Zambia is landlocked in the middle of
southern Africa and is home to 9.8 million people. The capital city is
Lusaka, the currency is the Zambian Kwacha and the official languages
are Bemba, English and Nyanja.
It is bordered by Angola to the west, the Congo (Zaïre) to the
west and north, Tanzania to the northeast, Malawi to the east, and
Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south.
Zambia's main rivers are the Zambezi, which rises in the west of the
country and forms the border between Zambia and Namibia, Botswana and
Zimbabwe; the Kafue, which rises in the highlands between Zambia and
the Congo (Zaïre); and the Luangwa, which flows from the north
into the Zambezi.
Victoria Falls is found on the Zambezi between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
National Parks cover one fifth of the country's territory.
Kafue National Park is the largest national park in Africa covering
22,400 sq km.
Zambia's best known festival is the Kuomboka, held near the town of
Mongu in Western Zambia towards the end of the rainy season.
The event is marked by feasts, music and some of the best dancing in
the country.
A lot of traditional Zambian music is heavily rhythmic, usually played
on drums, whistles and thumb pianos.
Zambia's great wildlife parks are home to elephants, hippos, buffalos,
zebras, giraffes and lions.
