constitution:
24 August 1991; amended in 1996 to establish presidential term limits
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Rupiah BANDA (since 19 August 2008); Vice President George KUNDA (since 14 November 2008); note - President BANDA was acting president since the illness and eventual death of President Levy MWANAWASA on 18 August 2008, he was then elected president on 30 October 2008 to serve out the remainder of MWANAWASA's term; the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Rupiah BANDA (since 19 August 2008); Vice President George KUNDA (since 14 November 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 30 October 2008 (next to be held in 2011); vice president appointed by the president; note - due to the death of former President Levy MWANAWASA, early elections were held to identify a replacement to serve out the remainder of his term
election results: Rupiah BANDA elected president; percent of vote - Rupiah BANDA 40.1%, Michael SATA 38.1%, Hakainde HICHILEMA 19.7%, Godfrey MIYANDA 0.8%, other 1.3%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (158 seats; 150 members are elected by popular vote, 8 members are appointed by the president, to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 28 September 2006 (next to be held in October 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MMD 72, PF 44, UDA 27, ULP 2, NDF 1, independents 2; seats not determined 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (the final court of appeal; justices are appointed by the president); High Court (has unlimited jurisdiction to hear civil and criminal cases)
Political parties and leaders:
Forum for Democracy and Development or FDD [Edith NAWAKWI]; HeritageParty or HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy orMMD [vacant]; Patriotic Front or PF [Michael SATA]; Party of Unityfor Democracy and Development or PUDD [Dan PULE]; Reform Party[Nevers MUMBA]; United Democratic Alliance or UDA (a coalition ofRP, ZADECO, PUDD, and ZRP); United Liberal Party or ULP [SakwibaSIKOTA]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [TilyenjiKAUNDA]; United Party for National Development or UPND [HakaindeHICHILEMA]; Zambia Democratic Congress or ZADECO [Langton SICHONE];Zambian Republican Party or ZRP [Benjamin MWILA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO(correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MONUC, NAM, OPCW,PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS,UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA
chancery: 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-9717 through 9719
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald E. BOOTH
embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues, Lusaka
mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka
telephone: [260] (211) 250-955
Flag description:
green field 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
Economy ::Zambia
Economy - overview:
Zambia's economy has experienced strong growth in recent years, with real GDP growth in 2005-08 about 6% per year. Privatization of government-owned copper mines in the 1990s 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 foreign investment. In 2005, Zambia qualified for debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative, consisting of approximately USD 6 billion in debt relief. Zambia experienced a bumper harvest in 2007, which helped to boost GDP and agricultural exports and contain inflation. Although poverty continues to be significant problem in Zambia, its economy has strengthened, featuring single-digit inflation, a relatively stable currency, decreasing interest rates, and increasing levels of trade. The decline in world commodity prices and demand will hurt GDP growth in 2009, and elections and campaign promises are likely to weaken Zambia's improved fiscal stance.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$17.54 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 129 $16.55 billion (2007 est.)
$15.58 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.65 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 6.2% (2007 est.)
6.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 200 $1,400 (2007 est.)
$1,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16%
industry: 26.6%
services: 57.4% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
5.235 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 85%
industry: 6%
services: 9% (2004)
Unemployment rate:
50% (2000 est.) country comparison to the world: 193
Population below poverty line:
86% (1993)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.2%
highest 10%: 38.8% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
50.8 (2004) country comparison to the world: 20 52.6 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
25.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Budget:
revenues: $3.291 billion
expenditures: $3.578 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
29.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 127.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 172 10.6% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
14.49% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 29 11.73% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19.06% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 21 18.89% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.034 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 86 $995.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$1.618 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 87 $1.709 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$2.138 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 91 $1.968 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 96 $2.346 billion (31 December 2007)
$1.186 billion (31 December 2006)
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
Industrial production growth rate:
6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Electricity - production:
9.752 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Electricity - consumption:
8.838 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Electricity - exports:
268 million kWh (2007)
Electricity - imports:
222 million kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
159.3 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Oil - consumption:
16,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Oil - exports:
275.3 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Oil - imports:
14,730 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl country comparison to the world: 112
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 84
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 118
Current account balance:
-$977 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 -$198 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$4.818 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 110 $4.594 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
copper/cobalt 64%, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton
Exports - partners:
China 14.2%, South Africa 8.5%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 8.1%, Saudi Arabia 7.9%, South Korea 7.9%, Egypt 7.7%, Italy 6.9%, Belgium 4.1% (2008)
Imports:
$4.694 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 $3.611 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners:
South Africa 51.7%, UAE 8%, China 6.8%, India 4.5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.096 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 125 $1.09 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.095 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 124 $2.596 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$40.34 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Exchange rates:
Zambian kwacha (ZMK) per US dollar - 3,512.9 (2008 est.), 3,990.2 (2007), 3,601.5 (2006), 4,463.5 (2005), 4,778.9 (2004)
Communications ::Zambia
Telephones - main lines in use:
90,600 (2008) country comparison to the world: 146
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.539 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 97
Telephone system:
general assessment: facilities are aging but still among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa
domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation and network coverage is improving; Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms
international: country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 19, FM 5, shortwave 4 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
9 (2001)
Internet country code:
.zm
Internet hosts:
14,951 (2009) country comparison to the world: 109
Internet users:
700,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 100
Transportation ::Zambia
Airports:
97 (2009) country comparison to the world: 64
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 88
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 65
under 914 m: 18 (2009)
Pipelines:
oil 771 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,157 km country comparison to the world: 70 narrow gauge: 2,157 km 1.067-m gauge
note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 91,440 km country comparison to the world: 54 paved: 20,117 km
unpaved: 71,323 km (2001)
Waterways:
2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers) (2008) country comparison to the world: 40
Ports and terminals:
Mpulungu
Military ::Zambia
Military branches:
Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Zambian Army, Zambian AirForce, National Service (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-27 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); Zambian citizenship required; mandatory HIV testing on enlistment; no conscription (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,678,668
females age 16-49: 2,567,433 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,364,173
females age 16-49: 1,245,220 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 149,567
female: 148,889 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.8% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Transnational Issues ::Zambia
Disputes - international:
in 2004, Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 42,565 (Angola); 60,874 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 4,100 (Rwanda) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Zambia is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; many Zambian child laborers, particularly those in the agriculture, domestic service, and fishing sectors, are also victims of human trafficking; Zambian women, lured by false employment or marriage offers abroad, are trafficked to South Africa via Zimbabwe and to Europe via Malawi for sexual exploitation; Zambia is a transit point for regional trafficking of women and children, particularly from Angola to Namibia and from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to South Africa for agricultural labor
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Zambia is on the Tier 2 Watch List for failing to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking, particularly in regard to its inability to bring alleged traffickers to justice through prosecutions and convictions; unlike 2006, there were no new prosecutions or convictions of alleged traffickers in 2007; government efforts to protect victims of trafficking remained extremely limited throughout the year (2008)
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for southern Africa and possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it an unattractive venue for money launderers; major consumer of cannabis
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Zimbabwe (Africa)
Introduction ::Zimbabwe
Background:
The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British] South Africa Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country (then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, has been the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated the country's political system since independence. His chaotic land redistribution campaign, which began in 2000, caused an exodus of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages of basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation, MUGABE rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure his reelection. The ruling ZANU-PF party used fraud and intimidation to win a two-thirds majority in the March 2005 parliamentary election, allowing it to amend the constitution at will and recreate the Senate, which had been abolished in the late 1980s. In April 2005, Harare embarked on Operation Restore Order, ostensibly an urban rationalization program, which resulted in the destruction of the homes or businesses of 700,000 mostly poor supporters of the opposition. President MUGABE in June 2007 instituted price controls on all basic commodities causing panic buying and leaving store shelves empty for months. General elections held in March 2008 contained irregularities but still amounted to a censure of the ZANU-PF-led government with significant gains in opposition seats in parliament. MDC opposition leader Morgan TSVANGIRAI won the presidential polls, and may have won an out right majority, but official results posted by the Zimbabwe Electoral Committee did not reflect this. In the lead up to a run-off election in late June 2008, considerable violence enacted against opposition party members led to the withdrawal of TSVANGIRAI from the ballot. Extensive evidence of vote tampering and ballot-box stuffing resulted in international condemnation of the process. Difficult negotiations over a power sharing agreement, allowing MUGABE to remain as president and creating the new position of prime minister for TSVANGIRAI, were finally settled in February 2009.