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Zambia

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Zambia is a large country located in southern Africa.

Location Zambia AU Africa
Location Zambia AU Africa

It is a landlocked nation, which means it has no coastline on an ocean. Many different countries share borders with Zambia. To the north is the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. To the east lies Malawi, while Mozambique is to the southeast. Zimbabwe and Botswana sit to the south. Finally, Namibia is to the southwest and Angola is to the west.

Zambia (orthographic projection)
Zambia (orthographic projection)

The capital city is Lusaka, which sits in the south-central part of the country.

The land in Zambia is mostly made of high, flat areas called plateaus. These plateaus are broken up by deep river valleys and some mountains. The highest point is found in the Mafinga Hills.

Victoriafälle
Victoriafälle

Water is a very important part of the landscape. Two major river basins drain the land. The Zambezi and Kafue basin covers about three-quarters of the country. The Congo basin covers the other quarter in the north. The huge Zambezi River flows through the west and forms part of the southern border. The Luangwa and Kafue are two of its largest tributaries.

Zambia has a tropical climate that is shaped by its high elevation. This altitude helps keep the weather moderate. There are two main seasons throughout the year. The rainy season lasts from November to April. The dry season runs from May to November. This dry season is split into a cool period and a hot period. Most of the country is either humid subtropical or tropical wet and dry.

Koppen-Geiger Map ZMB present
Koppen-Geiger Map ZMB present

In the southwest, some areas have a semi-arid steppe climate.

The history of the land is very long and interesting. Very old fossils, like the Broken Hill Man, show humans lived there long ago.

NsaluCave
NsaluCave

Early groups like the Khoisan and Batwa lived in the region. Around AD 300, Bantu-speaking people began to move into the area. This was part of a huge migration called the Bantu expansion. Later, Britain colonized the region. It was known as Northern Rhodesia for a long time. On 24 October 1964, the country became an independent republic.

Zambia123f
Zambia123f

Kenneth Kaunda became the very first president.

Nature is incredibly diverse in Zambia. The African fish eagle is the official national animal.

African fish eagle, Haliaeetus vocifer, at Chobe National Park, Botswana (33516612831)
African fish eagle, Haliaeetus vocifer, at Chobe National Park, Botswana (33516612831)

There are about 12,505 different types of living things identified there. This includes many animals, plants, and tiny microorganisms. There are 242 different kinds of mammals living in the woodlands and grasslands. You can also find about 490 types of fish in the waters. Many plants are quite rare and only grow in certain spots.

Batonga women
Batonga women

The country is also known for its natural resources like minerals and wildlife.

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🖼️ Images & Media (28)
File:Public Seal of Zambia.svg
Public Seal of Zambia.svg
File:Zambia (orthographic projection).svg
Zambia (orthographic projection).svg
File:Location Zambia AU Africa.svg
Location Zambia AU Africa.svg
Zambian national anthem.oga
File:Koppen-Geiger Map ZMB present.svg
Koppen-Geiger Map ZMB present.svg
File:Cataratas Victoria, Zambia-Zimbabue, 2018-07-27, DD 05.jpg
Cataratas Victoria, Zambia-Zimbabue,...
File:African fish eagle, Haliaeetus vocifer, at Chobe National Park, Botswana (33516612831).jpg
African fish eagle, Haliaeetus vocifer,...
File:NsaluCave.jpg
NsaluCave.jpg
File:Batonga women.png
Batonga women.png
File:Great-Zimbabwe-ruins-outer-walls-3-1200.jpg
Great-Zimbabwe-ruins-outer-walls-3-1200.jpg
File:Mwata.jpg
Mwata.jpg
File:Lunda houses-1854.jpg
Lunda houses-1854.jpg

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