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C H A P T E R
Overview
Zambia is a landlocked country
in Southern Africa surrounded
by eight neighbouring countries:
Angola, Botswana, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Malawi,
Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania
and Zimbabwe. The country has a
total area of 752,614 sq. kilometres
of which 11,890 sq. kilometres is
covered by rivers and lakes (ECZ
2008). It also has abundant natural
resources such as wildlife, forestry
and minerals, which are key drivers
of the economy. The main pillars
of Zambia’s economic growth are
mining, agriculture, construction,
transport and trade. Most of the
mining activities occur in the
Copperbelt and North-Western
Provinces. The Zambian economy
grew at an average of 6.1 per cent
annually between 2006 and 2009.
The country has a rich heritage
and cultural diversity with
different traditional ceremonies
taking place. More than 20 annual
traditional ceremonies are held
to celebrate local customs, social
life, history, natural cycles, past
military glories and spiritual
culture. Some of these include the
Bwilile
,
Kuomboka
,
Nc’wala
,
Lwiindi
and
Shimunenga
ceremonies.
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