FACTS ABOUT ZAMBIA

FACTS ABOUT ZAMBIA
Location: Located in the Southern African Sub-region, Zambia is a land linked country bordered by the

Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Angola, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe
and Botswana.
Coordinates: The country is situated between
latitude 8 and 18 degrees East and longitude 22 and 34 degrees south. The mean altitude is about
1200 meters above sea level.
Capital City: Lusaka
Land Surface Area: 752, 000 Km2
Climate: Zambia’s geographical position
and high altitude provides the
country with sub-tropical
vegetation and climatic conditions.
Population: 13.4 million people, of whom 39% live in urban areas. The annual population growth rate is 2.8%, with a population density of 17.3 persons per square kilometer.
Independence: 24 October 1964 (from the United Kingdom)
Political and Legal System: A multi-party democratic system of government with separation of power between the three arms of
Government: the Legislature (parliament), Executive (cabinet) and Judiciary (courts of law). Both the President (who must belong to a registered political party) and Members of Parliament are directly elected by the people. The president appoints Cabinet Ministers from elected and nominated Members of Parliament. Parliament, headed by the Speaker of the National Assembly, comprises 150 elected members and up to 8 members nominated by the president. The Supreme Court is the highest court of appeal and is headed by the Chief Justice.
Adult Literacy Rate: 68 percent
Spoken Languages: English (official language), other main local languages are Bemba, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja and Tonga.
There are about 70 other indigenous languages and dialects that are spoken throughout Zambia.
Religion: Christianity is the largest faith group. Minority faith groups are Muslims and Hindus. The Republican Constitution recognizes Zambia as a Christian nation
Natural Resources: Copper, cobalt, coal, emeralds, gold, water, wildlife and timber.
Time Zone: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) +2 hours
Business Hours: Official business hours for Government are from 08:00 – 13:00 hours and 14:00-17:00 hours between
Monday and Friday. Private Sector business hours vary, and may include weekends for service sector
operators.