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Zambia,
covering over 750 000 square km and larger than France,
Austria, Switzerland and Hungary combined, is situated in the tropical
belt about 10-18 degrees south of the equator. Situated on a plateau at 1 300
m above sea level, Zambia
has a temperate climate. The country is well known for its huge protected wilderness
areas - South Luangwa National
Park is home to arguably the most diverse range of game in Africa Birds
are found in rich profusion, and Lochinvar
National Park is believed to contain the widest variety of bird species
in the world. Zambia has many lakes and is traversed by numerous
rivers, providing the opportunity for canoeing, rafting or fishing in unspoilt
wilderness areas. Zambia
is the source of two great African rivers, the Zaire
and the Zambezi, the latter running through two outstanding tourist attractions,
Lake Kariba and the Victoria
Falls. Known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, the “Smoke that Thunders”, the Falls
are a majestic sight from the Zambian side. The country was originally inhabited
by the San, whose ancient rock art is still being discovered in various parts
of Zambia. The San were invaded
by the Bantu tribes from the north and an era of tribal warfare and slave trading
followed. Imperialist Cecil John Rhodes followed the missionaries into the
country and in 1911 the country became the British colony of Northern
Rhodesia, with the town Livingstone as its capital. In 1953, the Federation
of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was formed (now Zambia,
Zimbabwe and Malawi). The federation collapsed
after 10 years, paving the way for Zambian independence, as a Commonwealth
Republic under Dr. Kenneth Kaunda in October, 1964.
In 1972, Zambia
was declared a one-party state, but the country reverted to multi-party politics
in 1990. Zambia's elevation on a plateau
gives it a moderate climate, despite the fact that it is within tropical latitudes.
There are three seasons, a warm and wet season from December to April, a cool
and dry season from May to August and a hot and dry season from September to
November. Only during the wet season is there noticeable humidity, and only
in the river valleys of the Luangwa and Zambezi does it become very hot, mainly in the month of October.
National Parks
South Luangwa
National Park offers some of the best game-viewing in Africa.
It covers a vast area of 9,050 square km, and is bordered by the Muchinga escarpment
to the west and the Luangwa River to the east. The Luangwa
Valley forms part of the Great Rift Valley. The scenery is dramatic. The valley floor nestles
some 800m below the surrounding plateau and the Luangwa River carves its way through the centre
of the valley. The waters of the Luangwa and its tributaries
account for the profusion of wildlife, which can be seen either on open vehicles
or on guided walks. The Valley is the sanctuary of large elephant populations,
lion, leopard and a wide variety of antelope species. Thornicroft's giraffe
and Cookson's wildebeest are both unique to the valley, and the Luangwa
is home to greater numbers of Nile crocodile than any other river. The park
has over 400 bird species. North Luangwa
National Park Less well known than its southern counterpart,
North Luangwa covers a remote area of 4,636 square km and
offers a unique experience for those seeking a true, off-the-beaten-track experience.
Walking safaris are a speciality. The park lies to the west of the Luangwa
River, upstream of the South Luangwa National
Park, and separated by a narrow corridor. The jewel of the park is the Mwaleshi
River, which runs down the escarpment in a series of
waterfalls. Primarily a woodland area, the park has huge buffalo herds, and
is home to several large antelope species, including oribi and eland. Kafue
National Park Covering 22,500 square km, the size
of Wales, Kafue is one of the
world's largest national parks. The Kafue
River and its tributaries contribute a diverse landscape, and elephant,
buffalo, leopard, lion and a variety of large antelope can be seen. Much of
the park consists of woodland, which opens out at intervals into wide, grassy
areas known as “dambos”, which are grazed by sable, hartebeest, wildebeest,
buffalo and zebra. The northern section is dominated by a vast, rolling floodplain
fed by the Lufupa river system, which recedes in the dry season, stranding large
herds of hippo in the shallow pools. Lochinvar
National Park is divided into three distinct zones, the northern floodplain,
the central grassland and the southern woodland. On the floodplain, water-loving
lechwe antelope graze in their thousands. There are more than 30,000 lechwe
in Lochinvar. The central grassland, scattered with termite mounds and grassy
plains, is grazed by buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and oribi. The woodland to the
south are inhabited by kudu, bushbuck, baboon, vervet monkey and bushpig. Despite
its small size, covering just 410 square km, Lochinvar is one of Africa's
most diverse bird sanctuaries, sheltering an estimated 428 species, including
a number of extremely rare birds. Lower Zambezi National
Park was for many years a forgotten wilderness, but now the 4,902 square km
park welcomes visitors from around the world. Situated along the northern bank
of the Zambezi River, downstream
from the Victoria Falls, the Zambezi
is the focal point for the abundant wildlife. Canoeing safaris are a popular
way of exploring the Lower Zambezi.
Lusaka, the capital,
has a population of more than 1,5 million. Places of interest include Munda
Wanga, which houses over 300 plant varieties, the National
Assembly Building, the Anglican
Cathedral, House No. 394 in Chilenje from where President Kaunda directed his
struggle for Zambia's independence
in the early 1960s, the Luburma market and the Kabwata Cultural Village.
Ndola, the commercial centre 320 km north of Lusaka,
is near the copper belt, the mineral-producing region. Places of interest include
the Monkey Fountain Zoo, the Dag Hammarskjoeld Memorial, the Slave Tree and
the Copplerbelt Museum. Livingstone,5 km north of the Victoria Falls, is the tourist
capital of Zambia. The Maramba Cultural Village
was established to preserve the crafts of the country. The Livingstone
Museum has four galleries open to the public. The
Field Museum displays
forms of life around the Falls from more than 50 000 years ago. The Steam Railway Museum
exhibits steam locomotives dating back to 1892. The Victoria Falls, situated a few kilometres from Livingstone, are considered
to be one of the seven wonders of the world. Here the Zambezi River falls headlong over a 1 000
m-wide expanse into a chasm 100 m below. The Knife Edge footbridge, spanning
a narrow ridge of rock between the mainland and an island, provides an excellent
viewpoint.
For detailed information on Zambia, contact the Zambia National Tourist Board
Lusaka Phone: +260 1 22 9087/90 Fax: +260 1 22 5174 E-mail:
zntb@zamnet.zm Livingstone Phone: +260
3 32 1404 Fax: +260 3 32 1487 E-mail: zntblive@zamnet.zm
Pretoria Phone: +27 12 326 1847 Fax: +27 12 326 2140 E-mail: zahpta@mweb.co.za London +20 7589 6655 Fax: +20
7581 1353 E-mail: zntb@aol.com
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