African fish eagle; national colors: green, red, black, orange.
Title | "Lumbanyeni Zambia" (Stand and Sing of Zambia, Proud and Free) |
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Lyric/music | multiple/Enoch Mankayi SONTONGA |
Date of Independence | 24 October 1964 (from the UK) |
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National holiday | Independence Day, 24 October (1964) |
Legal system | mixed legal system of English common law and customary law |
International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
Constitution | |
History | Several previous; latest adopted 24 August 1991, promulgated 30 August 1991 |
Amendments | Proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly in two separate readings at least 30 days apart; passage of amendments affecting fundamental rights and freedoms requires approval by at least one half of votes cast in a referendum prior to consideration and voting by the Assembly; amended 1996, 2015, 2016; note - in late 2020, an amendment which would have altered the structure of the constitution was defeated in the National Assembly |
Citizenship | |
Citizenship by birth | only if at least one parent is a citizen of Zambia |
Citizenship by descent only | yes, if at least one parent was a citizen of Zambia |
Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years for those with an ancestor who was a citizen of Zambia, otherwise 10 years residency is required |
Executive Branch | |
Chief of state | President Hakainde HICHILEMA (since 24 August 2021) |
Head of government | President Hakainde HICHILEMA (since 24 August 2021) |
Cabinet | Cabinet appointed by president from among members of the National Assembly |
Elections/appointments | president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 12 August 2021 (next to be held in 2026) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government |
Election results | 2021: Hakainde HICHILEMA elected president; percent of the vote - Hakainde HICHILEMA (UPND) 57.9%, Edgar LUNGU (PF) 37.3%, other 4.8% 2016: Edgar LUNGU reelected president; percent of vote - Edgar LUNGU (PF) 50.4%, Hakainde HICHILEMA (UPND) 47.6%, other 2% |
Legislative branch | |
Description | Unicameral National Assembly (167 seats statutory, 166 seats current; 156 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote in 2 rounds if needed, and up to 8 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms); 3 ex-officio members elected by National Assembly membership |
Elections | Last held on 12 August 2021 (next to be held in 2026) |
Election results | Percent of vote by party - UPND 53.9%, PF 38.1%, PNUP 0.6%, independent 7.4%; seats by party - UPND 82, PF 62, PNUP 1, independent 11; composition - men 142, women 25, percentage women 15% |
Judicial branch | |
Highest court(s) | Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, deputy chief justice, and at least 11 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 11 judges); note - the Constitutional Court began operation in June 2016 |
Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the advice of the 9-member Judicial Service Commission, which is headed by the chief justice, and ratified by the National Assembly; judges normally serve until age 65 |
Subordinate courts | Court of Appeal; High Court; Industrial Relations Court; subordinate courts (3 levels, based on upper limit of money involved); Small Claims Court; local courts (2 grades, based on upper limit of money involved) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Chibamba KANYAMA (since 30 June 2023) |
Chancery | 2200 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
Telephone | [1] (202) 234-4009 |
FAX | [1] (202) 332-0826 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.zambiaembassy.org/ |
Diplomatic representation from the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Michael C. GONZALES (since 16 September 2022) |
Embassy | Eastern end of Kabulonga Road, Ibex Hill, Lusaka |
Mailing address | 2310 Lusaka Place, Washington DC 20521-2310 |
Telephone | [260] (0) 211-357-000 |
FAX | [260] (0) 211-357-224 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://zm.usembassy.gov/ |
National heritage | |
Total World Heritage Sites | 1 (natural) |
Selected World Heritage Site locales | Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls |
Want to know more about Zambia? Check all different factbooks for Zambia below.