The National Assembly, the country's legislature, consists of 150 members. The people of Zambia elect the president and the Assembly members to five-year terms. The country is divided into nine provinces. Each province is administered by a minister of state. There are more than 70 ethnic groups represented and eight major local languages spoken in Zambia.
Many people also speak English, the official language.
In remote parts of the country, village life goes on much as it has for hundreds of years. The people live in circular, grass-roofed homes and raise food crops on the surrounding land. The development of mining has caused thousands of Zambians to move to mining towns. Corn is the main food. A favorite dish is nshima, a thick porridge made from corn.