Careers, Jobs and Education Resources for: Zambia

Economic Overview

Zambia's economy has experienced modest growth in recent years, with real gdp growth in 2005-07 between 5-6% 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.

Environmental 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

Government Type

Republic

Population

11,669,534 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 2008 est.)

Location

Southern africa, east of angola

Area

Total: 752,614 sq km land: 740,724 sq km water: 11,890 sq km

Slightly larger than texas

Country Aliases

Conventional long form: republic of zambia conventional short form: zambia former: northern rhodesia

Capital

Name: lusaka geographic coordinates: 15 25 s, 28 17 e time difference: utc+2 (7 hours ahead of washington, dc during standard time)

Military Service

18 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription (2008)

International Disputes

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; 42,250 congolese refugees in zambia are offered voluntary repatriation in november 2006, most of whom are expected to return in the next two years; angolan refugees too have been repatriating but 26,450 still remain with 90,000 others from other neighboring states in 2006