About Zambia - The real Africa
Location
Zambia, republic in south central Africa , bounded on the north by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, formerlyZaire) and Tanzania;
on the east by Malawi; on the southeast by Mozambique; on the south by Zimbabwe, Botswana, and the Caprivi Strip of Namibia;
and on the west by Angola. The area is 752,614 sq km (290,586 sq mi). Zambia’s capital and largest city is Lusaka.
Most of Zambia is high plateau with a flat or gently undulating terrain.
Elevations average between about 1,100 and 1,400 m (about 3,500 and 4,500 ft).
Mountains in the northeast exceed 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Major rivers are the Zambezi in the west and south and its tributaries,
the Kafue in the west and the Luangwa in the east; and the Luapula and Chambeshi, in the north.
Lake Bangweulu, in the north, is surrounded by a vast swampy region.
Lake Kariba is a large reservoir formed by Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River
Natural resources
Most of the country has savanna-type vegetation—grasslands interspersed with trees.
Teak forests are in the southwest. Animals include elephants, lions, rhinoceroses,
and several varieties of antelope.
Of overwhelming importance are the rich mineral veins of the country’s copper belt.
The belt extends down into Zambia from southern DRC and contains major deposits of copper, cobalt, and other minerals.
Zambia also has substantial hydroelectric potential. The Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River is the country’s main power source.
Zambia shares the Kariba system with Zimbabwe. Other stations on the Lunsemfwa and Mulungushi rivers serve Kabwe.
Installations have also been built on the Kafue River.
In 2002 the total output of electricity was 8.2 billion kilowatt-hours, nearly all of which was produced by hydroelectric plants.
Population characteristics
The population of Zambia at the time of the 1990 census was 7,818,447.
A 2005 estimate was 11,261,795, giving the country an
overall population density of 15 persons per sq km (39 per sq mi);
much of the northeast and west is sparsely inhabited.
Political divisions principal cities
Zambia is divided into nine provinces,
each governed by a minister appointed by the president.
Lusaka, the capital, had a population (2000 estimate) of 1,640,000.
Other major centers are Ndola (374,757), Kitwe (376,124), Mufulira (204,104),
and Luanshya (186,372), all in the copper belt.
Climate
Although lying within the Tropic Zone, much of Zambia enjoys a pleasant subtropical
climate because of the high altitude. The average temperature in Lusaka during July,
the coldest month of the year, is 16°C (61°F); the hottest month, January,
has an average temperature of 21°C (70°F).
Annual rainfall ranges from 750 mm (30 in) in the south to 1,300 mm (51 in) in the north.
Nearly all of the rain falls between November and April.
Government of Zambia
Zambia is a republic with a president elected to a maximum of two five-year terms by direct universal suffrage.
The president appoints a cabinet, which is headed by a prime minister.
Zambia’s legislative body, the National Assembly, has 159 members: 150 popularly elected members,
8 members appointed by the president, and the speaker of the house.
The 27-member House of Chiefs is an advisory body
Transport and communication
Zambia has 1,273 km (791 mi) of railroads. A railroad from Zimbabwe runs to Livingstone, Lusaka, and Ndola,
connecting with the DRC system, and then to Benguela on the Atlantic coast of Angola.
The Tanzania-Zambia Railroad (Tazara) connects Lusaka with the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
Some 91,440 km (56,818 mi) of roads connect the towns of Zambia.
Lusaka is served by an international airport.
The government operates radio and television stations at Lusaka and Kitwe.
In 1999 there were 149 radio receivers and 142 television sets in use for every 1,000 inhabitants.