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 country’s small population is mainly concentrated in the capital city of Lusaka or around the rich copper belt. Southern Zambia borders all of South Africa’s northern neighbors Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Namibia. It borders the DRC to the north and Tanzania to the north eastern border, while Malawi borders the East side and Angola borders the West.
The area was apparently peacefully visited occasionally by British explorers during the 18th and 19th centuries without much effort to colonize the area. At the end of the 19th century, through a peaceful agreement with the local chiefs, the area became a British protectorate known as Northern Rhodesia. For most of the colonial period, the area was never ruled by more than 400 former patriotic British rulers.
This is a very small number compared to some of the British colonies of that 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 Commonwealth of Nations and renamed Zambia.
Despite being recognized by the World Bank as the world’s most progressively developing economy, 68% of the population still lives below the recognized poverty line. The economy historically relied on copper mining until production fell in the 1970s and the global price of copper took a plunge.
Today, Zambia has a lot to gain from the tourism industry. Being located in sub-Saharan Africa means it has the same wildlife and game reserves that make Botswana, South Africa and Namibia a favorite with overseas travellers.
Kafue National Park is Zambia’s oldest and largest national park, with an area of 22,400 square kilometers, it is the world’s second largest national park and is almost the size of Wales. Wildlife here is plentiful and the Big 5 are resident. The pride of some twenty lions has been spotted in the park, attracting wasps and zebras as well as the huge herd of wildebeest grazing the area. Included in the park is the Busahnga Plains, a vast wetland that has never been disturbed by human development.
Another important source of tourist income is the Zambezi River and current fishing. Fishing in the Zambezi River is one of the best and world famous game fish in the world. Tigerfish are abundant here and attract big game anglers from all over the world.
The Tigerfish is known to be a ferocious fighter and any fisherman worth its worth would want to try and pack one. The reputation they’ve earned comes from their incredible speed and sharp teeth. Some fishermen claim that they are one of the fastest freshwater fish in the world, if not the fastest. They can grow up to 30 pounds, although anything between 15 and 20 pounds is considered a good trophy.
