Lusaka

Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located on the southern part of the plateau of the country, at an elevation of 1300 metres (4256 ft). It has a population of 1,350,000 and it is considered one of the fastest growing cities of Africa in terms of population. It is the commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia radiate north, south, east, and west from it.

As the national capital, Lusaka is the seat of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of te government. epitomised by the presence there of the National Assembly (Parliament), State House (Office of the President), and the High Court. It is also the capital of the Lusaka province, the smallest and second most populous of the country's nine provinces, and forms an administrative district run by the Lusaka City Council.

Lusaka was the site of a village named after its headman Lusaka, which, according to history, was located on Manda Hill, near where the Zambia National Assembly building now stands. In the Nyanja Language, Manda means graveyard. The area was expanded by European (mainly British) settlers in 1905 with the building of the railway. In 1935, due to its fairly central location, its situation on the railway, and at the crossroads of the Great North Road and the Great East Road, it was chosen to replace Livingstone as the capital of the British colony of Northern Rhodesia. After the federation of Northern and Southern Rhodesia in 1953, it was a centre of the civil disobedience movement that led to the creation of the independent state of Zambia. In 1964, Lusaka became the capital of the newly independent Zambia.

In recent years, Lusaka has become a popular urban settlement for Zambians and tourists alike. Its central nature and fast-growing infrastructure sector has increased donor confidence and as such Zambians are seeing signs of development in the form of job creation, housing, etc. Consequently, it is thought that with proper economic reforms, Lusaka as well as Zambia as a whole will develop considerably. Lusaka is home to a diverse community of foreigners, many of whom work in the aid industry as well as diplomats, representatives of religious organisations, and some businesspeople.

The city centre includes several blocks west of Cairo Road, around which lie the New City Market and the Kamwala Market, a major shopping area, as well as the Zintu Community Museum. Further east lies the government area, including the State House and the various ministries, around the Cathedral Hill and Ridgeway areas. Suburbs of Lusaka include Woodlands, Kabulonga, Sunningdale, Jesmondine, Northmead, Olympia Park, Roma, Kalundu, Cheston, Avondale, Rhodes Park, Prospect Hill, Longacres, Fairview, Thorn Park, and Villa Elizabetha.Other residential areas are Kabwata, Madras, Matero, Kalingalinga, Chipata Compound, Garden Compound, Bauleni, Helen Kaunda, and Kaunda Square.

Lusaka is home to the main campus of the University of Zambia. It is also served by the Lusaka International Airport and a smaller airport near the centre of the city that is no longer used by civilians. It lies on the railway line from Livingstone to Kitwe.

Lusaka is the host city of the 2011 All-Africa Games.