Zambia
Zambia
takes its name from the Zambezi River, which forms most of the
country's southern border. Victoria Falls, one of the world's
most beautiful waterfalls, lies on the river. The great Kariba
Dam, one of the world's largest hydroelectric projects, and Kariba
Lake also are on the Zambezi River, serving both Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Most
of Zambia is flat and covered with trees and bushes. It lies on
a plateau about 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) above sea level. The
plateau is broken by the 7,000-foot (2,100-meter) Muchinga Mountains
in the northeast. In the south, the trees are smaller, and there
are large open areas.
There
are more than 70 ethnic groups represented and eight major local
languages spoken in Zambia. Many people also speak English, the
official language. In remote parts of the country, village life
goes on much as it has for hundreds of years. The people live
in circular, grass-roofed homes and raise food crops on the surrounding
land.
The
majority of Zambians are Christians, but traditional local beliefs
still have a strong hold on the village people. However, the use
of traditional medicine, and old customs such as polygamy (marrying
several wives) and bride price (paying the parents for a bride),
are slowly dying out in the towns.
HIGHLIGHTS
THE
VICTORIA FALLS
One of the seven natural wonders of the world. Not only is the
Victoria Falls the undisputed queen of waterfalls, but it is also
without doubt one of the greatest and most unforgettable scenic
spectacles. From its source in a lonely groove of trees on the
border of Zaire, the river meanders for 1 300 km across the wooded
plateau of Zambia. The Victoria Falls, at present occurring where
the river is 1 688 m wide, presents the spectacle of an average
maximum of 550 million liters of water per minute tumbling over
the upper lip of the trench in five main falls, the Devil's Cataract,
Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls, and the Eastern Cataract.
Each fall is separated from the other only by slightly elevated
islands of rocks on the lip of the crack. The highest fall is
Rainbow Falls, on a average 108 m high.
Activities available here include White Water Rafting, Bungi Jumping,
the 'Flight of the Angels', Microlighting and Sunset Boat Cruises
