Zambia

Zambia A southern African country explored by Livingstone from 1855. In 1890 the British South African Company (BSAC) established its administrative and economic dominance over the area through contracts with the chiefs of the inhabitant peoples. Known as North-West Rhodesia since 1899, it was united in 1911 with Barotseland (North-East Rhodesia) to form the British Protectorate of Northern Rhodesia, named after the founder of the BSAC, Rhodes. The administration of the BSAC ended in 1924, when Northern Rhodesia became a crown protectorate with considerable self-rule. In contrast to Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), government according to the principle of indirect rule eventually led to the participation of some Blacks in government. To give greater permanence and stability to British rule in an age of growing decolonization, Northern Rhodesia was united with Southern Rhodesia and Nyasaland (see Malawi) to form the Central African Federation in 1953. Demands for independence and an end to White rule grew under Kaunda's leadership, so that a British government no longer willing to impose its will by force (in the wake of the Suez Crisis) granted Northern Rhodesia independence as the Republic of Zambia on 24 October 1964.

Kaunda became President, and partially nationalized the country's mining industry, the major earner of foreign currency. He stabilized his position among the ethnically heterogeneous population, and by 1973 his regime was sufficiently strong to allow him to outlaw all opposition and create a one-party state. During the 1970s he emerged as a leading critic of South African apartheid, as well as Smith's racist regime in Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe). The capital, Lusaka, served as the headquarters of the respective resistance movements, the ANC and ZANU. As Rhodesia was Zambia's main trading partner, the consequent deterioration of relations between the two was extremely damaging to Zambia's economy. Economic relations improved in the 1980s, but by then its economy was being hit by severe droughts, as well as declining commodity prices for its main exports.

In reaction to growing popular discontent, as well as an abortive coup in 1990, Kaunda lifted the ban on political parties and announced multi-party elections, held on 31 October 1991. They resulted in a devastating defeat for Kaunda's United National Independence Party (UNIP), and a victory for the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) under Chiluba. The latter liberalized the economy to stop the economic decline, though he was unable to prevent large-scale inflation (190 per cent in 1993). His privatization plan, imposed by the IMF, proved a disaster for the country's economy. In 2000 the copper mines, which accounted for 70 per cent of Zambia's exports, were sold for $90 million (Chiluba had rejected an offer of $165 million in 1998). Two years later the buyer, Anglo-American, announced its intention to close the mines altogether, with around 15,000 jobs directly at risk. Chiluba was succeeded by Levy Mwanawasa in 2002, who benefited from the divisions of the oppositions when he became President with 28 per cent of the vote, which represented a simple majority of votes cast.