GeographyZambia is situated in the southern part of Africa. Its neighbouring countries are Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Angola. Zambia is a large country about the size of France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland combined. The country takes its name from the Zambezi river, one of the biggest rivers located in Africa. Zambia has nine provinces. Kabwe, where I'm going to be staying, is the capital of the central province. Lusaka is Zambia's capital. The terrain of Zambia is mostly high plateau, with some hills and mountains. Zambia has a tropical climate with a rainy season that runs from October until March. |
Political situation
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In 1889 Britain gained control over the area, It was then called Northern Rhodesia. Britain had many other colonies in Africa which you can see in the picture next to this text. An independence struggle unleashed in 1960. Kenneth Kaunda, a revolutionary, launches the United National Independence Party ( UNIP). Zambia became independent in 1964. Kenneth Kaunda was its first official president, who remained in control until 1991. In 1973 Kaunda's UNIP became the only legal party until 1991. Zambia became a one-party state. In 1991 there were the first multi-party elections in 23 years which Frederick Chiluba wins. In 1997 there is an attempted coup by former president Kaunda but it is oppressed and Kaunda is arrested though he isn't convicted. In 2001 Chiluba steps down and Levy Mwanawasa is elected as the new president of Zambia. He is succeeded by Rupiah Banda and later Michael Sata. The current president of Zambia is Edgar Lungu, he became the sixth president in 2015.
Demographics
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There are currently 16 965 493 people living in Zambia. The population is almost equally divided into males and females. Zambia's population density is 22.5 people per square kilometer as of January 2017. 46,7 Percent of the population is under 15 years old, 50,8 percent is between15 and 64 and 2,5 percent is older than 64.
In the following graphic you can find the population growth.
In the following graphic you can find the population growth.
Economical situation
Zambia is one of the most highly urbanized countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. Its official currency is the Zambian Kwacha. The region where I'm going to stay, Kabwe, is known for its lead and zinc deposits. The Broken Hill mine was the largest in the country until the copper mine complexes took over in the Copperbelt in the 1930s. Zambian economy in general has historically been based on the coper-mining industry.
Gros domestic product
Poverty
According to The World Bank data 60.5 percent of the population lives in poverty. There is also a lot of malnutrition widespread in the country. According to the World Health Organization nearly half of all children under five are stunted and 15 % are underweight. For every 1,000 live births, 140 children will die in Zambia before they reach five years of age, according to the World Health Organization. Although these are severe numbers, the situation is improving. In 1993 almost 86 % lived in poverty.
Unemployment
Unemployment Rate in Zambia increased to 13.30 percent in 2014 from 13.10 percent in 2013. Unemployment Rate in Zambia averaged 14.44 percent from 1986 until 2014, reaching an all time high of 19.70 percent in 1993 and a record low of 12.00 percent in 1998.
Religion
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The vast majority of the country are Christians. Most of these Christians are Protestants (75,3 %) but there are also some Catholics (20.2%). Christianity has arrived in the mid 19th century in the form of European Protestant missionaries. The most well known missionary in Zambia was David Livingstone. Today the famous Victoria falls are located in Livingstone, the area which is named after this missionary. There are also some Muslims and Atheïsts in Zambia but this is a small percentage.
Language
The official language of Zambia is English. This is mainly because Zambia is a former British colony. Zambia also has several major languages, all of them member of the Bantu family. Bemba, Nyanja and Tonga are the three most spoken languages in Zambia. Here you can find some common phrases in Bemba.
“Welcome to Zambia!” = “Mwaiseni ku Zambia!
“How is your day going?” = Mwatandala shani? or “Mwabomba shani?”
"God bless you = Lesa akupâle (s), Lesa amupâle (pl.)"
“Thank you” = Natôtela (s), Twatôtela (pl.)
“You are welcome” = Awe, cilifye, mukwai (“No, It’s ok”)
“Come” = Isa (singular), Iseni (pl.)
“Follow me” = Nkonka (s), Nkonkeni (pl.)
“Welcome to Zambia!” = “Mwaiseni ku Zambia!
“How is your day going?” = Mwatandala shani? or “Mwabomba shani?”
"God bless you = Lesa akupâle (s), Lesa amupâle (pl.)"
“Thank you” = Natôtela (s), Twatôtela (pl.)
“You are welcome” = Awe, cilifye, mukwai (“No, It’s ok”)
“Come” = Isa (singular), Iseni (pl.)
“Follow me” = Nkonka (s), Nkonkeni (pl.)
Culture
Zambia has many old traditions and values and norms. There are more than 20 annual traditional ceremonies in Zambia. These can be very diverse from rituals to oral history to material and spiritual culture. I hope I have the privilige to attend some of these festivals. If so, you can read about it in my blog ;). Music and dance also play an important part in Zambian culture. Many traditional instruments are still played throughout the country, although the desire for western instruments increases. Beneath the text you can find a sample of a traditional Zambian dance.
Nature
Zambia is home to many spectacular wonders of nature. There are 20 National Parks in Zambia. In these protected parks you can find many different animals and plants. Tourists can go to these parks and go on a safari and explore the beauty of Zambian wildlife. In Livingstone you can find the Victoria Falls, which is a World Heritage Site.