Sandwiched between Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, the landlocked nation of Zambia sits on a high plain, which mainly ranges from 500 to 1,500 metres (1,650-4,900ft) in altitude.
This keeps the climate more equable than some parts of the African tropics, with the higher-altitude areas enjoying warm but not overly hot temperatures all year round.
The capital, Lusaka, at 1,280 metres above sea level, is typical: year-round maxima range from 24C to 31C (75F to 88F), while at night temperatures fall to the mid-teens celsius, far lower and more comfortable than you might expect.
Like much of tropical Africa, Zambia experiences two distinct seasons: hot, wet and humid between November and March, and dry and slightly cooler from April to November. During the winter months of June to September there is hardly any rain. The highest rainfall occurs in the northern part of the country, closer to the equator; the driest areas are in the south-west, in the disputed province of Barotseland.
One exception to the high-altitude climate is around the Zambezi River, which cuts through Zambia at a much lower altitude, down to 330 metres above sea level. Here, daytime temperatures can reach as high as 40C (104F).
