Zambian kwacha. The Kwacha (ISO 4217 code: ZMW) is the currency of Zambia. It is subdivided into 100 Ngwee. Etymology The name kwacha derives from the Nyanja, Bemba, and Tonga language word for "dawn", alluding to the Zambian nationalist slogan of a "new dawn of freedom". The name ngwee translates as "bright" in the Nyanja language. History Prior to independence in 1964, the Rhodesia and Nyasaland pound was the legal tender of the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia. Banknotes of 10 shillings, 1, 5, and 10 pounds issued by the Central Africa Currency Board were in circulation, together with coins of 1???2, 1, 3, 6 pence, and 1, 2, 2+1???2, and 5 shillings. After independence, the Bank of Zambia issued the first Zambian currency, the Zambian pound, in 1964. The issued...
