Petauke
Encyclopedia
Petauke is a town and seat of Petauke District
located in the Eastern Province
of Zambia
.
Petauke is 400 km from the capital city Lusaka
, roughly halfway between Lusaka and the Malawi
border. The main spoken language of the 14,000 residents is Nsenga
.
Like the Tonga of southern province, the Nsenga do not know exactly where they came from, although it has been accepted that they were earliest migrants from great Luba-Lunda, probably came following the escarpment together with the Zulu, Shona and other southern African peoples. Unfortunately, this fact is challenged on account of language. Luba groups mostly settled in northern Zambia and part of central Zambia whereas the Lunda groups settled in North western and western Zambia. These groups have similarities in their languages if not they are dialects. But for the nsenga it is unique, actually, it was until the Ngoni marauders settled among them because they were loosely organised. Eventually, the Ngoni "lost" their language.
Most telecommunication is by two radio stations; the most popular station is Radio Explorers, 88.3fm, which covers up to 120 km; it is mostly used by chiefs to disseminate their information. The District now has the reception of the three major cellular providers in the country- Celtel now Zain, Cell Z and Mtn.
The town is situated in an agricultural area; farmers produce maize, cotton, sunflower, groundnut, soya beans and many other crops. Industries include milling cotton, three breweries, of which Brother Willy's mafuta beer and Ng'ambazi beer of Nyankuwa Brewery are the most popular.
. The region around Petauke contains copper
, amethyst
, and gold
.
However, the minerals in the region are low grade and no serious mining investment has been made in the region. In the early 17th century, gold was mined and that contributed to high rate of slave trade. mostly, the Swahili speaking peoples invaded the area.
The town is near the North
and South
Luangwa
National Parks.
Petauke District
Petauke District is a district of Zambia, located in Eastern Province. The capital lies at Petauke. As of the 2000 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 235,879 people.-References:...
located in the Eastern Province
Eastern Province, Zambia
Eastern Province is one of Zambia's nine provinces. The province lies between the Luangwa River and the border with Malawi, from Isoka in the northeast to just north of Luangwa in the south.The provincial capital is Chipata...
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....
.
Petauke is 400 km from the capital city 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...
, roughly halfway between Lusaka and the Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
border. The main spoken language of the 14,000 residents is Nsenga
Nsenga
The Nsenga, who are different from the Senga, are an ethnic tribe of Zambia and Mozambique. In Zambia , they are found in two districts of Eastern province namely Nyimba and Petauke. They are also dialects with the Nsenga Luzi of the Luangwa valley in Chief Nyalugwe, Mboloma and Lwembe and the...
.
Like the Tonga of southern province, the Nsenga do not know exactly where they came from, although it has been accepted that they were earliest migrants from great Luba-Lunda, probably came following the escarpment together with the Zulu, Shona and other southern African peoples. Unfortunately, this fact is challenged on account of language. Luba groups mostly settled in northern Zambia and part of central Zambia whereas the Lunda groups settled in North western and western Zambia. These groups have similarities in their languages if not they are dialects. But for the nsenga it is unique, actually, it was until the Ngoni marauders settled among them because they were loosely organised. Eventually, the Ngoni "lost" their language.
Most telecommunication is by two radio stations; the most popular station is Radio Explorers, 88.3fm, which covers up to 120 km; it is mostly used by chiefs to disseminate their information. The District now has the reception of the three major cellular providers in the country- Celtel now Zain, Cell Z and Mtn.
The town is situated in an agricultural area; farmers produce maize, cotton, sunflower, groundnut, soya beans and many other crops. Industries include milling cotton, three breweries, of which Brother Willy's mafuta beer and Ng'ambazi beer of Nyankuwa Brewery are the most popular.
. The region around Petauke contains copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, amethyst
Amethyst
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀ a- and μέθυστος methustos , a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief...
, and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
.
However, the minerals in the region are low grade and no serious mining investment has been made in the region. In the early 17th century, gold was mined and that contributed to high rate of slave trade. mostly, the Swahili speaking peoples invaded the area.
The town is near the North
North Luangwa National Park
North Luangwa National Park is a national park in Zambia, the northernmost of the three in the valley of the Luangwa River. Founded as a game reserve in 1938, it became a national park in 1972 and now covers 4,636 km²....
and South
South Luangwa National Park
South Luangwa National Park in eastern Zambia, the southernmost of three national parks in the valley of the Luangwa River, is a world-renowned wildlife haven. It supports large populations of Thornicroft's Giraffe, and herds of elephant and buffalo often several hundred strong, while the Luangwa...
Luangwa
Luangwa River
The Luangwa River is one of the major tributaries of the Zambezi River, and one of the four biggest rivers of Zambia. The river generally floods in the rainy season and then falls considerably in the dry season...
National Parks.
Accommodation
- Nyika Motel
- Willys motel
- Chimwemwe Lodge, the worst (and most expensive) accommodation in Petauke