Livingstone, Zambia
Encyclopedia
Livingstone or Maramba is a historic colonial
city and present capital of the Southern Province
of Zambia
, a tourism
centre for the Victoria Falls
lying 10 km (6.2 mi) north of the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe
on the other side of the Falls. Its population was estimated in 2002 at 97,000.
inhabitants, originally from the Rozwi culture in Zimbabwe, were conquered by Chief Mukuni who came from the Congo in the 18th century. Another group of Baleya under Chief Sekute lived near the river west of the town. The most numerous people in the area, though, were the Batoka
under Chief Musokotwane based at Senkobo, 30 km (18.6 mi) north. These are southern Tonga people
but are culturally and linguistically similar to the Baleya and grouped with them as the 'Tokaleya'.
The Tokaleya paid tribute to the Lozi
of Barotseland
but in 1838 the Kololo
, a Sotho
tribe from South Africa
displaced by Zulu wars
, migrated north and conquered the Lozi
. The Kololo placed chiefs of their subordinate Subiya people of Sesheke
over the Tokaleya. In 1855 Scottish missionary
explorer David Livingstone
became the first European to explore the Zambezi in the Livingstone vicinity and to see Victoria Falls when he was taken there by the Subiya/Kololo Chief Sekeletu.
In 1864 the Lozi threw off their Kololo masters and re-established their dominance over the Subiya and the Tokaleya in the vicinity of the Falls, which became the south-eastern margin of the greater Barotseland kingdom.
established imperial rule north of the Zambezi and launched a wave of mineral prospecting and exploitation of other natural resources such as timber, ivory and animal skins in the territory it called North-Western Rhodesia
. The main crossing point of the Zambezi was above the falls at the Old Drift, by dugout canoe, later an iron boat propelled by eight Lozi paddlers, or a barge towed across with a steel cable. The Batoka Gorge and the deep valley and gorges of the middle Zambezi (now flooded by the Kariba Dam
) meant there was no better crossing point between the Falls and Kariba Gorge
, 500 km (310.7 mi) north-east. As the Old Drift crossing became more used, a settlement sprang up there and around 1897 it became the first municipality
in the country and is sometimes referred to as 'Old Livingstone'. Proximity to mosquito
breeding areas caused deaths from malaria
, so after 1900 the Europeans moved to higher ground known as Constitution Hill or Sandbelt Post Office, and as that area grew into a town it was named Livingstone in honour of the explorer.
In the mid 1890s Rhodesian Railways had reached Bulawayo
in Southern Rhodesia
spurring industrial development there, fuelled by the coal mines at Hwange
just 110 km (68.4 mi) south-east of Mosi-oa-Tunya. The railway was extended to Hwange for the coal, but Rhodes' vision was to keep pushing north to extend the British Empire
, and he would have built it to Cairo
if he could. In 1904 the railway reached the Falls on the southern side and construction of the Victoria Falls Bridge
started. Too impatient to wait for its completion, Rhodes had the line from Livingstone to Kalomo
built and operations started some months in advance of the bridge using a single locomotive which was conveyed in pieces by temporary cableway across the gorge next to the bridge building site.
With the new Bridge open in September 1905, Livingstone boomed and the British South Africa Company
moved the capital of the territory there in 1907. In 1911 the company merged the territory with North-Eastern Rhodesia
as Northern Rhodesia
.
Livingstone prospered from its position as a gateway to trade between north and south sides of the Zambezi, as well as from farming in the Southern Province and commercial timber production from forests to its north-west. A number of colonial buildings were erected which still stand. Although the capital was moved to Lusaka
in 1935 to be closer to the economic heartland of the Copperbelt, industries based on timber, hides, tobacco, cotton (including textiles) and other agricultural products grew up. A hydroelectric plant was built taking water from the Eastern Cataract of the Falls. The town of Victoria Falls
in Southern Rhodesia
had the tourist trade, but many supplies were bought from Livingstone.
Of all the towns in Northern Rhodesia, colonial Livingstone took on a character most like those of Southern Rhodesia or South Africa
at that time, with a strongly marked segregation
which while not being officially enshrined as an apartheid policy, had similar practical effects. The north and western halves of the town and the town centre were reserved for the colonial government and white-owned businesses and associated residential areas, while African townships such as Maramba (named after the small Maramba River flowing nearby) were in the east and south. Asians and people of mixed race owned businesses in the middle, on the eastern side of the centre.
As independence approached and for a few years after, many whites in the town moved to Rhodesia or South Africa.
were used up, and the manufacturing industry suffered from the inefficiencies of state-run enterprises. In the 1970s and 80s this was exacerbated by national economic woes brought on by low copper prices and the failure of the government's economic management, so that when trade to the south re-started with Zimbabwean independence in 1980, Livingstone could not take advantage of it. The town seemed stuck in a time warp and was unable to afford new development or maintain the existing infrastructure. Although this meant that historic colonial buildings were not replaced by new development, it also meant the town could not afford to adequately preserve those that it had.
In the 1981 movie The Grass is Singing
(based on the Doris Lessing
novel of that name) and starring Karen Black
, John Thaw
and John Kani
, Livingstone was used as the location for a Southern Rhodesian town around 1950, for which year some of the streets in Livingstone could pass without modification.
In the last ten years, although manufacturing industry has continued to decline with the closure of textile businesses unable to compete with Asian imports, With the demise of Zimbabwe, Livingstone has experienced a resurgence in tourism and has firmly become the destination of choice when visiting the Victoria Falls. Livingstone has enjoyed a influx of investment in the industry from modern and sophisticated hotel chains like Sun International, to modern shopping centers and restaurants .
Apart from tourism, the other hope on Livingstone's horizon is development stimulated by the Walvis Bay Corridor with the opening of the Katima Mulilo Bridge
and completion of the Trans–Caprivi Highway 200 km (124.3 mi) east, which funnels more trade through the town.
The name Maramba predates Livingstone as the name of the river flowing on the eastern outskirts and the large township next to it. The name is used for a number of places and features in Livingstone and has been proposed as a new or alternative name for the city as a whole. Livingstone is the only non-African name for a town or city town in Zambia not changed since independence, largely due to the influence of first president Kenneth Kaunda
, whose father was educated by Scottish missionaries who followed in David Livingstone's footsteps. However several websites (including some United Nations ones) and some maps jumped the gun on any decision, and wrongly report that it is now called Maramba. The town's recent tourism success may mean that any change is less likely as businesses are likely to resist anything which would affect recognition of the town as an international tourist destination.
with hot and rainy summers and very hot springs and mild, dry winters with large temperature differences between day and night.
for more details.
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
city and present capital of the Southern Province
Southern Province, Zambia
Southern Province is one of Zambia's nine provinces, and home to Zambia's premier tourist attraction, Mosi-oa-Tunya , shared with Zimbabwe...
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....
, a tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
centre for the Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...
lying 10 km (6.2 mi) north of the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
on the other side of the Falls. Its population was estimated in 2002 at 97,000.
Pre-colonial History
Mukuni, 10 km (6.2 mi) to the south-east, was the largest village in the area before Livingstone was founded. Its BaleyaTokaleya
The Tokaleya people are indigenous to the area surrounding Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe. They comprise two related groups, the Toka and the Leya , and they speak dialects of the Tonga language....
inhabitants, originally from the Rozwi culture in Zimbabwe, were conquered by Chief Mukuni who came from the Congo in the 18th century. Another group of Baleya under Chief Sekute lived near the river west of the town. The most numerous people in the area, though, were the Batoka
Tokaleya
The Tokaleya people are indigenous to the area surrounding Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe. They comprise two related groups, the Toka and the Leya , and they speak dialects of the Tonga language....
under Chief Musokotwane based at Senkobo, 30 km (18.6 mi) north. These are southern Tonga people
Tonga people
The Tonga are an ethnic group living in northern Malawi. A related ethnic group also called the Tonga are found in Zambia and Zimbabwe, with some in Mozambique.-History:...
but are culturally and linguistically similar to the Baleya and grouped with them as the 'Tokaleya'.
Lozi
Lozi may refer to:*The Lozi language*The Lozi people*Lozi in South West Africa...
of Barotseland
Barotseland
Barotseland is a region in the western part of Zambia, and is the homeland of the Lozi people or Barotse who were previously known as Luyi or Aluyi. Its heartland is the Barotse Floodplain on the upper Zambezi River, also known as Bulozi or Lyondo, but it includes the surrounding higher ground of...
but in 1838 the Kololo
Kololo
-Location:Kololo is close to the centre of Kampala, bordered by Naguru to the east, Bukoto to the north, Mulago to the northwest, Makerere to the west, Nakasero to the southwest and Kibuli to the south.-Overview:...
, a Sotho
Sotho
Sotho may refer to:*The Sotho people , an African ethnic group principally resident in South Africa and Lesotho.*The Sotho language , a Bantu Language spoken in southern Africa, an official language of both South Africa and Lesotho.*The Northern Sotho language , a group of related Bantu dialects...
tribe from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
displaced by Zulu wars
Ndwandwe-Zulu War
The Zulu Civil War or Ndwandwe–Zulu War of 1817–1819 was a war fought between the expanding Zulu Kingdom and the Ndwandwe tribe in South Africa....
, migrated north and conquered the Lozi
Lozi
Lozi may refer to:*The Lozi language*The Lozi people*Lozi in South West Africa...
. The Kololo placed chiefs of their subordinate Subiya people of Sesheke
Sesheke
Sesheke is a border town in the Western Province of Zambia, and a district of the same name. It lies on the northern bank of the Zambezi River which forms the border with Namibia's Caprivi Strip at that point....
over the Tokaleya. In 1855 Scottish missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
explorer David Livingstone
David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
became the first European to explore the Zambezi in the Livingstone vicinity and to see Victoria Falls when he was taken there by the Subiya/Kololo Chief Sekeletu.
In 1864 the Lozi threw off their Kololo masters and re-established their dominance over the Subiya and the Tokaleya in the vicinity of the Falls, which became the south-eastern margin of the greater Barotseland kingdom.
Colonial history
In the 1890s Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa CompanyBritish South Africa Company
The British South Africa Company was established by Cecil Rhodes through the amalgamation of the Central Search Association and the Exploring Company Ltd., receiving a royal charter in 1889...
established imperial rule north of the Zambezi and launched a wave of mineral prospecting and exploitation of other natural resources such as timber, ivory and animal skins in the territory it called North-Western Rhodesia
North-Western Rhodesia
North-Western Rhodesia in south central Africa was formed and administered from 1891 under charter by the British South Africa Company which in 1890 had signed a treaty with King Lewanika of the Barotse, the most powerful traditional ruler in the territory...
. The main crossing point of the Zambezi was above the falls at the Old Drift, by dugout canoe, later an iron boat propelled by eight Lozi paddlers, or a barge towed across with a steel cable. The Batoka Gorge and the deep valley and gorges of the middle Zambezi (now flooded by the Kariba Dam
Kariba Dam
The Kariba Dam is a hydroelectric dam in the Kariba Gorge of the Zambezi river basin between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is one of the largest dams in the world, standing tall and long.- Construction :...
) meant there was no better crossing point between the Falls and Kariba Gorge
Kariba Gorge
Kariba Gorge is a large, natural gorge through which flowed the Zambezi River on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, Africa. In 1959 the large double arch concrete Kariba Dam was completed, completely filling the gorge and creating one of the largest man-made lakes in the world...
, 500 km (310.7 mi) north-east. As the Old Drift crossing became more used, a settlement sprang up there and around 1897 it became the first municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the country and is sometimes referred to as 'Old Livingstone'. Proximity to mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
breeding areas caused deaths from malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, so after 1900 the Europeans moved to higher ground known as Constitution Hill or Sandbelt Post Office, and as that area grew into a town it was named Livingstone in honour of the explorer.
In the mid 1890s Rhodesian Railways had reached Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
in Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...
spurring industrial development there, fuelled by the coal mines at Hwange
Hwange
Hwange is a town in western Zimbabwe, in the province of Matabeleland North. It is named after the chieftain of Zwange, who is now called Chief Hwange. The town was known as Wankie until 1982. According to the 1992 Population Census, the town had a population of 42,581...
just 110 km (68.4 mi) south-east of Mosi-oa-Tunya. The railway was extended to Hwange for the coal, but Rhodes' vision was to keep pushing north to extend the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, and he would have built it to Cairo
Cape-Cairo railway
The Cape to Cairo Railway is an uncompleted project to cross Africa from south to north by rail. This plan was initiated at the end of the 18th century, during the time of colonial rule, largely under the vision of Cecil Rhodes, in the attempt to connect adjacent African possessions of the British...
if he could. In 1904 the railway reached the Falls on the southern side and construction of the Victoria Falls Bridge
Victoria Falls Bridge
The Victoria Falls Bridge crosses the Zambezi River just below the Victoria Falls and is built over the Second Gorge of the falls. As the river is the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the bridge links the two countries and has border posts on the approaches to both ends, at the towns of Victoria...
started. Too impatient to wait for its completion, Rhodes had the line from Livingstone to Kalomo
Kalomo
Kalomo is a town in southern Zambia, lying north east of Livingstone, on the main road and railway line to Lusaka. It is home to the Batonga people. It was the first administrative centre of Northern Rhodesia, serving until the capital city was established at Livingstone in 1911...
built and operations started some months in advance of the bridge using a single locomotive which was conveyed in pieces by temporary cableway across the gorge next to the bridge building site.
With the new Bridge open in September 1905, Livingstone boomed and the British South Africa Company
British South Africa Company
The British South Africa Company was established by Cecil Rhodes through the amalgamation of the Central Search Association and the Exploring Company Ltd., receiving a royal charter in 1889...
moved the capital of the territory there in 1907. In 1911 the company merged the territory with North-Eastern Rhodesia
North-Eastern Rhodesia
North-Eastern Rhodesia in south central Africa was formed by and administered by the British South Africa Company as the other half, with North-Western Rhodesia, of the huge territory lying mainly north of the Zambezi River into which it expanded its charter in 1891...
as Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia was a territory in south central Africa, formed in 1911. It became independent in 1964 as Zambia.It was initially administered under charter by the British South Africa Company and formed by it in 1911 by amalgamating North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia...
.
Livingstone prospered from its position as a gateway to trade between north and south sides of the Zambezi, as well as from farming in the Southern Province and commercial timber production from forests to its north-west. A number of colonial buildings were erected which still stand. Although the capital was moved to Lusaka
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
in 1935 to be closer to the economic heartland of the Copperbelt, industries based on timber, hides, tobacco, cotton (including textiles) and other agricultural products grew up. A hydroelectric plant was built taking water from the Eastern Cataract of the Falls. The town of Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls is a town in the province of Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. It lies on the southern bank of the Zambezi River at the western end of the Victoria Falls themselves...
in Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...
had the tourist trade, but many supplies were bought from Livingstone.
Of all the towns in Northern Rhodesia, colonial Livingstone took on a character most like those of Southern Rhodesia or South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
at that time, with a strongly marked segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
which while not being officially enshrined as an apartheid policy, had similar practical effects. The north and western halves of the town and the town centre were reserved for the colonial government and white-owned businesses and associated residential areas, while African townships such as Maramba (named after the small Maramba River flowing nearby) were in the east and south. Asians and people of mixed race owned businesses in the middle, on the eastern side of the centre.
As independence approached and for a few years after, many whites in the town moved to Rhodesia or South Africa.
Post-independence
At independence, Livingstone had the benefit of some spending by the new government on development. This included a vehicle assembly plant, as well as the benefit of tourism by the army of expatriates hired to assist those projects, as well as by Zambians experiencing for the first time the pride and freedom of their own country. However, from the late 1960s, when the Rhodesian UDI crisis forced Zambia to close the border at Livingstone (see the main article on Victoria Falls for details) the town suffered economic decline due to a fall in tourism and the loss of trade to the south. The timber industry ended as the forests around MulobeziMulobezi
Mulobezi is a small town in the Southern Province of Zambia, and the centre of its timber industry. Timber extends into Southern Province with which the town is economically linked....
were used up, and the manufacturing industry suffered from the inefficiencies of state-run enterprises. In the 1970s and 80s this was exacerbated by national economic woes brought on by low copper prices and the failure of the government's economic management, so that when trade to the south re-started with Zimbabwean independence in 1980, Livingstone could not take advantage of it. The town seemed stuck in a time warp and was unable to afford new development or maintain the existing infrastructure. Although this meant that historic colonial buildings were not replaced by new development, it also meant the town could not afford to adequately preserve those that it had.
In the 1981 movie The Grass is Singing
The Grass Is Singing
The Grass Is Singing is the first novel, published in 1950, by British Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing. It takes place in Rhodesia , in southern Africa, during the 1940s and deals with the racial politics between whites and blacks in that country...
(based on the Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing
Doris May Lessing CH is a British writer. Her novels include The Grass is Singing, The Golden Notebook, and five novels collectively known as Canopus in Argos....
novel of that name) and starring Karen Black
Karen Black
Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
, John Thaw
John Thaw
John Edward Thaw, CBE was an English actor, who appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles, his most popular being police and legal dramas such as Redcap, The Sweeney, Inspector Morse and Kavanagh QC.-Early life:Thaw came from a working class background, having been born in Gorton,...
and John Kani
John Kani
Bonsile John Kani is a South African actor, director and playwright.He was born in New Brighton, South Africa.Kani joined The Serpent Players in Port Elizabeth in 1965 and helped to create many plays that went unpublished but were performed to a resounding reception.These...
, Livingstone was used as the location for a Southern Rhodesian town around 1950, for which year some of the streets in Livingstone could pass without modification.
In the last ten years, although manufacturing industry has continued to decline with the closure of textile businesses unable to compete with Asian imports, With the demise of Zimbabwe, Livingstone has experienced a resurgence in tourism and has firmly become the destination of choice when visiting the Victoria Falls. Livingstone has enjoyed a influx of investment in the industry from modern and sophisticated hotel chains like Sun International, to modern shopping centers and restaurants .
Apart from tourism, the other hope on Livingstone's horizon is development stimulated by the Walvis Bay Corridor with the opening of the Katima Mulilo Bridge
Katima Mulilo Bridge
The Katima Mulilo Bridge carries the TransCaprivi Highway over the Zambezi River between Katima Mulilo, Namibia and Sesheke, Zambia. It is a road bridge, completed in 2004, 900 metres long and with 19 spans...
and completion of the Trans–Caprivi Highway 200 km (124.3 mi) east, which funnels more trade through the town.
The name Maramba predates Livingstone as the name of the river flowing on the eastern outskirts and the large township next to it. The name is used for a number of places and features in Livingstone and has been proposed as a new or alternative name for the city as a whole. Livingstone is the only non-African name for a town or city town in Zambia not changed since independence, largely due to the influence of first president Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth David Kaunda, known as KK, served as the first President of Zambia, from 1964 to 1991.-Early life:Kaunda was the youngest of eight children. He was born at Lubwa Mission in Chinsali, Northern Province of Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia...
, whose father was educated by Scottish missionaries who followed in David Livingstone's footsteps. However several websites (including some United Nations ones) and some maps jumped the gun on any decision, and wrongly report that it is now called Maramba. The town's recent tourism success may mean that any change is less likely as businesses are likely to resist anything which would affect recognition of the town as an international tourist destination.
Climate
Livingstone has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
with hot and rainy summers and very hot springs and mild, dry winters with large temperature differences between day and night.
Livingstone's transport links
See the main article Transport in ZambiaTransport in Zambia
-Railways in Zambia:Total: 2,164 km -Zambia Rail Network Map:-Principal lines:* Zambia Railways Limited — narrow gauge, 846 km Kitwe-Ndola-New Kapiri Mposhi-Kabwe-Lusaka-Livingstone-Zimbabwe with several freight branches mostly in the Copperbelt totalling 427 km including to DR Congo...
for more details.
- Livingstone Maramba AirportLivingstone AirportHarry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport is an international airport in Livingstone, Zambia . Formerly Livingstone Airport, this airport is now called Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport. Harry Mwanga Nkumbula was the leader of the Africa National Congress in Zambia, one of the parties...
: domestic connections via Lusaka and an international connection to Johannesburg. - Rail (freight only) to Zimbabwe via Victoria Falls Bridge (weight restrictions apply).
- Zambia RailwaysZambia RailwaysZambia Railways is the national railway of Zambia, one of the two major railroad organizations in Zambia, which may also be referred to as Railway Systems of Zambia...
passenger and freight services to LusakaLusakaLusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
and the Copperbelt. - Mulobezi RailwayMulobezi RailwayThe Mulobezi Railway was constructed to carry timber from Mulobezi to Livingstone in the Southern Province of Zambia, when the country was Northern Rhodesia...
- Road to Zimbabwe via Victoria Falls Bridge (weight restrictions apply).
- Lusaka-Livingstone roadLusaka-Livingstone roadThe Lusaka–Livingstone Road or Livingstone Road is the main highway of the Southern Province of Zambia from the capital, Lusaka, to the principal tourist destination, Livingstone, Southern Africa....
- Recently rehabilitated road to the Kazungula FerryKazungula FerryThe Kazungula Ferry is a pontoon ferry across the 400-metre-wide Zambezi River between Botswana and Zambia. It is one of the largest ferries in south-central Africa, having a capacity of 70 tonnes...
to link to BotswanaBotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, and to Sesheke to connect with the Katima Mulilo Bridge/Transcaprivi Highway as part of the Walvis Bay Corridor.
Features and attractions of Livingstone
Livingstone's main places of interest are:- Victoria FallsVictoria FallsThe Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...
(Mosi-oa-Tunya) which is protected and served by the Mosi-oa-Tunya National ParkMosi-oa-Tunya National ParkMosi-oa-Tunya National Park is an UNESCO World Heritage site that is home to one half of the Mosi-oa-Tunya — 'The Smoke Which Thunders' — known worldwide as Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River...
on the city's south-western edge. - Wildlife safarisSafariA safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
(game drives) in the wildlife section of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. - BirdwatchingBirdwatchingBirdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. - Batoka Gorges below the Falls in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park.
- Zambezi River above the Falls including river cruises, sports fishing, kayaking.
- Victoria Falls Field MuseumVictoria Falls Field MuseumThe Victoria Falls Field Museum is a museum located along the Zambezi River in Victoria Falls, Zambia. It has displays relating to the history of the region, and to the formation of the falls.-References:**...
featuring geology and archaeology around the Falls. - Flights over the Falls including helicopter and microlight flights.
- Livingstone MuseumLivingstone MuseumThe Livingstone Museum, formerly David Livingstone Memorial Museum and Rhodes-Livingstone Museum, is the largest and the oldest museum in Zambia, located in Livingstone near Victoria Falls...
is devoted to archaeology, ethnography and history and contains a magnificent collection of memorabilia relating to David LivingstoneDavid LivingstoneDavid Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
. In front of the museum there is a statue to him, as well as to Czech ethnographer Emil HolubEmil HolubEmil Holub was a Czech physician, explorer, cartographer, and ethnographer in Africa. In a 2005 poll, he was voted #90 of the 100 greatest Czechs.-Early life:...
, erected in 2005. - Maramba Cultural Centre featuring traditional dancing, singing, costumes.
- Mukuni Village with its annual Lwiindi Ceremony in July.
- Victoria Falls BridgeVictoria Falls BridgeThe Victoria Falls Bridge crosses the Zambezi River just below the Victoria Falls and is built over the Second Gorge of the falls. As the river is the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the bridge links the two countries and has border posts on the approaches to both ends, at the towns of Victoria...
- Railway Museum of the Mulobezi RailwayMulobezi RailwayThe Mulobezi Railway was constructed to carry timber from Mulobezi to Livingstone in the Southern Province of Zambia, when the country was Northern Rhodesia...
- North-Western HotelNorth-Western Hotel, LivingstoneThe Northwestern Hotel is located in Livingstone, Zambia and was built in 1907 by Mrs and Mr Freddie Mills. It was actually the second hotel of that name; the previous North Western Hotel built in 1906 by railway contractors Pauling and Co was converted into government offices.Activities such as...
— built 1909 by 'Mopane' Clarke (awaiting restoration). - Saint Andrews Church — built 1910-11 in memory of David Livingstone and still in use.
- The High Court, Livingstone — built in 1910 (awaiting restoration).
- Old Government House, Livingstone — the main government office and governor's residence 1907-1935 when Livingstone was the capital of North-Western Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia; (awaiting restoration).
- Craft markets such as Mukuni Victoria Falls Craft Village
- Livingstone Golf Course
- Many more activities and attractions can be found at Livingstone Tourism Association's website.