Economic geography of Zambia. Zambia Geological structure and minerals

Zambia is an African country renowned for the diversity and richness of its wildlife. It is here, in the very heart of Africa, that the famous Victoria Falls is located, which since the time of the great discoverer David Livingstone has attracted tourists from all over the world.

Tourism is an important sector of the Zambian economy. Tours to Zambia are made primarily with the aim of looking at one of the “wonders of the world” - Victoria Falls. This spectacle is especially striking in April-May, when the Zambezi River is full and the volume of water flowing from a height into the abyss increases. However, at the end of the dry season, from October to December, you can clearly see and appreciate the magnificence of the outlines of the rocks and gorges of the waterfall, so this time can also be considered successful for a tour to Zambia. The waterfall is located in a national park where wild animals live, therefore, travelers on tours to Zambia also have the opportunity to go on a safari in the park. It should be noted that there are quite a lot of options for active and even extreme recreation in Zambia. Among them are flights over the waterfall in a hot air balloon, microlight or helicopter, rafting on the Zambezi River, and abseiling...

Geographical position: The Republic of Zambia is a state in Central Africa. It borders Angola in the west, the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the west and north, Tanzania in the northeast, Malawi in the east, and Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia in the south. Most of the country is located on a hilly plateau, sloping to the south. Areas of elevated terrain include the famous Copper Belt and the picturesque Nyik Plateau on the border with Malawi, which contains the country's highest point, Mwanda Peak (2150 m). The total area of the country is 752.6 thousand square meters. km. The total length of the border is 5,664 km. Zambia owns lakes: Bangweulu, Mweru, partly Tanganyika and Kariba. The main rivers are Luangwa, Zambezi, Kafue.

Capital: Lusaka. The political, industrial and cultural center of the country. Lusaka is the largest city in Zambia, its population is about 2 million people. The city is located in the central part of the country.

Language: English (the official language) is used even in remote areas, and more than 70 local languages and dialects are also widely spoken.

Religion: Christianity (Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Adventists, Pentecostals from the Assemblies of God, Church of God, etc.) and Christian-African cultures make up 50-75% of the population, Muslims make up about 5%. There are adherents of Hinduism and Sikhs. In addition, there is a small number of Jews, mostly Ashkenazi. Adherents of the Baha'i faith make up 1.5% of the population.

Time: The time difference in Zambia is 2 hours (relative to time in Moscow). The entire territory of the country is in the same time zone. The country does not switch to summer/winter time, so the time difference remains the same throughout the year.

Climate: The climate is subequatorial with three distinct seasons: dry (mid-April to August), when temperatures drop sharply at night but the landscape is green and lush; the hot season (from September to mid-November) is the best time to enjoy wildlife views, since the flora is stunted and does not interfere with observing nature with the naked eye; and the rainy season (from mid-November to mid-April) is an ideal period for observing birds in their natural habitat. Temperatures range from +15 C in July to +27 C in October, with little daily variation. The annual precipitation in the north reaches 1500 mm, and in the south – 700 mm. The best time to visit the country is from August to October or during the cool and dry months of May to August.

Currency: The official currency is the Zambian Kwacha (ZMK), equal to 100 ngwees. There are banknotes in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500 kwacha. 1 US$ is approximately equal to 2000 kwacha. It is best to change currency in banks (from 08:15 to 14:30 from Monday to Friday, from 08:15 to 10:30 on the first and last Saturday of the month) and exchange offices. On the street you will most likely be deceived. Credit cards and travelers checks are generally only accepted at hotels and restaurants in Lusaka. Using them in other cities causes a lot of difficulties. Large branches have ATMs that accept Visa cards. It is better not to bring euros into the country; the exchange rate for this currency is simply extortionate.

Mains voltage and socket type: 220/230 V, AC frequency – 50 Hz; plug sockets are found in three types (C, D, G) with two or three sockets (for types D and G, adapters for Russian plugs are required).

Customs: The import of foreign currency is not limited (declaration is required). The export of imported foreign currency is allowed, the import and export of national currency is limited. Duty-free import is allowed: cigarettes - up to 200 pcs. or tobacco - 450 grams, alcoholic beverages - 1 bottle (uncorked), food, items and household items - within the limits of personal needs. The import of firearms and drugs is prohibited.

The export of precious and ornamental stones in unprocessed form is prohibited (emerald, aquamarine, tourmaline, malachite, amethyst are mined in the country and are considered a strategic product), ivory products - 1 piece. (requires permission from the authorities), skins of wild animals, souvenir coins (only if you have an invoice from specially authorized stores).

Population and culture: Population: 12.1 million (estimated as of July 2010). About 9.3 million people, mostly Bantu peoples, united in several large ethnic communities: Bemba (in the north and center), Tonga (in the south and center), Malawi and Ngoni (in the east), Lozi ( in the West) - approximately 35 different ethnic groups in total. Ethnic composition: Bemba 35%, Tonga 15%, Malawi 14%, Lozi 9%, other African peoples. Whites - 0.3%, Asians - 0.2% (according to the 2000 census).

The Bantu peoples inhabiting the territory of modern Zambia have a distinctive material and spiritual culture. Already from ancient times they knew metal smelting, blacksmithing and pottery. The Lozi developed intensive irrigated agriculture and cattle breeding. Other peoples also practiced agriculture. The people of Zambia have a rich tradition of oral folk art and artistic craft. Wood carving, weaving of decorative baskets, and pottery are especially developed. Original literature is developing. The works of A. Sh. Crips, G. Gouldsbury and others are well known. Literature is being created in the Bemba, Tonga, Lozi and Nyanja languages. In December 1975, the first drama theater, Tikwiza, opened in Lusaka. The country has made a huge leap in the development of education. During the colonial period, most Africans were illiterate. Currently, over 80% of children attend school school age. In 1965, a university opened in Lusaka, and the Zambian intelligentsia was formed.

Kitchen: Traditional Zambian cuisine revolves around one staple, maize, served in one form, nsima (nshi-ee-ima). Nshima is like thick oatmeal that has been rolled into balls and added to stew - relishes. Relishes come in the form of beef, chicken or fish. In addition, beans, tiny dried fish (kapenta), peanuts, pumpkin leaves (chibwabwa) and other vegetables such as okra (ndelele), cabbage are added to nshima. Local restaurants offer nshima dishes and relishes for less than 5 thousand kwanch ($1). Of course, you can also enjoy Western food in Zambia, especially in the main cities, Lusaka or Livingstone. Including fast food, pizza, chicken. Ethnic eateries are also popular, for example in Lusaka.

Drinks are traditional: juices, mineral water, Coca-Cola, but the latter is mostly sold in glass containers, which must be returned. The most popular beer in Zambia is Mosi, a light 4% lager available everywhere. Also known are Eagle (5.5%), Zambezi Lager, and Castle from South Africa. All this can be found for about $1 in a store or for $1-2 at a bar. Near the borders you can find good Carlsberg from Malawi, Simba (excellent from the Democratic Republic of Congo), Kilimanjaro (a lager from Tanzania) and Tusker (Kenya).

Tips: The service fee (about 10%) is most often already included in the bill in most restaurants; additional tips are not required. If using a taxi, it is recommended to pre-agreed the cost of the trip with the driver or round the amount up. In markets and small private shops, it is recommended to bargain - this is not only a common, but also an expected procedure.

Souvenirs: A magnet with the symbols of Zambia is sold in all souvenir shops in the country and is very affordable. Ritual African masks are a popular souvenir from Zambia among Western tourists. In addition to purely aesthetic value, each mask carries a certain magical meaning (amulet against evil, intimidation of enemies, help of spirits), which is better to clarify before purchasing. Ivory carvings for sale. Ivory in Zambia is a resource of special state control (only 1 item is allowed to be taken out of the country). Require official papers when purchasing such a souvenir in Zambia. Traditional drums (djembe, budima) are not only an excellent souvenir from Zambia, but also a living symbol of African culture that will allow you to directly join it. You can buy jewelry made by hand using traditional technology using local semi-precious stones.

Air travel: There are no direct flights from Russia to Zambia; you will need a connection in one of the European cities: for example, with British Airways in London or with KLM in Amsterdam. The approximate cost of a flight Moscow - Lusaka in both directions is $1,200-1,400. Flights via Johannesburg (South Africa) are in greatest demand. Zambia's main international airport is in the capital Lusaka, although some international airlines also land at Livingstone (near Victoria Falls), Mfuwe (near South Luangwa National Park) and Ndola. Air Zimbabwe flies to Lusaka (US$150/295) from Harare, Kenya every Thursday. Air Malawi connects Lusaka to Lilongwe (Malawi) three times a week (US$150/200) and to Blantyre (Malawi; US$185/299) twice a week. Comair (an affiliate of British Airways) and South African Airways fly daily from Lusaka to Johannesburg (South Africa) for approximately US$200/295, and also offer flights to Victoria Falls in Livingstone.

The country is divided into nine provinces. Capital and largest city is Lusaka.

Geological structure and minerals

Zambia is located in the south of the African platform, and its territory includes stable blocks (the Kasai massif in the west of the country and the Bangweulu craton in the northeast), mobile fold belts (Ubenda, Kibali-Damara, Mozambique) and the Lufilian arc. The Archean base of the Kasai massif is overlain by Upper Proterozoic deposits (Katanga system), which are associated with stratiform copper ore deposits, and Permian-Triassic deposits (Kappy system). The Bangweulu Craton is composed of Archean metamorphic formations overlain by Lower Proterozoic complexes. Deposits of manganese ores are associated with Proterozoic volcanics within the massif; there are also deposits of lead and zinc ores. The Ubendi fold belt occupies a small north-eastern part of the country; it is composed of Archean and Lower Riphean metamorphic formations. The Kibali-Damara belt stretches across the country in a north-easterly direction from the border with Namibia to Tanzania. Its structure involves Archean gneisses and Proterozoic metamorphic formations. Intrusive formations are developed - granitoids of the Archean, early and late Proterozoic, syenites, gabbros and dolerites of the late Archean and Proterozoic.

Deposits of beryllium and muscovite ores are associated with ancient granitoids, deposits of iron, non-ferrous metals, and gold ores are associated with Late Proterozoic granitoids, and copper is associated with the main Late Proterozoic intrusions. In the extreme northeast of the belt (Isoki region), massifs of Late Proterozoic carbonatites with signs of rare metal mineralization and apatite are known. Within the belt are the grabens of the Zambezi, Lukusashi - Luano, Luangwa, filled with Permian-Triassic deposits of Kappy. Coal deposits are confined to them. The Mozambique belt can be traced mainly in the submeridional direction in the east of the country. It is composed of metamorphic formations of the Archean and Proterozoic, reworked at the end of the Proterozoic - the beginning of the Paleozoic, and granitoids of various ages. There are also small intrusions of Late Proterozoic syenites and Late Archean dolerite dikes. Within the belt, deposits of gold and polymetallic ores, muscovite, beryllium, and graphite have been identified. The Lufilian structural arc, located in the north of the country, approaches the Kibali-Damara belt in its middle part (the Kabwe area). Its structure involves Upper Proterozoic deposits of the Katanga system, Archean metamorphic formations and granitoids of various ages. Terrigenous weakly metamorphosed sediments of Katanga are folded into transverse (relative to the Kibali-Damara belt) folds; famous stratiform copper ore deposits are localized in them. Within the arc, deposits of iron, uranium, lead and zinc ores are also known. (Figure 2).

Hydrogeology

The main aquifer complex in the northwestern part of the country is represented by terrigenous-carbonate strata of the Upper Proterozoic. The depth of water varies from 20–25 to 180 m. In the mines of the Kabwe, Nkana, Chingola deposits, the average water inflow is 50 thousand m 3 /day, in Konkola - 340 thousand m 3 /day. Fresh water (up to 1 g/l), composition HCO 3 - -SO 4 2+ -Ca 2+ -Na +. In the east of the country, fissure waters of the zone of exogenous fracturing of crystalline Precambrian rocks are widely developed. The thickness of the zone is up to 50 m, the depth is 15–20 m. The flow rates of wells and wells rarely exceed 1–2 l/s. Fresh water, composition HCO 3 - -Na + -Mg 2+. In the southwest of Zambia, the main aquifer is represented by aeolian Quaternary-Neogene formations (“Kalahari sands”). The horizon has a sporadic distribution. The depth of water varies from 10–12 to 35 m or more. Well flow rates are up to 1–1.2 l/s. The waters are brackish (1–3 g/l), predominantly Cl - -HCO 3 - -Na + . Quite numerous sources of nitrogen thermal groundwater are known in the north-west and south of the country. Underground flow module from 0.3 to 3.2 l/s km 2.

Relief

Zambia is located on the high plateau of Central Africa, at an average altitude of 1200 meters, into which the Zambezi River (and its tributaries Kafue and Luangwa) and the Luapula River cut deeply. The Zambezi flows south before turning east. There are three lakes in the north: Tanganyika, Mweru and Bangweulu. Lake Kariba runs along the southern border. The country rises to a higher plateau in the east.

On the territory of the country, according to the relief features, three orographic regions are distinguished:

· mountains from an altitude of more than 1500 meters;

· plateau with an altitude of 900 to 1500 meters;

· elevated plains with heights from 400 to 900 meters (Figure 3).

Climate

The climate of Zambia is subequatorial, which is determined by its position between 8° and 18° south latitude. In winter, a deep anticyclone dominates over the entire territory, preventing the penetration of humid tropical air masses both from the Indian Ocean and from the Congo River basin.

In summer, Zambia is hit by humid monsoons from the northeast and southeast trade winds. Winds from any direction can bring heavy rain. Western winds a rare event for Zambia, so the country does not suffer from dry hot winds from the Kalahari. The main reasons for frequent droughts can be either a strong delay of the monsoons (until mid-December) or their low moisture saturation.

Zambia has three distinct seasons: cold and dry - from May to August (winter), hot and dry - from September to November (spring), warm and humid - from December to April (summer). On average, the temperature in the country (Celsius) ranges from +16 to +27 °C in cold months, and from +27 to +38 °C in hot months. The amplitude of temperature fluctuations by season is within +8-10 °C. The best time of the year is the period at the junction of summer and winter (April - May), when the rains stop following the retreating monsoons.

The dry season is the longest. It lasts from May to November and includes cold winters and hot springs. During this time, not a single rain falls in the country. From the end of May to the end of August the weather is cloudless, with daytime temperatures everywhere exceeding +20 °C. Clear weather contributes to strong cooling of inland areas, and night temperatures on watershed plateaus and valleys drop to +4-7 °C. From mid-August, the temperature begins to rise rapidly: daytime temperatures, as a rule, reach +30-35 °C (in the Zambezi Valley up to +40 °C), nighttime temperatures do not fall below +20 °C; the amplitude of daily fluctuations decreases. September–October are the driest months for all parts of Zambia.

Clear sunny weather is typical for all seasons. The average duration of sunshine is at least 50% of daylight hours during the wet season, which is due to the rainfall, and reaches 95% in the dry season.

Average relative humidity in Zambia ranges from 60 to 80% in the wet season and from 30 to 70% in the hot season. However, the daily variation of relative humidity fluctuates sharply, decreasing during the first half of the day by 30-40%.

Frequent heavy rain and thunderstorms are common during the warm, wet season. During the cool, dry season, frost may occur in areas protected from the wind. Landscapes are gradually drying up and characteristic feature This time of year there are steppe fires. In relief depressions, on cloudless nights, radiation frosts form. Temperatures rise during the hot dry season. The main growing season of woody vegetation covers the period from August to November.

Annual precipitation decreases on average from 1200 mm in the north to 600 mm in the south. In Zambia, the following regions are distinguished by the amount of annual precipitation:

· plateau with the greatest amount of precipitation;

· plateau with average rainfall;

· Kalahari mountain sands with high rainfall;

· Kalahari with average rainfall;

· Valleys with the least rainfall.

Average temperatures largely depend on the height of the plateau. Maximum variation from 15 °C to 27 °C in the cool season with morning and evening temperatures from 6 °C to 10 °C, with night frosts in valleys and basins that are protected from the wind.

During the hot season, maximum temperatures can vary from 27 °C to 35 °C. However, the average annual temperature ranges from 18 to 20 °C. The highest average annual temperature is 32 °C, and the lowest average temperature is 4 °C.

Figure 4 – precipitation (http://www.fews.net)

Surface water

Zambia has abundant water resources. More than 4/5 of the country's territory belongs to the river basin. The Zambezi and its major tributaries - the Luangwa, Kafue and Kabompo.

The origins of the river The Zambezi (length 2660 km) are located in the extreme north-west of Zambia, near Kalene Hill (about 1400 m above sea level). From the source to the Victoria Falls (1200 m), the Zambezi flows along a gently sloping, sometimes swampy plain. During the summer rains, the upper Zambezi overflows its banks and floods the Barotse plain. The silt-saturated flood zone stretches for hundreds of kilometers along both banks and has a depth of up to 4–5 m and a width of 16–48 km. (Figure 5).

Figure 5 - Hydrographic network (http://www.victoriafalls24.com)

Starting from the Katima rapids and to the mouth of the river. The Luangwa Zambezi is a border river with Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. In this section, only its left tributaries flow through the territory of Zambia. The exception is the Chobe River. Downstream of the Zambezi is the world's largest Victoria Falls. Its width is about 1700 m, and the fall height is 120–130 m, which is one and a half times wider and twice as high as Niagara Falls in North America. The wall of water plunges into a narrow and winding basalt canyon, forming giant columns of mist, and then rushes at great speed through eight gorges, collectively called the Batoka Gorge. The Victoria Falls hydroelectric power station was built on the rapids below the waterfall.

Downstream the gorges of the Kariba gorge begin. Before the Kariba gorge was filled with water, the width of the Zambezi in this place did not exceed 50–90 m. Then a dam was built in this area and the Kariba reservoir was formed (constructed in 1958 - 1963) - the third largest artificial lake in the world with an area of 4450 square meters. km with a maximum length of 300 km and width of 32 km. It is fed by the Zambezi and the numerous small rivers flowing into it. The waters of the Caribbean are currently used for electricity generation, irrigation, shipping and fishing.

Beyond the Kariba, the Zambezi receives two largest left tributaries: Kafue (about 1000 km) and Luangwa (770 km). The main agricultural areas of the country are located in their basins; they are used for navigation. On the river Kafue built Zambia's largest hydroelectric power station and reservoir; The river is the source of water supply for the industrial region of the Copperbelt, the Central Province and the capital Lusaka.

The rivers of Zambia are fed mainly by precipitation, so their regime is very uneven. The maximum water flows of the Zambezi occur in March-April, but this is not typical even for the upper reaches of the river itself, much less for other rivers. Floods on medium rivers are usually delayed by a month or a month and a half compared to the beginning of the rainy season and begin in late December-January.

The lakes of Zambia - Bangweulu, Mweru, Tanganyika are among the seven largest lakes in Africa. Among them only Fr. Bangweulu is located entirely within the country.

Soils

The bulk of Zambia is occupied by latitudinal zonal red-brown soils of tropical dry forests. Two types of soils have the greatest fertility: dark red ferrallites and tropical hydromorphic soils.

Alluvial soils are found in the river valleys. Zambezi and R. Luangwa and its tributaries and rivers. Luapuls. In some places in the Luangwa Valley, the soils are poorly drained and form salt marshes.

Swampy soils are widespread in the flood plains of the Zambezi and its tributaries in the Western Province, around the main lakes. These soils cannot be used for agriculture without prior drainage and cultivation, although they are quite rich in humus. Indigenous people have long practiced such traditional systems agriculture, as a “system of lake basins”.

For Zambia, as for most of sub-Saharan Africa, typical soils are poor in elements of both ash and organic nutrition of agricultural crops; their layer is thin and easily subject to depletion and destruction. (Figure 6).

Flora and fauna

The main type of vegetation in Zambia is the sparse, dry and light miombo tropical forest. The plateau is dominated by Brachystegia (the legume family), and trees are scattered at considerable distances from each other. The undergrowth of miombo contains many vines and shrubs. Herbs are mostly perennial, tall (up to 3 m).

Zambia has few forest areas with dense, closed stands. The closed deciduous forests consist of Rhodesian teak and some other hardwood-producing species. There are some types of Kigelia - with leathery leaves up to 70 cm long and large flowers pollinated by a sunbird. The fruits, 70-80 cm long, hang on long stalks and resemble sausages, for which reason Kigelia is called the “sausage tree.”

Dry evergreen forests of low-growing cryptosepalum and lianas with a relatively dense shrubby understory and sparse grass prevail on the Barotse and Sesheke plains.

Secondary forests have become widespread in Zambia. A year or two after cutting down and burning forests when using various systems of slash-and-burn agriculture, soil fertility drops and the areas are overgrown with weeds, and then light-loving trees - pterocarpus, parinari and others.

Tropical open forests (bush) and dry savannas, rivers and lakes create favorable habitats for many animal species, most of which are endemic. There are especially many large animals in Zambia. Herbivorous animals of the savannah are giraffes, rhinoceroses, zebras, antelopes, etc. Among them are the largest African elephants - savannah, or bush, with characteristic large ears. Zambia has one of the largest populations of elephants of this species, but it is declining: in 1986 there were over 100 thousand of them, by 1991 no more than 25 thousand remained. The reasons are the increase in poaching and mass shootings of these, as well as and other animals. The African elephant is listed in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Even rarer is the black rhinoceros. Currently, it can be found in protected reserves along the banks of the river. Zambezi and Luangwa National Park. The number of black rhinoceroses in Zambia is declining sharply. This animal is listed in the Red Book.

The Zambian bush is home to various antelopes - impala, kudu, and waterbucks. One species of goat, the red lychee, is listed in the IUCN Red List.
The country with many rivers, lakes and swamps is rich in species of herbivores such as hippopotamuses and buffaloes, whose life is closely connected with water.
Among the predators (leopards, hyenas, jackals, lions, etc.), the largest land predator in Africa is the lion. In Zambia, its range is almost continuous, the main population is concentrated in reserves and national parks (Kafue, Luangwa). The fastest-footed animal on earth, the cheetah, is found in Zambia. Its range covers almost all of Africa, but the cheetah is close to extinction.

There are many different reptiles in Zambia - cobras, pythons, lizards. For the most part they inhabit the savannah, but also live in more humid areas. Among them are the tree cobra, black and green mamba (the black one is considered the fastest, the green one is one of the most poisonous snakes on the planet), as well as the hieroglyphic python (up to 6 m long).

Zambia is home to many species of African birds. The bush is home to the heaviest of all flying birds - the African bustard, and the African ostrich is often found. There are many species of rare birds, for example, hornbill, fishing eagle, Tate's falcon, etc. The fishing eagle is depicted on the national flag of Zambia. Tate's falcon, the rarest bird on the planet, nests in Zambia.

At Victoria Falls there are an abundance of small animals similar to marmots - hyraxes. The dry savannah is rich in rodents, such as porcupines.
In Zambia there are baboons, or yellow baboons, a blind snake, and a waterbuck. In need of water, during droughts huge herds of elephants and buffalos migrate to wetter forests and mountains, especially in the area of the national park near Lake. Mveru and lake Bangweulu.

The aquatic fauna is very rich. Crocodiles are common in large bodies of water, and swamps are inhabited by dwarf crocodiles, listed in the Red Book. Turtles (spotted, black, marsh) and snakes live everywhere. All inland waters are exceptionally rich in fish. More than 20 families of fish are found here, but only a few have commercial value, such as capenta and tilapia. Capenta - a small fish similar to a sardine - is the main source of protein food for local population. Marine fish rise up the Zambezi, including the Zambesian shark. In seasonal swamps, in the river. One of the oldest fish on the planet, the lungfish protoptera, is very common in the Zambezi. Interestingly, in dry times they simply dig it out of holes in the ground. Catfish, tiger fish, and brims are bred in the ponds.

Zambia has a huge variety of insects. Many of them cause considerable harm to humans. Among them are termites, which build giant tower-type buildings up to 6 m high in the bush. There are many insects that carry infectious diseases - malaria and tropical fever. There are red locusts. However, the main danger is the tsetse fly, which carries the causative agent of sleeping sickness, against which there are still few effective therapeutic agents. Chemical control measures are used in the most contaminated areas, but the chemicals often destroy beneficial flora and fauna.

Figure 6 – soil cover

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Economic geography of Zambia. Zambia Geological structure and minerals

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