Bangweulu Basin

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The Bangweulu Basin is a region in northern Zambia .

The region is located 915 m ( Luapulatal ), 1140 m ( Bangweuluseespiegel in the dry season) to 1520 m high in places with mountains even higher, on the nordsambischen plateau between the Muchinga Mountains in the east, the river Luapula in the West, the Mporokosoberge , the Foothills of the southern Tanzanian highlands in the north and the Copperbelt in the south. The basin itself is characterized by Lake Bangweulus and a huge wetland surrounding it, with countless inlets, with many islands, the Bangweulus swamps . The basin in its lower elevations is completely inaccessible and can only be accessed via small waterways. The higher elevations are halfway accessible in the west by the so-called "Chinese Road" Serenje - Samfya - Mansa - Nchelenge , in the north and east by the TAZARA it is difficult to get to via Kasama , the regional center, in the south is the Kasanka National Park with an air runway equipped, in the southwest is Samfya as the central marketplace of this area and location of the post boat. All paths can only be passed at low speed with all-wheel drive and large ground clearance. The only asphalt road is the “Chinese Road”. Kasama and Kasanka at the very edge are the last outposts of civilization. From there the dugout canoe is the most reliable means of locomotion and transport.

Geologically, the almost circular Bengweulubassin different from the surrounding areas as Tanganyika , Lake Malawi , Lake Kariba , Lake Mweru , Rukwa aseismic and resistant to earthquakes. In contrast to the Zambezi or Luangwarift, there are hardly any hot springs and geysers. Nevertheless, its volcanic origin is considered evident. The basin consists mainly of granite (palaeoproterozoic granitoide) and some katangan rocks . Its age is estimated at 1.8 billion years and is a well-established geological term as the Bangweulu block. The basin is significantly higher towards the edges than in the center, which makes this a reservoir for the precipitation. Its basic structure is formed by circles like in meteorite craters. Even the islands like Mbawala or Chishi Island follow such curves with their shorelines and exactly the northeast shore of the lake like concentric circles.

The Bangweulu Basin is part of Zambia's Wild North and a completely different world compared to the south of the country. Here, Africa is left to its own devices, as the area around Luwingu in particular shows, as only air transport enables a supply. It's not affordable. On the other hand, the infection rate with HIV is well below the national average, but still serious. The basin is densely populated in various parts, in fact in all floodplains, i.e. the areas that fall dry and allow arable farming. With the exception of the rare sugar cane plantations on the Luapula, subsistence agriculture is exclusively used. The electricity generation for the entire area of ​​50,000 km² is 5 MW at Luapula and 6 MW at Kalungwishi . Even the cell phones that are used everywhere in Africa remain without contact here.

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Coordinates: 11 ° 10 ′ 0 ″  S , 29 ° 40 ′ 0 ″  E