Chingola

Chingola
Nchanga copper mine near Chingola
Chingola Location in Zambia
Coordinates: 12°32′S 27°51′E / 12.533°S 27.850°E / -12.533; 27.850
Country	Zambia
Province	Copperbelt Province
District	Chingola District
Elevation	4,472 ft (1,363 m)
Population (2008)
• Total	157,340
Climate	Cwa

Chingola is a city in Zambia's Copperbelt Province, the country's copper-mining region, with a population of 157,340 (2008 census). It is the home of Nchanga Copper Mine, a deep-shaft high-grade content copper mining operation, which subsequently (in the 1960s) led to the development of two open pit operations, Chingola Open Pit and then Nchanga Open Pit (the latter being the second largest open cast mine in the world).

Chingola was founded somewhat later than the cities in the south-eastern half of the Copperbelt, in 1943, when the Nchanga Mine was started up. It was known to be the cleanest town in Zambia.

Nchanga Mines Open Pit workings lie in an arc 11 km long around the west and north of the town, covering nearly 30 km². The deepest part of the pit is 400 m lower than the surrounding plateau.

See Copperbelt Province for the history of the copper-mining industry.

A freight-only branch of Zambian Railways services the town from Kitwe. The branch includes the movement of copper ore to the smelters at Nkana in Kitwe.

In 2013, a direct link to the Benguela Railway in Angola was proposed.

In Chingola, the main road to Lubumbashi in DR Congo via Chililabombwe and Konkola branches off the main Copperbelt highway running south-east from Kitwe going north-west to Solwezi.

Chingola is served by Kasompe Airport, IATA code CGJ. Chingola is rated 5th on the most developed cities in Zambia. The most developed areas are Nchanga South & River Side. Chingola is known to be one of the best internet service provided cities in Zambia. It is also served by 2 shopping malls: The Park Mall and the Motherland Shopping Mall.

The town has two hospitals: Nchanga North General Hospital (Government-owned, bed capacity 283) and Nchanga South Hospital (privately owned by the KCM (Konkola Copper Mines Plc), bed capacity about 100).