About Zambia
Zambia, one of the countries formerly part of Rhodesia in south-central Africa, has an estimated population of 11.5 million people with the median age of 17 years and life expectancy of 38. More than 85% of Zambians live below the poverty line (less than $2USD/day) and an estimated 1.1 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. The spread of HIV/AIDS in Zambia is significant due to lack of education, constrained infrastructures of healthcare systems in rural areas, and limited financial resources. In 2005, the number of children orphaned by AIDS was estimated at 710,000, and that same year, 86,000 children died before reaching the age of five. Around 130,000 children (0-14 years) in Zambia are infected with HIV/AIDS.
The major exports of Zambia are copper and maize. The vast majority of working residents have occupations related to agriculture, though Zambia’s unemployment rate hovers around 50%. Zambia is a democracy with English as its official language. After the death of his predecessor, President Rupiah Banda took office in June 2008 and was elected to his first full term in November 2008.
