Lusaka

Lusaka

The capital of Zambia, Lusaka is situated on a limestone plateau in the south-central part of the country, at an altitude of 1280 meters above sea level. Evidence of the earliest settlement in the region is from the 6th century AD, and the earliest known settlement from the 11th century AD. Subsequently, it was the home of the Lenje and Soli people since the 17th or 18th century. The modern town was founded in 1905, when the area was part of the British Protectorate of Northern Rhodesia, controlled by the British South African Company. In 1935, Lusaka became Northern Rhodesia's capital, and the city played a prominent role in the independence movement, and it was where the Federation of African Societies established the Northern Rhodesian Congress in 1948. Following the federation of Northern and Southern Rhodesia in 1953, Lusaka was one of the centers of the civil disobedience movement in 1960, which resulted in the creation of the independent state of Zambia, with Lusaka as its capital. While today Lusaka is largely dependent on its agricultural environment and is a major collector of maize and tobacco, it has a diverse economy which includes cement, textile and shoe manufacturing, as well as food processing. Just outside the city is an international airport and the University of Zambia, and nearby is the Munda Wanga Botanical Garden. The city is located at the junction of the Great North Road to Tanzania, and the Great East Road to Malawi.