Lusaka
Encyclopedia
Lusaka is the capital
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
and largest city 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....
. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres (4,265 feet). It has a population of about 1.7 million (2010 census). It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head north, south, east and west
Great West Road
The Great West Road may refer to:*A4 road from London to Bath and Bristol, England*The Golden Mile in West London, part of the above*Great West Road, Zambia...
from it. The two main languages spoken in Lusaka are English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Nyanja (a Bantu language). English is the official language. Lusaka is one of the fastest developing cities in Southern Africa
Government and administration
As national capital, Lusaka is the seat of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, epitomized by the presence of the National Assembly (parliament), the State House (office of the President), and the High Court. The Parliament is situated at the Parliament complex, which features a 15-story building. The city is also the capital of Lusaka ProvinceLusaka Province
Lusaka Province is one of Zambia's nine provinces. The provincial capital is Lusaka, which is also the national capital.-National Parks and wildlife areas:*Lower Zambezi National Park...
, the smallest and second most populous of the country's nine provinces, and forms an administrative district
Districts of Zambia
The nine provinces of Zambia are divided into a total of 72 districts.Article 109 in part VIII of the constitution of Zambia deals with local government...
run by Lusaka City Council. In 2007, the mayor was Steven Chilatu (PF
Patriotic Front (Zambia)
The Patriotic Front movement is the Zambian ruling political party. It is currently the most widely supported political party in Zambia. The Party was formed by Michael Sata as a breakaway party of the MMD in 2001. This was after the then-president Frederick Chiluba nominated Levy Mwanawasa as the...
), and the deputy mayor was Mary Phiri.
List of mayors:
- F. Payne 1954-55
- H.K.Mitchell 1955-56
- Ralph Rich (Zambia)|Ralph Rich 1956-57
- H.F. Tunaley 1957-58
- H.K. Mitchell 1958-60
- Jack Fischer 1960-61
- Richard Sampson 1962-63
- S.H. Chilesh 1964-65
- W. Banda 1965-69
- F. Chirwa 1969-1971?
- Dr. Simon C. Mwewa up to 1982
List of Governors (decentralisation - one party participatory era)
- Dr. Simon C. Mwewa 1982 to 1983
- Donald C. Sadoki
- Michael SataMichael SataMichael Chilufya Sata is a Zambian politician who has been the fifth President of Zambia since 23 September 2011. He leads the Patriotic Front , a major political party in Zambia. Under President Frederick Chiluba, Sata was a minister during the 1990s as part of the Movement for Multiparty...
- Rupiah BandaRupiah BandaRupiah Bwezani Banda is a Zambian politician who was President of Zambia from 2008 to 2011.During the Presidency of Kenneth Kaunda, Banda held important diplomatic posts and was active in politics as a member of the United National Independence Party...
- Bautius Kapulu
- Lt. Muyoba - up to 1991
List of Mayors - Multi-Party Era
- John Chilambwe 1993-1994
- Fisho Mwale 1994 - 1996
- Gilbert R. Zimba Local Government Administrator - 1996 - 1999
- Patricia Nawa
- Patrick Kangwa
- John Kabungo
- Levy Mkandawire
- Stephen Mposha
- Christine Nakazwe
- Stephen Chilatu
- Robert Chikwelete June 2009–present
History
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an (mainly British) settlers in 1905 with the building of the railway.
In 1935, due to its fairly central location, its situation on the railway and at the crossroads of the Great North Road and Great East Road, it was chosen to replace Livingstone
Livingstone, Zambia
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 north of the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of the Falls...
as the capital of the British colony of 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...
.
After the federation of Northern and 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...
in 1953, it was a centre of the independence movement amongst some of the educated elite that led to the creation of the Republic of Zambia. In 1964, Lusaka became the capital of the newly independent Zambia.
In recent years, Lusaka has become a popular urban settlement for Zambians and tourists alike. Its central nature and fast growing infrastructure sector has increased donor confidence and as such Zambians are seeing signs of development in the form of job creation, housing, etc. Consequently, it is thought that with proper and effective economic reforms, Lusaka as well as Zambia as a whole will develop considerably. Lusaka is home to a diverse community of foreigners, many of whom work in the aid industry as well as diplomats, representatives of religious organizations and some business people.
Education
Zambia's highest institution of learning the University of ZambiaUniversity of Zambia
The University of Zambia is Zambia's largest university, founded in 1966. It has a student population of about 10,000.-Academics:The University of Zambia is divided into the following faculties:*School of Agricultural Sciences *School of Engineering...
is based in Lusaka.
Lusaka has some of the finest schools in Zambia, including the International School of Lusaka, Rhodes Park School
Rhodes Park School
Rhodes Park School is private school for both boys and girls located in Lusaka, Zambia....
, the Lusaka International Community School, the French International School, the Italian international School, the Lusaka Islamic Cultural and Educational Foundation (LICEF), the Chinese International School, Baobab College
Baobab College
Baobab College is an independent day and boarding school, situated outside Lusaka, Zambia.500 students are enrolled from ages 2-18 to follow the National Curriculum for England and Wales...
and the American International School. Rhodes Park School is not an international school, though there is a large presence of Angolans, Nigerians, Congolese, South Africans, and Chinese. The children of the late President, Levy Mwanawasa
Levy Mwanawasa
Levy Patrick Mwanawasa was the third President of Zambia. He ruled the country from January 2002 until his death in August 2008. He is credited for having initiated a campaign to rid the country of corruption...
as well as the children of Vice-President George Kunda
George Kunda
George Kunda is a Zambian lawyer and politician. He was the Vice-President of Zambia, in which capacity he served between 2008 and 2011. He served under President Rupiah Banda until their party's loss to Michael Sata's party.The son of a miner, Kunda worked as a lawyer before entering politics...
, attend the Rhodes Park School.
Points of interest
Attractions include Lusaka National Museum, the Political Museum, the Zintu Community Museum, the Freedom Statue, the Zambian National Assembly, the Agricultural Society Showgrounds (known for their annual agricultural show), the Moore Pottery Factory, the Lusaka Playhouse theatreTheatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, a cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka, a cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
, a golf club
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
, the Lusaka Central Sports Club, and the zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
and botanical gardens of the Munda Wanga Environmental Park. The city is also home to the University of Zambia
University of Zambia
The University of Zambia is Zambia's largest university, founded in 1966. It has a student population of about 10,000.-Academics:The University of Zambia is divided into the following faculties:*School of Agricultural Sciences *School of Engineering...
. Along Great East Road are the two largest shopping malls in Zambia, Arcades shopping mall (with open-air storefronts) and Manda Hill shopping mall (enclosed shops), which was recently revamped and is home to international stores such as Shoprite, Game and Woolworths, a new movie theater and boasts of the first KFC in the country.
The city centre includes several blocks west of Cairo Road
Cairo Road
Cairo Road is the main thoroughfare of Lusaka, Zambia and the principal business, retail and services centre of the city. It was a section of the Great North Road and was so named because it is a link in Cecil Rhodes' then dream of a Cape to Cairo Road through British colonies in Africa.Cairo Road...
, around which lie the New City Market and Kamwala Market, a major shopping area, as well as the Zintu Community Museum. Further east lies the government area, including the State House and the various ministries, around the Cathedral Hill and Ridgeway areas. One of the main streets and points of interest upon business is the street of Cairo Road.
According to former mayor Richard Sampson, Cairo Road was named by a local farmer, Albert Dunbar, in about 1923.
Some buildings along Cairo Road are the Findeco House (25 floors), Central Bank Building, Indeco House (19 floors), Zambia National Building Society Headquarters (20 floors), Old Zambia Lotto Head Office, Zambia National Commercial Bank (21 floors), Barclays Bank Zambia Head Office, Stanbic Bank Zambia Headquarters, Investrust Bank (18 floors).
Airport
The city is home to Lusaka International AirportLusaka International Airport
Kenneth Kaunda International Airport is an international airport in Lusaka, Zambia, and was the hub of Zambian Airways. Formerly Lusaka International Airport, now called Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. The airport was renamed in honour of the first president of the Republic of Zambia Dr...
and lies on the railway line from Livingstone
Livingstone, Zambia
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 north of the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of the Falls...
to Kitwe
Kitwe
Kitwe is the second largest city in terms of size and population in Zambia. With a population of 547,700 Kitwe is one of the most developed commercial and industrial areas in the nation, alongside Ndola and Lusaka...
. This airport is the hub of Zambezi Airlines
Zambezi Airlines
Zambezi Airlines was a privately owned airline based in Lusaka, Zambia. Its corporate headquarter was located in Lusaka, Zambia. Its main hub of operations was Lusaka International Airport. It ceased its operation on October 31, 2011....
. Zambezi airlines offers flights to Johannesburg, Ndola and Dar-es-Salaam. Lusaka International Airport is used as a public and military airport. There is also an old airport nearer to the center of the city that is no longer used by civilians, but occasionally used by the president.
Bus
Bus services to towns surrounding Lusaka, such as SiavongaSiavonga
Siavonga is a town in the Southern Province of Zambia, lying on the north shore of Lake Kariba. It is Zambia's principal tourism centre for the lake, with accommodation, boating and fishing tours on offer....
and Chirundu
Chirundu
Chirundu may refer to:* Chirundu, Zambia, town on the northwest bank of the Zambezi river* Chirundu, Zimbabwe, village on the southeast bank of the Zambezi river* Chirundu Bridge, connecting Chirundu, Zambia with Chirundu, Zimbabwe...
use the Lusaka City Market Bus and the inter-city bus terminus station and the city bus station (Kulima Towers Station).
Sister cities
DushanbeDushanbe-Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River...
, TajikistanTajikistanTajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
, since 1966 Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, since 1968 Cork City, Republic of IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, since 1971 IzhevskIzhevskIzhevsk is the capital city of the Udmurt Republic, Russia, situated on the Izh River in the Western Urals. Population: From 1984 to 1987 Izhevsk carried the name Ustinov |Minister of Defense of the USSR]], Marshal of the Soviet Union, Dmitry Ustinov). The city is an important industrial center,...
, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Notable residents
The rugby union players Corné KrigeCorné Krige
Cornelius Petrus Johannes "Corné" Krige was a South African rugby union footballer, now retired, who played flanker for Western Province in the Currie Cup, the Stormers in Super Rugby and captained the South African national side, the Springboks.-Career:Corne Krige was Zambian-born and his parents...
and George Gregan
George Gregan
George Musarurwa Gregan AM is an Australian rugby union halfback who has made more appearances for his national team than any other player in the sport's history....
, who respectively captained the and teams in both the 2002
2002 Tri Nations Series
The 2002 Tri Nations Series was contested from 13 July to 17 August between the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa national rugby union teams. The All Blacks won the tournament.-Table:-Results:...
and 2003
2002 Tri Nations Series
The 2002 Tri Nations Series was contested from 13 July to 17 August between the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa national rugby union teams. The All Blacks won the tournament.-Table:-Results:...
Tri Nations Series, were coincidentally born in the same hospital in Lusaka. Krige's parents still live in Zambia.
- Amy Holmes (born in 1973 in Lusaka, Zambia) is a news anchor on Glenn Beck's GBTV. She formerly was an independent political contributor for CNN and has appeared on Fox News.
Suburbs
Suburbs around Lusaka include Handsworth Park, Sunningdale, Kabulonga, Woodlands, Jesmondine, Acacia, Northmead, Olympia Park, Roma, Kalundu, Chelston, Avondale, Rhodes Park, Prospect Hill, Longacres, Fairview, Chainama Hills, State Lodge, Makeni, Emmasdale, Leopards Hill, New Kasama, Chalala, Ibex Hill, Mass Media, Libala, Marshlands, Manda Hill, Chainda, Chudleigh, Kamwala South, Kamwala, Mwembeshi, Barlastone, Foxdale, Madras, NIPA, Mapepe, Lilayi, PHI, Nyumba Yanga, Olympia Extension, Chilenje, Thorn Park, Twinpalm, Villa Elizabetha. Other residential areas are Kabwata (a working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
area, home to the Kabwata Cultural Centre), Misisi, Madras, Ziwa Zakho, Shang'ombo, Kwa Shadreck, Matero, Mtendendere, Chaisa, Chawama, John Laing, Kalingalinga, Kwa George, Chipata Compound, Ng'ombe, Lilanda, Mandevu, Garden Compound, Bauleni, Helen Kaunda, Kaunda Square (stage one and stage two), and Chilanga (Lusaka), Zambia
Chilanga (Lusaka), Zambia
Chilanga is located 20 KM south of Zambia's capital city, Lusaka. 15° 34' 0 S28° 16' 60 E- Notable Features :Chilanga rests on the side of a large hill, which is a major decline in altitude between the plateau of Lusaka Province, and the Kafue River Valley...
.
Climate
Primarily due to its high altitude, Lusaka features a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
. Its coldest month, July, has a monthly average temperature of 16°C, a couple of degrees shy of what would constitute a tropical climate
Tropical climate
A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above...
, specifically a tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories "Aw" and '"As."...
. Lusaka features a relatively warm climate, typically with warm (but not hot) summers and very mild “winters”. The city’s warmest month, October, sees monthly average high temperatures at around 25°C. Lusaka features a wet season
Wet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
and a dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
with the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
predominating the year, lasting from April through October.