1. History
1889 – Britain establishes control over Northern Rhodesia.
1960 – Independence struggle: Kenneth Kaunda launches United National Independence Party (UNIP).
1964 – Independence: Northern Rhodesia renamed Zambia, President Kaunda rules for next 27 years.
1972 – One-party state: Kaunda’s UNIP becomes the only legal party until 1991.
1991 – First multi-party elections in 23 years, Frederick Chiluba’s Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) wins.
1997 – Attempted coup. Former President Kaunda is arrested but later walks free.
2. Politics
- Current President: Edgar Lungu
- 6th president, assumed office January 2015
- Presidential Representative Democratic Republic
- Unicameral elected assembly and an executive branch share power
- Reputation for political stability
3. Culture
- Official language is English
- >72 local languages and dialects
- Foreigners
- Thriving Asian community (~100,000 Indian and Chinese)
- European expatriates
4. Religion
- Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, indigenous beliefs
5. Economy
- One of the top 10 producers of copper
- Copper exports make up 80% of foreign earnings
- Tourism and agriculture are becoming more important
- Major hydro-electric plants are located in the Kafue Gorge, at Kariba and Victoria Falls
6. Geography
- 1/10th larger than Texas
- Mostly a plateau, with some hills and mountains
- Tropical climate, made moderate by high altitude
- Rainy Season (Dec-Apr), Cool dry season (May-Aug), Hot dry season (Sep-Nov)
- Longest River: Zambezi
7. Education
- Primary education is free and government run, although parents often pay fees for uniforms
- Increase in privatized universities
Millennium Development Goals
- HIV prevalence- 14.3%
- Maternal Mortality Rate- 591 per 100,000 live births
- Infant Mortality Rate- 70 per 1,000 live births
- Literacy rate is 64% among youth