Zambia Colonial History
The first humans to inhabit Zambia, were the San or Bushermen, a small people leading a hunter/gathering type of life, and now living in scatter groups in the deserts of Namibia. Their ancient rock art is still being discovered in various parts of Zambia.
The bushermen gave way to the invading Bantu tribes from the North. Tribal wars and the slave trade caused upheavals until the missionaries arrived, including Dr. David Livingstone. Cecil Rhodes followed in his wake. Seeing the territory as part of his imperial dream to extend British influence in Africa from cape to Cairo. In 1911, the two halves of the country, Western Rhodesia, and North Eastern Rhodesia, were joined under the British Crown to form Northern Rhodesia, with Livingstone as the capital.
The colonial regime was placed in 1953 by the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (Now Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi), but the grouping collapsed after 10 years, paying the way for Zambia’s independence under Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. It became an independent republic within the Commonwealth in October 1964. In 1972 it was declared a one party state, but reverted back to multi-party politics in 1990. The current Zambian government is committed to rebuilding the country’s tourism industry after decades of neglect.
