Complete description of Zambia. Complete Description of Zambia Highest Authority

The Kafue River is one of the main tributaries of the Zambezi and plays an important role in the life of the Zambian ecosystem. Kafue is one of the most significant rivers in southern Africa and the largest and longest river located entirely in Zambia.

The river originates on the border of Zambia and Congo. Along its length, the course of the Kafue River changes from fast and seething, when the river passes through numerous rapids and waterfalls, to slow and unhurried. Hippos, crocodiles and otters can be found on the sandy banks of numerous tributaries. There are also flocks of birds - bee-eaters, equipping their nests in sandy burrows on coastal slopes.

The Kafue River, together with another tributary of the Zambezi, the Musa, flows into Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, which is 370 square kilometers of calm and clear water. The area where the rivers flow into the lake is great for boating and wildlife watching. The length of the Kafue River is 960 kilometers. Its water is used by the people of Zambia for irrigation, and hydroelectric power plants provide the local population with electricity. Kafue flows through the national park of the same name, dividing its territory into northern and southern parts. The river is the source of life for the abundance of living creatures that live on its banks.

Luangwa River

The Luangwa River, 770 kilometers long, originates in the region of the northern part of Lake Nyasa. In the lower reaches of the Luangwa, the river passes the border between Zambia and Mozambique. The river is fed mainly by heavy rainfall, which causes the water level in the river to rise significantly during the rainy season. At this time, the width of the river can reach 10 kilometers.

For the local population, the Luangwa River is a very important source of fresh water, and in some areas it is suitable for regular navigation. The area in the lower reaches of the river is quite densely populated, while in the upper and middle reaches only small settlements can be found. This favorably affected the wildlife, which has been preserved here almost in its original form. The fauna of the middle part of the river, where the national parks of North Luangwa and South Luangwa are located, is one of the most interesting concentrations of wildlife in southern Africa.

The waters of the river are rich in fish, actively used as food by the local population. There are several types of catfish, tilapia. You can also find lungfish protopter. In addition to parks, there are large hunting reserves on the banks of the river. The territory of parks and reserves is inhabited by zebras, antelopes, elephants and buffaloes. The coastal areas are also of interest to ornithologists, as more than 400 species of birds are found here.

Zambezi River

The Zambezi River, with a length of more than two and a half thousand kilometers, is the fourth longest river in Africa. The river originates in the territory of Zambia and flows through the territory of several neighboring countries, flowing into the Indian Ocean in Mozambique.

Approaching the ocean, the Zambezi is divided into several branches, forming a wide delta. Together with numerous tributaries, the Zambezi forms a vast water basin of 1,570,000 square kilometers. Victoria Falls is located here, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. A cascade of hydroelectric power plants has been built on the river, providing energy to the countries of the basin.

The exact location of the middle and lower parts of the Zambezi River was marked on medieval maps. Of the Europeans, the first to see the upper reaches of the Zambezi was the English traveler and explorer David Livingston, who discovered the Victoria Falls a few years later. The Zambezi Basin is a natural habitat for many species of wildlife and birds. There are several national parks on the banks of the Zambezi and its tributaries.

There is no end-to-end navigation on the river, however, in some areas, the local population actively uses small boats. By renting a boat or boat, you can observe bird colonies and herds of large animals from the water - elephants, giraffes and zebras.

Sights of Lusaka

Zambia- a state in southern Central Africa. In the north it borders on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania, in the east - on Malawi, in the southeast - on Mozambique, in the south - on Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia, in the west - on Angola.

The name comes from the name of the Zambezi River.

Capital

Area

Population

9770 thousand people

Administrative division

The state is divided into 9 provinces.

Form of government

Republic.

head of state

President elected for a term of 5 years.

supreme legislative body

Unicameral Parliament (National Assembly).

Supreme executive body

Government (Cabinet of Ministers).

Big cities

Ndola, Livingston, Kabwe.

Official language

English.

Religion

60% are pagans, 30% are Christians.

Ethnic composition

98.7% - Bantu peoples, 1.1% - Europeans.

Currency

Kwacha = 100 ngway.

Climate

Despite the fact that Zambia is located in the tropical zone, the climate in the country is mild subtropical. The average annual temperature is + 19 °С. The rainy season lasts from November to March. The annual rainfall ranges from 700 mm in the south to 1500 mm in the north.

Flora

Almost the entire territory of the state is occupied by savannah, where a large number of baobabs and acacias are found, teak forests grow in the southwest. Tropical rainforests are common in the valleys.

Fauna

The animal world of Zambia is characterized by an elephant, a lion, a rhinoceros, several species of antelope, a zebra, a jackal, a hyena, a crocodile. Inhabits a large number of snakes and birds. Occasionally there are ostriches. Termites, mosquitoes, tsetse flies are common.

Rivers and lakes

The main rivers are the Zambezi and its tributaries the Kafue and Luangwa, as well as the Luapula and Chambeshi. The largest lakes are Bangweulu, the southern part of Lake Tanganyika, the eastern part of Mneru and Kariba - the largest reservoir.

Attractions

National parks, Victoria Falls, as well as the city of Kabwe, near which the remains of the "Rhodesian man" were found, who lived at the same time as the Neanderthal. There is an Anthropological Museum in the capital.

Useful information for tourists

The most common type of dwelling is round huts with mud or wicker walls and conical reed roofs. Traditions and the consciousness of belonging to one's clan play an exceptional role in the life of Zambians, determining their daily behavior. Two systems of kinship are common: patrilineal - kinship through the male line and matrilineal - through the female line. The first is found in the Tonga, the second in the Bemba. Zambia attracts foreign tourists with its pristine nature: 19 national parks, one of the largest Victoria Falls in the world. Not far from Livingston is the Maramba Cultural Center - an open-air ethnographic museum: more than 50 buildings represent typical dwellings of different peoples. Around them, craftsmen demonstrate their art in traditional crafts.

• Zambezi
  The fourth longest river in Africa. The area of ​​the basin is 1,570,000 km², the length is 2574 km. The source of the river is in Zambia, the river flows through Angola, along the border of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, to Mozambique, where it flows into the Indian Ocean. The most important attraction of the Zambezi is the Victoria Falls, one of the greatest waterfalls in the world.
• Kalungwishi
  River in Zambia. It flows through the northeastern part of the country, in the provinces of North and Luapula. First, it flows about 150 km to the west, and then another 70 km to the northwest. It flows into the large Lake Mweru, located on the border of Zambia with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The length is 220 km, the basin area is 45,000 km². Not navigable.
• Kafue
  A river in Africa that flows through Zambia. It is a left tributary of the Zambezi River. The length of the river is from 960 km to 1577 km, the area of ​​its drainage basin is 154,829 km². The average water consumption is 314 m³/s. On the Kafue River, in the period from 1974 to 1977, the Itezhi-Tezhi dam was built. The dam has a height of 62 m, a length of 1800 m and a reservoir area of ​​390 km².
• Luangwa
  A river in Africa, a left tributary of the Zambezi. The length is about 770 km, the basin area is 145,700 km². It originates west of the northern tip of Lake Nyasa, flows into the Zambezi River near the city of Luangwa. It flows through the territory of Zambia, in the lower reaches it is the border river between Zambia and Mozambique. It is one of the largest rivers in South Africa and one of the main tributaries of the Zambezi.
• Luapula
  The river in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for almost its entire length, forms the border between these states. Connects Lake Bangweulu and Lake Mweru. It is considered one of the upper reaches of the Congo River. The river gave the name to one of the provinces of Zambia - Luapula. Before flowing into Lake Mweru (the last 100 km), Luapula is divided into several branches, forming a delta, which is most often called the Luapula swamps.
• Lungwebungu
  River in Angola and Zambia. tributary of the Zambezi. The sources are in central Angola at an altitude of about 1400 m, flowing towards the southeast. It has a floodplain from 3 to 5 km wide, flooded during the rainy season. Length - 645 kilometers. The river is extremely meandering. It flows into the Zambezi 105 km north of Mongu, being its major tributary in the upper reaches. This river, like many other rivers in south-central Africa, has high seasonal fluctuations, they are overflowing during the rainy season and extremely dry during the dry season.
• Chambeshi
  River in Zambia. The source is located in the mountains in the northeast of Zambia, not far from Lake Tanganyika, at an altitude of 1760 m above sea level. It flows in a southerly direction, after 480 km it flows into the Luapula River. At the end of the rainy season in May, the river brings large masses of water that replenish the swamps and inundate the vast floodplain in the southeast, supporting the Bangweulu swamp ecosystem. The water from the swamps then flows out through the Luapula River.

Zambia map

Satellite image of the territory

The most important mineral resources of Zambia are: coal, copper ore, cobalt, lead, zinc, tin, gold. There are deposits of iron ore, uranium, nickel, fluorites, some precious stones, etc. Coal deposits are located in the south of the country, near the northwestern coast of Lake Karibu, and also in the central regions of Zambia. In terms of copper reserves, Zambia occupies one of the leading positions among all countries of the world (according to data for 2008 - 9th place). Copper deposits are confined to the Copper Belt of Central Africa, on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tin deposits are rather small, they are all located in the south of the country.

Climate

Inland waters

Zambezi River

The basin of the river flowing along the western and southern borders of the country Zambezi occupies about three-quarters of the country's territory, the rest belongs to the river basin Congo. A small area in the north-east of the country belongs to the inland basin of the lake Rukva located in Tanzania. The watershed between the Congo, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean, and the Zambezi, which flows into the Indian Ocean, approximately coincides with the state border of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Zambezi River originates in the extreme northwest of Zambia, then passes through the territory of Angola and again returns to Zambia, forming most of its southern border. On the border of Zambia with Zimbabwe, there are several waterfalls on the Zambezi, including the famous Victoria Falls. The largest tributaries of the Zambezi in Zambia are rivers Kafue And Luangwa. Major rivers in the Congo Basin