Zambia+Geography

Geography

toc
 * ~ Africa Homepage - ||~ Zambia Homepage - ||~ Geography ||~  - Culture - ||~ Questions - ||~ Classroom Activities - ||~ Teacher's Page ||

media type="custom" key="11601642"

On the Geography page you will learn about the physical and biological features of Zambia. You can learn more about the water, climate and land of Zambia as well as information about plants and animals. With so many facts to read, let's get started!

Land


Here is a map of Zambia. You might notice some similarities already between your country and mine. Take a few minutes to look over the map. What do you notice? We have lakes, airports, rivers and national parks just like you do in your country!

Lusaka is the Capital of Zambia. What is your countries capital? Zambia is a tropical region located in Southern Africa. Zambia is slightly larger than Texas and has a population of 12.926 Million! The major cities of Zambia, outside of the capital are Kitwe, Ndola, Kabwe, Mufulire, Chingola, Luanshya and Livingstone.

Zambia has one international airport and over 130 domestic airports. In Zambia we travel by car, but only about 22% of our roads are paved. Can you imagine? It's going to be a bumpy ride!

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">The terrain of Zambia is mostly high plateau, with some hills and mountains. (The World Factbook, 2011)

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span class="wiki_link_ext">Weather & Climate
<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Zambia is warm all year round but has three distinct seasons. How many seasons are there in your country? There are mainly two seasons in Zambia. A rainy season (November- April) and a dry season (May-December). Our rainy season is like your summer, and our dry season is like your winter! 8 or more months of year our temperature is around 68°! Our days are typically warm and comfortable. (The World Factbook, 2011)


 * = ===<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 22.4667px;">Month(s) === || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.2px;">November-April || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.2px;"> May/June-August || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.2px;">September-October/November ||
 * = ===<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 22.4667px;">Season === || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.2px;"> Rainy season || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.2px;"> Cool Dry Season || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.2px;"> Hot Dry season ||

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Zambia receives on average 33.0 in of precipitation annually or 2.7 in each <span class="IL_AD">month. (Climate Temp, 2011)

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">media type="custom" key="11582172"

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Water
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Zambia has many lush forested plateaus that are cut through by rivers such as the Zambezi River, Victoria Falls and the Kariba Dam. The Kariba Dam is in the Kariba Gorge of the Zambezi river basin between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is on of the largest dams in the world, standing 420 ft tell and 1,900 feet long. This dam is hydroelectric, meaning the water running through the dam is creating electricity which powers its surrounding cities.



<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Zambia is drained by two major river basins: the Zambezi/Kafue basin in the center, west and south covering about th ree-quarters of the country; and the Congobasin in the north covering about one-quarter of the country. The Zambezi river runs over Victoria falls which is the largest waterfall in the world! Many Zambian people get their water sources from these rives. <span class="wiki_link_ext"> (Patterns of Hydrological Change in the Zambezi Delta, 2011)

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Animals
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">If it's classic African animals you want, than look no further! Zambia's national parks are host to many traditionally African animals. Check out all the animals that call Zambia their home. (Lonely Planet, 2011) Click the animal names below to see pictures and learn more about your favorite animals, and some new ones too!

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">


 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Mammals** || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Reptiles**  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Hippopotamus || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Nile Crocodile  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Buffalo || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Lizards  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Elephants || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Python  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Lions || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Chameleons  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Hyenas || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Geckos  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Leopards || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Snakes  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Zebras ||   ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Impalas ||   ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Wild Dogs ||   ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Giraffe] ||   ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Wildebeest ||   ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Antelopes ||   ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">White Rhinoceroses ||   ||

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Plants
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">"The country’s main vegetation zones are miombo woodland, which covers the plateau areas (about 65% of Zambia); mopane woodland in the hotter, lower parts of the country, such as the Zambezi and Luangwa Valleys; and acacia woodland and semi-evergreen forest in the south and west" (Lonely Planet, para. 1, 2011)

Dambos are ** flat bottomed drainage valleys on the plateau. ** Their water levels rise and fall seasonally. Dambos cannot support any trees but are rich in herbs, grasses and flowing plants like orchids.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

Dambos are permanently damp and provide great grazing for various animals. Elephants seek out the underground water from the dambos as it contains more minerals than water in streams and waterholes. Much of the upper and middle course of the Kafue River is lined with dambos.

Floodplains often contain no trees or bushes. Only certain grass types that can handle being underwater for long periods. are able to grow. For example, Wild Rice, can grow its stems to rise above the water level. (Go2Africa, 2011)

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">References

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Animals in Zambia - lonely planet travel information. (n.d.). l//onely planet travel guides and travel information//. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from http://www.lonelyplanet.com/zambia/wildlife/animals

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The Carnivorous plant FAQ: What carnivorous plants live in northern Africa?. (n.d.). Barry's web site.Retrieved December 6, 2011, from http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq751

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Kariba dam on the Zambezi, Zambia/Zimbabwe | international rivers. (n.d.). international rivers. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from http://www.internationalrivers.org/es/kariba-dam/kariba-dam?size=_original

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Plants in Zambia - lonely planet travel information. (n.d.). l//onely planet travel guides and travel information//. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from http://www.lonelyplanet.com/zambia/wildlife/plants

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1970s, t. l., Mozambique., & agreement, A. h. (n.d.). Zambia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zambia

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Vegetation in Zambia | African holidays | Go 2 Africa. (n.d.). Go 2 Africa | the experts in African safari travel.Retrieved December 6, 2011, from <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">http://www.go2africa.com/zambia/african-safari-guide/plants

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Zambia climate information - climatetemp.info. (n.d.). //World weather and climate graphs, average climate charts, guide to precipitation, temperatures, best, friendly, holiday climate//. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from http://www.climatetemp.info/zambia/#imperial

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_477/12657149538nwiGQ.jpg

Page Created by Rachael Caise © racaise@ilstu.edu Created: 11/28/11 Last Modified: 12/6/11