Kabwe

- 14.43959444444428.449877777778Koordinaten: 14 ° 26 ' S, 28 ° 27' O

Kabwe is the capital of the central province of the Republic of Zambia, with 191 093 inhabitants ( 2006 estimate ), 300,000 in the agglomeration, its fourth largest city. Kabwe is located 1,172 meters above sea level and 130 kilometers north of Lusaka. It is the capital of the eponymous district with which it is virtually identical to their agglomeration.

Economy

Kabwe is on a vein of ore with a lead content of 20%. Kabwe was formed in 1902 and grew up in the 1930s around the newly established local mines and smelting operation for lead and zinc but also cadmium, manganese and vanadium around. By 1964, the city of Broken Hill was called after comparable Erzfundstätte in Australia. Was funded until 1994. There were no environmental regulations. Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines has now been privatized and left the city. The lead left a considerable soil and water contamination. On the old ore waste dumps are extracted illegally. In children in Kabwe lead levels between 60 and 120 micrograms / dl were observed. The record is 300 micrograms / dl.

Environmental problems

In the second largest city of Zambia approximately 250,000 people are potentially affected by the pollution of the environment by lead and cadmium. Polluter is mining. Because of the city since 2006 on the list of dirtiest places in the world, which is published by the environmental organization Blacksmith Institute. Although the rehabilitation process with the support of the World Bank is making progress, but the effects are still current.

Policy

Kabwe is home to the headquarters of Zambia Railways and is located by the Lusaka Kitwe. Even with asphalt roads, the city is well developed. It is also home to the high-security prison of Zambia. The city itself has hotels, hospitals, primary and secondary schools, electricity, drinking water, sanitation. Kabwe is considered the birthplace of Zambian democracy, since the UNIP was founded, the driving force in the Unabhängigkeitbestrebung from the UK.

Countryside and history

In the near Mulungushi a dam, the mine and the city is supplied with power. To the west of the city the Lukangasümpfe stretch. Here, the early human "Broken Hill Skull" (Homo rhodesiensis ) was found. 1985 Kabwe Conference of the African National Congress was held here.

Others

The Kabwe Lake is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (see Lucien Emile Francqui ).