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Sub-Saharan Africa
For many decades, Zambia's development was dependent on copper. When the country was still part of the British colony of Rhodesia, the profits from copper mining were siphoned off abroad. After independence in 1964, the mines were nationalised. The export revenues were used to finance roads, schools and hospitals and ensured economic security. As the price of copper on the world market declined, Zambia grew poorer and poorer. In 1990, dissatisfaction with the worsening situation brought an end to the one-party state under President Kenneth Kaunda, who had been in power since 1964.
The country’s transition to a democratic republic with a free market economy is now well underway. Zambia is considered to be politically stable with democratic structures that, while still relatively new, are nonetheless robust in comparison with other countries in the region. The problems of the country's weak administrative bodies and the lack of capital in the private sector persist however. Although the price of copper rallied in the years leading up to the financial crisis and has done so again since mid-2009, increasing state revenues, the country is facing a difficult economic situation. A very high rate of HIV infection, poor infrastructure (roads, energy telecommunications) and corruption pose obstacles to development. The economy remains highly vulnerable to crises that have their roots outside the country, due to its heavy dependency on the price of copper.
Combating poverty
The World Bank estimates that almost two thirds of Zambians are forced to live on less than 1.25 US dollars a day. The rural areas are particularly badly hit; up to 80 per cent of the rural population live in extreme poverty. The government adopted the second stage of its poverty reduction strategy in December 2006: the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP). This plan places clear emphasis on pro-poor growth, with good governance as a cross-cutting theme for all policy areas. Considerable sums of money are required to implement the FNDP and the Sixth National Development Plan, which was elaborated in 2010. The Republic of Zambia cannot meet these costs without assistance.
The Federal Republic of Germany and Zambia have enjoyed friendly relations since the country became independent. Cooperation between the two countries seeks to reduce Zambia’s significant poverty and prioritises water supply and sanitation, decentralisation, good governance and developing civil society. Gender and combating AIDS are important cross-cutting themes.
German Embassy

German Embassy in Zambia
5209 United Nations Avenue
Ridgeway
Lusaka
Zambia
Phone: +260 / 211 / 25 06 44
Fax: +260 / 211 / 25 40 14






