The first place in the ranking of the poorest countries in the world is occupied by Zambia - a South African country, most of whose territory is located on a plateau. Zambia has a tropical climate and is the thirty-eighth largest in the world in terms of area - while its population literally lives below the poverty line.
Country features
On the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, there are a large number of waterfalls, including the famous Victoria Falls, which are annually visited by tourists from all over the world. About three quarters of Zambia's territory is occupied by the Zambezi River Basin, while the rest of the country belongs to the Congo Basin. Zambia is also known for its mineral resources, which contain large reserves of cobalt, copper, gold, emeralds, silver, lead, uranium, manganese, zinc and coal.
The Zambian fauna is mainly represented by elephants, lions, rhinos and several species of antelope.
The territory of Zambia has been inhabited by Bushmen tribes since ancient times - these hunters and gatherers settled there several thousand years ago. Then they were driven south by the northern tribes of the Hottentots, who were herders and landowners, who had arrived in Zambia. The Hottentots, in turn, were driven from Zambia by the Bantu tribes who came from Central Africa - their main occupation was blacksmithing, cattle breeding and agriculture. Over time, the Bantu mastered the development of copper mines and began to trade with merchants on the coast of the Indian Ocean.
A country's economy
The main reason for the catastrophically low living standards in Zambia is the lack of access to the sea, which prevents the country from maintaining trade at a level that is not necessary for the economy. This is due to the fact that the passage of the main trade routes implies the possibility of using the water space, which Zambia does not have at all. As a result, the country is left with nothing but trade with African countries with even lower purchasing power.
In Zambia, 86% of the population lives below the poverty line, with only 1.5 thousand dollars per capita.
During the reign of Kenneth Kaunda in the country, Zambia adhered to a socialist type of economy, but the transition to a multi-party system in 1991 led to economic reforms and its growth, caused by the development of private entrepreneurship. However, 85% of the population still works in agriculture, cultivating corn, peanuts, sorghum, sunflower, sugarcane, tobacco, coffee and tapioca. The animals in Zambia are bred cattle, pigs, goats and poultry. The industrial sector employs 6% of the capable population, which extracts copper ore and other metals, and also processes agricultural products.
