Zambia is located in Southern Africa, east of Angola. It is slightly larger than the state of Texas. The population was estimated at 10,462,436 in 2004. Africans comprise almost 99 percent of the population, and Europeans comprise a tiny minority. Between 50 and 75 percent of Zambians are Christian, and 24 to 49 percent are Muslim and Hindu. Dependent on copper exports and a variety of agricultural products, some 85 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. English is the official language, but over 70 indigenous languages are also spoken.

Zambia became a British protectorate through various treaties with African chiefs. Initially divided into administrative territories along chiefdom boundaries, the country was united in 1911 and became known as Northern Rhodesia. By 1960 the British government acknowledged that the days of colonial rule on the continent of Africa were coming to an end, and on October 24, 1964, Northern Rhodesia became the independent state of Zambia.

Kenneth Kaunda (b...