Zambia is a vast country, friendly and peaceful, that offers superb wildlife and cultural encounters. Landlocked in southern Africa, it has a population of approximately 12 million and is one of the lesser travelled and most rewarding wilderness destinations in Africa. Its walking safaris and bush camping are legendary - see Robin Pope Walking Safaris.
The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy Mwanawasa. The new president launched a far-reaching anti-corruption campaign in 2002, which resulted in the prosecution of former President Frederick Chiluba and many of his supporters in late 2003. Opposition parties currently hold a majority of seats in the National Assembly.
Zambia is situated mainly on a vast plateau, and has three of Africa's largest rivers - the Zambezi, Kafue and Luangwa - as well as one of the largest waterfalls in the world, the Victoria Falls, which it shares with neighbouring Zimbabwe.
Most of the country has a mild, pleasant climate, while the river valleys are hotter and more humid; the extreme north becomes tropical on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, one of Zambia's ten large lakes. While Lusaka is the country's capital, Livingstone, just ten kilometres from the Falls, is better known to travellers as the "adventure capital" offering adrenalin-packed activities on and around the Falls and the Zambezi River.
When it comes to wildlife, what Zambia lacks in diversity, it makes up for in concentrations and numbers, offering some of the wildest and most remote game areas on the continent as well as a number of superb lodges and safari options. Using either air charter or a combination of air and road it is possible to build an itinerary that takes in the most rewarding areas at a relaxed and leisurely pace. You can see prides of more than 20 lion in Busanga Plains in the Kafue National Park, catch some of the biggest tiger fish in Africa within sight of a large elephant herd on the Lower Zambezi, fly over the mighty Victoria Falls, or view leopard on a kill at night in the South Luangwa. The modern walking or 'foot' safari originated in this lush land, today offering some of the best traditional walking safaris in Africa - see Robin Pope Walking Safaris.