Tales of Zambia's Provinces Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kopje

The Mulungushi Rock of Authority has been called "the birthplace of Zambian independence". It was first used as a gathering site in 1958 by the Zambian African National Congress (ZANC), a group that sought to advance the right to vote for black people.

When some of the followers broke away from the ZANC and formed the United National Independence Party (UNIP), they chose the site as a meeting place because of its remoteness and central location to all parts of the country. The kopje, with its ready water supply and space for outdoor speeches, accommodated about 2,000 people in 1960 for the first UNIP party meeting. Since then it has been used as the site of the party's annual conference and has been used for other events as well.

Answer: Copperbelt

Although the Copperbelt has been inhabited by many different groups since prehistoric times, westerners discovered copper there in 1895 when the area was called Northern Rhodesia. It was then that Frederick Russell Burnham, who had experience in the American copper mining business, noticed that native people were wearing copper bracelets.

These people, he noted, were very skilled and traded their fine products with the Portuguese and Arabs. As stated in the question, the Copperbelt was the largest copper-producing region in the world in the 1950s; although the copper market crashed in 1973, copper and cobalt mining still continue to be an important source of Zambia's revenue, comprising 64% of Zambia's exports according to a 2015 report.

Answer: Chewa

The Chewa people actually comprise a large empire that stretches over modern-day Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique. It does appear, however, that their claim over the area is very old; by the 16th century the first Chewa kingdom had already been established and the group had divided into two clans, the Banda and the Phiri. Today the Chewa are a matrimonial society, but each village is ruled by a headman called a "mfumu".

They are known for making elaborate masks, their agricultural techniques, and their secret society, called Nyau, which consists of members who have been initiated.

Answer: Congo

The Luapula River, a tributary of the Congo, forms about 350 miles of the border that exists between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mostly inhabited by the Bemba, who make their living fishing and farming, the 2010 census found that Luapula was the poorest province in Zambia.

It does have potential for economic development, however, as there are several magnificent waterfalls in the province, as well as national parks and festivals that could attract tourists.

Answer: After a village headman named Lusaka

According to an article in the "Zambia Daily Mail" in 2015, Lusaka was the Soli headman of a village that was located near a spot where the present-day Zambia National Assembly building is found. European settlers came to the area, mostly from Great Britain; by 1905 the construction of the railroad enhanced the commercial location of the city in what was then called Northern Rhodesia.

Although Lusaka was not the original capital, the governmental center was moved there in 1935 from the city of Livingstone.

It was chosen because of its location on the railroad and because it was situated at the crossroads of the Great North Road and the Great East Road. In 2011 an article in the "Africa Review" mentioned that the Soli people believe their headman, named "Mwalusaka" in the article, was buried in the area that is the current location of the National Assembly building, a shopping mall, and a subdivision.

At the time of construction in the 1960s some human remains were found believed to belong to the headman.

His great-granddaughter was involved in a hearing held to decide if the land should be returned to the Soli people.

Answer: Escarpment

Much of Muchinga Province is located on the Muchinga Escarpment. While an escarpment can be identified as "a steep slope", the definition can continue to explain that "some are located at the edge of a plateau or separate areas of land at different heights". The Muchinga Escarpment separates the mountains from the drainage basins of the Congo and Zambezi Rivers. The term "scarp" is used as a synonym of the word "escarpment", however, in some references the term "escarpment" is used for the amount of land between the different heights of land.

Answer: Angola

The North-Western Province borders on the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the North and Angola to the west. Although Angola and Zambia have had border disputes and tension in the past, a 2010 article in "How We Made It In Africa" stated that plans were underway to improve the Imusho border post to facilitate trade between the two countries. Apparently the post had previously been open only once a week to issue border passes. In 2016 the two countries signed a trade agreement to further expand trade, with Zambia hoping to make Angola one of its most important trading partners.

Cabinda, an exclave of Angola, is separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was taken by soldiers of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola in 1975 after Angola declared independence from Portugal.

Answer: Lake Tanganyika

The Northern Province is located in a rift valley; it is an area that was created "by the action of a geological rift or fault". In the distant geological past, after the land broke apart, the resulting crater filled with water, which created very deep lakes with large amount of water. Lake Tanganyika is part of an area known as the East African Rift.

The terrain in this area makes building roads and mobility quite difficult; many of the roads are described as being made of gravel and mostly impassable.

The people who live there are subsistence farmers, growing maize, millet, sorghum, and other crops. Commercial fishing is also done on Lake Tanganyika.

Answer: Cattle raising

The Barotse Floodplain of the Zambezi River is located in Western Province; it is very important as it provides irrigation for the grass upon which the Lozi, the major ethnic group in the province, graze their cattle. Twenty-four subgroups of the Lozi have lived in the area since the early 1800s.

They raise their cattle and sell them when cash money is needed. The river's flood cycle controls much of their lives; when it is time for the wet season to begin in January the Lozi will migrate to higher ground, but they cannot begin their migration until their subgroup's king does. By February the floodplain is said to look like a lake, and the people are unable to return until sometime in July.

In addition to irrigating the grass for cattle, the flooding also makes it possible from the Lozi to grow crops like rice or wheat and other vegetables.

Answer: Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is the biggest tourist attraction in Zambia today. Its Tongan name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, means "The Smoke that Thunders". It is suggested by Zambia Tourism that if one is planning a visit to see Victoria Falls, they should be sure to plan to go between July and September; by November and December the falls are almost dry, and from January-May the rainy season makes viewing somewhat difficult.

David Livingstone is believed to have been the first European to view Victoria Falls on November 16, 1855. He named the falls in honor of his Queen. Due to its width and height Victoria Falls is said to be the largest waterfall in the world, although it is not the highest. Angel Falls in Venezuela has that distinction!