Part 834

Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 47% forest and woodland: 27% other: 19%

Irrigated land: 320 sq km (1989 est.)

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 natural hazards: tropical storms (November to April) international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

Geographic note: landlocked

People ------

Population: 9,159,072 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 49% (male 2,272,981; female 2,244,403) 15-64 years: 48% (male 2,157,106; female 2,256,935) 65 years and over: 3% (male 110,433; female 117,214) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.11% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 44.73 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 23.65 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 96.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 36.31 years male: 36.15 years female: 36.46 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.55 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Zambian(s) adjective: Zambian

Ethnic divisions: African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%

Religions: Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%

Languages: English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write in English (1995 est.) total population: 78.2% male: 85.6% female: 71.3%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Zambia conventional short form: Zambia former: Northern Rhodesia

Data code: ZA

Type of government: republic

Capital: Lusaka

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western

Independence: 24 October 1964 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 24 October (1964)