Zambia:
Geography

Click to enlarge

Pages for other countries and territories

Other pages in this profile of Zambia:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition 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.

Location	Definition Southern Africa, east of Angola
Geographic coordinates	Definition 15 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references	Definition Africa
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 752,614 sq km land: 740,724 sq km water: 11,890 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries	Definition 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	Definition 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims	Definition none (landlocked)
Climate	Definition tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Terrain	Definition mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m highest point: unnamed location in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m
Natural resources	Definition copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 6.99% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 92.97% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 1,560 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 105.2 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 1.74 cu km/yr (17%/7%/76%) per capita: 149 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition periodic drought, tropical storms (November to April)
Environment - current issues	Definition 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	Definition 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	Definition landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe