Geographical Location
Zambia, in Southern Africa, faces Zaire and Tanzania to the north; Malawi to the east; Mozambique to the southeast; Zimbabwe, Botswana, and the Caprivi Strip of Namibia to the south; and Angola to the west. With a total area of 752,615 square kilometres, most of Zambia is high plateau with a flat or gently undulation terrain.

Climate
Although lying within the Tropics, much of Zambia enjoys a pleasant subtropical climate because of the high elevation. There are three distinct seasons: cool and dry from May to August; hot and dry from September to October; and rainy between November and April.

Population
Close to 99% of the people of Zambia are African, and about 1% are European. The Africans belong to some 73 ethnic groups. There are 7 major groups who have lives in the country for centuries: Tonga, Ila, Matabele, Lozi, Luvale, Lunda and the Bemba.

Languages
English is the official and administrative language; it is more common in urban areas than in rural areas. More than 70 indigenous languages are spoken in Zambia, of which the most important are Ichibemba in the Copperbelt, Luapula, and the Northern and Central provinces; Chinyanja in the Lusaka and Eastern provinces; Chitonga in the Southern province and Kabwe Rural District; Silozi in the Western province amd urban areas of Livingstone; and Kikaonde, Lunda, and Lovale in the North-Western Province. Swahili is spoken to a limited extent in the Copperbelt and northern Zambia.

Religion
Many Zambians adhere to a combination of two or more religions or belief systems. The proportion of the population practicing Christianity is estimated to be above 50%. Estimates of the number of people who practice Islam, Hinduism, and other religions also vary widely. Only a small number of people practice indigenous beliefs exclusively.