10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ZAMBIA

Discover Zambia. 10 interesting facts about this country. Zambia is a landlocked country located in the southern part of Africa and is bordered by Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and has even access to Lake Tanganyika which goes all the way up to Burundi. Zambia is big and full of beautiful wildlife and today we're about to embark on a journey to discover this country in 10 interesting facts you may not know about it. Before we start, if you're new to the channel, subscribe and turn on the notification bell so you can be notified every time we upload a new video. Let's get into it. Zambia's dowry is called Lobola. The dowry or bride price in Zambia is called Lobola. This is a premarital practice where the groom is asked to pay an appreciation fee to the family of his future bride for raising her well. This fee is usually in monetary form in urban towns or in livestock in rural areas. Before the process, for example from the Bemba tribe, a groom must declare his intention to marry the bride by bringing plates filled with money which is called Nsalamo to his bride's parents. Everything takes place in four steps. To get married within this matrilineal tribe, the first thing is the acceptance of the marriage proposal known as Ichisumina Nsalamo and no, it's not the bride who accepts the proposal. It's a fairly simple ceremony where the bride's family prepares and presents food to the groom to indicate that the marriage proposal is welcome. The food is what gives the ceremony its name. The groom does nothing at this point because the ceremony only marks the bride's family's acceptance of him. The second step is the Ichilanga Mulido, a ceremony that gives the groom permission to eat with the bride's family during the courtship. The groom is not allowed to eat at the bride's home until this symbolic gesture is completed. The bride is not involved in this ceremony but the food is prepared in the home of one of her relatives. The groom's family must deposit money in front of the bridal party as an invitation and the party may decide to hold back until a certain amount which is symbolic is given up. The fourth stage which is the most important is called Okunkola also known as granting authority. In this ceremony, the bride's family prepares a meal to symbolize the granting of authority to the groom by the bride's family to make decisions that affect his wife's side of the family without consulting his in-laws. This ceremony symbolizes the full acceptance of the groom into the family. The last ceremony is the Amatebeto or Thanksgiving which takes place after the wedding. It is a way of acknowledging that the man has kept the marriage without problems and is able to take care of his wife's well-being. Victoria Falls are their biggest tourist attraction. Victoria Falls is one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the world. Locals call it Mosi Oyatunya, the smoke that rumbles and is a waterfall in southern Africa on the Zambezi river on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. This place is majestic to say the least and the towering column of spray when the river is high, the thunder of the falling water, the terrifying abyss, and the tranquil lagoons upstream where hippos and deadly crocodiles stay are all the wonders you will observe when you get there. Remarkably preserved in its natural state, Victoria Falls inspire visitors today as much as David Livingstone did in the 1860s. Statistically speaking, it is the tallest waterfall in the world. This recognition comes from the combination of height and width to create the largest sheet of running water. Livingstone named Victoria Falls after the reign of Queen Victoria at that time. As one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region, Victoria Falls is a valuable source of income for Zimbabwe and Zambia. The sound of Victoria Falls can be heard from a distance of 40 kilometers, while the spray and mist of the falling water rise to a height of over 400 meters and can be seen from a distance of 50 kilometers. No wonder the local tribes call the Mosi Oyatunya waterfall the rumbling smoke. In 1964, Zambia was called Northern Rhodesia. Northern Rhodesia was a British protectorate before 24 October 1964 when it became independent as the Republic of Zambia. From August 1, 1953 to December 31, 1963, it was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasa Land, an autonomous federation of Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, and Nyasa Land. From the 1930s, many South Africans migrated to Northern Rhodesia, mainly to work in the mines of the Copper Belt region in the towns of Luansha, Ndola, Kitwe, Nkana, Mofulira, Chingola, and Bancroft, today known as Chirirabombwe, and to a lesser extent the towns of Lusaka, Livingstone, and Broken Hill, now known as Kabwe. Also, after World War II, many people from Britain and India came to Northern Rhodesia to work in the mines, trade, or for civil service. In the 1960s and 1970s, many of these families moved to South Africa or Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe. A person born in Northern Rhodesia became a British protected person at birth. In 1953, the two Rhodesias were merged with Nyasa Land, now known as Malawi, to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasa Land. The federation, also called the Central African Federation, was formed on the initiative of Great Britain. Under an appointed governor-general, the federal government handled all government affairs, although the countries retained most of their old legislative structure. In 1960 up to 1961, Africans demonstrated against the federation. At the heart of the controversy were African demands for greater participation in government and European fears of losing political control. The official dissolution took place on December 31, 1963, after which Northern Rhodesia became independent as Zambia on October 24, 1964. Zambia has various major exports. Zambia's natural resources include uranium, silver, cobalt, copper, coal, lead, silver, zinc, emeralds, and gold. Zambia is also one of the world's leading producers of semi-precious stones and cobalt. The social and economic backbone of Zambia has always been its mining industry. Copper mining and refining has been of immense importance in Zambia. Since the 1930s, a wide variety of non-metal and metal resources have been discovered in Zambia and these resources have expanded mining and exploration activities in the country. Zambia has an increasing number of limestone deposits in the Lusaka region located in the southern part of the central province and also in the eastern province. Different varieties of silica sands can be found in Zambia. Felt spores are also commonly found, especially in pegmatites. Zambia has been producing coal continuously since 1967 and the country also has significant coal resources. The Mamba Coal Mine near Lake Hariba in Zambia produces huge quantities of coal. The carbonate deposits are globally considered to be one of the richest zinc and lead deposits in Zambia. Zambia is a globally recognized producer of cobalt and copper. Emeralds are found in the Miku-Kafubu region. Zambia has one of the richest copper deposits in the world and is ranked as the seventh largest copper producer in the world. Copper contributes more than 70% of the country's export earnings. Zambia produces around 20% of the world's emeralds. The mining sector is governed and regulated by the Mines and Minerals Development Law No. 11 of 2015, which covers types of mining rights, acquisition of mining rights, rights or obligations conferred on the holder of mining rights, transferability of mining rights, safety, health and environmental requirements, mining royalties, fees and charges, and the export of minerals. It is home to a very large fauna. Zambia and its wildlife attract overwhelming descriptions. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia's most famous park, is often considered one of Africa's last great wildernesses and coming on safari to Zambia is like a journey back in time, a chance to discover a truly pristine landscape just as Africa looked in the 1950s and with the abundant wildlife to match. Zambia's low visitor numbers compared to Kenya or South Africa and vast open spaces certainly make wildlife viewing a joy. Zambia is home to a great diversity of habitats which are happily home to an abundance of creatures large and small. Zambia has more water than any other country in Africa including five huge lakes and 17 waterfalls. The Luangwa Valley alone is home to an outstanding hundred species of mammals and over 400 species of birds all in astonishing density especially along the river banks and fertile flood plains. Unfortunately, this relative abundance has nothing to do with early 20th century Zambia when most of its rural areas were home to amounts of wildlife at levels similar to those you'll only find in national parks today. The big five were also widespread outside of reserves and parks but in 1998 the rhino was declared extinct in Zambia thanks to widespread poaching and today elephants, leopards, lions and buffaloes can be found there but almost exclusively in parks. Poaching combined with a growing human population and the resulting loss of habitats especially forests and woodlands is the primary cause of this decline and responsible wildlife tourism is part of the solution. Being in a relationship with a Zambian woman is a phenomenon. Zambians have a biased view of western life. They believe that everyone in the west especially in America should look like a movie star. They criticize what you wear. This is why it is advisable to take the time to make her understand that the life she sees in the movies is not exactly what it is. You would need to take the time to assure her that there are ordinary people living ordinary lives in America and Europe that they wake up in the morning and go to work just like it is in Zambia. They also work hard to make ends meet just like in Zambia. Nonetheless when you finally get one don't buy her presents. Jewelry, flowers etc will not be appreciated. Apparently they prefer money. They don't like public affection. Dollars function as a key to unlocking the public expression of love. Moreover the most educated Zambian women do not have time for going out. They are too busy with their careers. Moreover you cannot go directly to the wedding ceremony. First she wants an engagement party, a cooking party, chilanga muliro and then a wedding ceremony. The engagement ring is not important to her. Just give her lots of money to have a big cooking party. Okay we just want to say that this is a special case. They're not all the same. You will find other women who are just like normal other women in the west or in any other parts of Africa. All in all you just want to make sure that there's true love in the relationship. They have mealtime etiquette. Zambia's staple food is maize and Zambians eat maize in many ways. When the corn is ripe but still green it can be roasted or boiled. When dry and hard it can be fried or boiled. It can also be lightly pounded to remove the outer layer and boiled either alone or mixed with beans or ground nuts, peanuts and sometimes corn is ground to a slightly larger size than rice and is cooked like rice. All the cooking is done by the wife. Seema is usually prepared for lunch and dinner. In a traditional setting boys from the age of seven eat with the host. The mother eats with the girls and the younger boys. This is because all children under the age of seven are under the guidance of their mother. Almost all learning takes place through everyday activities at home. The mother who takes care of the children's learning must take care of their learning at mealtimes. This is changing however especially in cities. The current trend is for family members to all eat together. Before eating everyone washes their hands in the order of the status of the family members. The father first then the mother and the others follow according to their age. One of the youngest boys or girl passes around a dish of water for the others to wash their hands. If a visitor is having a meal with the family he or she has the honor of washing up first. It is rude to talk a lot or loudly while eating. After eating family members wash their hands again in the same order. Funerals are a major event. In rural areas you will find a campfire all night long outside the home of the deceased. They move all the furniture outside so family and friends can sit around the campfire. Then they put the body inside the house for the mourners to see and pay their respects. When someone dies in Zambia mourners have distinct loud rhythmic cries of mourning. They also bring food and monetary gifts to the grieving family. Sometimes there's also an animal sacrifice to honor the deceased. The Zambian funeral is usually a large event that can last several days. It also gives time for family members who live far away to get there. Funerals usually take place on the third day after death but some rural areas have them on the same day. Wearing black clothing is optional. Women wear modest older clothes and wear no makeup while men wear casual older clothes. Some families cannot afford an expensive casket so they use a wooden casket or a tree fiber ladder. For those who live in town there's a funeral procession at the funeral home with funeral songs and mourning. Usually the males of the family dig the burial plot and then sit separately from the females during the burial. At the time of the burial two men descend into the tomb and the poor bearers hand down the body to them. Mourners throw dirt on the coffin and say prayers and a few words about the deceased. Sometimes they pour cement over the coffin to prevent grave robbers from stealing it. After the burial they can sweep the house of the deceased but before entering the house they wash their feet with clean water. Their basket weaving is generally considered the best in Africa. Both men and women weave in Zambia and winnowing baskets which are sold as large wall trays are often used in the homes of many weavers for the fine work of separating rice and grain from straw. Zambians baskets are a celebration of the weaver's natural home environment woven from raw materials such as palm fronds, twigs and vines. Some baskets are woven from the carefully pulled roots of certain trees harvested in a sustainable way which means that the tree is not damaged and the root can continue to grow and provide a continuous source of weaving materials. Other sources of income are blacksmithing and carpentry, fishing, growing rice and vegetables and raising cattle and poultry. People as young as 18 weave in these Zambian groups and local schools even run weaving clubs so that young people can learn this valuable craft and carry on this century's old heritage for generations to Women are the main beneficiaries of income from basket weaving. Traditionally these baskets were used to store foodstuffs or for winnowing. You can use these baskets for decoration or as a decorative way to store and display food, toys, magazines, just about anything. Drumming and dancing troupes are popular. Music is usually organized as a social event. Music activities belong to the community as a whole. Due to the high level of practical community involvement, music is a legitimate way of looking at the Zambian people as musical activities are functional and an integral part of daily personal, religious, social and economic life. There are several examples of situations and musical rites that accompany educational initiation ceremonies among ethnic Zambians. For example, the Makishi masquerades of the Luwale people and the Chisungu rituals of the Bemba people both grew out of the need to help young people learn cultural values, norms and lessons about the responsibilities of adulthood through music. Musical instruments, along with the ideas they express, also serve as a reflection of Zambian life. As such, the dynamics of life have often served as conditions for the birth and growth of musical instruments. Thus, traditional methods of ensuring prosperity, good health, security, normal development of outlook and character, order and orderly behavior have created the need for rituals that use traditional music and instruments. Making music in Zambia is rarely an isolated event devoid of dancing and other dramatic acts. The performance of the music is usually accompanied by dancing, so there's little or no distinction between the names given to the dance or the music that accompanies it. For example, the music played for Moaba dance in the central province is also called Moaba music. Here we are at the end of our video. I hope you liked it and I hope you learned something new about Zambia today. If you liked it, please give us a like and don't forget to subscribe if you're new to the channel.