zinc, lead, coal, emeralds,
gold, silver, uranium, hydropower potential

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

Data code: ZA

Type of government: rep