A Few Facts about Zambia

- Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa (see map below); its capital is Lusaka (where we will be)

- English is the official language; in rural areas tribal languages are spoken; the main vernacular languages are Bemba, Lozi, Luanda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and Tumbuka




THE CULTURE:

- population: 11,862,740

- median age is 17 years (the median age in America is 37)

- the infant mortality rate is 101.2 deaths / 1,000 live births (in America it's 6.22 deaths / 1,000 live births)

- life expectancy at birth is 39 years (in America it's 78 years))

THE ECONOMY:

- about 2/3 of Zambians live in poverty

- the average annual income is $1500, making Zambia among the poorest countries in the world

- Zambia is ranked 197 out of 228 countries (America average income is $46,400 ranking America #11 in the world)

- unemployment rate in Zambia is 50%, as of the year 2000. This number has been impacted by the overall decline in the world economy.

THE FLAG:



- the green background symbolizes Zambia's natural beauty
- the red stripe is symbolic of the country's struggle for freedom
- the black stripe represents the racial makeup of the majority population
- the orange stripe symbolizes the country's copper riches and other mineral wealth
- the eage symbolizes Zambia's ability to rise above its problems

IMPACT OF AIDS ON ZAMBIA:

- more than 1 in every 7 adults is living with HIV, and life expectancy at birth has fallen to just 39 years

- the AIDS rate in Zambia is 15.2% (in 2007), placing Zambia at #7 in the world

- although the HIV epidemic has spread throughout Zambia and to all parts of its society, some groups are especially vulnerable - most notably young women and girls. Among young women aged 15-24, HIV prevelance is nearly 4x that of men in this age category

- children have been much affected by teh AIDs epidemic. In 2007, there were 600,000 AIDS orphans in Zambia.

- it is said that Zambia's youth offer the nation a "window of hope" - the hope of an AIDs-free future. Nearly half of all Zambians are between 0 and 14 years old; relatively few of these young people have HIV, and they are all eager to learn.

For more information about Zambia, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zambia

In Jesus' Love,
Andrea and Brian Tsang