Bwile people

Last updated
Bwile people
Regions with significant populations
Northern Zambia, 12,400 [1]
Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo 12,400 [1]
Languages
Bwile language
Chief Puta tells a story to an anthropologist in 1989, as part of a study of Zambian storytelling traditions

The Bwile people are an ethnic group that live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia around the northern part of Lake Mweru.

Democratic Republic of the Congo Country in Central Africa

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as DR Congo, the DRC, DROC, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo, is a country located in Central Africa. It is sometimes anachronistically referred to by its former name of Zaire, which was its official name between 1971 and 1997. It is, by area, the largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa, the second-largest in all of Africa, and the 11th-largest in the world. With a population of over 78 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populated officially Francophone country, the fourth-most-populated country in Africa, and the 16th-most-populated country in the world.

Zambia republic in southern Africa

Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in south-central Africa. It neighbours the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique to the southeast, Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south, Namibia to the southwest, and Angola to the west. The capital city is Lusaka, and it is located in the south-central part of Zambia. The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province to the northwest, the core economic hubs of the country.

Lake Mweru lake in Zambia

Lake Mweru is a freshwater lake on the longest arm of Africa's second-longest river, the Congo. Located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, it makes up 110 km of the total length of the Congo, lying between its Luapula River (upstream) and Luvua River (downstream) segments.

The Bwile language was spoken by 12,400 in Luapula Province of Zambia according to the 1969 census, and by 12,400 in the DRC as of 2002, in the Haut-Katanga Province, Pweto Territory at the north end of Lake Mweru. [1] The Bwile people in Zambia live in the Chiengi District on the north-east shore of Lake Mweru, where they migrated from the Luba-Lunda region of the DRC. [2] They also live in part of Nchelenge District. [3] They occupy the northern end of the lake Mweru fishery from Kalobwa up to Lupiya. [4]

Bwile is a divergent Bantu language of Zambia and DR Congo.

Luapula Province Province in Zambia

Luapula Province is one of Zambia's ten provinces located in the northern part of the country. Luapula Province is named after the Luapula River and its capital is Mansa. As per the 2010 Zambian census, the Province had a population of 991,927, which accounted for 7.57 per cent of the total Zambian population.

Pweto Territory in Haut-Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Pweto Territory is a territory in the Haut-Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The headquarters are in the town of Pweto.

As of 2010 the Bwile people of Zambia were led by Senior Chief Puta. Chief Nkweto of the DRC was the Paramount Chief of the Bwile people in Zambia and the DRC. [2]

Related Research Articles

This article deals with the disputed area on the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, in Luapula Province.

Luvua River river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Luvua River is a river in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It flows from the northern end of Lake Mweru on the Zambia-Congo border in a northwesterly direction for 350 kilometres (220 mi) to its confluence with the Lualaba River opposite the town of Ankoro. The Lualaba becomes the Congo River below the Boyoma Falls.

Luapula River river

The Luapula River is a section of Africa's second-longest river, the Congo. It is a transnational river forming for nearly all its length part of the border between Zambia and the DR Congo. It joins Lake Bangweulu to Lake Mweru and gives its name to the Luapula Province of Zambia.

Lake Mweru Wantipa lake

Lake Mweru Wantipa or Mweru-wa-Ntipa meaning "muddy lake" is a lake and swamp system in the Northern Province of Zambia. It has been regarded in the past as something of mystery, displaying fluctuations in water level and salinity which were not entirely explained by variation in rainfall levels; it has been known to dry out almost completely. This is compounded by its remoteness and it not receiving the same attention from geographers and geologists as its larger and more accessible neighbours, Lake Tanganyika, 25 km east, and Lake Mweru, 40 km west, with which its name is sometimes confused.

Northern Province, Zambia Province in Zambia

Northern Province is one of Zambia's ten provinces. It covers approximately one sixth of Zambia in land area. The provincial capital is Kasama. The province is made up of 8 districts, namely Kasama, Chilubi, Kaputa, Luwingu, Mbala, Mporokoso, Mpulungu and Mungwi. Currently, only Kasama and Mbala have attained municipal council status, while the rest are still district councils. It is widely considered to be the heartland of the Bemba, one of the largest tribes in Zambia.

Nchelenge City in Luapula Province, Zambia

Nchelenge is a town in the Luapula Province of northern Zambia, lying on the south eastern shore of Lake Mweru. It is contiguous with Kashikishi, and they are sometimes referred to as Nchelenge-Kashikishi. Nchelenge is the administrative centre for the Zambian part of Lake Mweru, being the seat of the district government and branches of national agencies, while Kashikishi is the market and fisheries centre.

Mansa, Zambia Place in Luapula, Zambia

Mansa is the capital of the Luapula Province of Zambia, and headquarters of Mansa District. It takes its name from the local Chief Mansa and the small Mansa River which flows west to the Luapula River. During British rule the city was named Fort Rosebery.

The Bemba belong to a large group of Bantu peoples mainly in the Northern province, Luapula and Copperbelt Provinces of Zambia who trace their origins to the Luba and Lunda states of the upper Congo basin, in what became Katanga Province in southern Congo-Kinshasa (DRC). They are one of the larger ethnic group in Zambia. (A few other tribes in the Northern, Luapula and Copperbelt provinces of Zambia speak languages that are similar to Bemba but are not the same. Bemba history is a major historical phenomenon in the development of chieftainship in a large and culturally homogeneous region of central Africa.

Kazembe traditional kingdom in present-day Zambia

Kazembe is a traditional kingdom in modern-day Zambia, Southeastern Congo. For more than 250 years, Kazembe has been an influential kingdom or chieftainship of the Kiluba-Chibemba, speaking the Swahili language or the language of the Eastern Luba-Lunda people of south-central Africa. Its position on trade routes in a well-watered, relatively fertile and well-populated area of forestry, fishery and agricultural resources drew expeditions by traders and explorers who called it variously Kasembe, Cazembe and Casembe.

Kanyembo is the principal centre of the population on the Mofwe Lagoon, the largest of several lagoons in the Luapula River swamps south of Lake Mweru, in the Luapula Province of Zambia. It takes its name from its traditional ruler, Chief Kanyembo, one of the senior chiefs of the Kazembe-Lunda under Mwata Kazembe. In the past the incumbent Chief has been promoted to Mwata, and Kanyembo was the site of Mwata Kazembe's capital when it was visited by David Livingstone in 1867.

Congo Pedicle road

The Congo Pedicle road crosses the Congolese territory of the Congo Pedicle and was constructed by and is maintained by Zambia to connect its Copperbelt and Luapula Provinces. Both the road and the territory may be referred to as ‘the Pedicle’.

Water transport. and the many navigable inland waterways, in Zambia has a long tradition of practical use in Zambia except in parts of the south. Since draught animals such as oxen were not heavily used, water transport was usually the only alternative to going on foot until the 19th Century. The history and current importance of Zambian waterways, as well as the types of indigenous boats used, provide information on this important aspect of Zambian economy.

Chiengi human settlement

Chiengi or Chienghospital historic colonial boma of the British Empire in central Africa and today is a settlement in the Luapula Province of Zambia, and headquarters of Chiengi District. Chiengi is in the north-east corner of Lake Mweru, and at the foot of wooded hills dividing that lake from Lake Mweru Wantipa, and overlooking a dambo stretching northwards from the lake, where the Chiengi rivulet flows down from the hills.

The biomes and ecoregions in the ecology of Zambia are described, listed and mapped here, following the World Wildlife Fund's Global 200 classification scheme for terrestrial ecoregions, and the WWF freshwater bioregion classification for rivers, lakes and wetlands. Zambia is in the Afrotropic biogeographic realm of the scheme. Three terrestrial biomes are well represented in the country . The distribution of the biomes and ecoregions is governed mainly by the physical environment, especially climate.

Chiengi District District in Luapula Province, Zambia

Chiengi District with headquarters at Chiengi is the smallest and most northerly district in the Luapula Province of Zambia and was carved out of Nchelenge District after Zambia's independence. As of the 2010 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 109,147 people. Most of its population live in fishing villages along the 70 km (approx.) of the north-east shore of Lake Mweru which lies within the district. The largest settlement is Puta, 5 km south of Chiengi town, named after Chief Puta. The district is bounded by the DR Congo border in the north, Kaputa District in the east and the Kalungwishi River in the south.

Nchelenge District District in Luapula Province, Zambia

Nchelenge District is a district of Zambia, located in the Luapula Province. The capital lies at Nchelenge. As of the 2000 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 111,119 people.

The Mambatuta Falls are a steep waterfall on the Luapula River, which originates in Lake Bangweulu and flows through Zambia and along the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo into Lake Mweru.

Luapula cisticola species of bird

The Luapula cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in south-central Africa.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Bwile". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  2. 1 2 "First Lady Hails Diverse, Rich Culture". Times of Zambia. 19 July 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  3. PATSON PHIRI. "Luapula chiefs seek votes for RB". Times of Zambia. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  4. L. B. Venema, J. P. M. van den Breemer (1999). Towards negotiated co-management of natural resources in Africa. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 281. ISBN   3-8258-3948-6.