Zambia - Atlas of our Changing Environment

1 C H A P T E R Overview Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa surrounded by eight neighbouring countries: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi,

Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. The country has a total area of 752,614 sq. kilometres of which 11,890 sq. kilometres is covered by rivers and lakes (ECZ 2008). It also has abundant natural resources such as wildlife, forestry and minerals, which are key drivers of the economy. The main pillars of Zambia’s economic growth are mining, agriculture, construction, transport and trade. Most of the mining activities occur in the Copperbelt and North-Western Provinces. The Zambian economy grew at an average of 6.1 per cent annually between 2006 and 2009. The country has a rich heritage and cultural diversity with different traditional ceremonies taking place. More than 20 annual traditional ceremonies are held to celebrate local customs, social life, history, natural cycles, past military glories and spiritual culture. Some of these include the Bwilile , Kuomboka , Nc’wala , Lwiindi and Shimunenga ceremonies.

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