Location: Southern Africa, east of Angola

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 752,610 sq km
land: 740,720 sq km
water: 11,890 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%
permanent pastures: 40%
forests and woodland: 39%
other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 460 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: tropical storms (November to April)

Environment--current issues: air pollution and resulting acid rain
in the mineral extraction and refining region; poaching seriously
threatens rhinoceros and elephant 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

People

Population: 9,663,535 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 49% (male 2,381,937; female 2,355,807)
15-64 years: 49% (male 2,308,715; female 2,379,994)
65 years and over: 2% (male 107,427; female 129,655) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.12% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 44.51 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 22.56 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 91.85 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life e