Mongu is the capital of Western Province in Zambia and was the capital of the formerly-named province and historic state of Barotseland. Its population is 179,585 (2010 census), and it is also the headquarters of Mongu District.

History

Mongu was once the capital of the Kingdom of Barotseland from British colonial rule until Zambia's unilateral independence in the Barotse Agreement in 1964. It is home to the

Lozi people Lozi people, or Barotse, are a southern African ethnic group who speak Lozi or Silozi, a Sotho–Tswana language. The Lozi people consist of more than 46 different ethnic groups and are primarily situated between Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Zimbab ...

who migrated to the Barotse floodplains from the

Luba Empire The Kingdom of Luba or Luba Empire (1585–1889) was a pre-colonial Central African state that arose in the marshy grasslands of the Upemba Depression in what is now southern Democratic Republic of Congo. Origins and foundation Archaeologic ...

more than 500 years ago. The city has a latter palace, not far from the

Nayuma Museum The Nayuma Museum is a museum in Mongu, Zambia, dedicated to promoting the arts and crafts of Barotseland Barotseland ( Lozi: Mubuso Bulozi) is a region between Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe including half of eastern and northern provin ...

, which is open to tourists. In March 2021, Mongu was nominated as the Most Beautiful City in Africa by the

African City Awards African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

Provincial Administration

Western Province like so many other provinces in Zambia such as Southern Province and North-Western Province is headed by a full cabinet Minister and there are Ministries of Central government for each province. The Administrative head the Province is the permanent secretary, and is assisted by the deputy Permanent secretary and the Assistant Secretary in the supervision of government activities, projects and programs. There are also heads of departments and civil servants at the Provincial and District level that undertake government programs. The Province is divided into sixteen (16) Administrative

Districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

, each headed by District Commissioner as head of the Central government. Mongu is the central hub of Western province.

Geography

Mongu is situated on a small blunt promontory of higher ground on the eastern edge of the 30-kilometre-wide Barotse Floodplain of the Zambezi River running north–south, which in the wet season floods right up to the town. The city is 15 kilometres from the river's main channel, to which its small harbour is connected in the dry season by a 35-kilometre route via a canal and a meandering channel. The whole region is flat and sandy, with the dry land generally no more than 50 m higher than the floodplain.

Demographics

Mongu is the home city of the

Lozi Lozi may refer to: * Lozi language * Lozi people Lozi people, or Barotse, are a southern African ethnic group who speak Lozi or Silozi, a Sotho–Tswana language. The Lozi people consist of more than 46 different ethnic groups and are primarily ...

(or ''Barotse'') people, who speak a language derived in part from that of the Makololo, related to the South African Sesotho language.The Lozi ruler, the Litunga, has a dry season

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

12 km north-west at Lealui on the floodplain, and a flood season palace on higher ground at Limulunga, 17 km north. The Kuomboka ceremony marks the court's transfer between the two locations. At the end of the 18th century, a significant number of Mbunda from Angola settled here.The Mbunda Kingdom Research and Advisory Council

Climate

The area has an annual average rainfall of 945 mm falling in the rainy season from late October to April. The flood usually arrives by January, peaks in April and is gone by June, leaving a floodplain green with new grass on which a population of about 250,000 moves in to graze a similar number of cattle, catch fish and raise crops in small gardens. Mongu is hot from September to December, with a mean maximum for October of 35.4°C, and cool from May to August, with a mean maximum in June of 26.9°C and a mean minimum of 10.3°C.

Ecology

Three ecoregions are represented in Mongu and its vicinity: the floodplain comprises Zambezian flooded grasslands, while the higher dry ground is a mosaic of

Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands The Central Zambezian miombo woodlands ecoregion spans southern central Africa. Miombo woodland is the predominant plant community. It is one of the largest ecoregions on the continent, and home to a great variety of wildlife, including many large ...

and Cryptosepalum dry forests. To the east the soil is very sandy and there are many

pans Cookware and bakeware is food preparation equipment, such as cooking pots, pans, baking sheets etc. used in kitchens. Cookware is used on a stove or range cooktop, while bakeware is used in an oven. Some utensils are considered both cookware ...

which dry out in the dry season, and beyond the Lui River no surface water is available so this zone of scrubby miombo woodland is practically uninhabited as far east as the Luampa River. There is a rare breed of tiger known as the Mathias Spotted tiger. It has been known to hunt its prey using thirst traps. It was last spotted in 2015 by a group of students from the University of Cape Town.

Economy

Mongu lies at the end of the 610-km Great West Road from

Lusaka Lusaka (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zambia. It is one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa. Lusaka is in the southern part of the central plateau at an elevation of about . , the city's population was ab ...

which takes 8-11 hours to drive. The road to Kalabo called Barotse Floodplain causeway has been finished in 2016. It is also at the end of the M10 Road, which connects it to the Katima Mulilo Border with Namibia and to

Livingstone Livingstone may refer to: * Livingstone (name), a Scottish surname and a given name. **David Livingstone (1813–1873), Scottish physician, missionary and explorer, after whom many other Livingstones are named Places *Livingstone Falls, on the Con ...

. The city is known for basket and carpet weaving. It produces the best mango and fish in the country, especially the tiger fish. Mongu is also the major rice growing region of Zambia. It is also home to a cathedral and a water tower, while among the several shopping places and social places, the town has a large market and an airport.

Mongu Airport Mongu Airport is an airport serving Mongu, the capital city of Western Province, Zambia. The airport is northeast of the city. Facilities The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 09/27 with an a ...

is mainly used by the Zambian Air Force and the United Nations to transport Angolan Refugees back to Angola. the town is also the location of the

References

:General references :Camerapix (1996). "Spectrum Guide to Zambia." Nairobi: Camerapix International Publishing. . :Terracarta/International Travel Maps, Vancouver Canada: "Zambia, 2nd edition", 2000.
Google Earth
has high-resolution photographs of Mongu. :http://www.barotseland.com/ {{coord, 15, 16, 39, S, 23, 7, 55, E, region:ZM_type:city, display=title Populated places in Western Province, Zambia Provincial capitals in Zambia Barotseland Zambezi River