TOPIC: MAN AND THE ENVIRONMENT
SUB TOPIC: PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL FEATURES OF ZAMBIA
Definition of terms
1. Physical features are the natural features of the landscape. Examples include;
 Drainage featuressuch asdambos,Lakes,Riversand swamps.
 Relief featuressuch asescarpments, highlands, hills, mountains, plateausandvalleys
 Natural vegetationsuch as grasslands, forestsand woodlands.
2. Cultural featuresare the man-madefeatures of the landscape. Examples include:
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Buildings such ashomes, hospitals, museums, and schools, etc
Cultivation such as crop plantationsand forest plantations
Settlements such as cities,huts, towns and villages.
Transport routessuch as railway linesandroads.
3. An escarpmentis a ridge with a gentle slope (dip) and a steep slope(scarp).
4. A plateauis an extensive high flat land. It is also known as a Tableland.
5. A watershed,also known as a divide, is a highland separating two river systems. A river systemis a
major river;(like the Zambezi), and its all its tributaries.
This lesson on physical and cultural features of Zambia has four (4) objectives as
follows:
1. Describe relief levels of Zambia
There are three relief levels in Zambia, namely:
Land below 900 meters
This level is called the Low Veld.It includes:
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The Luangwa Valleybordered by the Muchinga Escarpment.
The Lunsemfwa Valley, and
TheZambezi Valleybordered by the Zambezi Escarpment.
Land between 900 and 1200 meters
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This level is called the Middle Veld.
It is the largest relief division in Zambia.
Here the land is generally flat with manyrivers, swamps and dambos.
Land above 1200 meters
This level is called the High Veld.Here is found:
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Kaleneand Mafinga Hills
Makutu Mountainsand Mbala Highlands
Nyika and Tonga Plateau, and
The area around Lusaka known as the Outlier, and
Luangwa- Malawi Watershedand Zambezi-Congo Watershed.
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RELIEF FEATURES OF ZAMBIA
(Label the map)
2. Locate major drainage features of Zambia
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The major drainage features of Zambia are shown on the map below.
As can be seen, there are 4 lakes, 5 rivers, and several swamps
DRAINAGE FEATURES OF ZAMBIA
(Fill the blanks in the statements below the map)
Lakes
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J is Lake Kariba. It is a Man-made (Artificial) lake.
K is Lake Tanganyika. It is a Rift Valley lake.
L is Lake Mweru. It is a depression lake.
M is Lake Bangwelu. It is a depression lake.
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Rivers
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River V is the Zambezi. It is the biggest and longest in the country.
River W is the Kafue. It is a tributary of the Zambezi.
River X is the Luangwa. It is also a tributary of the Zambezi
River Y is the Chambeshi while
River Z is the Luapula.
Swamps
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1 is the Bangwelu Swamps
2is the Busango Swamps
3 is the Kafue Flats
4 is Luena Flats
5 is the Lukanga Swamps
6 is Mweru wa Ntipa Swamps
3. State the (major) cultural features of Zambia
The major cultural features of Zambia include
Crop Plantations
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Nakambala Sugar Plantation in Mazabuka
Kawambwa Tea Plantation in Luapula Province
Ngoli-Kateshi Coffee Plantation in Northern Province
Man-made lakes
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such as:
such as:
Kariba Dam and Lake
Itezhi-Tezhi Dam and Lake
National Power Grid
(a network of high voltage electricity transmission lines)
Primary roadssuch as:
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Great North Road(GNR)
Great East Road(GER)
Ndola-Kitwe DualCarriage
Lusaka-Mongu Road, and
Chirundu Road(CR)
Railway network
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such as:
Zambia Railways(ZR) and its two branches, namely Masuku Railway(built to transportcoal), and
Mulobezi Railway (built to transporttimber)
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Tanzania-Zambia Railway(TAZARA) from Kapiri Mphoshi to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania
Settlements
including
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Cities like Lusaka, Kitwe, Ndola, Kabwe, and Livingstone
Towns like Kafue, Choma, and Chingola, etc
Tanzania-Zambia Mafuta
(TAZAMA) Pipeline.
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CULTURAL FEATURES OF ZAMBIA: ROAD AND RAILWAY NETWORK
CULTURAL FEATURES OF ZAMBIA: ENERGY AND POWER
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The End
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