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General Information
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
of rain varies considerably. In the north of the coun-
try rainfall is 1,250mm or more a year, decreasing
southwards to Lusaka where it is about 750mm an-
nually. South of Lusaka rainfall is dictated more by
the east and southeast trade winds, which have lost
much of their humidity by the time they have reached
that far inland. Rainfall in this area is between 500
and 750 mm. Except for very rare bouts of rain in
August, rainfall is confined to the wet season, which
sometimes starts as early as October and finishes
as early as March. At the height of the wet season it
rains every seven or eight days out of ten.
Average temperatures are moderated by the height
of the Zambian plateaus. Maximum temperatures
vary from 15ºC to 27ºC in the cool season with
morning and evening temperatures as low as 6ºC
to 10ºC and occasional frost on calm nights in val-
leys and hollows which are sheltered from the wind.
In the cool season the prevailing dry south-easterly
winds, formed by the southern hemisphere belt of
high pressure are very common. The cold air from
the southeast can bring cloudy to overcast condi-
tions. During the hot season maximum temperatures
may range from 27ºC to 35ºC.
Zambia has over 73 different tribes, with a popula-
tion of just about 13.3 million people, most of who
live in and around the urban centres. The popula-
tion growth is at 1.6%. Zambia has one of the lowest
populations to land ratios in Africa. Only 13.3 million
people in a country half the size of Europe. About
45% of the population is under 15 years of age.
The employment opportunities offered in the post
independence era in the copper mines and associ-
ated industries led to a strong rural-urban migration.
The result has been to make Zambia one of the
most urbanized countries in Africa. About one fifth
With over 70 different tribes in Zambia, there is wide
cultural diversity. Interestingly enough however, it
is one of the few countries in Africa with very little
tribal animosity, and the existence of so many tribes
has proved less of a political problem than in many
other African states. The main tribes are the Lozi,
the Bemba, the Ngoni, the Tonga, the Luvale and
the Kaonde.
The Lozi
The Lozi migrated into Western Zambia from the
Luba Lunda Kingdom of Mwata Yamvwa in the DRC,
which was one of the greatest central African Chief-
tainships in the 17
th
and 18
th
century. After many cen-
turies they were conquered by the Makalolo people
from the South, who freed themselves from the reign
of the great Zulu conqueror, Shaka. Their Sikololo
language developed into the lingua franca of the
Barotse plains, and much of their cultural traditions
spread on throughout the peoples of the area. The
Lozi people eventually rose up against them in 1864
and all but annihilated them. The Lozi were primar-
ily cattlemen of the plains who are ruled by a Chief
called the Litunga. Every year the Lozi migrate to
higher ground above the barotse floodplains of the
Zambezi in a grand ceremony called the Kuomboka.
The Ngoni
Originally from South Africa, also fleeing the Great
Shaka Zulu, the Ngoni migrated into Eastern Zam-
bia where they adopted the fighting tactics of Shaka
Zulu. They conquered indigenous tribes in the region
with ease. The day they crossed over the Zambezi
River was a momentous occasion marked by an
eclipse of the sun and ceremonial beer drinking, sto-
ries of which are still told to this day. They peacefully
ruled this area until the British colonial government
in 1897 conquered them with troops from Nyasaland
(Malawi). Their warlike festival, Nc’wala, was sup-
pressed until independence at which point it was
then revived. Today the Ngoni speak Chichewa,
the language of the people whom they conquered
and many of their cultural practices remain. At the
annual Independence celebrations every October,
the Ngoni dancers are well known for their perfor-
mances.
Ukusefya Pan’gwena tribal ceremony
of the population lives in the Copperbelt to the north
of the capital, but the biggest concentration of peo-
ple is in Lusaka itself with an estimated population
of 1.46 million, which represents about 11% of the
population. This has resulted in the emptying of the
countryside and massive tracts of uninhabited land
across the country.