Solwezi

Coordinates: 12°08′36″S 26°23′09″E / 12.14333°S 26.38583°E / -12.14333; 26.38583
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Solwezi
UTC+2 (CAT)
ClimateCwb

Solwezi is a town in Zambia. It is the provincial capital of the mineral-rich North-Western Province. Solwezi is also the administrative capital of Solwezi District, one of the eleven districts in the North-Western Province.[1]

Location

Solwezi is located on the Chingola–Solwezi–Mwinilunga Road (

mean sea level.[5]

Approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) south of the central business district, is the "Kifubwa Rock Stream Shelter", also Kifubwa Rock National Monument. It is located next to the Kifubwa River, with inscriptions dating from the Paleolithic period, carbon dated to about 6300 BC.[6] The conservation area measures approximately 2,590 square kilometres (1,000 sq mi) with the Kifubwa Stream Cave at its centre.[6]

Climate

Solwezi features a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa)[7] with distinct wet and dry seasons. October and November are the hottest months. Winters are milder, with July being the coolest month. The wet season, from November to March, experiences abundant rainfall. The dry season, from May to September, is marked by minimal precipitation.[8]

Climate data for Solwezi (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 39.2
(102.6) 		32.8
(91.0) 		32.7
(90.9) 		32.4
(90.3) 		32.1
(89.8) 		30.3
(86.5) 		33.1
(91.6) 		34.2
(93.6) 		38.2
(100.8) 		39.2
(102.6) 		35.1
(95.2) 		33.3
(91.9) 		34.4
(93.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 27.3
(81.1) 		27.4
(81.3) 		27.8
(82.0) 		27.6
(81.7) 		27.2
(81.0) 		25.9
(78.6) 		25.7
(78.3) 		28.5
(83.3) 		31.3
(88.3) 		31.9
(89.4) 		28.9
(84.0) 		27.2
(81.0) 		28.1
(82.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 22.1
(71.8) 		22.1
(71.8) 		22.1
(71.8) 		21.0
(69.8) 		18.7
(65.7) 		16.8
(62.2) 		16.6
(61.9) 		19.4
(66.9) 		22.4
(72.3) 		23.9
(75.0) 		22.8
(73.0) 		22.1
(71.8) 		20.8
(69.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 16.9
(62.4) 		16.8
(62.2) 		16.4
(61.5) 		14.3
(57.7) 		10.1
(50.2) 		7.6
(45.7) 		7.4
(45.3) 		10.3
(50.5) 		13.4
(56.1) 		15.8
(60.4) 		16.7
(62.1) 		16.9
(62.4) 		13.6
(56.5)
Record low °C (°F) 11.9
(53.4) 		10.4
(50.7) 		8.8
(47.8) 		6.9
(44.4) 		1.2
(34.2) 		1.9
(35.4) 		1.1
(34.0) 		2.1
(35.8) 		3.5
(38.3) 		9.0
(48.2) 		9.8
(49.6) 		11.9
(53.4) 		6.5
(43.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 273.5
(10.77) 		228.3
(8.99) 		210.8
(8.30) 		48.9
(1.93) 		2.6
(0.10) 		0.3
(0.01) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.6
(0.02) 		2.7
(0.11) 		33.7
(1.33) 		160.2
(6.31) 		279.9
(11.02) 		1,241.4
(48.87)
Source: NOAA[8]

Population

In 1990, the population of Solwezi was 23,435 people. In 2000, there were 38,121 people. The 2010 population census and household survey enumerated the population of the town at 90,856 inhabitants.[9]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
199023,435—    
200038,121+62.7%
201090,856+138.3%
source:[9]

Economy

Solwezi is a mining town. As of 2015, the town was still developing, with infrastructure development running behind the swelling population. At that time, only the main street, Independence Road was named. Many of the other streets were un-named and unpaved. Copper is the main mineral extracted although cobalt, gold and uranium is also mined in the area.[1][10]

The adjacent

Kansanshi Mine (located about 10 km or 6 mi north) run by First Quantum Minerals. Kansanshi Mine exploits copper-gold ore. The mining site has intermittently been running since the early 20th century for copper and gold.[11]

Tribes

Congo. They were among the first Zambians to do mining of copper in Zambia as suggested by archaeological evidence at the Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi that dates back to the Iron Age. The Kaonde tribe falls under one of the main tribes of Zambia, among the Lozi, the Bemba, the Ngoni, the Tonga and the Luvale. The Kaonde tribe has about 300,000 people in Zambia and about 30,000 people in Southern DRC.[1]

Transportation

Solwezi is situated on the

T5 Motorway, which connects the Copperbelt Province with Angola. Most people walk or drive around the town to get to and from different places. The Solwezi Airport is an airport near the T5 motorway.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c Hildah Lumba and Jowit Saluseki (21 June 2015). "Solwezi: Mining Town On The Rise". Times of Zambia. Ndola. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  2. ^ Google (26 May 2020). "Road Distance Between Chingola, Zambia And Solwezi, Zambia" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  3. ^ Google (26 May 2020). "Road Distance Between Mwinilunga, Zambia And Solwezi, Zambia" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  4. ^ Google (26 May 2020). "Location of Solwezi, Zambia" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  5. ^ Flood Map (26 May 2020). "Elevation of Solwezi, Zambia". Floodmap.net. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  6. ^ a b Nkole Nkole (30 September 2014). "Kifubwa Monument: Solwezi's Unique Treasure". Zambia Daily Mail. Lusaka. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Table 1 Overview of the Köppen-Geiger climate classes including the defining criteria". Nature: Scientific Data. 23 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Solwezi". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Central Statistical Office Zambia and City Population (14 July 2019). "Population of Zambian Cities and Urban Centres: Mwinilunga". Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  10. ^ Mining for Zambia (2016). "The Solwezi Effect". Miningforzambia.com. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  11. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2017.06.015
    .
  12. ^ Skybray (26 May 2020). "About Solwezi Airport". Skybray.aero. Retrieved 26 May 2020.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Solwezi&oldid=1198825593"