Luanshya
| Luanshya | |
|---|---|
 |
|
 Luanshya
|
|
| Coordinates: 13°08′S 28°24′E / 13.133°S 28.400°E | |
| Country |
 Zambia
|
| Province | Copperbelt Province |
| District | Luanshya District |
| Government | |
| • Type | municipal government |
| • Town Clerk | Andrew Mwanakulanga |
| Area | |
| • Urban | 1,007.6087 km2 (389 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,225 m (4,019 ft) |
| Population (2013) | |
| • City | 134,863 |
| Area code(s) | (+260) 2 |
| Climate | Cwa |
Luanshya is a town in Zambia, in the Copperbelt Province near Ndola. It has a population of 117,579 (2008 census).
Luanshya was founded in the early part of the 20th century after a prospector/explorer, William Collier, shot and killed a Roan Antelope on the banks of the Luanshya River, discovering a copper deposit in the process. The antelope fell to the ground, its head resting on a rock where an exposed seam of copper ore was visible. The mining company eventually formed to exploit Collier's find was named "Roan Antelope Copper Mines Ltd".
For most of the 20th century, copper was mined in great quantities at Luanshya but towards the end of the century, mining there became increasingly uneconomic, causing a severe recession in the town. There is still a fair amount of copper underground. Whether the town sees a revival in its fortunes will depend on how efficiently the copper is extracted and sold.
The city is the birthplace of folk singer, John Edmond, writer A. C. Grayling and former Vice President of Zambia, the late George Kunda.
The Roan Antelope Rugby Club in Luanshya formerly held the record for highest goal posts in the world, which were recognised by the Guinness Book of Records. They were 110 ft, 6 inches high.
Luanshya is the home base of a Technical and Vocational Teacher's College or TVTC from which a generation of the country's teachers have graduated. The town also has Luanshya Technical and Business College offering technical subjects to tertiary students. The Vasco da Gama school is the only school in the Copperbelt Province for people with disabilities, is managed by nuns and named after the famous Portuguese explorer.
Before Independence, schools were racially segregated, with separate schooling for Europeans, Asians, "Cape Coloureds" and Africans. There were two schools for white pupils: Luanshya Primary School and Luanshya High School.
During Zambia's painful privatisation period, thousands of miners were laid off by the Indian run RAMCOZ. During the Presidency of Levy Mwanawasa, the town was revived when Luanshya Copper Mines resumed full scale mining production and hired thousands of people, although that was to be short lived when the mining operator ran into financial problems.
...
Wikipedia