Mansa | |
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Town | |
  Mansa Location in Zambia | |
| Coordinates: 11°12′00″S28°53′00″E / 11.20000°S 28.88333°E | |
| Country |  Zambia |
| Province | Luapula |
| District | Mansa District |
| Elevation | 3,900 ft (1,190 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 129,185 |
| Climate | Cwa |
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. [1]
In a province of beautiful rivers, waterfalls, lakes and wetlands, Mansa serves administrative and commercial functions, being situated on a relatively featureless plateau between the Luapula River to the west and Lake Bangweulu to the east. It is connected to the Congo Pedicle road (and eventually the Copperbelt Province) in the south and to Luwingu and Kasama in the north-east by the M3 road. [2] It is also connected to Kawambwa in the north by the M13 road. [2] It is also connected to Samfya in the east by the D94 road. [2] It is also connected to Mwense in the north by the D81 road. [2]
In colonial times Mansa was called Fort Rosebery, named for Lord Rosebery, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 5 March 1894 to 22 June 1895. [3] [ circular reference ] The town was also the capital of the province. The first Fort Rosebery, however was situated in the Luapula Valley around 1900, where most of the province's population live, near Mambilima. After an outbreak of sleeping sickness in the valley some years later it was moved to the present site in the belief that the higher plateau site would be more healthy.[ citation needed ]
The Luapula Province developed in the mid-20th century on the supply of fish, agricultural produce and labour to Zambia's industrial centre, the Copperbelt, and Mansa developed with it as an administrative and distribution centre.[ citation needed ]
Over the last twenty years[ when? ] the town has grown considerably in population but not in prosperity since a decrease in employment in the mines of the Copperbelt forced a return to the land in areas such as the Luapula Province. Mansa lacks industries since the battery factory closed in 1994, and in the absence of employment opportunities, chitemene (a form of subsistence farming) has degraded the surrounding woodlands appreciably. Nevertheless, as a commercial hub serving the whole province, the town is home to a daily market, banks, warehouses, a number of large stores and dealers, and a Shoprite supermarket. [1]
Mansa features a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa) [4] with clear wet and dry seasons. October and November are the hottest months, while winters are milder, with July being the coolest month. The wet season, from November to March, experiences significant rainfall, whereas the dry season, from May to October, is marked by minimal precipitation. [5]
| Climate data for Mansa (1991–2020, extremes 1961–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.0 (93.2) | 32.7 (90.9) | 32.0 (89.6) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.9 (89.4) | 30.8 (87.4) | 35.6 (96.1) | 33.5 (92.3) | 36.5 (97.7) | 38.9 (102.0) | 36.5 (97.7) | 33.5 (92.3) | 38.9 (102.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.9 (82.2) | 28.0 (82.4) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.7 (81.9) | 26.3 (79.3) | 26.2 (79.2) | 28.4 (83.1) | 31.4 (88.5) | 32.5 (90.5) | 30.5 (86.9) | 27.8 (82.0) | 26.4 (79.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.4 (72.3) | 22.4 (72.3) | 22.4 (72.3) | 21.6 (70.9) | 20.1 (68.2) | 17.8 (64.0) | 17.5 (63.5) | 19.6 (67.3) | 22.7 (72.9) | 24.5 (76.1) | 23.8 (74.8) | 22.5 (72.5) | 21.4 (70.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.1 (62.8) | 16.8 (62.2) | 16.8 (62.2) | 15.2 (59.4) | 12.4 (54.3) | 9.2 (48.6) | 8.7 (47.7) | 10.8 (51.4) | 13.9 (57.0) | 16.5 (61.7) | 17.1 (62.8) | 17.1 (62.8) | 14.3 (57.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 10.0 (50.0) | 12.0 (53.6) | 12.0 (53.6) | 9.0 (48.2) | 5.0 (41.0) | 3.7 (38.7) | 3.0 (37.4) | 4.5 (40.1) | 7.2 (45.0) | 10.5 (50.9) | 12.4 (54.3) | 11.9 (53.4) | 3.0 (37.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 256.7 (10.11) | 213.2 (8.39) | 207.9 (8.19) | 42.5 (1.67) | 4.1 (0.16) | 0.0 (0.0) | 3.5 (0.14) | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.3 (0.09) | 20.3 (0.80) | 111.6 (4.39) | 236.4 (9.31) | 1,098.5 (43.25) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 79.5 | 79.4 | 77.4 | 73.4 | 66.3 | 60.9 | 58.1 | 52.4 | 46.1 | 48.0 | 61.9 | 76.0 | 65.0 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 145.7 | 134.4 | 179.8 | 213.0 | 260.4 | 258.0 | 275.9 | 294.5 | 270.0 | 251.1 | 198.0 | 142.6 | 2,623.4 |
| Source: NOAA [5] [6] | |||||||||||||
Although only 50 km east from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and cut off from the Copperbelt by the Congo Pedicle, Mansa does not have direct trade links to that country. Wars and frequent conflict in the Congo over the past fifty years have frequently hindered the development of Mansa. [1] The Luapula which forms the border is crossed by a passenger ferry to the north-west at Kasenga, and by a bridge to the south at Chembe, but this connects through Congolese territory via Zambia's notorious and frequently impassable Congo Pedicle road only to the Copperbelt. Other roads on the Congolese side are severely degraded, consequently some Congolese trade passes on Zambian roads through Mansa, such as the output of the Dikulushi Copper Mine west of Lake Mweru. Otherwise, trade with the Congo is restricted to local produce and smuggling across the river. [1]
Mansa Airport ( IATA : MNS) is a paved airstrip servicing Mansa twice a week by Proflight Zambia. Public transport is restricted to buses traveling between towns on the main highways listed above. With peace in the Congo, a bridge named after the late President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa was constructed across the Luapula River at Chembe to by-pass the Chembe ferry. Currently[ when? ] the Congo Pedicle Road is being tarred to improve Mansa's access to the Copperbelt, and may also increase trade between Kasama and the Copperbelt. [1]
The road to the Mwanawasa Bridge at Chembe (and eventually the Congo Pedicle road) in the south and to Luwingu and Kasama in the north-east is designated as the M3 road. The road to the resort town of Samfya (and eventually the Luapula Bridge to Central Province) in the east is designated as the D94 road. [2]
Program for Luapula Agriculture and Rural Development-Phase I (PLARD I) (2007-2011)
The programme was based at the ZARI (agricultural research station), Mansa, 5 km outside Mansa and managed by a Programme Management Unit (PMU). The PMU was managed by a Finnish Consultancy with main offices being located at the research station. PLARD I was a programme run in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Government of Finland.[ citation needed ]
Program for Luapula Agriculture and Rural Development-Phase II (PLARD II) (2011-2015).
The aim of PLARD II is to help increase income and food security for the people of Luapula Province by improving the institutional capacity of MAL at the provincial and district levels. It is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) with technical support from a small Programme Support Unit (PSU) located close to the MAL Provincial Offices. The programme is jointly funded by the Government of Zambia and Government of Finland.[ citation needed ]
The province covers more than 50,000 km2 and has a population approaching one million people. MAL provincial and district structures implement the programme in the seven original districts of Luapula (four additional districts were created in 2012) working in 87 out of 179 agricultural camps, and 137 VFMCs.
PLARD II overall objective is: To achieve an efficient, competitive and sustainable agricultural and fisheries sector, ensuring increased income and food security for the people of Luapula Province.
The programme has five components plus a crosscutting issues component: 1. Agribusiness , 2. Agriculture, 3. Capture Fisheries, 4. Livestock and Aquaculture, 5. Institutional and Organisational Development of MAL at provincial and district levels, and 6. Crosscutting Objectives that focuses particularly on gender, HIV/AIDS, vulnerable groups and environment/climate change.[ citation needed ]
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 kilometres (68 mi) of the total length of the Congo, lying between its Luapula River (upstream) and Luvua River (downstream) segments.
Bangweulu — 'where the water sky meets the sky' — is one of the world's great wetland systems, comprising Lake Bangweulu, the Bangweulu Swamps and the Bangweulu Flats or floodplain. Situated in the upper Congo River basin in Zambia, the Bangweulu system covers an almost completely flat area roughly the size of Connecticut or East Anglia, at an elevation of 1,140 m straddling Zambia's Luapula Province and Northern Province. It is crucial to the economy and biodiversity of northern Zambia, and to the birdlife of a much larger region, and faces environmental stress and conservation issues.
The Luapula River is a north-flowing river of central Africa, within the Congo River watershed. It rises in the wetlands of Lake Bangweulu (Zambia), which are fed by the Chambeshi River. The Luapula flows west then north, marking the border between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo before emptying into Lake Mweru. The river gives its name to Zambia's Luapula Province.
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 12 districts, namely Kasama District, Chilubi District, Kaputa District, Luwingu District, Mbala District, Mporokoso District, Mpulungu District, Mungwi District, Nsama District, Lupososhi District, Lunte District and Senga Hill District. 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.
Mufulira is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. Mufulira means "Place of Abundance and Peace". The town developed around the Mufulira Copper Mine in the 1930s. The town also serves as the administrative capital of Mufulira District.
Samfya is a town located in the Zambian province of Luapula. It is the centre of Samfya District. The town is located on the south-western shore of Lake Bangweulu, on the longest stretch of well-defined shore of that lake. Samfya has a few guesthouses and a number of white sandy beaches which are used for recreation, although the lake does have crocodiles.
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 2022 Zambian census, the Province had a population of 1,519,478, which accounted for 7.72 per cent of the total Zambian population.
Kazembe is a traditional kingdom in modern-day Zambia, and southeastern Congo. For more than 250 years, Kazembe has been an influential kingdom of the Kiluba-Chibemba, speaking 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.
The ten provinces of Zambia are divided into a total of 116 districts as of 2018.
The Congo Pedicle is the southeast salient of the Haut-Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which divides neighbouring Zambia into two lobes. In area, the pedicle is similar in size to Wales or New Jersey. 'Pedicle' is used in the sense of 'a little foot'. 'Congo Pedicle' or 'the Pedicle' is also used to refer to the Congo Pedicle road, which crosses it.
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’. It is designated as the N36 Route on the Congolese Road Network.
Water transport and the many navigable inland waterways in Zambia have a long tradition of practical use 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.
Chembe is a border town in Chembe District in the Luapula Province of Zambia. It once had the Chembe Ferry as a means of crossing the Luapula River from DR Congo to Zambia; but now, it is the home of the Mwanawasa Bridge, named after former president Levy Mwanawasa. The Mwanawasa Bridge connects the M3 road to the Congo Pedicle road, a dirt highway maintained by Zambia through Congolese territory to link Mansa to the Copperbelt.
Milenge District with headquarters at Milenge, Zambia is the most southerly district in the Luapula Province and was carved out of Mansa District. As of the 2000 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 28,790 people. It is rural and undeveloped, lacking roads and infrastructure. Its southern boundary is the Luapula River which divides it from DR Congo and the district lies roughly between the Chembe Ferry to Mansa road in the west and the Kapalala Ferry to Samfya road in the east. A single dirt road runs through the central part of the district from Chembe in the west following the north-west bank of the Lwela River, passing through Milenge Boma, Milambo and Lwela Mission, eventually connecting to the provincial capital, Mansa in the north-west. Most of the population of the district lives along the shallow valley of the Lwela River. The district is gently undulating flat plateau with an elevation of about 1200 m, consisting of woodland and wooded grassland interspersed with dambos.
Chilubi District with headquarters at Chilubi is located in Northern Province, Zambia. It covers the north-east Lake Bangweulu and Bangweulu Wetlands containing several islands including Chilubi Island, and some of the mainland northeast of the lake. As of the 2000 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 66,338 people.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Zambia:
Zambia, officially known as the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west. The capital city is Lusaka, located in the southeast of the country. The population is concentrated mainly around the capital and the Copperbelt to the northwest.
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 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 M3 road is a road in northern Zambia that connects Kasama in the Northern Province with the Congo Pedicle border at Chembe in the Luapula Province via Luwingu and Mansa. The road contains two tollgates between Kasama and Mansa.
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