Geography and Location
Zambia is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. It is bordered to the north by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania to the northeast, Malawi to the east, Mozambique to the southeast, Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south, Namibia to the southwest, and Angola to the west. With an area of 752,614 square kilometers (290,586 square miles), Zambia is the 39th-largest country in the world. The country lies mostly between latitudes 8° and 18°S, and longitudes 22° and 34°E.
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 north, which serve as the core economic hubs of Zambia.
Terrain and Climate
Zambia consists mostly of high plateaus with some hills and mountains, dissected by river valleys. The country is located on the plateau of Central Africa, between 1,000 and 1,600 metres (3,300 and 5,200 feet) above sea level. This moderate elevation gives the land a generally temperate climate despite its tropical location.
The climate of Zambia is tropical, modified by elevation. According to the Köppen climate classification, most of the country is classified as humid subtropical or tropical wet and dry, with stretches of semi-arid steppe climate in the southwest and along the Zambezi valley. The two main seasons are the rainy season from November to April (corresponding to summer) and the dry season from May or June to October or November (corresponding to winter).
Rivers and Water Systems
Zambia is drained by two major river basins: the Zambezi/Kafue basin in the centre, west, and south covering about three-quarters of the country, and the Congo basin in the north covering about one-quarter of the country. The Zambezi River flows through the country in the west and then forms its southern border with Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Two of the Zambezi's longest and largest tributaries, the Kafue and the Luangwa, flow mainly in Zambia.
Biodiversity
In 2015, Zambia was reported to have approximately 12,505 identified species, consisting of 63% animal species, 33% plant species, and 4% bacterial species and other microorganisms.
The country is home to diverse wildlife and plant life:
- There are an estimated 3,543 species of wild flowering plants, with approximately 53% of flowering plants being rare and occurring throughout the country. The Northern and North-Western provinces have the highest diversity of flowering plants.
- A total of 242 mammal species are found in the country, with most occupying the woodland and grassland ecosystems. The Rhodesian giraffe and Kafue lechwe are subspecies endemic to Zambia.
- Roughly 490 known fish species, belonging to 24 fish families, have been reported in Zambia, with Lake Tanganyika having the highest number of endemic species.
Etymology
The territory was known as "Northern Rhodesia" from 1911 to 1964. It was renamed "Zambia" in October 1964 upon its independence from British rule. The name "Zambia" derives from the Zambezi river, with "Zambezi" potentially meaning "the grand river."
History
Early Settlement
The area was originally inhabited by Khoisan peoples. Fossil skull remains of the Broken Hill Man (also known as Kabwe Man), dated between 300,000 and 125,000 years BC, demonstrate that early humans inhabited the area. Around AD 300, migrating Bantu people began to settle in Zambia, and the Khoisan and Batwa peoples gradually disappeared from the region. Ancient rock art in Zambia, such as the Mwela Rock Paintings, Mumbwa Caves, and Nachikufu Cave, is attributed to these early hunter-gatherers.
Colonial Period
Following European expeditions in the eighteenth century, the British Empire began to consolidate control of the area after the 1890 British Ultimatum against the Portuguese, who had claimed the area between Angola and Mozambique. Britain formed the British protectorates of Barotziland–North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia towards the end of the nineteenth century. These protectorates were merged in 1911 to form Northern Rhodesia. For most of the colonial period, Zambia was governed by an administration appointed from London with the advice of the British South Africa Company.
Independence and Modern Era
On 24 October 1964, Zambia became independent of the United Kingdom as a republic in the Commonwealth. Prime Minister Kenneth Kaunda became the inaugural president. Kaunda's socialist United National Independence Party (UNIP) maintained power from 1964 until 1991. From 1972 to 1991, Zambia was a one-party state with UNIP as the sole legal political party, operating under the motto "One Zambia, One Nation" coined by Kaunda.
Following the introduction of a multiparty system in the early 1990s, Kaunda was defeated in the 1991 Zambian general election. Since then, Zambia has continued to experience peaceful transitions of power.
Economy and Resources
Natural resources in Zambia include minerals, wildlife, forestry, freshwater, and arable land. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is headquartered in Lusaka. However, as of a 2018 estimate, 47.9% of the population is affected by multidimensional poverty.