Zambia
Zambia is a landlocked country geographically neighboring eight countries in the southern region of Africa. The proportion of Muslims in the population is between 5-10%. Most of the black natives in the country, 75%, have been Christianized since the colonial period that started in 1880. Only a small number are followers of local African religions. The vast majority of Muslims are the third generation of immigrant families from outside the country. These include people from India, Ghana, Malawi, Somalia, Senegal, Mali, Congo and Ivory Coast. The number of indigenous Zambian Muslims has also increased dramatically in recent years through missionary work and intermarriage. The first mosque in the country was opened in Chibolya in 1908.
The introduction of Islam to Zambia goes back to the 11th century, when Muslims established regional states along the East African coast. Islam during this period, especially the Abu Said Dynasty, who came from Oman and established a colonial state in northern Mozambique, reached what is now Zambia for the first time when they crossed into the interior of Africa to trade in ivory, which was one of the most lucrative businesses of the time.
As a minority in the country, the economic status of Muslims has become generally worse than that of the average Zambian. However, in Zambia, as in other countries in the region, the situation of Muslims of Indian origin who are engaged in trading is better than that of indigenous black Muslims.
