Western Province (Zambia)
| Western Province Western province
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| Basic data | |
| Country | Zambia |
| Capital | Mongu |
| surface | 126,386 km² |
| Residents | 902,974 (2010) |
| density | 7.1 inhabitants per km² |
| ISO 3166-2 | ZM-01 |
| Website | www.wes.gov.zm (English) |
Coordinates: 16 ° 0 ′ S , 24 ° 0 ′ E
The Western Province (Engl. Western Province ) is a province in the west of the Republic of Zambia , on the border with Angola and Namibia . The original name was Barotseland because of the Kingdom of Barotse . The province has 902,974 inhabitants (2010 census) and covers 126,386 km². It is the original settlement area of the Rotse ( Lozi ).
Barotseland declared itself unilaterally independent on March 26, 2012 because the new Zambian government had not complied with the 1964 autonomy agreement.
Barotseland is the least developed region in Zambia. There are only two paved roads there. One leads from Lusaka , the other from Livingstone to the provincial capital Mongu and from there to Sesheke to the Zambezi Bridge . The region has certain autonomy rights. There are political aspirations of the royal family for complete independence from Zambia.
Except for the Kaoma district , this province consists of Kalahari sand areas , floodplains and pastures. The largest herds of Zambia are here. Once a year parts of them are driven to Mongu for sale. Agriculture is focused on maize instead of rice, which leads to crop failures due to flooding every year. The grain yields never reach the level of consumption. Hunger is therefore endemic in this province. Subsistence farming without irrigation is predominant .
With less than four people per square kilometer, the province is very sparsely populated. The number of hospitals and schools is correspondingly small and not extensive. Outside of Mongu, none of these facilities match the average level in Zambia. Outside of Mongu there is neither electricity nor telephone, nor a drinking water supply or sewage disposal. The network of trails is poor with extremely difficult sand passages to overcome. The Luena floodplains between Mongu and Lukulu on the left side of the Zambezi are feared because of their deep sand. The Luena River seeps away here.
The province's tourist attractions are the Liuwa Plain National Park in the difficult-to-reach Kalabo and the Sioma-Ngweizi National Park in the equally difficult-to-reach Shangombo. Both national parks are devoid of any infrastructure or tourist facilities.
