loyalty he enjoyed among masses, he supported the nationalist movement. After the independence of Zambia, during the 1960s, some of the districts in the province had unprecedented growth in infrastructure and agriculture. However, the growth of the province was terminated along with that of the country due falling copper prices. As of 2010, Chewa was the largest community in the region with 39.7 per cent population and Chewa was the widely spoken language in Eastern province with 34.6 per cent speaking it. The province was claimed as a part of Malawi in 1968 by the then Malawian President Dr. Hastings Kamazu Banda who was a supporter of the apartheid in South Africa against the wishes of Organization of African Unity (OAU). The then Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda openly asked Malawi to go on war with Zambia to claim the province and also affirmed that Zambia would not have trade relations with Malawi until the claim on territory was withdrawn. The expansionist ambition of Malawi was discontinued and the Eastern Province remained with Zambia. Geography The south-east corner of the province borders Malawi to its east and Mozambique to its south. Luangwa Valley rifting the highlands dividing Zambia and Malawi, is located in the region. A small portion of Nyika Plateau above Lake Nyasa is located in the northern portion of the province. Chipata is the most developed city in the province and the fifth most developed in the nation, followed by Lundazi and Petauke. The province is bordered by Muchinga Province to the north-west and Central Province and Lusaka Province to the south-west. There are isolated hills on the eastern border, some of which raise to a height of to . The province, like seven other provinces except for Luapala and Northern provinces, lies in the watershed region between Congo and Zambezi river systems. Demographics As per the 2010 Zambian census, Eastern Province had a population of 1,592,661 accounting to 12.16 per cent of the total Zambian population of 13,092,666. There were 784,680 males and 807,981 females, making the sex ratio to 1,030 for every 1,000 males, compared to the national average of 1,028. The literacy rate stood at 54.40 per cent against a national average of 70.2 per cent. The rural population constituted 87.42 per cent, while the urban population was 12.58 per cent. The total area of the province was 51,476 km2 and the population density was 30.90