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Home Background The Geography of Zambia

The Geography of Zambia

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To see a bit more about the geography of Zambia and where the major towns and cities are located, why not have a look at the maps section of this site?

The Land

Zambia is a landlocked country in South Central Africa surrounded by Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Angola. Covering some 750,000 square kilometres it is roughly the size of France, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary combined but with a population of about 10 million. It consists of a generally level plateau of between 1060 and 1363 metres above sea level broken by small hills of mineral rich granite. In the east the Nyika Plateau rises to over 4000 metres.

The plateau is cut by the Zambezi River from which the country takes its name, and its tributaries the Kafue and Luangwe producing large valleys and waterfalls such as the Victoria Falls. The rivers are unsuitable for river transport along their length though they are very suitable for hydroelectricity generation.

A large amount of the country is covered with forest and woodland although this proportion is decreasing as a result of the pressure for land from its growing population

The Climate

Although within the tropical latitudes of 10 to 18 degrees south of the equator its altitude, averaging 1,300m above sea level, gives Zambia a moderate temperate climate with humidity normally below 40%.

There are three distinct seasons; cool and dry from May to August, hot and dry from September to November, and warm and wet from December to April. Only in the valleys of the Zambezi and Luangwe Rivers is there excessive heat particularly in the hottest month of October, and it is only during the wet season that there is any noticeable degree of humidity.The average rainfall, between November and April, is about 950mm. Summer temperatures range from 20 degrees to 32 degrees C. Winter temperatures from 10 degrees to about 26 degrees. The country is prone to droughts from time to time.

The climate and location means that the country has considerable potential to develop its agricultural sector.

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