high inflation, a rising foreign debt, and a drop in foreign exchange earnings. Recent increases in foreign prices for copper—a key export earner—and other minerals offer some hope of reversing the economic decline. Zaire is the world's largest producer of diamonds.
GDP: $6.5 billion, per capita $195; real growth rate 2.8% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 82% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $856 million; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $655 million (1988)
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—copper 37%, coffee 24%, diamonds 12%, cobalt, crude oil; partners—US, Belgium, France, FRG, Italy, UK, Japan
Imports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels; partners—US, Belgium, France, FRG, Italy, Japan, UK
External debt: $8.6 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 2,574,000 kW capacity; 5,550 million kWh produced, 160 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, and cigarettes), processed foods and beverages, cement, diamonds
Agriculture: cash crops—coffee, palm oil, rubber, quinine; food crops—cassava, bananas, root crops, corn
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $998 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $6.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $263 million
Currency: zaïre (plural—zaïre); 1 zaïre (Z) = 100 makuta
Exchange rates: zaïre (Z) per US$1—465.000 (January 1989), 381.445 (1989), 187.070 (1988), 112.403 (1987), 59.625 (1986), 49.873 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 5,254 km total; 3,968 km
1.067-meter gauge (851 km electrified);
125 km 1.000-meter gauge; 136 km
0.615-meter gauge; 1,025 km 0.600-meter
gauge
Highways: 146,500 km total; 2,550 km bituminous, 46,450 km gravel and improved earth; remainder unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes
Pipelines: refined products 390 km
Ports: Matadi, Boma, Banana
Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,802 GRT/60,496 DWT; includes 1 passenger cargo, 3 cargo
Civil air: 38 major transport aircraft
Airports: 312 total, 258 usable; 25 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 71 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: barely adequate wire and radio relay service; 31,200 telephones; stations—10 AM, 4 FM, 18 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 14 domestic
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force,
National Gendarmerie, Logistics Corps,
Special Presidential Division
Military manpower: males 15-49, 7,970,619; 4,057,561 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: $67 million (1988)
Zambia
_Zambia.jpg)
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 752,610 km²; land area:
740,720 km²
Comparative area: slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries: 5,664 km total; Angola 1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zaire 1,930 km, Zimbabwe 797 km
Coastline: none—landlocked
Maritime claims: none—landlocked
Disputes: quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled
Climate: tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Terrain: mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Natural resources: copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower potential
Land use: 7% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 47% meadows and pastures; 27% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 8,112,782 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 49 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: -6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 80 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
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