According to abbreviationfinder, Lusaka is the most populous city and capital of Zambia, as well as the province of Lusaka and the district of the same name. It is located in the center- south of the country, on a plateau that is located at 1279 meters above sea level, specifically between the coordinates 15 ° 25 ′ ″ S 28 ° 17 ′ ″ E, covering an area of 360 km 2. It was founded in 1905 and two languages are spoken here: English, which is the official one, and Chichewa or Nyanja.
History
It was founded by European settlers in 1905 specifically in the place occupied by a town called: Lusaaka, which was actually the name of the head of said town, in its beginnings the city covered very little space, in what really was one more stop. of the railway connecting Rhodesia and Tanzania. In its beginnings, the city had tree-lined avenues, and its interior had abundant and well-cared vegetation among which colonial-style houses were interspersed, which is why it received the nickname of garden city. The capital of the British colony of Northern Rhodesia at that time was Livingstone, but due to the location of Lusaka to the center of the country in 1931 it replaced Livingstone like capital.
When declaring itself capital, the city grew without any type of planning, for which the lack of control and construction disorder became evident over time and it was common to find urban and modern areas mixed with other rural and indigenous areas, as well as residential areas with commercial areas.. In 1952 it was decided to order the city for which a planning was carried out and in this way put order in its development and progress. In 1964, when Zambia became independent, the city became its capital, which greatly influenced its rapid growth, becoming one of the fastest-developed cities in Africa after the colonial period.
Geography
It is located in south-central Zambia, on a plateau that is located at 1279 meters above sea level, specifically between the coordinates 15 ° 25 ′ ″ S 28 ° 17 ′ ″ E, covering an area of 360 km 2.
Climate
The city has a humid subtropical climate, with mild summers and mild winters, which is greatly influenced by its location at a high altitude, on an extensive plateau.
The coldest month is July, with average temperatures in the order of 16 ° C, and the warmest is October, in which average temperatures are around 25 ° C. The city has a rainy and a dry season, but during most of the year the dry season predominates.
Maximum daily temperature 38 ° C. Minimum daily temperature 4 ° C. Total precipitation 836 mm.
Culture
The city has a series of centers and places of historical, artistic and cultural interest, among which the following stand out:
- National Museum of Lusaka: It was established in 1996 and is one of the 4 national museums in the country. This museum has two galleries where contemporary art from the country is displayed, as well as historical and ethnic objects.
- Statue of Liberty: An extraordinary statue where national independence is reflected through a man breaking some chains.
- Munda Wanga Botanical Garden: It was created in 1950 as a private garden, later it was sold to the government. In 2008, a project was carried out to recover its original conditions and improve matters related to the integration of the country’s flora and fauna. It is the only botanical garden in Zambia.
- Kabwata Cultural Center: It was built between the 1930s and 1940s by the colonial government for black workers, it constitutes in itself a complex of around 300 cabins, most of which were demolished in the early 1970s. The 43 that managed to remain intact were protected and turned into a cultural center, home to artists from all over the country.
- Namwane Art Gallery : Gallery where there are exhibitions of painters and sculptors from Zambia and other African countries.
Education
In this city, all levels of education are present, including the university where the University of Zambia stands out, founded in 1965. In addition, the city has several of the best schools in the country, many of which are international.
Among the main schools, the following stand out:
- Lusaka International College.
- Rhodes Park School.
- Baobab College.
- International French College.
- Italian International College.
- Chinese International College.
- American International College.
Demography
Its population is 11,669,534 residents with a population density of 16 residents / km². It is made up of Africans (73 ethnic groups) with 98.7% Europeans 1.1% and another 0.2%. See population of Zambia.
Environment
Zambia is one of the most industrialized countries in Africa, and air pollution and the resulting acid rain are growing problems. Despite the substantial increase in agricultural production, population growth is so rapid that per capita production has fallen significantly since 1980. The lack of adequate facilities for water treatment generates significant health risks for the population.
Life expectancy remains low and access to many basic services is restricted. Wetlands, which include floodplains, swamps and coastal lowlands, make up 6% of Zambia’s area, although no area is adequately protected from degradation. 56.4% (2005) of the territory is forested, with mostly open forests. Deforestation advances 0.91% per year. Some important ecosystems are in danger of extinction, such as the mountain areas of the northeast and the gallery forests of the northwest plains.
National forest lands, almost all protected, constitute 9% of the territory. In addition, there are 19 national parks that protect 41.5% of the national surface, although the areas for management of game animals and protected forests cover more than 20% of the territory. In some regions, the economic integration of the protected area system with local communities has been successful.
Threats to protected areas include bush fires, agricultural intrusion, exploration and mining activities, hydroelectric development, habitat destruction due to local overpopulation of some game species, and poaching, especially of elephants and rhinos.
