Geography of Zambia

Zambia is a country in Southern Africa that does not touch the ocean. It is found to the east of Angola. Zambia is a big country, covering an area of 752,618 square kilometres. That is a little smaller than the country of Turkey. Out of all this land, only 9,220 square kilometres is made up of water. Being landlocked means that people in Zambia need to travel through other countries to reach the sea. This affects how the country gets things like goods and resources. Zambia’s size and position in Africa make it an important part of the continent’s geography.

Area and boundaries

Zambia has a total area of 752,618 square kilometres, making it the 38th largest country in the world. Out of this area, 743,390 square kilometres is land, and 9,220 square kilometres is water.

The country shares its land borders with several nations. It has a total of 5,664 kilometres of land boundaries. It borders Angola for 1,110 kilometres, Democratic Republic of the Congo for 1,930 kilometres, Malawi for 837 kilometres, Mozambique for 419 kilometres, Namibia for 233 kilometres, Tanzania for 338 kilometres, Zimbabwe for 797 kilometres, and Botswana for a very short distance of less than 1 kilometre.

Physical geography

Climate

Main article: Climate of Zambia

Zambia has a tropical climate, changed a little by the height of the land. There is a rainy season that lasts from October or November to March or April.

Terrain

The land in Zambia is mostly a high plateau, with some hills and mountains. The lowest point is the Zambezi river, at 329 m (1,079 ft) above sea level. The highest point is Mafinga Central in the Mafinga Hills, at 2,339 m (7,674 ft) above sea level.

Zambia is a landlocked country next to Zimbabwe to the south, separated by Victoria Falls, Congo DR to the north, Tanzania to the northeast, Malawi to the east, and Mozambique to the southeast. The land generally slopes from west to east from the Kalahari Basin. Zambia is located between the areas where the DR Congo and Zambezi rivers begin. There are three main seasons: a cool dry season from April to August, a hot dry season from August to November, and a warm wet season from November to April. The warmest time is usually in November, and the most rain falls in December. The southern parts of Zambia get more than 700 mm (28 in) of rain each year, while the northern parts get more than 1,100 mm (43 in). Lake Kariba is a large lake made by people and is one of the biggest in the world, stretching along the southern border.

Ecoregions

Main article: Ecoregions of Zambia

Zambia has nine ecoregions spread across four types of land. The most common areas are Miombo, Mopane, and Baikiaea woodland savanna, along with grasslands (mostly flooded grassland) and evergreen forests.

Land use

The following table describes the land use in Zambia, as of 2011.

As of 2005, 1,559 square kilometres of land in Zambia was used for irrigation.

Environment

Current environmental issues in Zambia include air pollution and acid rain from mining and refining, chemical runoff into water, and threats to wildlife like rhinoceros, elephants, antelope, and large cats due to poaching. Other problems are deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, and poor water treatment, which can affect people's health.

Zambia is considered vulnerable to climate change. Changes in rainfall patterns and more extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, could greatly impact the country's agriculture, which many people depend on for their living. Scientists predict that temperatures may rise and rainfall may decrease by the year 2050.

Zambia is part of several international agreements aimed at protecting biodiversity, fighting climate change, preventing desertification, protecting endangered species, managing hazardous wastes, and preserving wetlands.

Deforestation

Global Forest Watch tracks how much tree cover is lost each year using satellite images. In Zambia, about 26,657 square kilometers of tree cover were lost between 2001 and 2024, which is about 11% of the tree cover that existed in the year 2000. This loss means fewer trees are left each year, and the charts show how much tree cover has disappeared over time.

Zambia has submitted plans under the UNFCCC REDD+ framework to help reduce emissions from deforestation. These plans aim to protect forests and monitor changes in forest cover.

Extreme points

Here are some of the farthest points in Zambia, showing where you can find the northernmost, southernmost, easternmost, and westernmost spots.

• Northernmost point: Cape Pungu, Northern province
• Easternmost point: Kongula Peak, Northern province
• Southernmost point: an unnamed location on the border with Zimbabwe in the Zambezi river, Southern province
• Westernmost point: the western part of the border with Angola (Zambia does not have a single westernmost point because the border follows the line of longitude 22° E)