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Research Library: Zambia

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Last Updated Aug 07, 2009

Country Information

Republic. The President serves as both the chief of state and the head of government. There is a unicameral legislature and a supreme court.
In 2006 President Levy Mwanawasa was elected for a second term. President Mwanawasa received 43% of the total vote in an election that was judged as free and fair by international observers. The next presidential election will be held in 2011.

Zambia gained it independence from Great Briton in 1964. Elections in 1991 officially ended one-party rule, but there was wide spread election fraud in the 1996 election. Zambia is has more than 70 distinct ethnic groups.
Zambia is currently stable and is home to many refugees from neighboring states. The National Constitutional Conference is currently writing a new constitution, although some groups claim they are not well represented. HIV / AIDS is a significant threat to long term stability; 17% of the adult population suffers from HIV / AIDS.

Controlling the HIV / AIDS epidemic is a large problem for the government. Current government policies include fighting corruption and increasing economic output.

Zambia is committed to regional peace and has good relations with its neighbors and the larger international community. Zambia has over 100,000 refugees from the Republic of Congo, Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, and Somali. Zambia has lead many regional peacekeeping efforts, including activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan.

Zambia's economy has historically been dependent on copper mining. In 1975 the economy was extremely hard hit by collapsing copper prices. Although there have been efforts to increase agriculture and tourism, the majority of the economy still depends on copper. Following Zambia's anti-corruption campaign, the World Bank and Western donors forgave over $6 billion of debt.
After Zambia's copper mines were privatized in 2000, copper production, exports, and profits have slowly increased. Zambia has a stable economy and low inflation, but approximately two-thirds of the population still live in extreme poverty.

Zambia is a net recipient of official development assistance. For more information see the OECD Aid at a Glance chart.

Demographic
Population	11.70 million	2006
Population Age 15 and Younger (As % of total)	45.7%	2005
Population Age 65 and Older (As % of total)	2.9%	2005
Population Growth Rate	1.9%	2006
Life Expectancy	43 years	2006
Life Expectancy (male)	42 years	2006
Life Expectancy (female)	43 years	2006
Urban Population (As % of total)	35%	2005

Economic
Gross Domestic Product (In US$)	$10.52 billion	2008
Gross Domestic Product per capita (In US$)	$845	2008
Economic Inequality (Ratio of income/consumption of richest 10% to poorest 10%)	32.3	2007
National Budget (In US$)	$3.77 billion	2008
Total Debt Service as % of GDP	3.3%	2005
Imports (In US$)	$3.97 billion	2007
Exports (In US$)	$4.62 billion	2007
Foreign Direct Investment Inflows (In US$)	$350 million	2006
Unemployment Rate (As % of labor force)	Not Available
Carbon Dioxide Emissions (% share of world total)	0%	2004

Military
Military Expenditures (In US$)	$130 million	2005
Military Expenditures as % of GDP	1.8%	2005

Social
Human Development Index	0.43	2005
HIV Prevalence (Ages 15-49)	17%	2005
Literacy Rate (Age 15 and above)	80.6%	2003
Internet Users (per 1,000 people)	20	2004