Lusaka

Official name	Lusaka
Settlement type	City
Imagesize	250px
Dot x	|dot_y =
Pushpin map	Zambia
Pushpin label position
Pushpin map caption	Location of Lusaka in Zambia
Coordinates display	inline,title
Coordinates region	ZM
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	Zambia
Subdivision type1	Province
Subdivision name1	Lusaka
Leader title	Mayor of Lusaka|Mayor
Leader name	Robert Chikwelete
Established title	Established
Established date	1905
Established title2
Established title3	City status
Established date3	August 25, 1960
Area magnitude	1 E9
Unit pref	=
Area total km2	70
Area land km2
Population as of	2007
Population total	3,100,000
Population density km2	44285.7
Timezone	SAST
Utc offset	+2
Elevation footnotes
Elevation m	1279
Postal code type
Area code	(1)
Currency	Zambian Kwacha (ZMK)
Website	http://www.lcc.gov.zm

Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of 1279 m. It has a population of 3,100,000 (2007 estimate). It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia heads north, south, east and west from it. The two main languages spoken in Lusaka are English and Nyanja.

Government and administration

As national capital, Lusaka is the seat of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, epitomized by the presence of the National Assembly (parliament), the State House (office of the President), and the High Court. The Parliament is situated at the Parliament complex, which features a 15-story building. The city is also the capital of Lusaka Province, the smallest and second most populous of the country's nine provinces, and forms an administrative district run by Lusaka City Council. In 2007, the mayor was Steven Chilatu (PF), and the deputy Mayor was Mary Phiri.

List of mayors:

F. Payne 1954-55

H.K.Mitchell 1955-56

Ralph Rich 1956-57

H.F. Tunaley 1957-58

H.K. Mitchell 1958-60

Jack Fischer 1960-61

Richard Sampson 1962-63

S.H. Chileshi 1964-65

W. Banda 1965-69

F. Chirwa 1969-1971?

Dr. Simon C. Mwewaup to 1982

List of Governors (decentralisation - one party participatory era)

Dr. Simon C. Mwewa1982 to 1983

Donald C. Sadoki

Michael Sata

Rupiah Banda

Bautius Kapulu

Lt. Muyoba - up to 1991

List of Mayors - Multi-Party Era

John Chilambwe 1993-1994

Fisho Mwale1994 - 1996

Gilbert R. ZimbaLocal Government Administrator - 1996 - 1999

Patricia Nawa

Patrick Kangwa

John Kabungo

Levy Mkandawire

Stephen Mposha

Christine Nakazwe

Stephen Chilatu

Robert Chikwelete June 2009–present

History

Lusaka was the site of a village named after its headman Lusakasa, which, according to history, was located at Manda Hill, near where the Zambia's National Assembly building now stands. In the Nyanja language, Manda means graveyard. The area was expanded by European (mainly British) settlers in 1905 with the building of the railway.

In 1935, due to its fairly central location, its situation on the railway and at the crossroads of the Great North Road and Great East Road, it was chosen to replace Livingstone as the capital of the British colony of Northern Rhodesia.

After the federation of Northern and Southern Rhodesia in 1953, it was a centre of the independence movement amongst some of the educated elite that led to the creation of the Republic of Zambia. In 1964, Lusaka became the capital of the newly independent Zambia.

In recent years, Lusaka has become a popular urban settlement for Zambians and tourists alike. Its central nature and fast growing infrastructure sector has increased donor confidence and as such Zambians are seeing signs of development in the form of job creation, housing, etc. Consequently, it is thought that with proper and effective economic reforms, Lusaka as well as Zambia as a whole will develop considerably. Lusaka is home to a diverse community of foreigners, many of whom work in the aid industry as well as diplomats, representatives of religious organizations and some business people.

Education

Lusaka has some of the finest schools in Zambia, including the International School of Lusaka, Rhodes park school, Lusaka International Community School, French International School, Italian international School, Lusaka Islamic Cultural and Educational Foundation (LICEF), Chinese International School, Baobab College and American International School. Rhodes Park School is not an international school, though there is a large presence of Angolans, Nigerians, Congolese, South Africans, and Chinese. The late President, Levy Mwanawasa's and Vice-President George Kunda's children also attend at Rhodes park School.

Points of interest

Attractions include Lusaka National Museum, the Political Museum, the Zintu Community Museum, the Freedom Statue, the Zambian National Assembly, the Agricultural Society Showgrounds (known for their annual agricultural show), the Moore Pottery Factory, the Lusaka Playhouse theatre, a cinema, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in , a cenotaph, a golf club, the Lusaka Central Sports Club, and the zoo and botanical gardens of the Munda Wanga Environmental Park. The city is also home to the University of Zambia. Along Great East Road are the two largest shopping malls in Zambia, Arcades shopping Mall and Manda Hill shopping Mall which was recently revamped and is home to international stores such as Shoprite and Woolworths, a new movie theater and boasts of the first KFC in the country.

The city centre includes several blocks west of Cairo Road, around which lie the New City Market and Kamwala Market, a major shopping area, as well as the Zintu Community Museum. Further east lies the government area, including the State House and the various ministries, around the Cathedral Hill and Ridgeway areas. One of the main streets and points of interest upon business is the street of Cairo Road.

According to former mayor Richard Sampson

Notable residents

The rugby union players Corné Krige and George Gregan, who respectively captained the and teams in both the 2002 and 2003 Tri Nations Series, were coincidentally born in the same hospital in Lusaka. Krige's parents still live in Zambia.

Suburbs

Suburbs around Lusaka include Handsworth Park, Sunningdale, Kabulonga, Woodlands, Jesmondine, Acacia, Northmead, Olympia Park, Roma, Kalundu, Chelston, Avondale, Rhodes Park, Prospect Hill, Longacres, Fairview, Chainama Hills, State Lodge, Makeni, Emmasdale, Leopards Hill, New Kasama, Chalala, Ibex Hill, Mass Media, Libala, Marshlands, Manda Hill, Chainda, Chudleigh, Kamwala, Mwembeshi, Barlastone, Foxdale, Madras, NIPA, Mapepe, Lilayi, PHI, Nyumba Yanga, Olympia Extension, Chilenje, Thorn Park, Twinpalm, Villa Elizabetha. Other residential areas are Kabwata (a working class area, home to the Kabwata Cultural Centre), Misisi, Madras, Ziwa Zakho, Shang'ombo, Kwa Shadreck, Matero, Mtendendere, Chaisa, Chawama, John Laing, Kalingalinga, Kwa George, Chipata Compound, Ng'ombe, Lilanda, Mandevu, Garden Compound, Bauleni, Helen Kaunda, Kaunda Square (stage one and stage two), and Chilanga (Lusaka), Zambia.

Climate

Primarily due to its high altitude, Lusaka features a humid subtropical climate. Its coldest month, July, has a monthly average temperature of 16°C, a couple of degrees shy of what would constitute a tropical climate, specifically a tropical savanna climate. Lusaka features a relatively warm climate, typically with warm (but not hot) summers and very mild “winters”. The city’s warmest month, October, sees monthly average high temperatures at around 25°C. Lusaka features a wet season and a dry season with the dry season predominating the year, lasting from April through October.

See also

References

External links

Lusaka City Council

Zambia Tourism page on Lusaka

Lusaka blog Lusaka 24 hour blog

Map of Lusaka

Visit Zambia Campaign

Lusaka Social Centre

Lusaka Times

Zambia Online

The Lowdown, Zambia's leading "What's on?" magazine

Category:Lusaka Province Category:Provincial capitals in Zambia Category:Capitals in Africa Category:Populated places in Zambia Category:Populated places established in 1905