Chama District

Chama District with the headquarters at Chama is the most northerly, largest and least-populated district of the Muchinga Province in Zambia and includes a large wilderness in the Upper Luangwa valley just north-east of the North Luangwa National Park. The Chama District was formerly part of the Eastern Province.

Much of the population of Chama District lives close to the Malawi border and shares tribal and cultural links with the people of the northern highlands of that country. The people of Chama belong mostly to the Senga tribe. Members of the Tumbuka tribe also live in Chama. Chisenga, a language similar to ChiTumbuka and Chichewa or Nyanja, is the predominant language spoken.

Agriculture is the leading industry, and maize is the most common crop. Chama is also known as a rice-growing area. Cotton is a lucrative crop for some. Sorghum and soyabeans are also grown. Other common foodcrops include groundnuts, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, sunflowers.

As of the 2000 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 74,890 people.