One Zambia, One Nation: Zambia turns 62
Independent since 24 October 1964, Zambia has built a record of peaceful changes of power, and is home to the smoke that thunders, Mosi-oa-Tunya.
Lusaka — Today Zambia marks 62 years of independence. On 24 October 1964 the former Northern Rhodesia became the Republic of Zambia, with Kenneth Kaunda, who had led the country as prime minister, as its first president. His motto, "One Zambia, One Nation", is still the country's own.
Zambia at a glance
- Capital: Lusaka, also the largest city.
- Population: about 20 million.
- Area: about 752,600 km².
- Languages: English is official; Bemba is the most widely spoken Zambian language, followed by Tonga and Nyanja, among many others.
- Economy: copper is the main export and mining has driven much of the country's growth.
A record to be proud of
Since multiparty elections returned in 1991, Zambia has had a series of peaceful transfers of power. In 2021, Hakainde Hichilema won about 59% of the vote, the outgoing president Edgar Lungu conceded, and Hichilema was sworn in on 24 August 2021, the kind of transition that still makes headlines elsewhere.
Kaunda was also known for regional diplomacy, and Lusaka hosts the headquarters of COMESA, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
The smoke that thunders
Zambia shares one of the world's great natural wonders with Zimbabwe: Mosi-oa-Tunya, "the smoke that thunders", on the Zambezi, known to many as Victoria Falls. The river also powers the Kariba hydroelectric station that has long supplied the country's electricity.
Happy Independence Day to Zambians at home and across the diaspora.
Background: Wikipedia.
