- Here are a few fun facts about Zambia- It is home to the Victoria Falls, the world’s largest curtain of falling water. The falls span the entire breadth of the Zambezi River at more than 1,700m wide. Zambia shares the falls with Zimbabwe. They are known locally by the Kalolo-Lozi people as Mosi-oa-Tunya, ‘the smoke that thunders.’ Victoria Falls is 108 meters in height and is almost double the height of Niagara Falls.
2. Thousands of years of erosion have created a dip on the edge of Victoria Falls making it the home to the Devil’s Pool. At first glance, the pool looks extremely dangerous but due to an underwater lip, it’s quite safe. It is so close to the edge of the falls that swimmers can see the water go over the falls. A rock at the edge of the pool prevents swimmers from falling over 300 ft to the bottom of the falls.
3. Zambia is home to the largest man-made lake by volume in the world. Lake Kariba lies on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is 223 km long and at its widest point measures 40 km. Covering an area of 5,580 square kilometers and with a holding capacity of 185 cubic kilometers. It is so large that it has its own islands.
4. Lobola is widely practiced in Zambia. When a man and woman decide to get married, several meetings are arranged between the bride to be parents and the potential groom’s go-between or Shibukombe. After several meetings, the go-between pays the family of the woman the lobola. In the olden days, cattle would be accepted but now families prefer cash. It signifies that the man is grateful to the parents for growing the woman.
5. Zambia is a landlocked country located in Africa. A landlocked nation is enclosed by land with no access to the open sea. Currently, there are 45 landlocked countries and five partially recognized nations in the world.
6. Funerals are a major event in Zambia. Here, family members begin funeral rituals as soon as they learn of the person’s death. The news is announced to everyone via phone call or the radio. Family members and friends travel from great distances to attend the funeral. In Eastern Zambia, at home, male mourners gather outside and produce deep and loud moaning sounds. Locals call these sounds kukhuza and the women’s coming cry chitengelo.
7. In Zambia, the age-old tradition of storytelling continues as a way to pass time and relax with friends and family, not only in the rural areas but also in the cities. They usually prefer to do this in the evenings. The stories often have a supernatural theme or come with some type of lesson.
8. Zambia has one of the world’s fastest-growing populations with the UN projecting that its population will triple by 2050 from 13 million in 2011.
9. Zambia’s flag has a green background with an orange eagle and vertical stripes of red, black, and orange at the fly end. The green symbolizes agriculture, red is for the freedom struggle, black for the African people, and orange for copper. The African fish eagle symbolizes freedom and the ability of the Zambian people to rise above national problems.
10. If you get an invitation to a meal in the home of a Zambian. This fact will be a great help!. If you happen to be the youngest, try not to finish eating and wash your hands first. It is usually customary to wait at the meal for all to finish before all wash hands.
11. The termite hills here are the size of a house Termite hills in Zambia can grow as big as a small house. With room for a pony.
12. Zambia is home to the near-blind species of Ansell’s mole-rats which can sense magnetic fields with their eyes according to a recent study. The mole-rats also live in complex underground tunnel systems up to 2.8km long.
We hope that you enjoyed these facts about Zambia. Do share with us how you find the blog in the comment section below.
