Zambia

Formerly a british colony known as Northern Rhodesia, the Republic of Zambia was created in 1964 after independence from Britain. Copper mining had long been the mainstay of the country's economy, and price reductions in the 1980s and 1990s along with prolonged drought jeopardized the economy of the new country. Contested elections and political corruption threatened political stability until 2002 when an anticorruption campaign was initiated. By 2004 copper prices had recovered, and new mines had begun operation. Other resources with the potential for improving Zambia's economy include: cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, and hydropower.

Economic prosperity in Zambia is hampered by high foreign debt, made more complicated by restructuring through the International Monetary Fund, though multilateral agencies are working with the government ...