Post about zambia africa. Zambia

Zambia is an African country known for the diversity and richness of its wildlife. It is here, in the heart of Africa, that the famous Victoria Falls is located, which since the time of the great discoverer David Livingstone has attracted tourists from all over the world.

Tourism is an important sector of the Zambian economy. Tours to Zambia are made, first of all, with the aim of looking at one of the "wonders of the world" - Victoria Falls. This spectacle is especially striking in April-May, when the Zambezi River is full and the mass of water rushing down from a height into the abyss increases. However, at the end of the dry season, from October to December, you can clearly see and appreciate the magnificence of the outlines of the rocks and gorges of the waterfall, so this time can also be considered successful for a tour to Zambia. The waterfall is located in the territory of the national park, where wild animals live, therefore, travelers making tours to Zambia also have the opportunity to go on a safari in the park. It should be noted that there are a lot of options for active and even extreme recreation in Zambia. Among them are flights over the waterfall in a balloon, microlight or helicopter, and rafting on the Zambezi River, and abseiling...

Geographical position: The Republic of Zambia is a state in Central Africa. It borders Angola to the west, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west and north, Tanzania to the northeast, Malawi to the east, and Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south. Most of the country is located on a hilly plateau, dropping to the south. Areas of elevated relief include the famous Copper Belt and the picturesque Nyik Plateau on the border with Malawi, on which the country's highest point, Mwanda Peak (2150 m.), is located. The total area of ​​the country is 752.6 thousand square meters. km. The total length of the border is 5,664 km. Zambia owns lakes: Bangweulu, Mweru, partly Tanganyika and Kariba. The main rivers are Luangwa, Zambezi, Kafue.

Capital: Lusaka. Political, industrial and cultural center of the country. Lusaka is the largest city in Zambia with a population of about 2 million people. The city is located in the central part of the country.

Language: English (the official language) is used even in remote areas, and more than 70 local languages ​​and dialects are also widely used.

Religion: Christianity (Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Adventists, Pentecostals from the Assembly of God, Church of God, etc.) and Christian-African cultures make up 50-75% of the population, Muslims make up about 5%. There are adherents of Hinduism and Sikhs. In addition, there is a small number of Jews, mostly Ashkenazi Jews. The Bahá'ís make up 1.5% of the population.

Time: The time difference in Zambia is -2 hours (relative to Moscow time). The entire territory of the country is in the same time zone. The country does not implement summer/winter time, so the time difference remains the same throughout the year.

Climate: The climate is sub-equatorial with three distinct seasons: dry (mid-April to August) when temperatures drop a lot at night, but the landscape is green and lush; the hot season (from September to mid-November) is the best time to enjoy the views of wildlife, as the flora is stunted and does not interfere with observing nature with the naked eye; and the rainy season (mid-November to mid-April) is an ideal period for birdwatching in natural habitats. Temperatures fluctuate from +15 C in July to +27 C in October, daily fluctuations are insignificant. Annual rainfall in the north reaches 1500 mm, and in the south - 700 mm. The best time to visit the country is from August to October or during the cool and dry months of May to August.

Currency: The official currency is the Zambian Kwacha (ZMK), which is equal to 100 ngwee. There are banknotes in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500 kwacha. 1 US$ is approximately equal to 2000 kwacha. It is best to change the currency in banks (from 08:15 to 14:30 from Monday to Friday, from 08:15 to 10:30 on the first and last Saturday of the month) and exchange offices. On the street, you are likely to be deceived. Credit cards and travelers checks are generally only accepted at hotels and restaurants in Lusaka. Using them in other cities causes a lot of difficulties. Major branches have ATMs that accept Visa cards. It is better not to bring the euro into the country, the exchange rate of this currency is simply predatory.

Mains voltage and socket type: 220/230 V, AC frequency - 50 Hz; there are three types of sockets (C, D, G) with two or three sockets (for types D and G, adapters for Russian plugs are required).

Customs: The import of foreign currency is not limited (the declaration is required). The export of imported foreign currency is allowed, the import and export of national currency is limited. Duty-free import is allowed: cigarettes - up to 200 pcs. or tobacco - 450 gr., alcoholic beverages - 1 bottle (uncorked), food, items and household items - within the limits of personal needs. The import of firearms and drugs is prohibited.

It is forbidden to export precious and semi-precious stones in their raw form (emerald, aquamarine, tourmaline, malachite, amethyst are mined in the country and are considered a strategic commodity), ivory products - 1 pc. (requires permission from the authorities), skins of wild animals, souvenir coins (only if you have an account from specially authorized stores).

Population and culture: The population is 12.1 million (July 2010 estimate). About 9.3 million people, mostly Bantu peoples, united in several large ethnic communities: Bemba (in the north and center), Tonga (in the south and center), Malawi and Ngoni (in the east), Lozi ( in the west) - a total of approximately 35 different ethnic groups. Ethnic composition: Bemba 35%, Tonga 15%, Malawi 14%, Lozi 9%, other African peoples. Whites - 0.3%, Asians - 0.2% (according to the 2000 census).

The Bantu peoples inhabiting the territory of modern Zambia have a distinctive material and spiritual culture. Already from ancient times, they knew the smelting of metals, blacksmithing and pottery. The lozi had developed intensive irrigated agriculture and cattle breeding. Other peoples also practiced agriculture. The peoples of Zambia have a rich tradition of oral folk art and artistic crafts. Wood carving, weaving of decorative baskets, and pottery are especially developed. The original literature develops. The works of A. Sh. Krips, G. Gouldsbury, and others are known. Literature is being created in the Bemba, Tonga, Lozi, and Nyanja languages. In December 1975, the first drama theater "Tikviza" appeared in Lusaka. The country has made a huge leap in the development of education. During the colonial period, most Africans were illiterate. Currently, over 80% of school-age children attend school. In 1965, a university was opened in Lusaka, and the Zambian intelligentsia was being formed.

Kitchen: Traditional Zambian cuisine revolves around one staple, corn, served in one form, nsima (nshi-i-ima). Nshima is like thick oatmeal rolled into balls and added to stew - relishes. Relishes come in the form of beef, chicken or fish. In addition, beans, tiny dried fish (kapenta), peanuts, pumpkin leaves (chibwabwa) and other vegetables such as okra (ndelele), cabbage are added to nshima. Local restaurants offer nshima dishes and relishes for less than 5,000 kwanchas ($1). Of course, Western cuisine can also be enjoyed in Zambia, especially in the main cities, Lusaka or Livingston. Including fast food, pizza, chicken. Ethnic eateries are also popular, for example, in Lusaka.

Drinks are traditional: juices, mineral water, Coca-Cola, but the latter is sold mostly in glass containers, which must be returned. The most popular beer in Zambia is Mosi, a 4% pale lager available everywhere. Eagle (5.5%), Zambezi Lager are also known, Castle from South Africa is also found. All this can be found for about $1 in a store or $1-2 in a bar. Close to the borders you'll find good Carlsberg from Malawi, Simba (excellent, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Kilimanjaro (a lager from Tanzania) and Tusker (Kenya).

Tips: Payment for services (about 10%) is most often already included in the bill in most restaurants, additional tips are not required. In the case of using a taxi, it is recommended to agree on the cost of the trip with the driver in advance or round the amount up. In the markets and in small private shops, it is recommended to bargain - this is not only a common, but also an expected procedure.

Souvenirs: A magnet with Zambian symbols is sold in all souvenir shops in the country and is very affordable. Ritual African masks are a popular souvenir from Zambia among Western tourists. In addition to purely aesthetic value, each mask has a certain magical meaning (protection from evil, intimidation of enemies, help of spirits), which is better to clarify before buying. Ivory carvings for sale. Ivory in Zambia is a resource of special state control (only 1 item is allowed to be taken out of the country). Require official papers when buying a similar souvenir in Zambia. Traditional drums (djembe, budima) are not only a great souvenir from Zambia, but also a living symbol of African culture, which will allow you to join it directly. You can buy jewelry made by hand using traditional technology using local semi-precious stones.

Air travel: There are no direct flights from Russia to Zambia, you will need a connection in one of the European cities: for example, with British Airways in London or with KLM in Amsterdam. The approximate cost of a Moscow-Lusaka flight in both directions is $1,200-1,400. Flights via Johannesburg (South Africa) are in the greatest demand. Zambia's main international airport is located in the capital, Lusaka, although flights from some international airlines also land at Livingston (near Victoria Falls), Mfuwe (near South Luangwa National Park) and Ndola. Air Zimbabwe flies to Lusaka (US$150/295) from Harare, Kenya every Thursday. Air Malawi connects Lusaka with Lilongwe (Malawi) three times a week (US$150/200) and with Blantyre (Malawi; US$185/299) twice a week. Comair (a British Airways affiliate) and South African Airways fly daily from Lusaka to Johannesburg (South Africa) for approximately US$200/295, and also offer flights to Victoria Falls in Livingston.

Zambia on Africa map
(all images are clickable)

The Republic of Zambia is located at the junction of subcontinents, one half of it is East Africa, the other belongs to the South. The country shares a common border with Tanzania and Malawi in the east, and with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the north. From the south, it is surrounded by four states at once (Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe), and in the west, the main neighbor is Angola. There is no access to the sea.

Geographical position

The area of ​​Zambia is quite large - 752.6 km² (38th place in the world ranking). The territory of the state is divided between the basins of two rivers - the Zambezi (most) and the Congo. This is a continuous plateau, the height of which decreases to the south. There are several large lakes in the north and northeast: Tanganyika, which Zambia shares with Tanzania, surrounded by the Bangweulu and Mweru swamps (the border with DR Congo runs along it).

The local climate by African standards is surprisingly mild, these are very comfortable tropics. It is customary to distinguish three seasons: wet, dry and hot. The first begins in November-December - over the next four months, the maximum amount of precipitation falls on Zambia. Day and night - warm and humid, due to showers can wash out roads.

The period from April to the end of August is cooler, with strong daily temperature fluctuations (from +27 during the day to +7 °C at night). Frosts occur in the western highlands. The hot period begins in autumn, at which time the thermometer can show up to +40 ° C.

Flora and fauna

The peculiarities of the climate and the abundance of water bodies provide a unique diversity of local flora. Savannahs with thickets of acacia and baobabs turn into real tropical forests entwined with lianas. Zambia- the record holder for the number of reserves and national parks, they occupy a third of the country's area.

Here you can see the rarest representatives of the African fauna listed in the Red Book - for example, dwarf crocodiles. Large mammals, herbivores and predators are found in the savannas: lions, elephants, antelopes, rhinos, zebras, giraffes. Lots of birds and insects.

State structure

Zambia map

Zambia is a multi-party republic with a president with broad powers. He can dissolve the Cabinet of Ministers or veto a decision of the Parliament (National Assembly). The latter consists of 150 elected representatives and 8 deputies appointed by the head of state. The country has ten provinces, each of which is divided into districts. The capital and largest city is Lusaka.

Population

The permanent population of Zambia is about 14.6 million people, half of which are urban residents. Europeans and immigrants from the Asian region - no more than 1.5%, the rest are representatives of almost 70 local tribes (Bemba, Tonga, Lozi, etc.). The country speaks many languages, and eight of them are considered official (including English). The main religion is Christianity, which coexists perfectly with numerous African cults.

The birth rate exceeds the death rate by three times, but the overall health situation is unfavorable. A very small percentage of the population is over the age of 50. The level of AIDS infection is high (about 14%).

Economy

This state is considered one of the poorest in the world - and at the same time the most attractive for investors. Local subsoil is extremely rich, there are precious metals and uranium, emeralds and copper, as well as coal, cobalt, zinc and lead. Today, the mining industry is experiencing a period of growth due to foreign investment.

The tourism sector is actively developing - recently the region is visited by up to a million foreign guests a year. Like many other countries on the list of African countries, Zambia pays attention to the agricultural sector: crops are grown mainly for domestic consumption, and cotton and tobacco are exported.

Initially, the Bushmen and Hottentots lived on this territory, later they were replaced by the Bantu, who founded their own state with elements of a slave system. European and Arab merchants first arrived here in the 18th century, but only a century later the actual colonization of the lands by the British began, and the country itself appeared on the maps under the name Northern Rhodesia.

Zambia regained its independence in 1964. In the same period, a course was taken to build a "humanistic society" and complete nationalization. For a quarter of a century, during which this policy continued, the state came to a complete collapse of the economy.

Attractions

The main attractions of Zambia are its unique natural landscapes and wildlife. Tourists come to the country to visit the Luangwa National Natural Park, look at the Cherundu petrified forest and Victoria Falls. Rafting on the Zambezi is very popular among extreme sportsmen.

Zambia- a state in southern Central Africa. In the north it borders on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania, in the east - on Malawi, in the southeast - on Mozambique, in the south - on Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia, in the west - on Angola.

The name comes from the name of the Zambezi River.

Capital

Square

Population

9770 thousand people

Administrative division

The state is divided into 9 provinces.

Form of government

Republic.

head of state

President elected for a term of 5 years.

supreme legislative body

Unicameral Parliament (National Assembly).

Supreme executive body

Government (Cabinet of Ministers).

Big cities

Ndola, Livingston, Kabwe.

Official language

English.

Religion

60% are pagans, 30% are Christians.

Ethnic composition

98.7% - Bantu peoples, 1.1% - Europeans.

Currency

Kwacha = 100 ngway.

Climate

Despite the fact that Zambia is located in the tropical zone, the climate in the country is mild subtropical. The average annual temperature is + 19 °С. The rainy season lasts from November to March. The annual rainfall ranges from 700 mm in the south to 1500 mm in the north.

Flora

Almost the entire territory of the state is occupied by savannah, where a large number of baobabs and acacias are found, teak forests grow in the southwest. Tropical rainforests are common in the valleys.

Fauna

The animal world of Zambia is characterized by an elephant, a lion, a rhinoceros, several species of antelope, a zebra, a jackal, a hyena, a crocodile. Inhabits a large number of snakes and birds. Occasionally there are ostriches. Termites, mosquitoes, tsetse flies are common.

Rivers and lakes

The main rivers are the Zambezi and its tributaries the Kafue and Luangwa, as well as the Luapula and Chambeshi. The largest lakes are Bangweulu, the southern part of Lake Tanganyika, the eastern part of Mneru and Kariba - the largest reservoir.

Attractions

National parks, Victoria Falls, as well as the city of Kabwe, near which the remains of the "Rhodesian man" were found, who lived at the same time as the Neanderthal. There is an Anthropological Museum in the capital.

Useful information for tourists

The most common type of dwellings are round huts with mud or wicker walls and conical reed roofs. Traditions and the consciousness of belonging to one's clan play an exceptional role in the life of Zambians, determining their daily behavior. Two systems of kinship are common: patrilineal - kinship through the male line and matrilineal - through the female line. The first is found in the Tonga, the second in the Bemba. Zambia attracts foreign tourists with its pristine nature: 19 national parks, one of the largest Victoria Falls in the world. Not far from Livingstone is the Maramba Cultural Center - an open-air ethnographic museum: more than 50 buildings represent typical dwellings of different peoples. Around them, craftsmen demonstrate their art in traditional crafts.

Telephone code +260 Timezone +2 Coordinates : 14°00′00″ S sh. 28°00′00″ in. d. /  14.00000°S sh. 28.00000° E d./ -14.00000; 28.00000(G) (I)

Physical and geographical characteristics

Geographical position

Minerals

The bowels of the country contain reserves of copper, cobalt, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, lead, zinc, coal, manganese.

Story

The territory of modern Zambia has been inhabited since ancient times. Several thousand years ago, tribes of Bushmen (hunters and gatherers) lived there. About two thousand years ago, the territory of Zambia was settled by the Hottentot tribes (farmers and cattle breeders) who came from the north. The new arrivals pushed the Bushmen south.

Then, about a thousand years ago, the Bantu tribes came from Central Africa, displacing the Hottentots. Bantu were engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, blacksmithing. Later they began to develop copper mines and trade with merchants along the Indian Ocean coast.

Northern Rhodesia

The discovery in this region at the end of the 19th century of the richest deposits of copper and polymetallic ores stimulated the penetration of the British South Africa Company (BSAC), created by Cecil Rhodes, into Zambia. The company began to develop the local mining and copper industries, build cities and railways.

The company received from the British government a monopoly on the development of a vast territory - from the sources of the Congo to the Zambezi. In 1895, the territories where the BSAC worked were given the name of Southern, Northwestern and Northeastern Rhodesia (a name derived from the name of Rhodes) - the last two were merged in 1911 into Northern Rhodesia. It was not until 1924 that Northern Rhodesia was given the official status of a British crown colony; a governor was appointed to the country (with the preservation of the Barotseland protectorate).

During the 1920s and 30s, the colony flourished, thanks to mining and the immigration of white settlers who set up farms.

Independence

Administrative division

In the sexual section, there is a slight predominance of women (50.03%) over men (49.97%) (2012) . 46.3% of the population belongs to the age group under 15 years old, 27.8% - from 15 to 29 years old, 15.6% - from 30 to 44 years old, 6.6% - from 45 to 59 years old, 2.9% - from 60 to 74 years old, 0.7% - from 75 to 84 years old, 0.1% - 85 years old and above (2012). Average life expectancy (): 49.6 years (men), 52.8 years (women).

The economically active population is 5,416,300 people (2011), i.e. 40.6% of the total population. 79.7% of the economically active population are workers aged 15 to 64 years, the number of women - 43.7% of the economically active population. Unemployment is over 14% (2006) .

Economy

Industry (6% of employees, 31% of GDP) - mining of copper ore and other metals, processing of agricultural products.

On January 1, 2013, the kwacha was denominated with a change in its codes in the ISO 4217 standard: new letter code - ZMW (old - ZMK); digital - 967 (894). The ratio of 1000 ZMK: 1 ZMW. Three zeros were removed from banknotes and new banknotes were put into circulation: 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 kvachas. Old banknotes circulate on a par with new ones in the ratio according to the denomination carried out until July 15, 2013. After that, they can be exchanged at the central bank without limiting the amount. The design and color scheme of the new banknotes almost completely corresponds to the old series.

Foreign economic relations

The basis of Zambia's exports ($4.8 billion in 2008) is copper ore, cobalt, nickel, uranium, agricultural products (tobacco, flowers, cotton).

The main buyers are China 13.8%, South Africa 8.2%, Saudi Arabia 7.6%, South Korea 7.6%, Italy 6.7%.

Imports ($4.7 billion in 2008) - cars, vehicles, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizers; food, clothes.

The main suppliers are South Africa 52.5%, UAE 8.2%, China 6.9%.

It is a member of the international organization of ACT countries.

culture

Literature

The first book published in Zambia was the 19th century Bible. Literature in the country first developed through translation - some translators, such as Saul Dress and L. D. Raditlady, translated a number of plays by William Shakespeare into the Nyanja language.

media

State TV and Radio Company - ZNBC (Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation- "Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation"), includes TV channels ZNBC TV1, ZNBC TV2, ZNBC Radio 1, ZNBC Radio 2, ZNBC Radio 4

Sport

The most common sports in Zambia are athletics, boxing, cricket and football. Zambia has been participating in the Summer Olympics since 1964 (in 1964 under the name of Northern Rhodesia, all subsequent years under the name of Zambia). At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Keith Mwila won a bronze medal in boxing. And in 1996 in Atlanta, Samuel Matete won a silver medal in the 400m hurdles. The Zambia national football team won the CAF Cup in 2012.

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Europe and Mediterranean North America Latin America, Caribbean and South Atlantic An excerpt characterizing Zambia Pierre looked at her carefully. “Yes, and nothing else,” Natasha confirmed. “Not true, not true,” Pierre shouted. - It's not my fault that I'm alive and want to live; and you too. Suddenly Natasha put her head in her hands and began to cry. What are you, Natasha? - said Princess Mary. - Nothing, nothing. She smiled through her tears at Pierre. - Goodbye, it's time for bed. Pierre got up and said goodbye. Princess Marya and Natasha, as always, met in the bedroom. They talked about what Pierre said. Princess Mary did not express her opinion about Pierre. Natasha didn't talk about him either. “Well, goodbye, Marie,” said Natasha. - You know, I am often afraid that we do not talk about him (Prince Andrei), as if we are afraid to humiliate our feelings, and forget. Princess Mary sighed heavily, and with that sigh she acknowledged the truth of Natasha's words; but in words she did not agree with her. – Is it possible to forget? - she said. - It was so good for me today to tell everything; and hard, and painful, and good. Very well, - said Natasha, - I'm sure that he definitely loved him. From that I told him… nothing that I told him? – suddenly blushing, she asked. - Pierre? Oh no! How beautiful he is,” said Princess Mary. “You know, Marie,” Natasha suddenly said with a playful smile, which Princess Mary had not seen on her face for a long time. - He became somehow clean, smooth, fresh; just from the bath, you understand? - morally from the bath. Truth? “Yes,” said Princess Marya, “he won a lot. - And a short frock coat, and cropped hair; for sure, well, for sure from the bathhouse ... dad, it happened ... “I understand that he (Prince Andrei) did not love anyone as much as he did,” said Princess Mary. - Yes, and he is special from him. They say that men are friendly when they are very special. It must be true. Doesn't he really look like him at all? Yes, and wonderful. “Well, goodbye,” Natasha answered. And the same playful smile, as if forgotten, remained on her face for a long time. Pierre could not sleep for a long time that day; he walked up and down the room, now frowning, pondering something difficult, suddenly shrugging his shoulders and shuddering, now smiling happily. He thought about Prince Andrei, about Natasha, about their love, and then he was jealous of her past, then he reproached, then he forgave himself for it. It was already six o'clock in the morning, and he kept walking around the room. “Well, what to do. If you can't live without it! What to do! So it must be so,” he said to himself, and, hastily undressing, went to bed, happy and excited, but without doubts or indecisions. “It is necessary, strange as it may seem, no matter how impossible this happiness is, everything must be done in order to be husband and wife with her,” he said to himself. A few days before this, Pierre had appointed the day of his departure for Petersburg on Friday. When he woke up on Thursday, Savelich came to him for orders to pack things for the journey. “How to Petersburg? What is Petersburg? Who is in Petersburg? – involuntarily, though to himself, he asked. “Yes, something long, long ago, even before this happened, for some reason I was going to go to Petersburg,” he recalled. - From what? I will go, maybe. What a kind, attentive, how he remembers everything! he thought, looking at Savelich's old face. And what a nice smile! he thought. “Well, you still don’t want to be free, Savelich?” Pierre asked. - Why do I need, Your Excellency, will? Under the late count, the kingdom of heaven, we lived and we don’t see any offense with you. - Well, what about the children? - And the children will live, your excellency: you can live for such gentlemen. “Well, what about my heirs?” Pierre said. "Suddenly I'll get married ... It might happen," he added with an involuntary smile. - And I dare to report: a good thing, Your Excellency. “How easy he thinks,” thought Pierre. He doesn't know how scary it is, how dangerous it is. Too soon or too late… Scary!” - How would you like to order? Would you like to go tomorrow? Savelich asked. - Not; I will postpone a little. I'll tell you then. Excuse me for the trouble, ”said Pierre, and looking at Savelich’s smile, he thought:“ How strange, however, that he does not know that now there is no Petersburg and that first of all it is necessary that this be decided. However, he certainly knows, but only pretends. Talk to him? What does he think? thought Pierre. No, sometime later. At breakfast, Pierre told the princess that he had been at Princess Mary's yesterday and found him there - can you imagine who? - Natalie Rostov. The princess pretended that she did not see anything more unusual in this news than in the fact that Pierre saw Anna Semyonovna. – Do you know her? Pierre asked. “I saw the princess,” she answered. - I heard that she was married to the young Rostov. This would be very good for the Rostovs; They say they are completely broke. - No, do you know Rostov? “I only heard about this story then. Very sorry. “No, she doesn’t understand or pretends to be,” thought Pierre. "Better not tell her either." The princess also prepared provisions for Pierre's journey. “How kind they all are,” thought Pierre, “that now, when it certainly couldn’t be more interesting for them, they are doing all this. And everything for me; that's what's amazing." On the same day, a police chief came to Pierre with a proposal to send a trustee to the Faceted Chamber to receive the things that were now being distributed to the owners. “This one too,” thought Pierre, looking into the face of the police chief, “what a glorious, handsome officer and how kind! Now he's dealing with such nonsense. And they say that he is not honest and uses. What nonsense! And yet, why shouldn't he use it? That's how he was brought up. And everyone does it. And such a pleasant, kind face, and smiles, looking at me. Pierre went to dine with Princess Mary. Driving through the streets between the conflagrations of houses, he marveled at the beauty of these ruins. Chimneys of houses, fallen off walls, picturesquely reminiscent of the Rhine and the Colosseum, stretched, hiding each other, through the burnt quarters. The cabbies and riders who met, the carpenters who cut the log cabins, the traders and shopkeepers, all with cheerful, beaming faces, looked at Pierre and said as if: “Ah, here he is! Let's see what comes out of it." At the entrance to Princess Mary's house, Pierre was doubtful about the fairness of the fact that he had been here yesterday, seen Natasha and talked to her. “Maybe I made it up. Maybe I'll go in and see no one." But before he had time to enter the room, as already in his whole being, by the instant deprivation of his freedom, he felt her presence. She was in the same black dress with soft folds and the same hairdo as yesterday, but she was completely different. If she had been like that yesterday, when he entered the room, he could not have failed to recognize her for a moment. She was the same as he knew her almost as a child and then the bride of Prince Andrei. A cheerful, inquiring gleam shone in her eyes; there was an affectionate and strangely mischievous expression on his face. Pierre dined and would have sat out all evening; but Princess Mary was on her way to Vespers, and Pierre left with them. The next day, Pierre arrived early, dined and sat out the whole evening. Despite the fact that Princess Mary and Natasha were obviously glad to have a guest; despite the fact that all the interest in Pierre's life was now concentrated in this house, by evening they had talked everything over, and the conversation moved incessantly from one insignificant subject to another and was often interrupted. Pierre sat up so late that evening that Princess Mary and Natasha looked at each other, obviously expecting him to leave soon. Pierre saw this and could not leave. It became difficult for him, awkward, but he kept sitting, because he could not get up and leave. Princess Mary, not foreseeing the end of this, was the first to get up and, complaining of a migraine, began to say goodbye. - So you are going to Petersburg tomorrow? Oka said. “No, I’m not going,” Pierre said hastily, with surprise and as if offended. - No, to Petersburg? Tomorrow; I just don't say goodbye. I’ll call for commissions, ”he said, standing in front of Princess Marya, blushing and not leaving. Natasha gave him her hand and left. Princess Mary, on the contrary, instead of leaving, sank into an armchair and, with her radiant, deep gaze, looked sternly and attentively at Pierre. The weariness that she had obviously shown before was completely gone now. She sighed heavily and long, as if preparing herself for a long conversation. All the embarrassment and awkwardness of Pierre, when Natasha was removed, instantly disappeared and was replaced by an excited animation. He quickly moved the chair very close to Princess Marya. “Yes, I wanted to tell you,” he said, answering, as if in words, in her glance. “Princess, help me. What should I do? Can I hope? Princess, my friend, listen to me. I know everything. I know that I'm not worth it; I know it's impossible to talk about it now. But I want to be her brother. No, I don't want... I can't... He stopped and rubbed his face and eyes with his hands. “Well, here it is,” he continued, apparently making an effort on himself to speak coherently. I don't know since when I love her. But I have loved her alone, alone in my whole life, and I love her so much that I cannot imagine life without her. Now I do not dare to ask for her hand; but the thought that maybe she could be mine and that I would miss this opportunity ... opportunity ... is terrible. Tell me, can I hope? Tell me what should I do? Dear princess,” he said, after a pause and touching her hand, as she did not answer. “I am thinking about what you told me,” Princess Mary answered. “I'll tell you what. You are right, what now to tell her about love ... - The princess stopped. She wanted to say: it is now impossible for her to talk about love; but she stopped, because for the third day she saw from the suddenly changed Natasha that not only Natasha would not be offended if Pierre expressed his love to her, but that she wanted only this. “It’s impossible to tell her now,” Princess Marya said anyway. “But what am I to do? “Give it to me,” said Princess Mary. - I know… Pierre looked into the eyes of Princess Mary. “Well, well…” he said. “I know that she loves ... she will love you,” Princess Mary corrected herself. Before she had time to say these words, Pierre jumped up and, with a frightened face, grabbed Princess Mary by the hand. - Why do you think? Do you think that I can hope? You think?! “Yes, I think so,” said Princess Mary, smiling. - Write to your parents. And entrust me. I'll tell her when I can. I wish it. And my heart feels that it will be. - No, it can't be! How happy I am! But it can't be... How happy I am! No, it can not be! - said Pierre, kissing the hands of Princess Mary. - You go to St. Petersburg; this is better. I'll write to you, she said. - To Petersburg? Drive? Okay, yes, let's go. But tomorrow I can come to you? The next day, Pierre came to say goodbye. Natasha was less lively than in the old days; but on this day, sometimes looking into her eyes, Pierre felt that he was disappearing, that neither he nor she was anymore, but there was one feeling of happiness. “Really? No, it can’t be,” he said to himself at her every look, gesture, word that filled his soul with joy. When, bidding her farewell, he took her thin, thin hand, he involuntarily held it a little longer in his. “Is it possible that this hand, this face, these eyes, all this treasure of female charm, alien to me, will it all be forever mine, familiar, the same as I am for myself? No, It is Immpossible!.." “Farewell, Count,” she said to him loudly. "I'll be waiting for you very much," she added in a whisper. And these simple words, the look and facial expression that accompanied them, for two months, were the subject of Pierre's inexhaustible memories, explanations and happy dreams. “I will be waiting for you very much ... Yes, yes, as she said? Yes, I will be waiting for you. Ah, how happy I am! What is it, how happy I am!” Pierre said to himself. In Pierre's soul now nothing similar happened to what happened in her in similar circumstances during his courtship with Helen. He did not repeat, as then, with painful shame, the words he had spoken, he did not say to himself: “Ah, why did I not say this, and why, why did I then say “je vous aime”?” [I love you] Now, on the contrary, he repeated every word of hers, his own, in his imagination with all the details of her face, smile, and did not want to subtract or add anything: he only wanted to repeat. There was no doubt now whether what he had done was good or bad, there was no shadow now. Only one terrible doubt sometimes crossed his mind. Is it all in a dream? Was Princess Mary wrong? Am I too proud and arrogant? I believe; and suddenly, as it should happen, Princess Marya will tell her, and she will smile and answer: “How strange! He was right, wrong. Doesn't he know that he is a man, just a man, and I? .. I am completely different, higher. Only this doubt often came to Pierre. He didn't make any plans either. It seemed to him so incredibly impending happiness that it was worth it to happen, and then nothing could be further. Everything ended. Joyful, unexpected madness, for which Pierre considered himself incapable, took possession of him. The whole meaning of life, not for him alone, but for the whole world, seemed to him to consist only in his love and in the possibility of her love for him. Sometimes all people seemed to him busy with only one thing - his future happiness. It sometimes seemed to him that they all rejoiced in the same way as he himself, and only tried to hide this joy, pretending to be occupied with other interests. In every word and movement he saw hints of his happiness. He often surprised people who met him with his significant, expressing secret consent, happy looks and smiles. But when he realized that people might not know about his happiness, he felt sorry for them with all his heart and felt a desire to somehow explain to them that everything they were doing was complete nonsense and trifles not worthy of attention. When he was offered to serve, or when some general state affairs and war were discussed, assuming that the happiness of all people depended on such or such an outcome of such and such an event, he listened with a meek, condoling smile and surprised the people who spoke to him with his strange remarks. But both those people who seemed to Pierre to understand the real meaning of life, that is, his feeling, and those unfortunate people who obviously did not understand this - all people in this period of time seemed to him in such a bright light of the feeling shining in him that without the slightest effort, he immediately, meeting with any person, saw in him everything that was good and worthy of love. Considering the affairs and papers of his late wife, he had no feeling for her memory, except for pity that she did not know the happiness that he knew now. Prince Vasily, now especially proud of having received a new place and a star, seemed to him a touching, kind and pitiful old man. Pierre often later recalled this time of happy madness. All the judgments that he made for himself about people and circumstances during this period of time remained forever true for him. Not only did he not subsequently renounce these views on people and things, but, on the contrary, in internal doubts and contradictions, he resorted to the view that he had at that time of madness, and this view always turned out to be correct. “Perhaps,” he thought, “I seemed then strange and ridiculous; but then I was not as mad as I seemed. On the contrary, I was then smarter and more perceptive than ever, and I understood everything that is worth understanding in life, because ... I was happy. Pierre's madness consisted in the fact that he did not, as before, wait for personal reasons, which he called the virtues of people, in order to love them, and love overflowed his heart, and he, loving people for no reason, found undoubted reasons for which it was worth loving them. From that first evening, when Natasha, after Pierre's departure, with a joyfully mocking smile, told Princess Marya that he was definitely, well, exactly from the bath, and a frock coat, and a short haircut, from that moment something hidden and unknown to her, but irresistible woke up in Natasha's soul Everything: face, gait, look, voice - everything suddenly changed in her. Unexpected for herself - the power of life, hopes for happiness surfaced and demanded satisfaction. From the first evening, Natasha seemed to have forgotten everything that had happened to her. Since then, she has never complained about her situation, has not said a single word about the past, and was no longer afraid to make cheerful plans for the future. She spoke little of Pierre, but when Princess Mary mentioned him, a long-extinct gleam lit up in her eyes and her lips puckered up in a strange smile. The change that took place in Natasha surprised Princess Mary at first; but when she understood its meaning, this change upset her. “Is it possible that she loved her brother so little that she could forget him so soon,” thought Princess Mary, when she alone pondered the change that had taken place. But when she was with Natasha, she did not get angry with her and did not reproach her. The awakened power of life that seized Natasha was obviously so unstoppable, so unexpected for herself, that Princess Mary, in Natasha's presence, felt that she had no right to reproach her even in her soul. Natasha surrendered herself to the new feeling with such fullness and sincerity that she did not try to hide the fact that she was no longer sad, but joyful and cheerful. When, after a nightly explanation with Pierre, Princess Mary returned to her room, Natasha met her on the threshold. - He said? Yes? He said? she repeated. Both joyful and at the same time pathetic, asking for forgiveness for his joy, the expression stopped on Natasha's face. “I wanted to listen at the door; but I knew what you would tell me. No matter how understandable, no matter how touching was for Princess Marya the look with which Natasha looked at her; no matter how sorry she was to see her excitement; but Natasha's words in the first minute offended Princess Marya. She remembered her brother, his love. “But what to do! she cannot do otherwise,” thought Princess Marya; and with a sad and somewhat stern face she conveyed to Natasha everything that Pierre had told her. On hearing that he was going to Petersburg, Natasha was amazed. - To Petersburg? she repeated, as if not understanding. But, peering into the sad expression on Princess Mary's face, she guessed the reason for her sadness and suddenly burst into tears. “Marie,” she said, “teach me what to do.” I'm afraid to be stupid. What you say, I will do; teach me… - You love him? “Yes,” Natasha whispered. - What are you crying about? I’m happy for you,” said Princess Marya, forgiving Natasha’s joy for those tears. “It won't be anytime soon. Just think what happiness it will be when I will be his wife and you will marry Nicolas. “Natasha, I asked you not to talk about it. We'll talk about you. They were silent. - But why go to Petersburg! - suddenly said Natasha, and she herself hastily answered herself: - No, no, it’s necessary ... Yes, Marie? So you need... Seven years have passed since the 12th year. The agitated historical sea of ​​Europe has subsided to its shores. It seemed quiet; but the mysterious forces that move mankind (mysterious because the laws governing their movement are unknown to us) continued their action.

General information

Geographical position: Zambia is a state located in the south of the African continent, in geographical coordinates between 21°59' and 33°42' E. and 08°12’ and 18°03’ S Landlocked Zambia has borders with eight states: in the northeast - with Tanzania (338 km), in the east - with Malawi (837 km), in the southeast - with Mozambique (419 km), in the south - with Zimbabwe (797 km), in the southwest - with Botswana (2.6 km) and Namibia (233 km), in the west - with Angola (1110 km) and in the north with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1930 km). The total length of the state border of the country is 5,667 km, the area of ​​the territory is 752,618 km2.

Climatic conditions: Weather conditions in Zambia are determined by a relatively mild tropical climate and the location of most of the territory on a hill, with altitudes ranging from 1000 to 1500 m above sea level. The country is characterized by three distinct seasons: very cool dry, approximately between May and August, with an average daily temperature of 15 to 27°C; hot dry - from September to November with temperatures from 27 to 32 ° C; and warm humid, accompanied by heavy rainfall, and characterized by a moderate temperature regime of 20 to 27°C.

Population: The population of Zambia according to the data presented in the report of the Central Statistical Office ( Central Statistics office) of the country, published according to the results of the official census conducted in October-November 2010, amounted to 13.1 million people, including the male population - 6.5 million people. (49.3%) and the female population - 6.6 million people. (50.7%).

In the decade since the last census in 2000, the country's population has grown by 32.4% from 9.9 million, increasing at an average rate of 2.8% per year. According to official forecasts provided by the Central Statistical Office in the monthly statistical bulletin published in August 2016, the population of the country in 2016 is estimated at 15,933,883 people. According to this indicator, Zambia ranks 70th in the world and 22nd in Africa.

High rates of demographic growth continue to have a significant impact on the age composition of the population, 45.4% of which is represented by young citizens of the country under the age of 15. This situation requires the country's leadership to promptly solve the very difficult tasks of developing the health care system and education and providing employment, as well as stabilizing the population growth rate at a level consistent with the concepts of economic growth laid down in the country's socio-economic development programs.

Zambia is characterized by a high degree of urbanization, occupying one of the leading places among the African states located south of the Sahara according to this indicator. 39.5% of the population (5.2 million people) is concentrated in several urban agglomerations, gravitating mainly to the main transport arteries, while rural areas are populated quite sporadically. A pressing problem in urban areas is high unemployment and underemployment. For the majority of rural residents, livelihood is provided by subsistence farming.

National composition and language: About 90% of the indigenous population of the country belongs to the nine largest ethno-linguistic groups - Nyanja-Cheva, Bemba, Tonga, Tumbuka, Lunda, Luvale, Kaonda, Nkoya and Lozi.

The official language of Zambia, adopted in correspondence, in education, culture, public administration, office work, business, the media and in everyday communication, is English. At the same time, the meaning of local languages ​​is preserved. In addition to the official English, representatives of the 73 ethnic groups of the country speak, for the most part, various dialects of the Bantu language.

In rural areas, representatives of certain ethnic groups are concentrated in isolated communities mainly in certain geographical regions, while many of these groups are small in number and lead an isolated lifestyle. However, virtually all of these ethnic communities are represented in one way or another in the Lusaka metropolitan area and in the industrial province of Copperbelt in the north of the country.

Expatriates, mostly from the UK and South Africa, as well as white citizens of Zambia, totaling about 120 thousand people, live mainly in the capital and in the Copperbelt province. The able-bodied part of this community is mostly employed in the mining sector, the financial sector or related fields. In recent years, several hundred white farmers dispossessed of land in neighboring Zimbabwe have gratefully accepted the Zambian government's invitation to develop farming in the country's Southern Province.

A somewhat smaller, but economically very active, part of the population is made up of immigrants from Asia, primarily from China and India. The number of Chinese living in Zambia is estimated at 80,000.

According to a study on the issue of refugees ( World Refugee Survey 2008) published by the U.S. Refugee and Immigrant Commission ( U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants), the number of refugees and asylum seekers in Zambia was (at the time of writing) 113,200, most of whom came from Rwanda and neighboring Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Religious composition: Officially, Zambia is one of the Christian states, but various religious traditions and beliefs, represented in a noticeable variety, peacefully coexist in the country. There are a significant number of syncretic churches in the country, in which conservative Christian canons are harmoniously intertwined with local beliefs and rituals.

Christianity was born, adapted to local conditions and flourished, primarily due to the first missionary settlements - Portuguese influence and Catholicism came from the east (from Mozambique), Anglicanism (English and Scottish influence) from the south.

With the exception of certain professional technical positions (for example, doctors), the role of Western missionaries was very actively assumed by local adepts.

Since 1991, after the Pentecostal Frederic Chiluba took over as head of state, the spread of Pentecostal congregations has noticeably intensified in the country.

Currently, the major Christian denominations with a strong presence in Zambia include:

• Roman Catholic Church
• Anglican Church
• Pentecostal movement
• New Apostolic Church
• lutheran church
• Seventh Day Adventist Movement
• Jehovah witnesses
• various Evangelical denominations

The proportion of Muslims living mainly in rural areas of the country is approximately 5% of the country's population. Zambia also has a fairly small community of Jews (Ashkenazi).

Administrative-territorial division: The territory of Zambia is divided into 10 provinces (the 10th province of Muchinga was formed in 2011, as a result of the division of the Northern Province), whose administrations are headed by leaders with the rank of minister. The provinces, in turn, are divided into municipal districts, the total number of which is currently 103 units. In general, the hierarchical structure of the administrative vertical, formed in accordance with the peculiarities of the political and electoral system, is represented by the following territorial units - Province ( province) ® Municipality ( District) ® Constituency ( Constituency) ® Administrative region (within the boundaries of the polling station ( Ward) ® Chiefdom ( chiefdom).

Provinces	Administrative center	Square,	Population, people (2010)	Density, person/km²
United National Development Party United Party for National Development
Independent deputies
Movement for Multiparty Democracy Movement for Multi-Party Democracy
Forum behind democracy and development Forum for Democracy and Development
Total

Speaker of Parliament (since 2011) – Patrick Matibini (Patrick Matibini, born July 20, 1959).

Economy

Over the past decade, Zambia has continued to demonstrate strong economic growth, against the relatively moderate general background of most other states of the African continent located south of the Sahara. During this period, the country's economy showed relatively high resilience to the negative factors of the ongoing global recession.

In 2013, the country continued to maintain this high level, despite a slight decrease in real GDP growth to 6.5% (against 7.2% in 2012), primarily due to a decline in the production of a number of key crops, such as maize and cotton. .

The main driver of growth remains investment activity in the mining sector, the sustainable development of which has a stimulating effect on industries such as construction, energy and transport.

In the medium term, growth is expected to increase to 7.1% in 2014 and to 7.4% in 2015 on the back of an expected slowdown in inflation.

Zambia continues a steady course towards improving management, democratization and debureaucratization in the economy, strengthening and developing institutions of executive power, improving accounting policies and increasing the transparency of the banking and financial sector.

At the same time, despite certain successes in the development of the socio-economic sphere, a moderate inflation rate of up to 7%, the most serious unresolved problem is the high level of poverty (up to 60% of the country's population lives below the poverty line) and unemployment. One of the most pressing challenges is to ensure youth employment.

The most significant factor in economic growth is the sustainable development of the processing industry, the mining industry, the construction sector, transport and communications. And although copper production continues to hold the traditional role of the main pillar of the economy, providing up to 70% of export earnings, in recent years there has been a noticeable increase in the volume of "non-traditional" exports. In the medium term, the main macroeconomic indicators will remain at a high level.

Investments in infrastructure development, primarily in mining, energy and road construction, and in particular large-scale investments in the implementation of projects under the five-year road infrastructure development program, which includes the construction of 1,500 kilometers of roadway, will help maintain sustainable growth the economy as a whole. An increase in government spending on infrastructure development, with more than $5 billion allocated to road construction projects, guarantees stable growth in the construction industry.

In the medium term, due to the stable growth of investment activity in the extractive sector, which is in need of ensuring the delivery of equipment and materials, the rates of development of transport, communications and construction, which provided half of the real GDP growth in 2013, will remain at a high level.

The development of the telecommunications sector will be ensured primarily by the rapidly growing mobile services sector.

In the socio-economic policy, the state will have to focus on the implementation of programs to ensure employment of the population (primarily youth), improve the system of accounting and control over the activities of the state apparatus and strengthen the fight against corruption.

The country's government declares its intention to ensure the annual creation of up to 200,000 new jobs. Significant efforts will be focused on improving fiscal policy in order to reduce the chronic budget deficit, which doubled in 2013 due to increased public spending on infrastructure development and on higher salaries for civil servants.

The coming years will require the unification of the concerted efforts of various departmental structures aimed at finding hidden reserves for expanding the tax base, at finding new potential sources of increasing fees to provide additional revenue to the treasury, as well as at improving the structure and more rational use of the expenditure side of the budget, reoriented, in the first place. turn, to finance the most priority areas of economic development.

Among the priorities of improving economic policy should be the development and implementation of measures to strengthen the competitiveness of the private sector, which is traditionally associated with expectations of higher wages and the demand for highly skilled labor, the supply of which in the country is still very limited.

The manufacturing sector generates only about one tenth of GDP. Such a distinctive feature of the country's geographical position as the lack of access to the sea is expected to have an impact on the high level of transport costs, which significantly increase the cost of the final product (almost 40% on average).

The food industry sector (production of food products and drinks) generates more than two thirds of the added value in the manufacturing industry.

In 2013, the accelerated development of the public sector continued, primarily the education system and public administration.

However, the positive outlook for economic growth could be adversely affected by the unfavorable environment in the world commodity markets, sluggish demand for copper and the impact of falling agricultural production.

In 2013, the increase in discount rates as part of the tight financial policy pursued by the Central Bank made it possible to significantly reduce the pressure on the socio-economic sphere of inflationary factors. Over the past two years, inflation rates have been kept at a relatively safe level of 6-7%. In the medium term, this indicator is expected to remain within 7%.

However, the reverse side of the anti-inflationary measures was the reduction in 2013 from 40% to 15% of the growth rate of lending to the private sector by commercial banks and non-banking financial institutions against the backdrop of an increase in income from government securities. Some growth in the capitalization of banks, observed in 2013, did not affect the increase in lending. In 2014 and 2015, the development of the banking and financial sector will continue at a slower pace.

In general, the progressive growth in the industry over the past decade is associated with the relatively dynamic development of agribusiness, and in particular its leading industry - the food (food and beverage) and tobacco industries, as well as the growing need for the construction sector to provide raw materials and materials.

In 2013, however, there is a slight decrease in growth rates in the industrial sector, which is associated precisely with a slowdown in the development of the agro-industrial complex.

Agriculture, from a socio-economic point of view, remains the most important sector of the economy, providing jobs for 60% of the total informal population of about 4.9 million people in Zambia, and for 8% of all formally employed (the total number of formally employed is 625 thousand people).

Poor rainfall and the effects of pest infestation in 2013 were not long in affecting agricultural production by 7.4%. Delays in the delivery of corn (maize) seeds and fertilizers to areas particularly affected by dry weather and in urgent need of recultivation of crop areas led to a reduction in corn yields by 11% and cotton production by 48%.

In 2013, the government took unpopular steps to reduce subsidies for flour milling and the purchase of fertilizers and maize seeds for farms, affecting 800,000 small farmers, and intends to continue tough measures to optimize public spending and reform the agricultural sector in the medium term.

Zambia has vast mineral resources - metallurgical raw materials, primarily copper and cobalt, as well as zinc, lead, silver and gold, precious stones, energy raw materials - coal, uranium. The country has a significant potential of hydropower resources, allowing not only to meet the energy needs of the national economy, but also to export electricity to neighboring countries in the southern African region (the current volume of electricity generated is estimated at 2,200 MW, while the volume of peak domestic demand does not exceed 1,900 MW. Over half of all energy consumed in the country falls on the extractive sector of the country.

The mining industry remains the main source of export earnings, while the potential for its further development is still largely limited by the optimization of the cost structure within the mining sector. Whereas the growth of the competitiveness of the relevant processing industries is constrained by such objective factors as logistics costs and the relative remoteness of the main markets for the sale of finished products and semi-finished products from copper.

Steady growth in the mining sector, and primarily in the field of copper mining, remains at the level of up to 7.5% (despite its slight slowdown in 2011 and 2012), providing the country with a consistently high overall economic development rate that exceeds the African and global averages . The mining industry, which accounts for up to 10% of the formally employed population of the country, remains the most important area for the implementation of large-scale foreign direct investment projects.

From 2000 to 2012, total investment in the mining industry in Zambia exceeded $8 billion. During this period, the implementation of investment projects in the extractive sector ensured the creation of about 50 thousand new jobs. It is expected that, subject to the improvement of the global situation in the main commodity markets, by 2017 the volume of investments in this sector of the economy, taking into account the implementation of new projects and the expansion of existing capacities, will grow to 15 billion US dollars.

The Copperbelt and Northwestern provinces, which contain Africa's largest reserves of perhaps the world's highest-grade copper and cobalt ores, are the main centers of investment activity in the country's mining sector. Most of the copper deposits located in Zambia are characterized by a high content of metal in the ore (2-3% compared to the 0.8% global average).

Copper continues to play a leading role as the main type of metallurgical raw material, the extraction of which has been established in the country since the beginning of the last century, and since the proclamation of its independence in October 1964 (when Zambia ranked third in the world in terms of copper production after the USA and the former USSR) remains perhaps the single largest source of financing for economic development projects. The deterioration of the price environment in the world copper markets, especially in the context of underfunding (insufficient level of capitalization) of copper mines in the country, has a very painful effect on the Zambian economy as a whole.

In 2012, Zambia ranked 7th in the world (after Chile, China, Peru, USA, Australia and Russia) in terms of copper production (over 800 thousand tons), 9th in the world in terms of copper smelting and 10 ranks in terms of production of refined copper.

According to the Central Bank of Zambia, in 2013 copper output increased by 21% to 950 thousand tons.

The country's leadership expects a sharp increase in copper production up to 1.5 million tons by 2016, associated with the prospects for increasing production over the coming years in the North-Western province - with the start of operation of a new deposit Sentinel and expansion of production at existing fields Kansanshi and Lumwana, which will provide a total production of over 370 thousand tons. Copper mines operating in the Copperbelt province expected to increase output Konkola deep for 200 thousand tons and Konkola North for 50 thousand tons.

In 2008, the volume of cobalt production in the country at the level of 7800 tons still allowed Zambia to hold the third place in this indicator in the world, however, the reduction in production by 2012 to 2800 tons forced Zambia to drop to 8th place. However, it should be noted that the decline in production is mainly of a technical and opportunistic nature, and its current level in no way corresponds to the real potential of Zambia and the country, whose territory is located on the southern border of the African copper belt, has serious copper reserves (at the level 690 million tons), cobalt (270 thousand tons) and other types of metallurgical and mineral raw materials.

The volume of Zambian copper exports in 2012 amounted to 6.3 billion US dollars (about 68% of all Zambian exports). The value of cobalt exports in the same year is estimated at $235 million.

The main reserves of zinc and lead are concentrated in the region of Kabwe (Central Province), 130 km from the country's capital, Lusaka. Mining in this area continued for 90 years until the depletion of the richest reserves of sulphide ores containing lead and zinc by 1994. At the same time, according to existing estimates, about 1.1-1.6 million tons of silicate ore, also rich in lead and zinc, should remain in the area of ​​suspended mining. In addition, vast heaps of mineral-rich waste and slag have been preserved at the site.

Recently, with the depletion of world reserves, the rise in prices for raw materials, the improvement of technologies for the extraction and processing of mineral raw materials, as well as the presence in the ore of traces of valuable associated elements, such as silver, antimony, germanium, indium and copper, there has been a resumption of the ever-increasing interest of investors in mining area of ​​Kabwe.

The active phase of gold mining, carried out in the country in insignificant volumes since the beginning of the last century, began in 2004, and further its volumes grew by an average of 50.5% per year, reaching a level of 3,400 kg by 2010.

Zambia has significant reserves of emeralds (the country, which is the third largest producer in the world after Colombia and Brazil, accounts for about 20% of the total world production), coal (current production has decreased in recent years to 1000 tons, although at the beginning of this century the level of coal production exceeded 200 thousand tons in some years, in the future - the return of production volumes to the previous level), uranium, etc.

Government consumption rose by 35% in 2013 and is expected to rise further in 2014, given the increased spending of the current budget approved in October 2013. The growth of investment activity will continue in the medium term, primarily in the development of infrastructure and the mining sector. At the same time, the share of personal consumption in GDP decreased from 52 to 44%.

Growth in government spending is reflected in an increase in the size of domestic and foreign borrowings. According to the Ministry of Finance of the country, external public debt as of the end of March 2014 amounted to 3.2 billion US dollars, and domestic - 20.2 billion kvachas (approx. 3.3 billion US dollars). Despite the maintenance of the ratio of debt obligations to the volume of GDP (external at the level of 15.72%, and domestic - 16.57%) within the former relatively safe limits, the growth in the costs of attracting loans and debt servicing dictates the need for a more cautious and balanced approach to further attracting borrowed funds, especially in light of the September 2013 downgrade of Zambia's credit ratings. (International rating agency Fitch downgraded Zambia's rating by one notch to 'B', five notches below investment grade. At the same time agency Standard & Poor's revised Zambia's rating outlook from 'B+' to 'negative' based on an assessment of the current (end 2013) fiscal policy characterized by 'waste' and 'uncertainty'.

The activity of international lenders in the country's credit market shows an increase of 238 basis points in interest rates on government securities for the period from June to December 2013 and an increase of 200 basis points in the yield of the first issue of Eurobonds placed by Zambia in 2012 in the amount of 750 million dollars. maturing in 2022 (in 2014, Zambia made another issue of coupon Eurobonds in the amount of $1 billion).

For the past seven years, Zambia has pursued a policy of accelerated industrialization, stimulating the creation of industrial parks and multi-infrastructure ( multi- facility economic zones) economic zones modeled after the Chinese model. Currently, there are six such economic zones in the design stage, focused on the creation of clusters of enterprises, united by industry. Achieving the level of "critical mass" in the creation of enterprises - operators and providers of various services, is expected, in addition to creating new jobs, will contribute to bringing the country's industrial development to a qualitatively new level and, ultimately, will ensure a more active participation of Zambia in the development of global commodity production chains . As such chains, which are already quite well established in Zambia, one can note the production of copper, the production of beef and sugar production. The production of precious metals and cotton has a significant development potential in this context.

Selected economic indicators (estimated data, 2016):

• GDP (PPP): $65.5 billion (IMF)
• GDP per capita (PPP): $3,918 (IMF)
• GDP growth rate at constant prices (IMF): 3.4%
• share in GDP of individual sectors of the economy (estimation, 2015):
  • agriculture - 8.6%
  • industry - 31.4%
  • services - 60.0%
• State budget expenditures (draft for 2016): 53.14 billion kvachas (4.3 billion US dollars), including:
  • General public services - 36.1%
  • Defense - 5.9%
  • Law enforcement and security - 3.5%
  • Financing of economic development projects (creation of development funds for various sectors of the economy and infrastructure development) - 25.6%
  • Healthcare - 8.3%
  • Education - 17.2%
• Inflation rate (consumer price increase): 22.5%
• Current account balance of payments (2015 estimate): -768 million USD
• Foreign trade (2015):
  • Export - 7.0 billion US dollars (including in the Russian Federation - 300 thousand dollars)
    • Main articles – copper, cobalt, electricity, tobacco, flowers, cotton
    • Main contractors - Switzerland, China, Singapore, South Africa, D.R. Congo, Zimbabwe, Australia
  • Import - 8.4 billion US dollars (including from the Russian Federation - 17.7 million US dollars)
    • Main articles - engineering products, handling equipment, petroleum products, fertilizers, food, clothing
    • Main contractors: South Africa, D.R. Congo, China, Mauritius, Kenya, Kuwait

Foreign policy

The official course is the policy of non-alignment. The main priorities are the solution of African problems, the development of relations with neighbors.

Zambia is a member of more than 40 international and regional organizations, including (in brackets the year of entry is indicated):

• United Nations (1964); non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 1970, 1980, 1988; Zambia is also a member of a number of organizations under the auspices of the UN: FAO, ICAO, UNESCO, UNIDO, IAEA, WHO, WMO, Group of 77, etc.
• World Trade Organization (1995)
• (British) Commonwealth of Nations (1964)
• Non-Aligned Movement (1964); in the capital of Zambia, the third meeting of the organization was held in September 1970
• African Union (1964)
• South African Development Community / SADC (2008)
• Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa / COMESA (1981); Lusaka based COMESA Center (Secretariat)
• African Development Bank / ADB
• World Bank / IBRD
• International Monetary Fund / IMF

Zambia has diplomatic missions in 30 countries, 15 consulates and consulates general in 12 countries, and a permanent mission to the UN.

There are about 40 foreign embassies in Lusaka, more than 20 consular missions operate in the country, as well as a number of representative offices of international organizations.

media

Several national newspapers are published in Zambia, including:

• Zambia Daily Mail ( Zambia Daily Mail) - belongs to the government of the country, published in English with a circulation of 10-15 thousand copies since 1970 (formerly - Central African Mail) .
• Times of Zambia ( Times of Zambia) is also owned by the state. The headquarters of the publishing house is in Ndola. Before nationalization in 1975, it was one of the oldest private publications, published during the years of colonial rule, originally under the name The Copperbelt Times, and later as The Northern News.
• Post ( The post) is a leading independent news tabloid founded in 1991. Known for his oppositional views and sometimes very harsh criticism of the government. In June 2016, the newspaper was suspended by the government pending the settlement of a significant backlog of tax payments.

There are many online resources in the Internet space, some of which publish oppositional publications and are hosted mainly on servers deployed outside the country.

The majority of broadcasting services are provided by the country's oldest and largest provider, the state-owned Broadcasting Corporation of Zambia (Zambia). Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation /ZNBC) that owns the corresponding TV channel and radio station. There are several private commercial channels.

As a result of the 2005 merger of the Zambia News Agency ( Zambia News Agency / ZANA) and the Zambia Information Service ( Zambia Information Services / ZIS) the Zambia News and Information Service was established ( Zambia News and Information Services / ZANIS) is a state news agency under the auspices of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.