ices
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 at least two parties filing legal petitions
challenging the results. Opposition parties currently hold a majority
of seats in the National Assembly.

Geography Zambia

Location: Southern Africa, east of Angola

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 752,614 sq km water: 11,890 sq km land: 740,724 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries: 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: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)

Terrain: mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m highest point:
unnamed location in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m

Natural resources: copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold,
silver, uranium, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% other: 93% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 460 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: tropical storms (November to April)

Environment - current issues: 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: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed,
but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note: landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine
boundary with Zimbabwe

People Zambia

Population: 9,959,037 note: estimates for this country explicitly take
into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result
in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population
by age and se