Zambia Government

The government of Zambia is characterized as a presidential republic, which means that political decisions are carried out as a matter of public concern by publicly elected representatives. The President of Zambia leads the country by serving as both the Head of State and the Head of Government. Legislative duties are the responsibility of the National Assembly of Zambia, a unicameral body made up of 158 representatives. The judicial branch operates independently of the executive and legislative branches. It is headed by two courts, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.

All citizens over the age of 18 are eligible to vote in the elections of Zambia. Voters elect the President to serve a 5-year term, which is limited to only 2 terms of service. Additionally, the citizens vote for 150 of the 158 National Assembly representatives. Legislative elections are based on one round of voting, whereby the candidate with the most votes wins. The President of Zambia appoints the final 8 representatives. Like the President, National Assembly members serve a 5-year term.

The National Assembly members convene at the Parliamentary House, which is located in the capital city Lusaka. In this city, the Parliament building can be found in the business district on Parliament Road. This four-story building was built after the country achieved independence in 1964. The government of Zambia reports that its exterior architectural design is meant to reflect the importance and strength of the political administration, while its main room (the Chamber) is multi-colored, perhaps reflecting the diversity in the country. When it was originally built, the Chamber room only had enough seats for 120 representatives. Today, the public can visit the Parliament building of Zambia after submitting a written request to the clerk.

Zambia has a multiparty political system. The current President, who has been in office since January of 2015, belongs to the Patriotic Front political party. This party, which also holds the majority in the National Assembly, is believed to follow a political ideology of democratic socialism. Other political parties represented in the legislative body include: the United Party for National Development (58 seats), the Movement for Multi Party Democracy (4 seats), and the Forum for Democracy and Development (1 seat). Additionally, 14 National Assembly members represent independent political parties.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

More on Graphicmaps

Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Lusaka
Languages	Bembe 33.4%, Nyanja 14.7%, Tonga 11.4%, Lozi 5.5%, Chewa 4.5%, Nsenga 2.9%, Tumbuka 2.5%, Lunda (North Western) 1.9%, Kaonde 1.8%, Lala 1.8%, Lamba 1.8%, English (official) 1.7%, Luvale 1.5%, Mambwe 1.3%, Namwanga 1.2%, Lenje 1.1%, Bisa 1%, other 9.7%, unspecified 0.2%
Ethnic Groups	Bemba 21%, Tonga 13.6%, Chewa 7.4%, Lozi 5.7%, Nsenga 5.3%, Tumbuka 4.4%, Ngoni 4%, Lala 3.1%, Kaonde 2.9%, Namwanga 2.8%, Lunda (north Western) 2.6%, Mambwe 2.5%, Luvale 2.2%, Lamba 2.1%, Ushi 1.9%, Lenje 1.6%, Bisa 1.6%, Mbunda 1.2%, other 13.8%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)
Religion	Protestant 75.3%, Roman Catholic 20.2%, other 2.7% (includes Muslim Buddhist, Hindu, and Baha'i), none 1.8% (2010 est.)
Government	Presidential republic
Independance	24 October 1964 (from the UK)
Area	752,618.00 km²
Water Area	9,220.00 km²
Land Area	743,398.00 km²
Population	15,510,711.00
Location	Southern Africa, east of Angola, south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
No. Bordering Countries	8
Bordering Countries	Angola 1,065 km, Botswana 0.15 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,332 km, Malawi 847 km, Mozambique 439 km, Namibia 244 km, Tanzania 353 km, Zimbabwe 763 km
GDP(PPP)	$65,170,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$3,900.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Switzerland, China, and Singapore.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are copper, cobalt, electricity, flowers, and tobacco.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and China.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery, transportation equipment, and petroleum products.
Climate	Tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain	Mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Learn More	Zambia

Zambia Government

More on Graphicmaps

What is a Trade Embargo?

Which Two Countries Used to Have the Same Flag?

What Is the Only Two-Sided State Flag?

Which Country Flag Looks Like the Texas Flag?

Flags That Resemble the US Flag

What is Demography?