Eastern Africa · AfricaZambia
Discover Zambia - home to Victoria Falls, the Zambezi River, walking safaris, and some of the most authentic wildlife experiences left on the African continent.
Where Is Zambia?
Zambia is a country in Eastern Africa. Its capital is Lusaka.
- Capital Lusaka
- Population 21.9M
- Area 752,612 km²
Zambia is where the walking safari was invented, and that tells you everything about the country's approach to wilderness. While neighboring countries built fences and tourist lodges, Zambia kept things raw. The South Luangwa Valley is one of the greatest wildlife areas in Africa, the Zambezi River carves through the landscape with a grandeur that climaxes at Victoria Falls, and the Bangweulu Wetlands hide the strange-looking shoebill stork in papyrus swamps that seem untouched since the Cretaceous.
The country itself is one of Africa's most peaceful, having avoided the wars and upheavals that scarred many of its neighbors. Zambians are famously friendly - the country's unofficial motto might as well be "one Zambia, one nation," a phrase that has held together over 70 ethnic groups since independence. Lusaka is a rapidly modernizing capital, copper still drives the economy from the mines of the Copperbelt, and the sunsets over the Zambezi are the kind of thing that makes you understand why people fall in love with Africa.
At a glance
Largest cities in Zambia
Lusaka
Kitwe
Ndola
Livingstone
Famous people from Zambia
Kenneth Kaunda
PoliticsFirst president of Zambia who led the country to independence in 1964 and governed for 27 years, known for his pacifism and handkerchief
Dambisa Moyo
EconomicsInfluential economist and author of Dead Aid, which challenged Western aid models for Africa and sparked global debate
Kalusha Bwalya
SportAfrican Footballer of the Year in 1988, Zambia's greatest player who led the national team through its golden era
Namwali Serpell
LiteratureZambian-born author whose novel The Old Drift was called a Great Zambian Novel, spanning the country's history from colonialism to the near future
Traditional cuisine of Zambia
- Nshima
- Thick maize porridge that is the absolute staple of Zambian life - eaten by hand with relish at virtually every meal
- Ifisashi
- Greens cooked in a rich peanut sauce, the most popular relish served alongside nshima across the country
- Kapenta
- Tiny dried sardine-like fish from Lake Kariba and Lake Tanganyika, fried crispy and served as a protein-rich relish
- Chikanda
- Known as African polony, a firm cake made from wild orchid tubers and groundnuts - a traditional delicacy unique to Zambia
- Vitumbuwa
- Sweet fried dough fritters made from millet or maize flour, a popular snack and breakfast treat sold at markets
Nature and landmarks in Zambia
- Victoria FallsLandmark
- The world's largest sheet of falling water at 1,708 meters wide and 108 meters high, known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya - the Smoke that Thunders
- South Luangwa National ParkNational Park
- Birthplace of the walking safari and one of Africa's greatest wildlife parks, with exceptional leopard sightings and huge elephant herds
- Lower Zambezi National ParkNational Park
- Pristine park along the Zambezi River offering canoe safaris past elephants, hippos, and crocodiles with zero crowds
- Lake KaribaRiver
- One of the world's largest artificial lakes, shared with Zimbabwe, famous for kapenta fishing, houseboats, and spectacular sunsets
Sports in Zambia
- Football
- Won the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in a fairy-tale triumph, 19 years after a plane crash killed the entire national team in 1993
- Rugby
- Growing rugby scene with the Zambia Rugby Union developing the sport at schools and competing in regional African tournaments
Did you know?
Zambia won the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, an emotional triumph that came 19 years after a 1993 plane crash killed the entire national team
Victoria Falls is neither the tallest nor the widest waterfall, but it is the largest by combined width and height - the biggest curtain of falling water on Earth
The walking safari was pioneered in Zambia's South Luangwa Valley by Norman Carr in the 1950s, forever changing how people experience African wildlife
Zambia has over 70 ethnic groups and languages, yet has remained one of the most politically stable countries in Africa since independence
Lake Kariba, on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border, is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world and generates hydroelectric power for both countries
The Bangweulu Wetlands in northern Zambia are one of the best places in Africa to see the prehistoric-looking shoebill stork
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