Did You Know

Interesting Facts about Zambia

Trivia, oddities, and curious tidbits about Zambia.

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Did You Know?

19 curious facts about Zambia.

Zambia is named after the Zambezi River, which flows through the country. Before 1964, the country was called Northern Rhodesia, after Cecil Rhodes.
Zambia has one of the lowest population densities in the world. It also has one of the highest urban populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Half of Zambia's people live in its cities. Close to 2 million people live in Lusaka, the capital.
The African name for Victoria Falls is Mosi-oa-Tunya, “the smoke that thunders.” This World Heritage Site is twice as high as Niagara Falls and one-and-a-half times as wide. It is said to be the longest curtain of water on earth.
Although most of Zambia's rulers and chiefs have been men, at least two women have ruled the Luvale people, who live near the border with Angola. The Luvale's first chief was a woman named Kenga Naweji.

Zambia is one of the world's largest exporters of roses. It can grow them throughout the year and sell them for a low price. The demand for roses within Zambia is low, as it is not customary for Zambians to give each other flowers.
One of Zambia's newest heroes is a young chess player named Amon Simutowe. At 16, he won first prize at the South African Open Chess Championships.
On April 17.1993, seventeen members of the Zambian World Cup team died when their airplane crashed into the sea off Gabon. The team was on its way to a World Cup qualifying game in Dakar, Senegal. Zambia still mourns the loss of these talented players.
AIDS is Zambia's biggest health challenge. The disease affects both women and men, and medication is either unavailable or too expensive for most of those infected. Even prevention programs suffer from a lack of resources. AIDS has devastated the working population of the country and left hundreds of thousands of children orphaned.
Zambia has a young population with many children to educate. Half the population is age 15 or younger.
To help Zambia feed itself, the government requires all schools to have a garden. Students learn how to grow fruits and vegetables.