Zambia
Updated: Sep 9, 2022
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Country Name
Zambia, and officially the Republic of Zambia.
Location
Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern-Central Africa. Zambia is bordered by Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Angola to the east, Namibia and Zimbabwe to the south, and Mozambique and Malawi to the east.
Capital
Lusaka.
Reason for Naming the country
The territory of what is now Zambia was known as Northern Rhodesia since 1911.
It was renamed Zambia at independence in 1964. The new name of Zambia was derived from the Zambezi river (Zambezi may mean "Grand River").
Flag
The flag of Zambia was adopted upon independence on 24 October 1964.
The Zambian flag is green with an orange eagle in the top right and a block of vertical red, black, and orange bands in the bottom right.
The placement of the eagle and block of stripes at the flag's fly is notable as most emblems and devices on flags are placed at the center or the hoist.
The Green color represents the country's natural resources and vegetation,
the red the nation's struggle for freedom, the black for the Zambian people, and orange for the land's natural resources and mineral wealth primarily copper. The eagle represents the people's ability to rise above the nation's problems.
Language
English is the official language of the country, used in government, business, and education.
The English spoken in this country is often referred to as Zambian English.
In addition to the English language, the government of Zambia also recognizes 7 official regional languages.
These regional languages include Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga, Lozi, Lunda, Kaonde, and Luvale. As regional languages, they are taught in the public school system at the primary level, depending on the region. Additionally, the government makes some public announcements in official regional languages.
Religion
Zambia is a Christian nation, but a wide variety of religious traditions exist.
Most of the population are Protestant Christians and a minority of Roman Catholics. Some of the Protestant churches in Zambia include the Presbyterian Church, Methodist Church, the Anglican Church, and the Evangelical Church.
There is also a small Jewish community, composed mostly of Ashkenazis, and a small community of Muslims.
Currency
Zambian kwacha (ZMW).
Time Zone
+02:00 GMT.
Government Regime
Unitary presidential constitutional republic.
Climate
In Zambia, the climate is tropical or sub-tropical depending on altitude, with a hot, humid, and rainy season from mid-November to March and a dry season from April to mid-November.
In the dry season, there's a cool period from mid-May to mid-August, and a hot period from September to mid-November, when the heat becomes very hot, but with low humidity.
October is typically the hottest month of the year. On the other hand, moisture is high during the rainy season, which begins around the middle of November, and lasts until the end of March. During the coolest period, from mid-May to mid-August, it can get cold at night, especially in the southern regions, where the temperature can drop to around freezing (0 °C or 32 °F).
The driest months are June, July, and August when it rarely rains.
During the dry season, weather conditions are generally very good: the sky is clear and the air is clear.
In September and October, the heat is intense, with peaks of 40 °C (104 °F), especially at an altitude of about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) or less. During the rainy season, not only the weather is hot and muggy, but also the rains can cause flooding and make traveling difficult. The best time to go to Zambia is from May to August: it's the coolest period of the year, and it's dry and sunny. However, nights can be cold, especially above 1,000 meters (3,300 feet).