Consulate of Zambia in California
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LOCATION

Located in the Southern Africa sub-region, Zambia is a landlocked country covering an area of 752,614 sq km of which 11,890 sq km is covered by water.

The country is bordered by Tanzania (in the north), Malawi (in the east), Mozambique (in the south-east), Zimbabwe (in the south), Botswana and Namibia (in the South West), Angola (in the west) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (in the north-west).

CLIMATE

Zambia has a pleasant tropical climate that is characterized by humid subtropical or tropical wet and dry conditions, wih small stretches of semi-arid climate in the south-west and along the Zambezi Valley.

The seasonal variations in temperature and rainfall are wide with the the month of October being the hottest.

There are three main seasons;
  • Wet November - April
  • Hot and Dry September - October
  • Cool and Dry May - August

LUSAKA - SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP
POLITICAL SYSTEM

Zambia is a multi-party democracy country with a distinct separation of powers between the three arms of Government; legislature (Parliament), executive (Cabinet) and judiciary (Courts of Law).

The President (who must belong to a political party) and Members of Parliament are elected by the people. The President appoints Cabinet Ministers from the elected and nominated members of parliament.

The Parliament, headed by the Speaker of the National Assembly, comprises 150 elected members and up to 8 members nominated by the President. The Supreme Court is the highest Court of Appeal and is headed by the Chief Justice.



ECONOMIC OVERVIEW

The country's economy has historically been based on the Copper Mining Industry. However, the Zambian Government is undertaking economic diversification to reduce the country's reliance on the Copper Industry and exploit other components of Zambia's rich resource base by promoting Agriculture, Tourism, Gemstone Mining and Hydro Power generation.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The economy registered a real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 7.3% in 2012 from the previous year's figure of 6.8%.

The main contributors to GDP in 2012 were;


  • Agriculture (12.2%)
  • Mining (8%)
  • Manufacturing (11.2%)
  • Construction (13.0%).
The growth sectors that the Government is presently promoting include; Mining, Agriculture, Energy, Manufacturing and Tourism. These sectors have experienced exponential growth in recent years, and are expected to continue to grow due to the numerous investments opportunities that are available in the country.

Major Imports and Exports
Copper and Cobalt are the major traditional export products but the country also has a range of exportable products in the non traditional category, and these include;


  • Ores Slag and Ash            
  • Sugar and Sugar Confectionery
  • Dairy Products              
  • Bird's Eggs                    
  • Natural Honey
  • Edible Products
  • Copper Wire
  • Electricity

The Country's major imports include;
  • Mineral Fuels
  • Oil and Oil Products
  • Boilers Machinery and Mechanical Appliances
    Equipment Parts Electrical Machinery