Shangombo

Shangombo is a town with about 2,000 inhabitants, directly on the border with Angola in the Western Province in Zambia. It is located 1,018 meters above sea level and is the seat of the administrative district of the same name with 70 049 inhabitants ( 2000 census ). The provincial capital, Mongu is located 280 kilometers away.

Shangombo is a very elusive area. The nearest hospital is located a few hundred kilometers away in Senanga Sesheke or Mongu. During the civil war in Angola in 2001 UNITA plundered here and took many Zambians caught for months. The ruined fields and herds almost completely. The swamps and floodplains of the Cuando in Angola reaches this far and make its expansion and sparse population every persecution by Zambian troops hopeless. At the same time it was the area in which UNITA diamonds poor quality was mine that they sold over Zambia. To date, sell Angolan farmers here corn and buy second- hand clothes. Even today, standing here isolated stock with Angolan refugees.

Topics in Shamgombo are infrastructure, primary schools, wells and solar panels. There is no paved road, no electricity and no phone. In the place, actually a military post, are a few Government buildings and small shops. The district took in 2004 from taxes on sales of fish and cattle, although 25 million Kwacha per month, but paid for nine months without wages. Agriculture in the district must recover from the aftermath of the civil war in Angola is still. The yields of maize and millet in the floodplain not meet their own needs. This district is very prone to droughts. As in prehistoric time, humans survive famines by eating water lilies. In the regions Mulamba - Sijembela, Sioma - Ngweizi National Park and Nangweshi / 2005 Mashika are still buried landmines, so in the pasture belt of the district.

Shamgombe is the only achievable marketplace for the Angolan neighboring province, as the way to Namibia and Botswana can be happened because of the deep sand barely.

Shangombo is characterized by Kalahari vegetation.