The Republic of Zambia is a large country at the heart of sub-equatorial Africa. More than a quarter of its 10.5-11 million people live in two urban areas near the centre: in the capital Lusaka and in the industrial towns of the Copperbelt. The rest of Zambia is very sparsely populated, particularly the west and the northeast, and the majority of people make their living as subsistence farmers.  In its four decades of independence, the Republic has found peace but not prosperity. Zambia is today one of the poorest and least developed nations on earth, and has a crippling national debt. Around two-thirds of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. Zambia's problems have since the mid 1980s been compounded by one of the world's most devastating HIV and AIDS epidemics. The statistics alone are shocking:
One in every six adults is living with HIV  89,000 people died of AIDS in 2003
life expectancy at birth has fallen below 40 years, 630,000 children are AIDS orphans.

HIV has spread throughout Zambia and to all parts of society. However, some groups are especially vulnerable - most notably young women and girls. AIDS has worst hit those in their most productive years, and, as families have disintegrated, thousands have been left destitute.

Full country name: Republic of Zambia, Former: Northern Rhodesia 
Capital: Lusaka 
Area total: 752,614 sq km 
Population: 11,502,010 
People living with HIV/AIDS: 920,000 (2003 est.) 
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk - VERY HIGH
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever 
vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations 
water contact disease: schistosomiasis 
Language: English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages 
Religion: Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Government: republic 
Climate: tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Natural Resources: copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower 
Major Industries: copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture 
Imports partners: South Africa 46.2%, UK 14.2%, UAE 7.1%, Zimbabwe 6%
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for Southern Africa and possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it an unattractive venue for money launderers