respectively. The national population density was 13.1 persons per square
kilometre in 2000 as compared to 9.8 persons per square kilometre in 1990.
Zambia’s provincial population distribution is such that the most urbanized
and populated provinces (Lusaka and Copperbelt) hold the highest population
densities of 50 and 64 persons per square kilometre, respectively (See Table
2).
Table 2: Population Density by Province, 1990 and 2000
Province
Population (`000)
Area per
square km
(`000)
95
31
69
51
22
148
126
85
126
753
1990
2000
Central
772
1,012
Copperbelt
1,458
1,581
Eastern
1,005
1,306
Luapula
564
775
Lusaka
991
1,391
Northern
926
1,259
North-Western
438
583
Southern
966
1,212
Western
639
765
Total Zambia
7,759
9,886
Note: ‘ De jure’ population figures used.
Population density per
square km
1990
2000
8.2
10.7
46.6
50.5
14.5
18.9
11.2
15.3
45.3
63.5
6.3
8.5
3.5
4.6
11.3
14.2
5.1
6.1
10.3
13.1
Source: CSO Census of Population and Housing Reports, 1990 and 2000
6.
Zambia is a multiracial and multicultural country whose population mostly
comprises persons of African origin, 99.5 percent in 2000; an increase
from 98.7 percent recorded in the 1990 census. The non-African
groupings comprise Americans, Asians, Europeans and the rest are
classified as `Other`, for statistical purposes only (see Table 3). In
Zambian censuses, ethnicity for non-Zambians refers to their continent of
origin while for Zambians it implies indigenous Zambian tribes. Officially,
there are 72 tribes in Zambia with each of them speaking a distinct
language. While language is not habitually synonymous with tribe, a fair
assumption is made that the number of languages in the country is equal
to the number of tribes.
14