Chipata Explained

Official Name:Chipata
Settlement Type:City
Pushpin Map:Zambia
Pushpin Label Position:left
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Zambia
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Zambia
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Eastern Province
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Chipata District
Government Type:Local Government
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:George Mwanza
Established Title:Founded
Established Title2:City status
Established Date2:2017
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Urban Km2:153.94
Population As Of:2022
Population Total:327,059
Population Density Km2:193.4
Population Metro:327,059
Population Urban:193,288
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Population Blank2 Title:Religions
Timezone:CAT
Utc Offset:+2
Coordinates:-13.6453°N 32.6464°W
Elevation M:1181
Postal Code:51
Area Code:+260 216
Blank Name:Climate
Blank Info:Aw
Chipata

Chipata is a city and administrative centre of the Eastern Province of Zambia and Chipata District. It was declared the 5th city of the country, after Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe and Livingstone, by President Edgar Lungu on 24 February 2017. The city has undergone rapid economic and infrastructure growth in the years, leading up to city status.[1] [2] [3]

Location

Chipata is located on the Great East Road, approximately 570km (350miles) east of Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia.[4] This is about 150km (90miles) west of Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi.[5] The geographical coordinates of Chipata are 13°38′43.0″S, 32°38′47.0″E.[6] The average elevation of Chipata is 1181m (3,875feet), above sea level.[7]

Overview

Having a modern market, a central hospital, shopping malls, a university, some colleges and a number of schools, Chipata is the business and administrative hub of the region. The town boasts a four star hotel, a golf course, an airport, and a "welcome arch". Developed areas includes Kalongwezi, Moth, and Little Bombay.

Chipata is the regional head of the Ngoni of Zambia. The Ngoni adopted the languages of the tribes they conquered, so Chewa and Nsenga are the principal languages, although Tumbuka and English are widely spoken, plus some Indian languages, as a large number of Zambian Indians live in the town. It is located near the border with Malawi, and lies on the Great East Road which connects the capitals Lilongwe 150km (90miles) to the east,[5] and Lusaka 570km (350miles) to the west.[6] It is a popular access point for the South Luangwa National Park, which is 100km (100miles) to the north-west.

History

Chipata's name comes from the Chewa word "Chimpata" meaning "large space", in reference to the town's situation in a shallow valley between hills. The name of the central neighbourhood of Kapata, the original centre of town, comes from the Chewa word meaning "small space."

Chipata was formerly known as Fort Jameson (and informally as "Fort Jimmy"), being named after Sir Leander Starr Jameson, the 19th-century British politician and adventurer. Even during the colonial period, few supported that Jameson, who is mainly known for his part in the infamous Jameson Raid, fully deserved the honour of having any town named after him. Like 'Fort Manning' and 'Fort Rosebery', Fort Jameson was called a "fort" because the local government offices, or "Boma", were once fortified.

Fort Jameson was the capital of the British protectorate of North-Eastern Rhodesia between 1900 and 1911.

During World War II, 80 Polish refugees escaping from German- and Soviet-occupied Poland, were admitted in Fort Jameson in 1941.[8]

Government

The mayor of the city of Chipata is the head of the city government.

Population

With a population of about 327,059 in 2022,[9] the Chipata District is believed to be the 8th largest city of the country. The city of Chipata had 193,288 inhabitants in 2022.[10] The predominant ethnic groups in the city are the Chewa, Tumbuka, Ngoni and Nsenga.[11]

Economy

Chipata is the primary transport hub for trade between Zambia and Malawi. "Down Shops" is Chipata's bustling down-town area, most shops and other businesses having proprietors of Indian origin. Two notable shops are Kavulamungu Bargain Centre, and Ally & Sons.

Tourism

The Nc'wala ceremony of the Ngoni people takes place at Mutenguleni on the outskirts of Chipata. The ceremony celebrates the first fruits harvest and is usually held at the end of February.[1]

Transport

Rail

An extension of the Sena railway, connecting the city of Chipata to the territory of Malawi (via Mchinji) was opened in August 2011.[12] Since then, Chipata acts as the Zambian railhead and entry point from Malawi and beyond. In the pipeline since 1982, the short link, about 35km (22miles), provides a through-route for rail traffic from Zambia via Malawi to the Indian Ocean deep-water port at Nacala in Mozambique.[13] The route and alignment of the line has been laid out, including the site of Chipata station and the basic station building.

The route will provide an alternative to two existing rail routes to the Indian Ocean, at Dar es Salaam and Beira. In 2015 it was proposed to build a rail link to Serenje, a town on the TAZARA Railway line.[14]

Road

The T4 road (Great East Road) connects Chipata with Lusaka to the west (570 kilometres away) and the Mwami border with Malawi to the east (20 kilometres away).[15]

The M12 road connects Chipata with Lundazi to the north (180 kilometres away). The D104 road connects Chipata with it's airport (12 kilometers away) as well as to Mfuwe and the South Luangwa National Park to the north-west (100 kilometres away). The D128 road connects Chipata with Chadiza to the south-west (65 kilometres away). The D804 road connects Chipata with Vubwi to the south-east (60 kilometres away).

Rivers

Chipata has four major streams pouring into the Luangwa river. The Luangwa river rises in the Lilonda and Mafinga Hills in north-east Zambia at an elevation of around 1500 meters near the border with Tanzania and Malawi, and flows in a southwesterly direction through a broad valley.[16] The water from the streams and the Luangwa river is used for farming by the inhabitants around the district.

Soil and vegetation

There are three main soil types: acrisols, fersiallitic soils, and lithosols. There are four vegetation types, the main one being the brachystegia (miombo) woodland and munga vegetation types.

Climate

Chipata features a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw)[17] with wet and dry seasons. Summers are characterized by warm to hot temperatures, reaching peak values in October and November. Winters are milder, with July being the coolest month. The wet season, from November to March, experiences high humidity and significant rainfall. The dry season, from May to October, is marked by minimal precipitation.

Suburbs

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 22 November 2018 . Chipata: Newest city on the hills . 25 February 2017 . . Darlington . Mwendabai . Lusaka.
  2. Web site: 2020-05-30 . Times of Zambia .
  3. Web site: 2017-02-24 . Zambia : Chipata meets the these requisites required to be called a City-President Lungu . 2024-05-19 . Lusaka Times . en-GB.
  4. Web site: Distance between Lusaka, Zambia and Chipata, Zambia . Globefeed.com . 22 November 2018 . 22 November 2018.
  5. Web site: Traveling through Zambia with backpack. Chipata to Lilongwe (it´s only 150 km) . Nomad-as.com . September 2015 . 22 November 2018.
  6. Web site: Location of Chipata, Zambia . 22 November 2018.
  7. Web site: Elevation of Chipata, Zambia . Floodmap.net . 22 November 2018 . 22 November 2018.
  8. Book: Wróbel, Janusz. Uchodźcy polscy ze Związku Sowieckiego 1942–1950. 2003. pl. Instytut Pamięci Narodowej. Łódź. 137. 978-83-7629-522-0.
  9. Web site: The Population of Chipata in 2022 . 8 July 2024 . Citypopulation.info quoting Central Statistical Office Zambia . 23 November 2018.
  10. http://citypopulation.de/Zambia-Cities.html Largest cities of Zambia
  11. Web site: Study in Chipata (Oriental province, Zambia). Africa EENI Global Business School & University. en. 2020-05-26. 2021-01-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20210127153956/https://www.hauniversity.org/en/Zambia-Chipata.shtml. dead.
  12. Web site: 21 September 2011 . Zambia, Malawi finally connected by rail . 23 November 2018 . Afrol.com . Kroderen, Norway.
  13. Web site: 26 August 2007 . New rail link to boost Southern African trade . 23 November 2018 . . Archived from the original . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930181819/http://www.mg.co.za/articledirect.aspx?articleId=317537. 30 September 2007.
  14. Web site: Chipata-Tazara railway project hits a snag . 3 August 2017 . Breeze FM Chipata . 23 November 2018 . Chipata, Zambia.
  15. Web site: Roads and Road Traffic Act . 2022-06-27 . www.parliament.gov.zm.
  16. Web site: Luangwa River In Zambia. AfricanMecca Safaris. en-US. 2020-05-30.
  17. 23 October 2023 . Table 1 Overview of the Köppen-Geiger climate classes including the defining criteria. . Nature . en.