About Zambia






    Officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa consisting of tropical climate on a high plateau, an extensive river system and some hills and mountains.  The capital city is Lusaka, located in the south central part of the country.  The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province to the northwest.  The official language is English, but other recognized languages are Bemba, Tonga, Lozi, and Lunda, among other regional languages.  The population comprises of approximately 72 ethnic groups, most of which are Bantu-speaking.  Almost 90% of Zambians belong to the nine main ethnolinguistic groups: the Nyanja-Chewa, Bemba, Tonga, Tumbuka, Luda, Luvale, Kaonde, Nyoka, and Lozi.


Neighboring Countries:

 Democratic Republic of the Congo to the North,  Tanzania to the North-east, Malwai to the East, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Bostswana and Namibia to the South, and Angola to the West.  



Some facts about Zambia: 


  • In 2010, the World Bank named Zambia one of the worlds fastest economically reformed countries.  The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is headquartered in Lusaka.
  • The earliest account of a European visiting the area was in the late 18th century, followed by more visitors in the 19th century.  The most prominent of these was David Livingstone, who was the first European to see the magnificent waterfall on the Zambezi River, in 1855.  It was named "Victoria Falls" after Queen Victoria.
  • Victoria Falls is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is claimed to the largest.  This claim is based on a width of 1,708 meters (5,604 ft) and height of 108 meters (354 ft) forming the largest sheet of falling water in the world.
  • Locally the falls are known as "Mosi-o-Tunya" or the "thundering smoke" (in the Lozi or Kololo dialect).
  • Zambia is the 39th largest country in the world and slightly larger than the state of Texas.
  • About 68% of Zambians live below the recognized national poverty line, with rural poverty standing at about 78% and urban rates at 53%.
  • Zambia faces a generalized HIV epidemic, with an estimated prevalence rate of 13.5% among adults (ages 15 - 49) in 2009.  However, HIV incidence in Zambia has declined by  more than 25% from 2001 to 2010 .
  • Zambia contains 13 major wildlife parks and reserves making wildlife and eco-tourism a major part of their national income.   

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