- Geography of Zambia
Zambia is a landlocked country located in Southern
Africa , to the east ofAngola . It has a total area of 752 614square kilometre s, of which 11 890 km² are water.Political geography
Zambia has a total of 5 664 km of land boundaries, and it borders: Angola for 1 110 km,Democratic Republic of the Congo for 1 930 km,Malawi for 837 km,Mozambique for 419 km,Namibia for 233 km,Tanzania for 338 km,Zimbabwe for 797 km, and Botswana for 0 km.Physical geography
Climate
Zambia has a
tropical climate , modified by the altitude of the country. There is a rainy season that runs from October/November to MarchApril.Terrain
The terrain of Zambia is mostly high
plateau , with some hills andmountain s. The lowest point is theZambezi river, at 329 m, with the highest being an unnamed point in theMafinga Hills , at 2 301 m.Ecoregions
Nine
ecoregion s in four biomes are represented in Zambia, the most widespread being Miombo, Mopane and Baikiaea woodlandsavanna , withgrassland s (mainly flooded grassland) and evergreen forest also present.Natural resources
Zambia possesses the following natural resources:
*copper
*cobalt
*zinc
*lead
*coal
*emerald s
*gold
*silver
*uranium
*hydropower Land use
The following table describes the land use in Zambia, as of 1998.
As of 1998, 460 km² of land in Zambia is irrigated.
Environment
A natural hazard is posed in Zambia by
tropical storm s, which occur between November and April.Current issues the the the thefor the environment in the country include:
air pollution and resultingacid rain in themineral extraction and refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; poaching, which seriously threatens: rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations;deforestation ;soil erosion ;desertification and lack of adequate water treatment, which presents human health risks.Zambia is party to the following international agreements:
Biodiversity , Climate Change,Desertification ,Endangered Species ,Hazardous Wastes ,Law of the Sea ,Nuclear Test Ban ,Ozone Layer Protection andWetlands . Zambia has signed, but not ratified, theKyoto Protocol lalalala
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