Shangombo District with headquarters at Shangombo is located in

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

. As of the

2022 Zambian Census The 2022 census of Zambia was a detailed enumeration of the Zambian population that became the sixth national census in the country since independence. It began on August 18, 2022, and concluded by September 14, 2022. It became Zambia's first-ever ...

, the district had a population of 73,822 people.2022 Census of Population and Housing - Preliminary Report
(PDF)

History

During the

Angolan Civil War The Angolan Civil War () was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. It was a power struggle between two for ...

, the area was unsafe due to arms smuggling activities and the conflict occasionally spilled over into Zambia, where villagers were killed by combatants. A large number of Angolan refugees were placed in

UNHCR The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and Humanitarian protection, protect refugees, Internally displaced person, forcibly displaced communities, and Statelessness, s ...

camps in the district, the largest was Nangweshi Camp near the Zambezi established in 2000 for 15,000 refugees; by 2003 the district hosted about 26,000 refugees. Roads in the district may become impassable in the rainy season and vehicles can get stuck in the sand during the dry season, so trucks and four-wheel drive vehicles are the principal mode of transport. Access to

Mongu Mongu is the capital of Western Province in Zambia and was the capital of the formerly-named province and historic state of Barotseland. Its population is 179,585 (2010 census), and it is also the headquarters of Mongu District. Mongu is the ho ...

, the provincial capital relied on the Kalongola Ferry across the Zambezi south of

Senanga Senanga is the capital of the Senanga District, which is located in the Western Province, Zambia, Western Province of Zambia. The town is situated on the eastern bank of the Zambezi River, at the southern end of the Barotse Floodplain. It lies on ...

, and the Senanga-Mongu road, though paved in the past was in very poor condition, partly due to the heavy trucks used to supply UNHCR programs. The Senanga–

Katima Mulilo Katima Mulilo or simply Katima is the capital of the Zambezi Region in Namibia. It had 46,401 inhabitants in 2023, and comprises two electoral constituencies, Katima Mulilo Rural and Katima Mulilo Urban. It is located on the B8 national roa ...

–

Sesheke Sesheke is a border town in the Western Province, Zambia, Western Province of Zambia, in a Sesheke District, district of the same name. It lies on the northern bank of the Zambezi River which forms the border with Namibia, Namibia's Caprivi Stri ...

dirt road was also difficult at times. Other tracks go north to

Kalabo Kalabo is an urban centre and the seat of Kalabo District, in the Western Province of Zambia. Geography Location The town is located on the plains west of the Zambezi River and the Barotse Floodplain, and approximately , by road east of the ...

, along the eastern bank of the Cuando River and to the Sioma Ngwezi National Park located in the south of the district. In 2003 to help supply the Nangweshi camps from Mongu,

Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...

donated through the UNHCR a new ferry at Kalongola from the proceeds of his charity concerts, named ''Fernando Pavarotti'' in honour of his father."Pavarotti ferry helps refugees in Zambia stay afloat."
''UNHCR News'', Kalongola, Zambia, Nov 12 2003.

References

{{Authority control Districts of Western Province, Zambia