Zambia
This landlocked nation of over thirteen and a half million souls is bordered in the west by Angola, in the north by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the northeast by Tanzania, in the east by Malawi, and in the south by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Zambia is home to over 75 different ethnic groups with distinct (mainly Bantu) cultures and languages, principal of which are: the Bemba (in Northern Province, Luapula, & the Copper belt) whose language is understood by nearly half the population of the country; the Nyanja (in Eastern Province & Lusaka) 37%; the Tonga (in Southern Province) 15%; the Lozi (in Western Province)11%; the Lunda (Northwestern Province); the Kaonde; and the Luwale. The languages spoken by these seven groups are all official regional languages and are employed (together with English) in early primary education. Nyanja is the lingua franca of Lusaka, the nation’s capital, and English is the National Language. The Foundation is particularly interested here in Lozi culture.
