Zambia Passport

[Country Name] The Republic of Zambia.

【 Area 】 752614 square kilometers.

【 Population 】 20.57 million (2023), mostly black people belonging to the Bantu language family. There are 73 ethnic groups, and the Pemba is the largest tribe, accounting for about 33.6% of the national population. The official language is English, and there are also 31 tribal languages. 80% of people believe in Christianity and Catholicism.

【 Capital 】 Lusaka, with a population of 3.18 million. At an altitude of 1280 meters, October is the hottest month with an average daily maximum temperature of 31 ℃ and a minimum temperature of 18 ℃; July is the coldest month, with an average daily maximum temperature of 23 ℃ and a minimum temperature of 9 ℃.

President Hakainde Hichilema assumed office on August 24, 2021.

【 Important Festivals 】 Youth Day: March 12th and 13th. Africa Liberation Day: May 25th. Independence Day: October 24th.

[Overview] Landlocked countries in south central Africa, bordering Malawi and Mozambique to the east, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, Angola to the west, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania to the north. Most areas have an altitude of 1000-1500 meters. It belongs to the tropical grassland climate. The dry and cool season is from May to August, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 27 ℃. The dry and hot season is from September to November, with temperatures ranging from 26 to 36 ℃. The rainy season is from December to April of the following year. The annual average temperature is between 18 ℃ and 20 ℃.

In the 9th century AD, tribal kingdoms such as Luba, Lunda, Kalolo, and Baroz were successively established within the territory of Zan. From 1889 to 1900, the "British South Africa Company" established by the British Rhodes gradually controlled the eastern and northeastern regions. In 1911, Britain merged the two regions and named them the "Northern Rhodesia Protectorate" after Rhodes. In 1959, the Northern Rhodesian United National Independence Party (referred to as the Independence Party) was established, mobilizing the masses to fight for national independence through "active nonviolent action". In January 1964, Northern Rhodesia achieved internal autonomy and officially declared independence on October 24 of the same year, naming it the Republic of Zambia and remaining within the Commonwealth. The leader of the Democratic Independence Party, Kaunda, was appointed as the first president. In 1973, Kaunda abolished the multi-party system and implemented a "one party democracy" ruled by the Democratic Independence Party. The multi-party system was restored in 1990. In November 1991, multi-party elections were held, and the leader of the Multi Party Democratic Movement (referred to as the Movement), Chiluba, was elected president. He was re elected in November 1996. In December 2001, leader of the Democratic Movement, Mwanavasa, was elected president and was re elected in October 2006. In August 2008, President Mwanavasa passed away due to illness in Paris. On October 30th, Zambia held a presidential by election, and multiple pro democracy candidates and acting president Banda were elected as president. In September 2011, Zambia held a "three in one" presidential, parliamentary, and local government election. Patriotic Front leader Sata was elected as President of Zambia. In October 2014, President Sata passed away in London. On January 20, 2015, Zambia held a presidential by election, and the candidate of the Patriotic Front, Lungu, was elected. On August 11, 2016, Zambia held presidential elections, and President Lungu won and was sworn in on September 13. Term of office until September 2021. On August 12, 2021, Zambia held the "three in one" presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections, with the leader of the National Development United Party, Hakiende Hichilema, winning and being sworn in on August 24.

Implement a presidential cabinet system in politics. The President is the Head of State, Head of Government, and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, elected by the people for a term of 5 years, and may be re elected once.

The first constitution was formulated in 1964, and the second constitution was formulated in 1973. In 1990, the parliament amended the constitution and restored a multi-party system. The current constitution was promulgated in August 1991. The Constitution stipulates that the President is the head of state, the head of government, and the commander-in-chief of the military, elected by universal suffrage, with a term of five years and the option to serve two consecutive terms; Implement a presidential cabinet system, with the addition of a vice president and cabinet ministers appointed by the president from among the members of parliament; Implement the separation of legislative, judicial, and executive powers; Allowing the existence of opposition parties, etc. In June 1996, the parliament amended the constitution again, adding provisions such as "the parents and myself of presidential candidates must be Zambians" and "chiefs cannot enter politics". In 2003, a new round of constitutional reform was launched around the reform of the presidential election process. In December 2007, the National Constitutional Amendment Conference was held. In August 2010, the National Constitutional Amendment Conference submitted a draft proposal for a new constitution to the government. In April 2011, the constitutional amendment was not passed. In April 2012, the Secretariat of the Zambian Constitution Drafting Technical Committee released a draft of the new constitution for public consultation. In December 2015, the Zambian parliament passed an amendment to the Zambian constitution, which stipulated that presidential candidates must receive more than half of the votes to be elected, and the vice president ran as a presidential running mate, recognizing dual citizenship among Zambian citizens. In January 2016, the constitutional amendment was officially signed into law by the President.

The National Assembly is the highest legislative body of the country, implementing a unicameral system, with a total of 164 seats and a term of 5 years. Among them, 156 seats are directly elected, and the president can appoint an additional 8 appointed members of parliament. This parliament was elected in August 2021 and is the 13th National Assembly after independence, with Speaker Nelly Mutti. As of October 2024, the number of seats held by each party in parliament is as follows: 85 seats for the National Development United Party, 58 seats for the Patriotic Front, 13 seats for independent legislators, 1 seat for the National Unity and Progress Party, 8 seats for presidential appointed legislators, and 2 seats vacant.

The current cabinet was formed in September 2021, consisting of the President, Vice President, and 25 ministers. The main members are as follows: President Hakiende Hicklema, Vice President Mutale Nalumango (female), Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Energy Makozo Chikote, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mulambo Haimbe, Minister of Water Resources Development and Sanitation Collins Nzovu, Minister of Health Elijah Muchima, Minister of Community Development and Social Welfare Doreen Mwamba. Female), Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati, Minister of Transport and Logistics Frank Tayali, Minister of Labor and Social Security Brenda Tambatamba, Female), Sylvia Masebo, Minister of Land and Natural Resources, Ambrose Lufuma, Minister of Defense, Douglas Siakalima, Minister of Education, Jacob Mwiimbu, Minister of Interior and Domestic Security, Princess Kasune, Minister of Justice, Charles Milupi, Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Garry Nkombo, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Rodney Sikumba, Minister of Tourism, Elias Mubandan, Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise Development Elias Mubanga, Minister of Information and Media Cornelius Mweetwa, Minister of Green Economy and Environment Mike Mposha, Minister of Fisheries and Livestock Peter Kapala, Minister of Mines and Mineral Development Paul Kabuswe, Minister of Agriculture Ruben Phiri, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga, and Minister of Youth, Sports and Arts Elvis Nkandu.

[Official website] http://www.statehouse.gov.zm

[Administrative divisions] There are 10 provinces and 103 districts under the jurisdiction of the country. The 10 provinces are Central Province, Copperbelt Province, Lusaka Province, Luapula Province, Muchinga Province, Eastern Province, Southern Province, Western Province, Northern Province, and North Western Province.

The judicial system consists of the Supreme Court, High Court, Labor Relations Court, Junior Court, and District Court. Chief Justice Irene Mammilima.

There are currently over 50 registered political parties, mainly including:

(1) United Party for National Development (UPND): The ruling party. Established in December 1998, abbreviated as Guofa Party. Since its establishment, it has developed rapidly and has had a significant impact in both southern and western provinces. Economically, focus on developing agriculture and change the current situation of a single economic structure. Reform the electoral system to ensure the separation of powers and mutual checks and balances. Advocate for the implementation of free education and medical services. Expand employment opportunities. Leader Hakainde Hichilema.

(2) The Patriotic Front (PF): Former ruling party and currently the largest opposition party. Established in 2001. Its program advocates for the separation of powers in politics, safeguarding the basic rights, freedoms, social fairness, and justice of humanity, reducing government administrative expenditures, improving administrative efficiency, and opposing corruption and abuse of public resources; Economically, we adhere to a free trade policy, advocate implementing low tax rates and interest rates to stimulate economic development, advocate vigorously developing education, healthcare, and infrastructure, actively creating employment, and increasing people's income. Party Chairman Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

(3) The Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD): Former ruling party. Established in December 1990, abbreviated as Duo Minyun. The political program is to implement political pluralism, economic liberalization, and privatization; Protecting the right of the people to participate in political and economic activities; Advocate for freedom of speech, assembly, and association; Separate the party and government to ensure the functions of chiefs are in line with traditional rule. Leader Nevers Mumba.

[Important Person] Hakainde Hichilema: President. Born in June 1962 in Southern Province, of Tongjia ethnicity. Master of Finance and Business Strategy, University of Birmingham, UK. Formerly engaged in business for a long time, he is the largest local shareholder of Barclays Bank Zambia Branch and the second largest rancher in Zambia. In 2006, he joined the National Development United Party and replaced the late founder of the party, Mazooka, as the party leader. He participated in six presidential elections since 2006 and was elected as the seventh President of Zambia in August 2021.

The economy mainly includes agriculture, mining, and service industries, among which mining, with copper mining and smelting as the main body, occupies an important position. After independence, the economy developed rapidly until the mid-1970s. However, due to the decline in international copper prices and government nationalization policies, the economy fell into difficulties. In 1991, the democracy movement came to power, vigorously promoting economic privatization and diversification, actively attracting foreign investment, and maintaining rapid economic growth. In 2005, it reached the completion point for heavily indebted poor countries and received significant debt relief. Its external debt decreased from 5.5 billion US dollars at the end of 2005 to 635 million US dollars at the end of 2006. In 2008, the mining industry was greatly impacted by the international financial crisis, leading to an economic downturn. The economy has shown a significant recovery since 2009. In 2011, the World Bank classified Zambia as a low-level middle-income country. From 2014 to 2016, Zambia faced increasing development difficulties and challenges such as currency depreciation, rising debt, reduced food production, and power shortages, highlighting the problem of insufficient endogenous economic power. Since 2017, the Zambian government has taken multiple measures to promote economic recovery, gradually improving economic development, stabilizing currency exchange rates, and continuously reducing inflation. In recent years, Zambia has faced unfavorable factors such as drought, power shortages, poor agricultural harvests, and high external debt. The worsening of the epidemic highlights the fragility of the economy. In 2020, Zambia's total external debt climbed to $12 billion, becoming the first sovereign defaulting country in Africa since the outbreak of the pandemic. In September 2021, the new cabinet was sworn in, committed to promoting national unity, economic growth, safeguarding people's livelihoods, and social equality. At present, the economic and social development momentum is good, and positive progress has been made in debt management.

The main economic indicators for 2023 are as follows (data source: London Economic Quarterly Review):

Gross Domestic Product: 28.1 billion US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 1369 US dollars.

Economic growth rate: 5.8%.

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar ≈ 27 kwacha.

Inflation rate: 10.9%.

Foreign exchange reserves: 3 billion US dollars.

Natural resources are abundant, mainly copper. The copper reserves are 20 million tons, accounting for about 2.8% of the world's total copper reserves, and it is known as the "country of copper mines". Cobalt is a copper associated mineral with reserves of approximately 350000 tons, ranking second in the world. In addition, there are minerals such as lead, cadmium, selenium, nickel, iron, gold, silver, zinc, tin, uranium, emerald, crystal, vanadium, graphite, mica, etc. The national forest coverage rate is 45%.

The mining industry is relatively developed and is one of the main pillars of the national economy. Its main body is the mining and smelting of copper and cobalt mines. Affected by the international financial crisis, the mining industry only grew by 2.4% in 2008. In 2009, with the rebound of copper prices in the international market and strong growth momentum in the mining industry, large copper mines such as Luemwana and Lu'anxia were successively put into operation or resumed production. The average copper production in the past four years was 805000 tons, nickel production increased to 3394 tons, and gold, coal, cobalt, and turquoise production decreased. In 2020, due to the impact of the epidemic, international copper prices fell, and the development of Zan Mining was severely affected. Since 2021, international copper prices have continued to rise, bringing good news to the economy of Zambia.

The manufacturing industry is relatively backward. Before independence, industrial products were largely dependent on imports. After independence, the government actively committed to developing state-owned manufacturing industry. After the democracy movement came to power, privatization was implemented in the manufacturing industry. After 1998, the manufacturing industry experienced rapid development. The output value of industries such as food, beverages, tobacco, textiles, and leather accounts for about 75% of the entire manufacturing industry.

Energy mainly comes from hydropower, oil, wood, coal, etc. Except for crude oil which relies on imports, the rest can basically be self-sufficient. Zan has abundant water resources, with a power generation capacity of 6000 megawatts and an installed capacity of 2203 megawatts in 2014. Originally an electricity exporting country. Due to the renovation of major power stations, the power generation has significantly decreased, and electricity imports from South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo began in November 2005. Zan mainly imports oil from the Middle East and Angola. Oil imported from the Middle East is shipped by ship to Dar es Salaam Port in Tanzania, and then transported to the refinery in Ndola City through the Tanzania Zambia oil pipeline.

Agriculture is an important sector of the Zambian national economy, with an output value accounting for about 20% of the gross domestic product. More than 80% of the population in the country is engaged in agriculture. The currently developed arable land area is 6.2 million hectares, accounting for only 14% of the total arable land. The land is fertile, the climate is mild, and it is suitable for the growth of various crops. The main crops are corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, peanuts, cotton, tobacco, etc. Corn can be self-sufficient in normal years. The farmland in Zan generally lacks irrigation systems, and the disaster resistance of crops is weak.

The tourism industry boasts the world-renowned Victoria Falls and 19 national level wildlife parks, with Kafue National Park being the largest in terms of area. Zan also has 32 hunting management areas. The number of tourists continues to grow. In August 2013, Zambia and Zimbabwe jointly hosted the 20th World Tourism Organization Conference.

Transportation is mainly based on highways, followed by railways.

Highway: The total length is 37300 kilometers, including about 7000 kilometers of asphalt roads. Road transportation accounts for approximately 83.4% of the total domestic freight volume in Zambia.

Railway: With a total length of 2100 kilometers, it consists of the Tanzania Zambia Railway (886 kilometers within Zambia) and some other lines. About 15.3% of domestic freight relies on railways. In addition to Tanzania, Zambia is also connected by railways to Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Air transportation: There are four international airports in the country, namely Lusaka, Ndola, Livingston, and Mbwe International Airports, as well as 18 domestic airports. There are a total of 11 airlines operating international passenger and cargo transportation services.

Since the 1970s, the Zan government has been heavily borrowing and relying heavily on international aid for its fiscal budget. In recent years, Zan's debt has rapidly accumulated. According to EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit) data, as of the end of 2021, Zambia's debt to equity ratio and debt service ratio were 153.8% and 44.6%, respectively.

Foreign trade mainly exports copper, cobalt, zinc, wood, tobacco, sugar, coffee, etc. Among them, copper exports are Zambia's main source of foreign exchange. Mainly importing mechanical equipment, petroleum, chemical products, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. The main exporting countries are Switzerland, China, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Egypt, while the main importing countries are South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, China, India, and others. The import and export volume in recent years is as follows (unit: million US dollars)