Mufulira

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'''Mufulira''' is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. Mufulira means "Place of Abundance and Peace". The town developed around the Mufulira Copper Mine in the 1930s. The town also serves as the administrative capital of Mufulira District.<ref name="1R">{{cite web|url=https://www.zambia-info.org/country/town/1340/mufulira |title=Mufulira Travel Information |publisher=Zambia-info.org |date=2019 | author=Zambia-Info |access-date=22 May 2020 |location=Lusaka}}</ref>

==Geography== ===Location=== Mufulira is located approximately {{convert|19|km|0}} southwest of the town of Mokambo, at the international border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.<ref name="2R">{{google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Mufulira,+Zambia/Mokambo,+Democratic+Republic+of+the+Congo/@-12.6015126,28.1461927,9.5z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x196d18d26a3efb71:0x148df1d2866cfe62!2m2!1d28.2409671!2d-12.5502705!1m5!1m1!1s0x196d3c638e4bd9eb:0x80d8007f30b76717!2m2!1d28.3491169!2d-12.426521!3e0 |title=Road Distance Between Mufulira, Zambia And Mokambo, Democratic Republic of the Congo | access-date=2 May 2020}}</ref> The M4 road connects Mufulira to Kitwe, {{convert|43|km|0}} to the south-west.<ref name="3R">{{google maps|title=Road Distance Between Mufulira, Zambia And Kitwe, Zambia |access-date=22 May 2020 | url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Mufulira,+Zambia/Kitwe,+Zambia/@-12.6867469,28.0418465,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x196d18d26a3efb71:0x148df1d2866cfe62!2m2!1d28.2409671!2d-12.5502705!1m5!1m1!1s0x196ce605eca5524d:0xfbb3502bc576f8e4!2m2!1d28.2175744!2d-12.8231947!3e0}}</ref> The M4 also connects Mufulira to Ndola, the seat Copperbelt, {{convert|70|km|0}} to the south-east.<ref name="4R">{{google maps|url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Mufulira,+Zambia/Ndola,+Zambia/@-12.9172181,28.7419357,7.75z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x196d18d26a3efb71:0x148df1d2866cfe62!2m2!1d28.2409671!2d-12.5502705!1m5!1m1!1s0x196cb4e3a782fdc7:0x540fdfe500034f23!2m2!1d28.6498144!2d-12.9906407!3e0 |title=Road Distance Between Mufulira, Zambia And Ndola, Zambia |access-date=22 May 2020}}</ref>

Mufulira is connected to the Mokambo Border and eventually the Luapula Province of Zambia by the Congo Pedicle road. The section from Mufulira to Mokambo is designated as the M5 road while the route through the Congo Pedicle to the Chembe Border is named the Congo Pedicle road.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Roads and Road Traffic Act {{!}} National Assembly of Zambia |url=https://www.parliament.gov.zm/node/1492 |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=www.parliament.gov.zm}}</ref>

The geographical coordinates of Mufulira are:12°32'08.0"S, 28°14'31.0"E (Latitude:-12.535556; Longitude:28.241944).<ref name="5R">{{google maps|title=Road Distance Between Mufulira, Zambia And Ndola, Zambia |access-date=22 May 2020 | url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Mufulira,+Zambia/Ndola,+Zambia/@-12.9172181,28.7419357,7.75z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x196d18d26a3efb71:0x148df1d2866cfe62!2m2!1d28.2409671!2d-12.5502705!1m5!1m1!1s0x196cb4e3a782fdc7:0x540fdfe500034f23!2m2!1d28.6498144!2d-12.9906407!3e0}}</ref> Mufulira sits at an average elevation of {{convert|4180|ft|0}} above mean sea level.<ref name="6R">{{cite web|publisher=Weatherspark.com |date=22 May 2020 |url=https://weatherspark.com/y/95297/Average-Weather-in-Mufulira-Zambia-Year-Round |title=Elevation of Mufulira, Zambia | author=Weather Spark |access-date=22 May 2020}}</ref>

==Overview== The town of Mufulira developed around the Mufulira Copper Mine in the 1930s. A branch of Zambia Railways, carrying freight only, serves the mine. Mufulira is the south-western end of the Congo Pedicle road connecting the Copperbelt Province to the Luapula Province, making that province Mufulira's commercial hinterland.<ref name="1R"/>

==Population== In 1990, the population of Mufulira was 123,936 people. In 2000, there were 122,336 people. The 2010 population census and household survey enumerated the population of the town at 151,309 inhabitants.<ref name="7R">{{cite web|title=Population of Zambian Cities and Urban Centres: Mufulira |publisher=Citypopulation.de | url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/zambia/cities/?cityid=21535 |author=Central Statistical Office Zambia and City Population | date=14 July 2019 |access-date=28 May 2020}}</ref> The table below illustrates the same data in tabular format.

{| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Population |- | 1990 | 123,936<ref name="7R"/> |- | 2000 | 122,336<ref name="7R"/> |- | 2010 | 151,309<ref name="7R"/> |}

==Economy== The '''Mufulira Mine''' is now owned and operated by ''Mopani Copper Mines'', which employs 10,000 permanent workers and produced about {{convert|300000|tonne|0}} of copper bars in 2007.{{Needs update|date=November 2025}} The Mufulira Copper Smelter was rehabilitated by SMEC South Africa. Production and employment levels went down from the 1969 peak when the Copperbelt made Zambia the world's 4th largest copper producer.<ref name="1R"/><ref name="8R">{{cite web| url=http://www.mbendi.co.za/indy/ming/cppr/af/za/p0005.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217192619/http://www.mbendi.co.za/indy/ming/cppr/af/za/p0005.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=17 February 2007 |title=Overview of Copper Mining In Zambia |publisher=Mbendi South Africa |date=17 November 2000 |author=Mbendi South Africa |access-date=22 May 2020 | format=Archived from the original on 17 February 2007 | location=Cape Town}}</ref>

==Sports== In Zambia, Mufulira is well known for being the home of Mufulira Wanderers F.C., a professional soccer club.<ref name="1R"/><ref name="9R">{{cite web| url=https://kawowo.com/2020/04/03/goalkeeper-bwete-quits-mufulira-wanderers-over-coronavirus-concerns/ |title=Goalkeeper Bwete quits Mufulira Wanderers over Coronavirus concerns | date=3 April 2020 |publisher=Kawowo.com |author=David Isabirye | access-date=22 May 2020 |location=Kampala}}</ref>

==Notable people== *Abe Bekker, boxer, lived here *Kalusha Bwalya, national soccer player and African Footballer of the Year winner, in 1988, was born here.<ref name="1R"/> *Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba (1943–2011), who served as the second president of Zambia, from 1991 until 2001, lived in Mufulira in the 1960s.<ref name="11R">{{cite web|url=https://eliasmunshya.org/2013/02/17/a-short-man-who-walked-tall-life-and-times-of-frederick-jacob-titus-chiluba-1943-2011/ |title=A Sort Man Who Walked Tall: The Life And Times of Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba (1943—2011) | publisher=Elias Munshya Organization |date=17 February 2013 | author=Elias Munshya |access-date=22 May 2020 | location=Lusaka}}</ref> *Robert Earnshaw, soccer player *Mike Harris, racing driver who competed in the 1962 South African Grand Prix. *Dafydd James, international rugby player *Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe (1922–1980), who served as Vice President of Zambia from 1967 until 1970. He served as member of parliament for Mufulira West Constituency from December 1971 until February 1972, under the UPP political party, the only UPP MP elected.<ref name="12R">{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=39JMAgAAQBAJ&q=Simon+Kapwepwe+Mufulira&pg=RA2-PA297 |title=Dictionary of African Biography: Kapwepwe Simon Mwansa (1922-1980) |author=Andy DeRoche | editor=Emmanuel K. Akyeampong and Henry Louis Gates Jr |volume=1 |date=2012 | publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York City |isbn=9780195382075 | access-date=22 May 2020}}</ref> *Christopher Katongo, soccer player *Felix Katongo, soccer player *Kenneth Kaunda (born 1924), the founder President of Zambia, in office from 1964 until 1991. In 1948, he served as a teacher and boarding master at Mufulira Upper School.<ref name="10R">{{cite web|url=https://biography.yourdictionary.com/kenneth-david-kaunda |title=Kenneth David Kaunda Facts |access-date=22 May 2020 |publisher=Encyclopedia of World Biography |date=2010 | author=The Gale Group, Inc |location=Burlingame, California, United States}}</ref> *Robert John "Mutt" Lange, songwriter and record producer *Levy Patrick Mwanawasa (1948–2008), who served as President of Zambia from 2001 until 2008, was born in Mufulira.<ref name="1R"/> *Samuel "Zoom" Ndhlovu, soccer player and Zambia Soccer Team coach *Stevie Vann, singer *Kåre Becker, professional footballer

==See also== * Mopani Copper Mines * Copperbelt Province including the history of copper mining in Zambia

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20130516061856/http://www.smec.com/Default.aspx?aProjId=953 Malachite Plant Extension in Mufulira] *https://www.britannica.com/place/Mufulira *https://www.zambia-info.org/country/town/1340/mufulira *https://www.mindat.org/loc-4345.html

Category:Mufulira District Category:Populated places established in the 1930s Category:Populated places in Copperbelt Province