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Lying in the heart of southern Africa, landlocked Zambia is a country of upland plateaus, bordered to the south by the Zambezi River. Its economic fortunes have been tied to the copper industry. Falling copper prices in the late 1970s, and then the growing inaccessibility of remaining reserves, have led to a severe decline in the economy. In 1991, Zambia achieved a peaceful transition from single-party rule to multiparty democracy.