Zambia is a landlocked country in southern Africa. In 1888 Northern and Southern Rhodesia (now Zambia and Zimbabwe, respectively) were proclaimed a British sphere of influence. Northern Rhodesia became a British protectorate in 1924, and its name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule. Zambia today is one of the poorest countries in the world. Its economy has historically been based on the copper mining industry. In the late 1960s, Zambia was the third largest copper miner, after the United States and the Soviet Union. In the 1970s, however, a collapse in copper prices, oil price shocks, and economic mismanagement had a devastating effect on Zambia’s economy. After more than two decades of economic decline, rising copper prices and sound macroeconomic policies have improved Zambia’s economic prospects.