Chembe is a small town in Milenge District

Milenge District

Milenge District with headquarters at Milenge, Zambia is the most southerly district in the Luapula Province and was carved out of Mansa District. As of the 2000 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 28,790 people.It is rural and undeveloped, lacking roads and infrastructure...

 of the Luapula Province

Luapula Province

Luapula Province is one of Zambia's nine provinces, and is located in the north of the country. The provincial capital is Mansa. Luapula Province was named after the Luapula River....

 of Zambia

Zambia

Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....

, which owes its existence to being the site of the Chembe Ferry across the Luapula River

Luapula River

The Luapula River is a section of Africa's second-longest river, the Congo. It is a transnational river forming for nearly all its length part of the border between Zambia and the DR Congo...

 dividing Zambia and the Congo Pedicle

Congo Pedicle

The Congo Pedicle refers to the southeast salient of the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo which sticks into neighbouring Zambia almost dividing it into two lobes, like the wings of a butterfly. In area the pedicle is similar in size to Wales or New Jersey...

 territory of DR Congo. The ferry connects the principal Luapula highway to the Congo Pedicle road

Congo Pedicle road

The Congo Pedicle road crosses the Congolese territory of the Congo Pedicle and was constructed by and is maintained by Zambia to connect its Copperbelt and Luapula Provinces...

, a dirt highway maintained by Zambia through Congolese territory to link Mansa

Mansa

Mansa is a Mandinka word meaning "king of kings". It is particularly associated with the Keita Dynasty of the Mali Empire, which dominated West Africa from the thirteenth to the fifthteenth century...

 to the Copperbelt.

With peace in the Congo, in 2007 construction started of the 350-metre Chembe Bridge to by-pass the ferry, due for completion in 2008. Subsequent paving of the Pedicle road will do much to improve trade through the town.