- Capital Lusaka
- Official Language English
- Population 11 million
- Literacy 80%
- Life Expectancy 37 Years
Overview
Zambia gained independence from Britain in 1964. Previously Northern Rhodesia, it is slightly larger than Texas, and borders 8 countries. Zambia is made up of around 72 ethnic groups, with small ex-patriot British and Indian populations, mainly in the capital. Most Zambians are subsistence farmers, and since the 1960s its main export has been copper. Falling prices, and overeliance on the copper industry, coupled with growing debt repayments to international financial institutions led to Zambia becoming one of the world’s poorest countrys. Recent economic recovery has been hampered by the spread of HIV and AIDS, with one in every six adults infected. Since the early 1990s Zambia has been relatively successful in containing the spread of the disease, despite this 100,000 people died of AIDS in 2005.
