Geography of Zambia

From Chalo Chatu, Zambia online encyclopedia
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.
Geography of Zambia
Za-map.png

LocationZambia.jpg
ContinentAfrica
RegionSouthern Africa
Coordinates15°S 30°E / 15°S 30°E / -15; 30Coordinates: 15°S 30°E / 15°S 30°E / -15; 30
AreaRanked 39th
 • Total752,618 km2 (290,587 sq mi)
Coastline0 km (0 mi)
Borders5,664 km
(Angola 1110 km, Democratic Republic of Congo 1930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zimbabwe 797 km, Botswana <1 km)
Highest pointMafinga Central, Mafinga Hills
2,339 m
Lowest pointZambezi River, 329 m
Longest riverZambezi River
2,650 km
Zambia map of Köppen climate classification.

Zambia is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa, to the east of Angola. It has a total area of 752 618 square kilometres (slightly larger than France), of which 9 220 km² are water.

Political geography

Zambia has a total of 5 664 km of land boundaries, and it borders: Angola for 1 110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo for 1 930 km, Malawi for 837 km, Mozambique for 419 km, Namibia for 233 km, Tanzania for 338 km, Zimbabwe for 797 km, and Botswana, less than 1 km (0.62 mi).

Physical geography

Climate

Zambia has a tropical climate, modified by the altitude of the country. There is a rainy season that runs from October/November to March/April and September.

Terrain

Template:MapLibrary The terrain of Zambia is mostly high plateau, with some hills and mountains. The lowest point is the Zambezi river, at 329 m (1,079 ft) above sea level, with the highest being Mafinga Central in the Mafinga Hills, at 2,339 m (7,674 ft) above sea level.

Ecoregions

Nine ecoregions in four biomes are represented in Zambia, the most widespread being Miombo, Mopane and Baikiaea woodland savanna, with grasslands (mainly flooded grassland) and evergreen forest also present.

Land use

The following table describes the land use in Zambia, as of 2011.

Land use
Use Percentage of Area
arable land 4.52
permanent crops 0.05
other 95.44

As of 2005, 1559 km² of land in Zambia is irrigated.

Environment

Current issues for the environment in the country include: air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; poaching, which seriously threatens: rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification and lack of adequate water treatment, which presents human health risks.

Zambia is party to the following international agreements: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection and Wetlands. Zambia has signed, but not ratified, the Kyoto Protocol

Extreme points

This is a list of the extreme points of Zambia, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.

* Note: Zambia does not have a westernmost point as the border here is formed by the line of longitude 22° E