mining town, north-central Zambia, eastern Africa, just south of the international frontier with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo) (Congo-Kinshasa). It lies at 4,459 feet (1,360 metres) in Zambia's rich highland copper belt. Chililabombwe is the northern terminus of the Zambian rail line serving the copper country. Its main copper mine, the Bancroft Mine, was opened in 1957. Pop. (2000) urban area, 54,504.