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The landlocked country of Zambia gets its name from the prominent Zambezi River that flows through it and for many this is the primary reason to visit Zambia. The small population of the country is concentrated mainly in the capital of Lusaka or around the rich copper belt. In the South Zambia borders all of South Africa’s Northern neighbours, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Namibia. DRC sits on the Northern border and Tanzania sits on the North eastern border, while Malawi borders its Eastern side and Angola its Western border.
The area was visited peacefully, it would seem, sporadically by British explorers throughout the 18th and 19th century without much effort to colonise the area. At the end of the 19th century through a peaceful agreement with local chiefs the area became the British protectorate known as Northern Rhodesia. For most of the colonial period the region was never ruled by more than 400 ex patriot British administrators. This is a tiny number in comparison to some of the British colonies of this time and could not have been achieved without the cooperation of local rulers and citizens. In 1964 the country was granted independence, became part of the common Wealth of Nations and took on the name Zambia.
Despite being recognised by the World Bank as the most progressive developing economy in the world 68% of the population still live below the recognised poverty line. The economy had historically relied on its copper mining until production fell off in the 1970’s and the global price of copper took a nose dive. Today Zambia has a lot to gain from the tourism industry. Being in sub-Saharan section of Africa means it has the same abundance of wildlife and game reserve that have made Botswana, South Africa and Namibia such favourites with overseas travellers.
The Kafue National Park is Zambia’s oldest and largest national park, at 22 400 square kilometres it is the second largest national park in the world and is nearly the size of Wales. The wildlife here is abundant and the Big 5 are in residence. Prides of up to twenty lions have been spotted in the park, attracted by the huge herd of antelope that graze the area as well as wilderbees and zebra. Incorporated into the park are the Busahnga Plains, a vast expanse of wetlands that has never been spoiled by human development.
Another major source of tourist revenue is the Zambezi River and the fishing that is available. Fishing on the Zambezi River is some of the best in the world, and the world famous game fish the Tiger Fish is found here in abundance, attracting big game fisherman from all over the world. The Tiger Fish is known as a ferocious fighter and any angler worth his salt wants to try and bag one. The reputation they have garnered comes from their amazing speed and sharp teeth. Some fishermen claim they are one of the fastest if not the fastest fresh water fish in the world. They can grow up to 30 pounds although anything between 15 and 20 pounds is considered a decent trophy.
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