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Chingola | |
---|---|
Nchanga copper mine near Chingola | |
Coordinates: 12°32′S27°51′E / 12.533°S 27.850°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Province | Copperbelt Province |
District | Chingola District |
Elevation | 4,472 ft (1,363 m) |
Population (2010 Census) [1] | |
• Total | 216,626 |
Time zone | UTC+2 (CAT) |
Climate | Cwa |
Website | Chingola Municipal Council |
Chingola is a town in Zambia's Copperbelt Province, the country's copper-mining region, with a population of 216,626 (2010 census). It is the home of Nchanga Copper Mine, a deep-shaft high-grade content copper mining operation, which subsequently (in the 1960s) led to the development of two open pit operations, Chingola Open Pit and then Nchanga Open Pit (the latter being the second largest open cast mine in the world).
Chingola was founded in 1943, somewhat later than most other Copperbelt towns. Chingola was built to service the newly opened Nchanga copper mine. Alongside Luanshya (the "Garden Town of the Copperbelt"), Chingola is perhaps one of the best laid-out and most picturesque towns in Zambia.[ citation needed ]
Situated at the north-west end of the Copperbelt Province, the Nchanga Mines Open Pit workings lie in an arc 11 km long around the west and north of the town, covering nearly 30 km2. The deepest part of the pit is 400 m lower than the surrounding plateau.
The Mimbula Copper Project is a copper rich oxide and sulphide deposit, located on the outskirts of the town of Chingola on a mining licence held by Moxico Resources’ Zambian unit. Moxico Resources is a development and exploration mining company incorporated in the UK. [2] In 2021, Moxico Resources began construction of a 10,000 tonne Leach Pad, Solvent Extraction and Electrowinning Plant. The Plant is expected to be operational by Q2 2022 and is planned to be expanded in phases. [3]
A freight-only branch of Zambian Railways services the town from Kitwe. The branch includes the movement of copper ore to the smelters at Nkana in Kitwe.
Chingola is on the main Copperbelt Highway (the T3 road) running north to Lubumbashi in DR Congo via Chililabombwe and Konkola and running south-east to Kapiri Mposhi via Kitwe and Ndola. It is also at the start of the T5 road, running west-north-west to a border with Angola via Solwezi and Mwinilunga. [4]
Chingola is served by Kasompe Airport, (IATA code: CGJ). It is also served by 2 shopping malls: The Park Mall and the Motherland Shopping Mall.
The town has two hospitals: Nchanga North General Hospital (Government-owned, bed capacity 283) and Nchanga South Hospital (privately owned by the KCM (Konkola Copper Mines Plc), bed capacity about 100). The town also has sports amenities that were previously managed and maintained by the subsidiary of Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Limited, Nchanga Division; These include Crickets Club, Swimming pool (non functional), Rugby Club, Golf Club, tennis and Cinema (now converted into a church). These clubs are all located along Fern Avenue, aside from the golf course. There are several lodges in Chingola and one notable hotel, Protea by Marriott Chingola located along Kabundi road. Nchanga Rangers Football club is the towns largest soccer club and officiates games at the towns largest soccer stadium located near Nchanga North suburbs.
During the 60's, 70's and 80's, Chingola was hailed as the cleanest and well maintained town in Zambia. This was due, in part, to the mining company's policy to manage and maintain social services in the town, particularly in residential areas where employees of the mining company resided. The mining conglomerate ZCCM Limited and its subsidiaries, such as Nchanga Division, also had a strong CSR agenda that extended to residential areas and communities not directly linked to the mines.
The 1,576 kilometres (979 mi) long Kafue River is the longest river lying wholly within Zambia. Its water is used for irrigation and for generating hydroelectric power. It is the largest tributary of the Zambezi, and of Zambia's principal rivers, it is the most central and the most urban. More than 50% of Zambia's population live in the Kafue River Basin and of these around 65% are urban.
Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia in terms of size and population, with a population of 475,194, after the capital, Lusaka, and Kitwe, and the second largest in terms of infrastructure development after Lusaka. It is the industrial and commercial center of the Copperbelt, Zambia's copper-mining region, and capital of Copperbelt Province. It lies just 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the border with DR Congo. It is also home to Zambia's first modern stadium, the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
Copperbelt Province is a province in Zambia which covers the mineral-rich Copperbelt, and farming and bush areas to the south. It was the backbone of the Northern Rhodesian economy during British colonial rule and fuelled the hopes of the immediate post-independence period, but its economic importance was severely damaged by a crash in global copper prices in 1973. The province adjoins the Haut-Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is similarly mineral-rich.
Kitwe is the third largest city in terms of infrastructure development and second largest city in terms of size and population in Zambia. With a population of 517,543 Kitwe is one of the most developed commercial and industrial areas in the nation, alongside Ndola and Lusaka. It has a complex of mines on its north-western and western edges.
Kapiri Mposhi is a Zambian town and the seat of the Kapiri Mposhi District in Central Province. Located north of Lusaka, it stands on the Great North Road and is significant for the railway connection between the Zambia Railways line from Kitwe to Lusaka and the western terminus of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority from Dar es Salaam since 1976.
The Copperbelt is a natural region in Central Africa which sits on the border region between northern Zambia and the southern Democratic Republic of Congo. It is known for copper mining.
Chililabombwe is a small town in Copperbelt Province, Zambia. It is located near the Democratic Republic of the Congo border. The name Chililabombwe means 'place of the croaking frog' in the local language of Lamba. The town has a population of 87 000 based on census data from 2010, making it one of the largest towns in the Copperbelt. The town is on the T3 road, 26 km north of the neighbouring town of Chingola, and approximately 10 km south of the large border market of Kasumbalesa. It has also produced national heroes like the late soccer star Eston Mulenga and many others.
Konkola Copper Mines is a copper mining and smelting company in Zambia. It is 80% owned by Vedanta Resources, a mining conglomerate based in Mumbai and London.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Zambia:
Mining in Zambia produces several minerals and is a critical part of the country's economy. Copper comprises 70% of Zambia's total export earnings, and the country produces about 20% of the world's emeralds. Mineral resources are distributed throughout the country. Zambia produced 763,287 metric tons of copper in 2022.
Chambishi is a town in Kalulushi District in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. According to the 2021 Census its population stands at slightly above 11,000. It is located on the T3 road between the cities of Kitwe and Chingola.
In 2014, public expenditure on health in Zambia was 2.8% of GDP, among the lowest in southern Africa.
The T3 is a trunk road in Zambia. The road runs from Kapiri Mposhi via Ndola, Kitwe and Chingola to Kasumbalesa on the border with DR Congo. The entire route is a toll road.
The T5 is a trunk road in Zambia. It connects Chingola in the Copperbelt Province with Solwezi and Mwinilunga in the North-Western Province. The route extends to end at the Jimbe border post with Angola. It is the only other road after the M18 road that connects the towns of the North-Western and Copperbelt provinces and is currently the main route motorists use to reach Angola from Zambia. The section of the road from Chingola to Mutanda is a toll road.
The M4 road is a road in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. The road connects the city of Ndola with the city of Mufulira and extends to connect Mufulira with the city of Kitwe. As it is a v-shaped route, the M4 road starts and ends at a junction with the T3 road.
The M18 road is a road in Zambia that connects Kitwe in the Copperbelt Province with Kawana in the North-Western Province via Kalulushi and Lufwanyama. It is the only other road after the T5 road that connects the towns of the North-Western and Copperbelt provinces. The section from Kitwe to Kalulushi is designated as the M7 road while the route from Kalulushi westwards to Kasempa District is designated as the M18 road on Zambia's road network.
The M16 is a short 14-kilometre toll road in Kalulushi District, Copperbelt Province, Zambia that connects Kalulushi with Sabina.
Nchanga Copper mine, previously the Chingola Copper mine, is an underground and open-pit cobalt and copper mine in Chingola, in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. It is the largest copper mine in Africa. It is owned by the Konkola Copper Mines, a joint venture between Vedanta Resources and the state mining company of Zambia.