Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland

Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland SE Africa, 1953-63, composed of the self-governing British colony of Southern Rhodesia and the British protectorates of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The capital was Salisbury (now Harare), Southern Rhodesia. The federation, also called the Central African Federation, was formed on Britain's initiative. Under an appointed governor-general, the federal government handled external affairs, defense, currency, intercolonial relations, and federal taxes for its constituent members, which, however, retained most of their former legislative structure. The Africans, fearing continued domination by the whites, demonstrated (1960-61) against the federation, and in 1962 there was a strong movement for its dissolution, particularly from the new African-dominated regime of Northern Rhodesia. Official dissolution came on Dec. 31, 1963, after which Northern Rhodesia became independent as Zambia and Nyasaland as Malawi. Southern Rhodesia refused to hand political control over to its African majority, and in 1965 the white government unilaterally proclaimed the colony's independence from Britain as Rhodesia. In 1980, Rhodesia formally became independent as Zimbabwe .

Rhodesia
1. The former name of a large territory in central-southern Africa, divided into Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The region was developed by and named after Cecil RHODES, through the British South Africa Company, which administered it until Southern Rhodesia became a self-governing British colony in 1923 and Northern Rhodesia a British protectorate in 1924. From 1953 to 1963 Northern and Southern Rhodesia were united with Nyasaland (now Malawi) to form the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (see CENTRAL AFRICAN FEDERATION).

2. The name adopted by Southern Rhodesia when Northern Rhodesia left the Federation in 1963 to become the independent republic of Zambia.