Geography of Zambia
Location: | Southern Africa, east of Angola |
Geographic coordinates: | 15 00 S, 30 00 E |
Map references: | Africa |
Area: | total: 752,614 sq km land: 740,724 sq km water: 11,890 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Texas |
Land boundaries: | total: 5,664 km border countries: Angola 1,110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zimbabwe 797 km |
Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
Maritime claims: | none (landlocked) |
Climate: | tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April) |
Terrain: | mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m highest point: unnamed location in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m |
Natural resources: | copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower |
Land use: | arable land: 6.99% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 92.97% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 1,560 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | periodic drought, tropical storms (November to April) |
Environment - current issues: | air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks |
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note: | landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe |