Zambia

Zambia sits on an undulating plateau in South-Eastern Africa, bordered by eight different countries: Angola to the west, the Democratic Republic of Congo to the North- West, Tanzania to the North-East, Malawi to the East and Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the South.

Most of Zambia is moist savanna woodland, and in the drier areas, especially the valleys of the Zambezi and Luangwa Rivers, the stout baobab trees grow, some of which are thousands of years old.

Since 1000 AD, Zambia has been populated by myriad tribal groups coming in from all of the neighbouring countries and kingdoms i.e.: Congo, the East African coast, and the Zulu nation and now there are about 35 different ethnic groups in Zambia, all with their own languages.

Following Livingstone’s trip up the Zambezi in the mid 1850s, hunters and prospectors began coming in droves and much of the area, known at the time as Northern Rhodesia, came under the control of the British South Africa Company. Zambia achieved independence in 1963.

Zambia’s National Parks teem with wildlife, the most well-known being the South Luangwa, home of one of Africa’s largest elephant populations, and it appears that the country is rapidly becoming an adventure centre for tourists. Zambia is sometimes referred to as ‘the real Africa’. Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, continues to be a major draw – the town of Livingstone is experiencing something of a renaissance – with many of the activities centred around water sports on the Zambezi River. Zambia is rich in natural resources and mining is an important industry for the country.

Most farms include substantial areas of natural forest, indigenous trees and veldt (plains) grasses which provide both safe havens and safe passage for many indigenous species of wildlife, birds and insects.