Zambia is a landlocked country in south-central Africa. Its terrain consists of a high plateau with hills and mountains, small trees, grassy plains, and marshland. The climate is tropical, with some areas experiencing a six-month rainy season. It is bordered by Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia. 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 anti-corruption campaign in 2002. New presidential elections were held in September 2006. I was there as the entire country literally shut down so EVERYONE could go and vote. Voter turnout was over 70% and some lines were as much as nine hours long. The opposition candidate, Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front, had a large following and promised to whip the country into shape. There was a fairly lengthy newspaper article that came out in which he said “If you don’t vote for me, you are the son of a witch doctor”. We do mud-slinging in US politics, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard that particular accusation. Zambian law also requires that the inauguration take place 24 hours after the vote tally is final. After a nail-biting few days, with the lead changing hands, Levy Mwanawasa was re-elected by a fairly large margin. A number of seats in Parliament changed political sides.
The population consists primarily of Bantu origin. English is the official language of the country, but Bemba is the most predominately used. More than 70 other languages are spoken, including Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, and Tonga. The country is composed of nine provinces and the majority of the population lives in rural areas. Most people are involved in agriculture to provide family food. Crops include corn, rice, peanuts, vegetables, cotton, sugarcane, and cassava.
Zambia’s natural resources include cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, gems, precious metals, and hydropower. Since the early 1960s, nearly all of Zambia’s economy has depended on copper exports. A decline in world copper prices has seriously undermined trade stability, however, and the lack of a diversified economy has made it difficult for the country to cope with its limited fiscal activity. The Zambian government has attempted to stimulate the economy, but the measures instituted have led to negative outcomes including the loss of jobs and an escalation of poverty. Thus, Zambia’s economic growth remains below the level of seven percent–the figure needed to significantly reduce poverty. As a nation, they have serious struggles with public debt, going 200 million dollars further into debt each year. (Which brings up the whole “World Bank” issue, which can be a topic for another time . . . )
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