Zambia Independence Day is observed on 24 October every year.
This year marks the country’s 58th anniversary of independence from the United Kingdom.
Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa.
Due to its landlocked position, the first European settlers arrived in the country only at the end of the nineteenth century.
Previous contact with outsiders had been limited to Arab and Portuguese visits in the eighteenth century that had not ended in any lasting relationship.
In 1888, Cecil Rhodes, the leader of the British South Africa Company (BSA Company), obtained mineral rights in the region. Suppression of tribal rebellions and the discovery of copper deposits led to control of other areas in the region.
These regions were administered as separate units until 1911 when they were merged to form Northern Rhodesia (Rhodesia named after Cecil Rhodes).
Northern Rhodesia was a British protectorate governed by an administration appointed from London with the advice of the BSA Company, until their company charter was not renewed in 1923 and the British Government took control.
In 1953, several countries under British law in the region were put into the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The creation of the federation was especially resented in Northern Rhodesia leading to the rise of two nationalist parties.
Following elections in 1962, the two parties joined forces to pass resolutions calling for Northern Rhodesia’s secession from the federation and demanding full internal self-government.
The federation was dissolved on 31 December 1963, and in January 1964 the country held presidential elections.
On 24 October 1964, the British colony of Northern Rhodesia became the independent Republic of Zambia and prime minister Kenneth Kaunda became the inaugural president serving until 1991.
General elections were held on 12 August 2021 to elect the President, National Assembly, mayors, council chairs and councillors. Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development was elected president, defeating incumbent Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front.
