Capital of Zambia
Southern Zambia & Zambezi Valley, Zambia
Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, lies at the junction of the main highways to the north, east, south and west at an altitude of 1,300m above sea level. It is a city whose bustling chaos has a certain charm.
The traveller passing through Zambia's capital may not see any reason to stay, but Lusaka is the product of a country battling to find its way in a new world, caught between colonial beginnings, years of socialist independence and now democracy.
The markets are a hive of activity, the thousands of stalls are filled and cleared every day. A myriad of motor spares dealers, restaurants, hairdressers, fishmongers, fruitsellers and rows and rows of "salaula" - discarded clothing from the West sold to Africa by the bale.
Background
Viewed from the villages, Lusaka is the glittering capital which still persuades rural Zambians to take the bus there in search of jobs and dreams.
The capital covers an area of over 70 km square and is one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa. Its population almost trebled in the immediate post-independence era and continues to grow daily.