- Luangwa, Zambia
:"This article is about the town and district. See
Luangwa River or Luangwa (disambiguation) for other uses."Luangwa is a town in
Zambia , at the confluence of the Luangwa andZambezi River s, which was previously called "Feira". It is headquarters of a district of the same name inLusaka Province .Feira was probably the first European settlement in Zambia, but the dates are not well documented. What is documented is that the Portuguese first settled on the opposite bank of the Luangwa at
Zumbo inMozambique around 1720, in order to trade with theBwila people , and by 1820 some had settled in Feira. [ [http://www.nrzam.org.uk/NRJ/V5N1/V5N1.htm "The Northern Rhodesia Journal" online,] Volume V No. 1 (1962) p43. Accessed 21 March 2007.]After Zambia achieved
independence the name of the town was changed to Luangwa as part of a preference for indigenous rather than colonial names. It has only one road in or out which connects to the Great East Road about 100 km north. There are no bridges in the area over the Luangwa or Zambezi, nor regular ferry services, but local people will take visitors across in small boats.Terracarta/International Travel Maps, Vancouver Canada: "Zambia, 2nd edition", 2000]The town's location is strategically important. The Luangwa forms Zambia's border with Mozambique and the Zambezi forms its border with
Zimbabwe . In the Zimbabwe-Rhodesia War, theMozambican War of Independence andMozambican Civil War it was the scene ofguerilla activity. Zambia's practical support for nationalist guerillas led to some incursions into its territory by Rhodesian and Portuguese forces in pursuit of them.Luangwa District is far from the famous Luangwa national parks, but includes specatacular scenery and wildlife of its own. The
Lower Zambezi National Park west of the town is a rugged wilderness on theZambezi Escarpment and the lower Luangwa valley includes unspoilt scenery and wildlife habitats.Camerapix: "Spectrum Guide to Zambia." Camerapix International Publishing, Nairobi, 1996.]ee also
*
Luangwa River
*Zambezi River
*Lower Zambezi National Park References
:General references:* [http://earth.google.com Google Earth] :* [http://www.times.co.zm/index.php Times of Zambia website]
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