Zambia Cities

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Zambia Cities by Population

66 cities shown of 66 total Zambia cities that are over 1,000 in population...

1. Lusaka 1,267,440
2. Kitwe 400,914
3. Ndola 394,518
4. Kabwe 188,979
5. Chingola 148,564
6. Mufulira 120,500
7. Luanshya 113,365
8. Livingstone 109,203
9. Kasama 91,056
10. Chipata 85,963
11. Kalulushi 66,575
12. Mazabuka 64,006
13. Chililabombwe 57,328
14. Mongu 52,534
15. Kafue 47,554
16. Choma 46,746
17. Mansa 42,277
18. Kansanshi 40,705
19. Kapiri Mposhi 37,942
20. Monze 30,257
21. Mpika 28,445
22. Nchelenge 23,693

23. Kawambwa 20,589
24. Mbala 20,570
25. Samfya 20,470
26. Sesheke 20,149
27. Petauke 19,296
28. Mumbwa 19,086
29. Siavonga 18,638
30. Kaoma 14,212
31. Chinsali 14,015
32. Mwinilunga 13,798
33. Isoka 13,122
34. Mkushi 12,306
35. Maamba 12,251
36. Lundazi 11,635
37. Sinazongwe 11,528
38. Chambishi 11,073
39. Nakonde 10,652
40. Nakambala 10,425
41. Senanga 10,005
42. Mpongwe 8,997
43. Serenje 8,779
44. Mpulungu 8,547

45. Kalabo 7,731
46. Kalengwa 7,574
47. Limulunga 7,461
48. Zambezi 7,074
49. Mungwi 6,821
50. Kabompo 6,592
51. Luwingu 6,161
52. Mufumbwe 6,155
53. Chongwe 6,057
54. Kasempa 5,622
55. Solwezi 4,846
56. Chibombo 4,477
57. Namwala 4,450
58. Mwense 4,378
59. Chama 4,061
60. Chadiza 3,690
61. Mporokoso 3,401
62. Lukulu 3,349
63. Luangwa 3,065
64. Kaputa 2,683
65. Gwembe 2,052
66. Nyimba 1,336

Zambia History

The area of modern Zambia was inhabited by Khoisan hunter-gatherers until around AD 300, when technologically-advanced migrating tribes began to displace or absorb them. In the 12th century, major waves of Bantu-speaking immigrants arrived during the Bantu expansion. Among them, the Tonga people were the first to settle in Zambia and are believed to have come from the east near the ig sea"". The Nkoya people also arrived early in the expansion, coming from the Luba-Lunda kingdoms located in the southern parts of the modern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Angola, followed by a much larger influx, especially between the late 17th and early 19th centuries. In the early 18th century, the Nsokolo people settled in the Mbala district of Northern province. During the 19th century, the Ngoni peoples arrived from the south. By the late 19th century, most of the various peoples of Zambia were established in the areas they currently occupy."

The earliest account of a European visiting the area was Francisco de Lacerda in the late 18th century, followed by other explorers in the 19th century. The most prominent of these was David Livingstone, who had a vision of ending the slave trade through the 3 C's"". He was the first European to see the magnificent waterfalls on the Zambezi River in 1855, naming them Victoria Falls after Queen Victoria. Locally the falls are known ""Mosi-oa-Tunya"" or "" thundering smoke"". The town of Livingstone, near the falls, is named after him. Highly publicised accounts of his journeys motivated a wave of explorers, missionaries and traders after his death in 1873."

In 1888, the British South Africa Company, led by Cecil Rhodes, obtained mineral rights from the Litunga, the king of the Lozi for the area which later became North-Western Rhodesia. To the east, King Mpezeni of the Ngoni resisted but was defeated in battle and that part of the country came to be known as North-Eastern Rhodesia. The two were administered as separate units until 1911 when they were merged to form Northern Rhodesia. In 1923, the Company ceded control of Northern Rhodesia to the British Government after the government decided not to renew the Company's charter.

That same year, Southern Rhodesia, which was also administered by the BSA Company, became self-governing. In 1924, after negotiations, administration of Northern Rhodesia transferred to the British Colonial Office. In 1953, the creation of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland grouped together Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia and Nyasaland as a single semi-autonomous region. This was undertaken despite opposition from a sizeable minority of Africans, who demonstrated against it in 1960-61. Northern Rhodesia was the centre of much of the turmoil and crisis characterizing the federation in its last years. Initially, Harry Nkumbula's African National Congress led the campaign that Kenneth Kaunda's United National Independence Party subsequently took up.

In January 1964, Kaunda won the first and only election for Prime Minister of Northern Rhodesia. The Colonial Governor, Sir Evelyn Hone, was very close to Kaunda and urged him to stand for the post. Soon afterwards there was an uprising in the north of the country known as the Lumpa Uprising led by Alice Lenshina Kaunda's first internal conflict as leader of the nation.