Zambezi is a town in the North-Western Province of Zambia, lying on the
Zambezi River and the M8 road, west of Kabompo. It is known for the palaces of
the chiefs of the Balunda and Balovale people. Until about 1966 it was called Balovale after the dominant chief
(and his village within the town is still known by that name) but the name was
changed in an attempt to defuse tensions between the main groups and the
government of the newly-independent country.
