Zambia
The climate of Zambia is tropical modified by elevation. In the Köppen climate classification, most of the country is classified as humid subtropical or tropical wet and dry, with small stretches of semi-arid steppe climate in the south-west and along the Zambezi valley.
There are two main seasons, the rainy season (November to April) corresponding to summer, and the dry season (May/June to October/November), corresponding to winter. The dry season is subdivided into the cool dry season (May/June to August), and the hot dry season (September to October/November). The modifying influence of altitude gives the country pleasant subtropical weather rather than tropical conditions during the cool season of May to August.[14] However, average monthly temperatures remain above 20°C over most of the country for eight or more months of the year.
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Economy
About 68% of Zambians live below the recognised national poverty line,[15] with rural poverty rates standing at about 78%[16] and urban rates of 53%.[17] Per capita annual incomes are currently at about one-half their levels at independence and, at $395, place the country among the world's poorest nations. Social indicators continue to decline, particularly in measurements of life expectancy at birth (about 40.0 years) and maternal mortality (729 per 100,000 pregnancies). The country's rate of economic growth cannot support rapid population growth or the strain which HIV/AIDS related issues (i.e. rising medical costs, decline in worker productivity) place on government resources.
Once a middle-income country, Zambia began to slide into poverty in the 1970s when copper prices declined on world markets. The socialist government made up for falling revenue with several abortive attempts at International Monetary Fund structural adjustment programmes (SAPs), which ended after popular outcries from the people. After democratic multi-party elections, the Chiluba government (1991-2001) came to power in November 1991 committed to an economic reform programme. The government privatised most of the parastatals (state-owned corporations), maintained positive real interest rates, eliminated exchange controls, and endorsed free market principles. Corruption grew dramatically under the Chiluba government. It remains to be seen whether the Mwanawasa government will be aggressive in continuing economic reform. Zambia is still dealing with economic reform issues such as the size of the public sector and improving Zambia's social sector delivery systems. NGOs and other groups have contended that the SAPs, in Zambia and other countries, have had very detrimental effects on the poor.[18] Zambia's total foreign debt exceeded $6 billion when the country qualified for Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) debt relief in 2000, contingent upon meeting certain performance criteria. Initially, Zambia hoped to reach the HIPC completion point, and benefit from substantial debt forgiveness, in late 2003. In January 2003, the Zambian government informed the IMF and World Bank that it wished to renegotiate some of the agreed performance criteria calling for privatisation of the Zambia National Commercial Bank and the national telephone and electricity utilities. Although agreements were reached on these issues, subsequent overspending on civil service wages delayed Zambia's final HIPC debt forgiveness from late 2003 to early 2005, at the earliest. In an effort to reach HIPC completion in 2004, the government drafted an austerity budget for 2004, freezing civil service salaries and increasing a number of taxes. The labour movement and other components of civil society have objected to the sacrifices called for in the budget, and, in some cases, the role of the international financial institutions in demanding austerity.
The Zambian economy has historically been based on the copper mining industry. Output of copper had fallen, however, to a low of 228,000 metric tons in 1998, after a 30 year decline in output due to lack of investment, low copper prices, and uncertainty over privatisation. In 2002, following privatisation of the industry, copper production rebounded to 337,000 metric tons. Improvements in the world copper market have magnified the effect of this volume increase on revenues and foreign exchange earnings. Recently, firms like Vedanta Resources, a London-based miner acquired Konkola Copper Mines (KCM). Vedanta transformed the company and continues investing in the Zambian economy. For example, it is undertaking the largest single investment in the country in early 2006.
The Zambian government is pursuing an economic diversification programme to reduce the economy's reliance on the copper industry. This initiative seeks to exploit other components of Zambia's rich resource base by promoting agriculture, tourism, gemstone mining, and hydro-power. In 2003, exports of nonmetals increased by 25% and accounted for 38% of all export earnings, previously 35%. The Zambian government has recently been granting licenses to international resource companies to prospect for minerals such as nickel, tin, copper and uranium.[19] It is hoped that nickel will take over from copper as the country's top metallic export.
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Demographics
Zambia is one of the most highly urbanised countries in sub-Saharan Africa with 44% of the population concentrated in a few urban areas along the major transport corridors, while rural areas are sparsely populated. Unemployment and underemployment in urban areas are serious problems, while most rural Zambians are subsistence farmers. The population comprises approximately 72, mostly Bantu-speaking ethnic groups. Almost 90% of Zambians belong to the nine main ethnolinguistic groups: the Bemba, Nyanja-Chewa, Tonga, Tumbuka, Lunda, Luvale, Kaonde, Nkoya and Lozi. In the rural areas, each ethnic group is concentrated in a particular geographic region of the country and many groups are very small and not as well known. However, all the ethnic groups can be found in significant numbers in Lusaka and the Copperbelt.
Expatriates, mostly British or South African, as well as some white Zambian citizens (about 120,000), live mainly in Lusaka and in the Copperbelt in northern Zambia, where they are either employed in mines, financial and related activities or retired. Zambia also has a small but economically important Asian population, most of whom are Indians. In recent years, several hundred dispossessed white farmers have left Zimbabwe at the invitation of the Zambian government, to take up farming in the Southern province.
Zambia is officially a Christian nation, but a wide variety of religious traditions exist. Traditional religious thought blends easily with Christian beliefs in many of the country's syncretic churches. Christian denominations include: Roman Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal, New Apostolic Church, Lutheran, Seventh-day Adventist, Jehovah's Witnesses and a variety of Evangelical denominations. These grew, adjusted and prospered from the original missionary settlements (Portuguese and Catholicism in the east from Mozambique) and Anglicanism (English and Scottish influences) from the south. Except for some technical positions (e.g. physicians), western missionary roles have been assumed by native believers. After Frederick Chiluba (a Pentecostal Christian) became President in 1991, Pentecostal congregations expanded considerably around the country.[20]
Approximately 5% of the population are Muslims with most living in urban areas.[21] There is also a small Jewish community, composed mostly of Ashkenazis. Notable Jewish Zambians have included Simon Zukas, retired Minister, MP and a member of Forum for Democracy and Development and earlier on the MMD and United National Independence Party. Additionally, the economist Stanley Fischer, currently the governor of the Bank of Israel and formerly head of the IMF also was born and partially raised in Zambia's Jewish community. The Baha'i population of Zambia is over 160,000,[22] or 1.5% of the population. The William Mmutle Masetlha Foundation[23] run by the Baha'i community is particularly active in areas such as literacy and primary health care.
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Culture
| Date | Name |
|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day |
| March 12 | Labour Day |
| Variable | Good Friday |
| Variable | Holy Saturday |
| Variable | Holy Monday |
| May 1 | Labor Day |
| May 25 | Africa Freedom Day |
| First Monday and Tuesday in July | Heroes and Unity Day |
| First Monday in August | Farmers' Day |
| October 24 | Independence Day |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
The culture of Zambia is mainly indigenous Bantu culture mixed with European influences. Prior to the establishment of modern Zambia, the indigenous people lived in independent tribes, each with their own ways of life. One of the results of the colonial era was the growth of urbanisation. Different ethnic groups started living together in towns and cities, influencing each other as well as adopting a lot of the European culture. The original cultures have largely survived in the rural areas. In the urban setting there is a continuous integration and evolution of these cultures to produce what is now called "Zambian culture".
Traditional culture is very visible through colourful annual Zambian traditional ceremonies. Some of the more prominent are: Kuomboka and Kathanga (Western Province), Mutomboko (Luapula Province), Ncwala (Eastern Province), Lwiindi and Shimunenga (Southern Province), Likumbi Lyamize (North Western), Chibwela Kumushi (Central Province), Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena (Northern Province).
Popular traditional arts are mainly in pottery, basketry (such as Tonga baskets), stools, fabrics , mats, wooden carvings, ivory carvings, wire craft and copper crafts. Most Zambian traditional music is based on drums (and other percussion instruments) with a lot of singing and dancing. In the urban areas foreign genres of music are popular, in particular Congolese rumba, African-American music and Jamaican reggae.
The Zambian staple diet is based on maize. It is normally eaten as a thick porridge, called Nshima, prepared from maize flour commonly known as mealie meal. This may be eaten with a variety of vegetables, beans, meat, fish or sour milk depending on geographical location/origin. Nshima is also prepared from cassava a staple food in some parts of the country. There are a lot of Zambian foods which are peculiar to Zambia such as inswa (flying ants), fyunkubala (caterpillars), Hopani (monitor lizards), Mbeba (mice), magande (giant toads) and Kolwe (monkey meat).
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Sports
The most popular sport in Zambia is football. The Zambia national football team has had its triumphant moments in football history. At the Seoul Olympics of 1988, the National Team defeated the Italian National team by a score of 4-0. Kalusha Bwalya, Zambia's most celebrated football player and one of Africa's greatest football talents had a hat trick in that match. However to this day, many pundits say the greatest team Zambia has ever assembled was the one that perished on April 28 1993 in a plane crash at Libreville, Gabon. Rugby, boxing and cricket are also popular sports in Zambia. Zambia used to play cricket as part of Rhodesia. In 2011, Zambia is due to host the tenth All-Africa Games, for which three stadiums will be built in Lusaka, Ndola, and Livingstone.[25] The Lusaka stadium will have a capacity of 70,000 spectators while the other two stadiums will hold 50,000 people each. The government is encouraging the private sector to get involved in the construction of the sports facilities because of a shortage of public funds for the project.
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See also
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References
- ^ United Nations Statistics Division. Population by sex, rate of population increase, surface area and density (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
- ^ Population estimates for Zambia explicitly take into account the effects of mortality due to AIDS/HIV; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality rates, lower population growth rates, and unexpected changes in the distribution of population by age and gender.
- ^ Central Statistical Office, Government of Zambia. Population size, growth and composition (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
- ^ World Bank Group. PPP GDP 2006 (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
- ^ CIA World Factbook. Rank Order - GDP - per capita (PPP). Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
- ^ Holmes, Timothy (1998). Cultures of the World: Zambia, 19-20. ISBN 0-7614-0694-8.
- ^ Livingstone Tourism Association. Destination:Zambia - History and Culture. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- ^ Human Rights & Documentation Centre. Zambia: Historical Background. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- ^ Pearson Education. Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Federation of. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- ^ SIL International. Languages of Zambia. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ Lee S. Bickmore, Dep't of Anthropology, State University of New York at Albany. All Languages. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ Abby Riddell, UNESCO (2003). The introduction of free primary education in sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ Richard Beilfuss & David dos Santos: Patterns of Hydrological Change in the Zambezi Delta, Mozambique. Working Paper No 2 Program for the Sustainable Management of Cahora Bassa Dam and The Lower Zambezi Valley (2001).
- ^ Camerapix: "Spectrum Guide to Zambia." Camerapix International Publishing, Nairobi, 1996.
- ^ Development Indicators Unit, Statistics Division, United Nations. Population below national poverty line, total, percentage. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ Development Indicators Unit, Statistics Division, United Nations. Population below national poverty line, rural, percentage. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ Development Indicators Unit, Statistics Division, United Nations. Population below national poverty line, urban, percentage. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ Priscilla Jere-Mwiindilila, World Alliance of Reformed Churches. The effects of structural adjustment on women in Zambia. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ Pennysharesonline.com, City Equities Limited (2006-07-14). Albidon signs agreement with Zambian government. Retrieved on 2006-10-30.
- ^ Matthew Steel (2005). "Pentecostalism in Zambia : Power, Authority and the Overcomers". MSc Dissertation. . University of Wales
- ^ Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (U.S. Department of State). International Religious Freedom Report 2003. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- ^ Adherents.com. The Largest Baha'i Communities. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- ^ DL Publicaciones. About DLP. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- ^ Holmes, p. 103
- ^ Zambia to build three stadia for 2011 All-Africa Games. People's Daily Online. Retrieved on 2007-11-06.
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External links
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- The Tourist Board of Zambia (Extensive travel guide)
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- The Parliament of Zambia (National Assembly)
- Zambia News Agency
- Zambia at the Open Directory Project
- Zambia travel guide from Wikitravel
- Wikia has a wiki on this subject: Zambia
Wikimedia Atlas of Zambia- CIA World Factbook article on Zambia
- US State Department: Zambia
- Community Events and Classifieds Calender
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