ZAMBIA CULTURE

THEIR NAME ZAMBIA COMES FROM THE RIVER.  THEY HAVE VICTORIA FALLS IN THE SOUTH AND IT FLOWS  INTO A LAKE AND THEN  THE INDIAN OCEAN.  THIS COUNTRY IS AS BIG AS TEXAS.  IT HAS SEVERAL LAKES.  ZAMBIA HAS 6000' MOUNTAINS., LARGE SAVANNAHS AND PICTUREQUE VICTORIA FALLS. 
 
ZAMBIA'S POPULATION  IS 9.9 MILLION TODAY.  MANY FOLKS (45%) MIGRATE TO URBAN AREAS TO LOCATE JOBS.  RURAL FOLKS DO SUBSISTENCE FARMING. 

THEY HAVE 7 MAIN TRIBES.  SOME FOLKS HAVE MOVED HERE FROM NEARBY AREAS.  THERE HAVE BEEN RECENT CONFLICTSAND INFLUX OF REFUGEES IN RECENT YEARS.  THE FOLKS HERE SPEAK ENGLISH BUT THEY ALSO HAVE MANY TRIBAL LANGUAGES.  THIS COUNTRY IS KNOWN FOR ITS RICH WILDLIFE AND LANDSCAPES.  COPPER IS A RICH RESOUCES.  COPPER IS A RICH RESOURCE THERE.

HUMAN SETTLEMENT IS ABOUT THREE MILLION YEARS AGO!  SOME SITES DATE 60,000 YEARS AGO.   BETWEEN 1500 -1800 THE LUBA PEOPLE BECAME A POWERFUL GROUP.  BY LATE 1800'S  PORTUGUESE TRADERS ESTABLISHED TRADE WITH SOME TRIBES.  THE MAIN ITEMS WERE GOLD IVORY AND SLAVES.  MISSIONARIES WERE WORKING TO STOP THE SLAVE TRADE AND TRIED TO PREVENT THE THE PORT FROM THE PORT FROM OCCUPYING LAND.

CECIL RHODES FOUNDED A BRITISH COMPANY AND BECAME A WEALTHY MAN.  IN 1898 QUEEN VICTORIAGAVE HIM A CHARTER TO GOVERN ZAMBIA UNDER BRITISH FORCES.  HE ESTABLISHED HEADQUARTERS IN LIVINGSTONE AS HE BELIEVED GOLD AND OTHER MINERALS WERE VALUABLE.  LARGE COPPER AND GOLD DEPOSITS WERE MINED BY THE BRITISH IN 1929 TO 1950'S AS THE ZAMBIANS CAME HERE TO FILL THESE JOBS.

FINALLY BY 1953 FEVER SWEPT THROUGH ZAMBIA A UNITED NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE PARTY.  BY 1964 THEY GAINED INDEPENDENCE THROUGH THROUGH CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE.

TRADITIONALLY THEY BUILT HOMES BASED ON AVAILABLE  MATERIALS.  BASKET WEAVING CONSTRUCTION WAS IN THE THE EAST OF THE ZAMBIA.  MUD COVERED  SMALL BRANCHES AND CAN BE FOUND IN THE REST OF ZAMBIA.  MOST ROOFS ARE POLES AND THATCH.  SOME FOLKS BUILT RECTANGULAR HOUSES.  THE CHEWA FAVOR CIRCULAR STRUCTURES.

WHEN MISSIONARIES AND EUROPEANS CAME THE CHEWA FAVORED WESTERN STRUCTURES.  THEY INRODUCED BRICK AND USED TO BUILD SQUARE STRUCTURES.  THE COLONISTS BUILT WOOD FRAME STRUCTURES.  THE COLONISTS BUILT WOOD FRAMSTRUCTURS WITH METAL ROOFS.  THESE HOUSES WERE QUITE HOTR WITH LARGE ROOFS AND MUCH VENTILATION.  THE BRITISH ESTABLISHED OVERSEAS MANAGEMENT AREAS FOR GOVERNMENT.  CHEWA WOULD FORM A VILLAGE IN A MOON SHAPE WITH THE CHIEF'S LODGING IN THE CENTER.  THE LEOZI DEVELOPED LARGE HOMESTEADS IN A FENCE.  IT PROTECTED THEM.

THEIR FOOD DEPENDED UPON THE SEASON AND LOCATION.  CORN IS THEIR MAIN STAPLE.   THEY MADE MEALIE MEAL - A DRIED AND POUNDED CORN WHERE BOILING WATER WAS ADDED.  IT IS COOKED TO FEEL THICK MASHED POTATOES.  THEY EAT GOAT, FISH, OR CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES.    SOMETIMES MEAT IS NOT EATEN BUT BEANS WITH DRIED FISH.

THEY LOVE PEANUTS, SWEAT POTATOES AND CASSAVA.  THEY EAT MANY FRUITS.  THEY HAVE SOME TABOOS.  MOST FOLKS FARM AND LIVE ON A SMALL PLOT OF LAND.SOME FOLKS ORGANIZE  THEIR FIELDS TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY OF WOMEN. SOME FOLKS GROW COFFEE AND COTTON.  SOME LAKE FOLKS FOCUS ON FISHING AND SELL THEM OUT ZAMBIA.   THEY CATCH MANY FRESH WATER FISH..  THEIR MARKETS ARE PLACES OF TRADE AND SOCIALIZATION.  SOME FOLKS CAN SUPPORT THEMSELVES BY THEIR FARMS OTHERS GO TO CITIES.  THEIR
GOVERNMENT OWNS MOST OF THE VALUABLE LAND AND RESOURCES.

IN VILLAGES CHIEFS OWN THE LAND, AND GIVE OUT PARCELS TO THEIR SUPPORTEWRS.  TRIBAL CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES ARE HONORED.  THE GOVERNJMENT SUPPORTS THIS FORM OF DISTRIBUTION.

IN THE CITIES THEIR IS A LARGE HOUSING CRISI.  SOME TOWNS LACK ELECTRICITY AND SEWAGE.  MANY FOLKS ARE SQUATTERS.  WOMEN CAN OWN LAND AS WELL.  BUTR FEW DO BECAUSE OF CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ISSUES.

SOME AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ARE SOLD IN THE MARKET.  THEIR GOVERNMENT BUILT THE RAILROAD.  AFTER 53 YEARS THEY DEVELOPED MUCH TRADE.  THEY HAVE A HUGE CEMENT TRADE TO THEIR NEIGHBORS,  THEY HAVE SOME STRANGE COSTUMES FOR CEREMONIES.  THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF CRIME WITH ROBBERIES. IN CITIES.  THEIR MILITARY IS INADEQUATE.  IN THE 1970'S COPPER MADE ZAMBIA ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST COUNTRIES.  WOMEN TODAY DO WORK IN ALL THREE SECTORS INCLUDING MILITARY.  BOTH MEN AND WOMEN WORK LONG HOURS IN THE FIELD.  FOLKS CAN'T MARRY WITHIN THEIR TRIBAL CLANS.  CHRISTIAN WEDDINGS ARE COMMON.  53% ARE CATHOLICSMANY ARABS ARE HERE.  ANIMISM IS ALSO PRACTICED.  WITCH DOCTORS USE MEDICINE FROM ROOTS. OR PLANTS.  MAJOR HOLY PLACES ARE WATERFALLS.  MOST CHILDREN ARE IN SCHOOL FOR ONLY 1/2 DAY.  BUILDINGS ARE OUTDATED.  CHILDREN HELP WITH CHORES.

A LARGE TEXTILE PATTERN INDUSTRY WAS IN ZAMBIA OPERATED BY THE GOVERNMENT.  THE FABRIC WAS DYED  AND PATTERNED BY SKIRTS.  BY 1990  SECOND HAND CLOTHING WAS POPULAR.

DRUM AND DANCE TROOPS WERE POPULAR AND MANY ARE PERFORMED IN MAJOR CITIES.  THEY USE TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF DRUMS AND XYLOPHONE AND SMALL PIANO.  THEY PASS ON BELIEFS  AND CUSTOMS IN ORAL PERFORMANCES.  THESE ARE IMPORTANT PARTS OF A TRIBAL CONDITION AS IT HELPS TO PRESERVE A TRIBE'S IDENTITY.

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