Zambia

American  

[zam-bee-uh] / ˈzæm bi ə /

noun

1. a republic in southern Africa: formerly a British protectorate and part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland; gained independence 1964; a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 288,130 sq. mi. (746,256 sq. km). Lusaka.

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Zambia British  

/ ˈzæmbɪə /

noun

1. Former name (until 1964): Northern Rhodesia.  a republic in southern Africa: an early site of human settlement; controlled by the British South Africa Company by 1900 and unified as Northern Rhodesia in 1911; made a British protectorate in 1924; part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (1953–63), gaining independence as a member of the Commonwealth in 1964; important mineral exports, esp copper. Official language: English. Religion: Christian majority, animist minority. Currency: kwacha. Capital: Lusaka. Pop: 14 222 233 (2013 est). Area: 752 617 sq km (290 587 sq miles)

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Zambia Cultural  

1. Republic in central Africa, bordered by the Democratic Republic of Congo to the north; Tanzania to the northeast; Malawi and Mozambique to the east; Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia to the south; and Angola to the west. Lusaka is the capital and largest city.

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Discover More

In the 1970s, Zambia supported the movement for black majority rule in Rhodesia.

British explorer David Livingstone first visited Zambia in 1851.

Zambia was proclaimed independent from British control in 1964. From 1953 to 1964, it was federated with Rhodesia (then Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe) as Northern Rhodesia.

Other Word Forms

• Zambian
  adjective

Example Sentences

"We have been approached for numerous discussions regarding a possible extension to Ndola in Zambia, but at present, it is not really on my radar."

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Chinese diplomats had pressed Zambia to cancel the event because of the planned attendance of Taiwanese participants, according to host organization Access Now.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Starting around 2012, Zambia borrowed heavily from China to finance infrastructure projects, including roads, power plants, airports and mining-related facilities.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Chitungu and fellow Zambian historian Chanda Penda acknowledge that while Zambia may have issues with racism, it is far from alone.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Somewhere on the gym floor, doing the dance from Zambia, I lost my red paper heart.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia