Southern Rhodesia

British colony in Africa (1923–1965) and (1979-1980)

This article is about the British colony. For the unrecognised state that existed from 1965–1979, see Rhodesia. For the region, see Rhodesia (region). For other uses, see Rhodesia (disambiguation).

Southern Rhodesia

1923–1965
1979–1980

Flag
(1924–1964)

Coat of arms
(1924–1981)

Anthem: "God Save the King/Queen"

Status| Self-governing British colony (1923–1965)
Crown colony (de facto; 1979–1980)
Capital| Salisbury
Common languages| English (official)
Shona and Sindebele widely spoken, some Afrikaans
Government| Constitutional monarchy
Monarch|

• 1923–1936

| George V

• 1936

| Edward VIII

• 1936–1952

| George VI

• 1952–1964[a]

| Elizabeth II

• 1979–1980

| Elizabeth II
Governor|

• 1923–1928 (first)

| Sir John Chancellor

• 1959[b]–1965[c]

| Sir Humphrey Gibbs

• 1979–1980 (last)

| Lord Soames
Prime Minister|

• 1923–1927 (first)

| Sir Charles Coghlan

• 1964[d] (last)

| Ian Smith
Legislature| Legislative Assembly
History|

• Government referendum

| 27 October 1922

• Annexed by the UK

| 12 September 1923 (1923)

• First responsible government

| 1 October 1923

• Federation

| 1953–1963

• UDI

| 11 November 1965

• Republic declared

| 3 March 1970

• Zimbabwe Rhodesia

| 1 June 1979

• Independence

| 18 April 1980
Area
1904[1]| 372,518 km2 (143,830 sq mi)
Population

• 1904[1]

| 605,764
Currency|

* Southern Rhodesian pound
* Rhodesian pound
* Rhodesian dollar

Preceded by | Succeeded by

|

|  | 1923:
Company rule
in Rhodesia

|

| 1963:
Federation of
Rhodesia and
Nyasaland
| 1979:
Zimbabwe Rhodesia
| 1953:
Federation of
Rhodesia and
Nyasaland |

|

1964:
Rhodesia |
1980:
Zimbabwe |
Today part of| Zimbabwe

1. ^ The unrecognized government purported to have Elizabeth II continue to reign under the unrecognized title, Queen of Rhodesia, after 1964 and until the abolition of the unrecognized Rhodesian monarchy in 1970.
2. ^ Gibbs' governorship of Southern Rhodesia began during the Federation period. For a brief time, Gibbs was also the Acting Governor-General of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
3. ^ Gibbs' de facto governorship ended with the internationally unrecognized declaration of independence on 11 November 1965, as the attached 1965 Constitution abolished the post and created the positions of Governor-General and Officer Administering the Government (for when a Governor-General was not appointed by the Queen of Rhodesia). On 17 November 1965, his responsibilities were bestowed by the unrecognized government upon Clifford Dupont as Acting Officer Administering the Government. Gibbs remained the de jure legal Governor until 24 June 1969.
4. ^ Smith continued to lead the unrecognized government as Prime Minister of Rhodesia until 1 June 1979.

Part of a series on the

History of Zimbabwe
Ancient history|  Leopard's Kopje|  c. 650 – c. 1075

|

Mapungubwe Kingdom|  c. 1220 – c. 1300
Zimbabwe Kingdom|  c. 1300 – c. 1450
Mutapa Kingdom|  c. 1430–1760
Butua Kingdom|  c. 1450–1683
White settlement pre-1923|  Rozvi Empire|  c. 1660–1866

|

Mthwakazi|  1840–1893
Rudd Concession|  1888
BSA Company rule|  1890–1923
First Matabele War|  1893–1894
Second Matabele War|  1896–1897
World War I involvement|  1914–1918
Colony of Southern Rhodesia|  1923–1965
World War II involvement|  1939–1945
Malayan Emergency
involvement|  1948–1960
Federation with Northern
Rhodesia and Nyasaland|  1953–1963
Rhodesian Bush War|  1964–1979

Unilateral Declaration of
Independence (UDI)

|  1965
Rhodesia|  1965–1979
Zimbabwe-Rhodesia|  June–December 1979

Lancaster House Agreement

|  December 1979
British Dependency|  1979–1980
Zimbabwe|  1980–present
Gukurahundi|  1982–1987
Second Congo War|  1998–2003
Coup d'état|  2017

* v
* t
* e

Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing British Crown colony in Southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River.[2][3] The region was informally known as South Zambesia until annexation by Britain, at the behest of Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company (for whom the colony was named). The bounding territories were Bechuanaland (Botswana), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), Portuguese Mozambique (Mozambique) and the Transvaal Republic (for two brief periods known as the British Transvaal Colony; from 1910, the Union of South Africa and, from 1961, the Republic of South Africa). Since 1980, the colony's territory is the independent nation of Zimbabwe.

This southern region, known for its extensive gold reserves, was first purchased by the BSAC's Pioneer Column on the strength of a mineral concession extracted from its Matabele king, Lobengula, and various majority Mashona vassal chiefs in 1890. Though parts of the territory were laid-claim-to by the Bechuana and Portugal, its first people, the "Bushmen" (or Sān or Khoisan), had possessed it for countless centuries beforehand and had continued to inhabit the region.[4] Following the colony's unilateral dissolution in 1970 by the Republic of Rhodesia government, the Colony of Southern Rhodesia was re-established in 1979 as the successor state to the Republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia which, in-turn, was the predecessor state of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Its only true geographical borders were the rivers Zambezi and Limpopo, its other boundaries being (more or less) arbitrary, and merging imperceptibly with the peoples and domains of earlier chiefdoms of pre-colonial times.

The British colony was established de jure in 1923, having earlier been occupied, constructed and administered by the British South Africa Company and its sub-concessionaires who were mostly British subjects. In 1953, it was merged into the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, which lasted until 1963. Southern Rhodesia was renamed Rhodesia and remained a de jure British colony until 1980. However, the Rhodesian government issued a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965 and established a fully independent Rhodesia, which immediately became an unrecognised state. In 1979, it reconstituted itself under majority rule as Zimbabwe Rhodesia, which also failed to win international recognition. After a period of interim British control following the Lancaster House Agreement in December 1979, the country achieved internationally recognised independence as Zimbabwe in April 1980.

## History

[edit]

### Origin as "Rhodesia"

[edit]

Main article: Company rule in Rhodesia

See also: Rhodesia

Initially, the territory was referred to as "South Zambezia", a reference to the River Zambezi, until the name "Rhodesia" came into use in 1895. This was in honour of Cecil Rhodes, the British empire-builder and key figure during the British expansion into southern Africa. In 1888 Rhodes obtained mineral rights from the most powerful local traditional leaders through treaties such as the Rudd Concession and the Moffat Treaty, which was signed by King Lobengula of the Ndebele people. "Southern" was first used in 1898 and dropped from normal usage in 1964, on the break-up of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. "Rhodesia" then remained the name of the country until the creation of Zimbabwe Rhodesia in 1979. Legally, from the British perspective, the name Southern Rhodesia continued to be used until 18 April 1980, when the Republic of Zimbabwe was promulgated.[citation needed]

The British government agreed that Rhodes' company, the British South Africa Company (BSAC), would administer the territory stretching from the Limpopo to Lake Tanganyika under charter as a protectorate. Queen Victoria signed the charter in 1889. Rhodes used this document in 1890 to justify sending the Pioneer Column, a group of white settlers protected by well-armed British South Africa Police (BSAP) and guided by the big game hunter Frederick Selous, through Matabeleland and into Shona territory to establish Fort Salisbury (now Harare). In 1893–1894, with the help of their new Maxim guns, the BSAP defeated the Ndebele in the First Matabele War, a war which also resulted in the death of King Lobengula and the death of most of the members of the Shangani Patrol. Shortly after the disastrous BSAP Jameson Raid into the Transvaal Republic, the Ndebele were led by their spiritual leader Mlimo against the white colonials and thus began the Second Matabele War (1896–97) which resulted in the extermination of nearly half the British settlers. After months of bloodshed, Mlimo was found and shot by the American scout Frederick Russell Burnham and soon thereafter Rhodes walked unarmed into the Ndebele stronghold in Matobo Hills and persuaded the impi to lay down their arms, effectively ending the revolt.[5]

A legislative council was created in 1899 to manage the company's civil affairs, with a minority of elected seats, through which the BSAC had to pass government measures. As the company was a British institution in which settlers and capitalists owned most shares, and local black African tribal chiefs the remainder, and the electorate to this council was limited to those shareholders, the electorate was almost exclusively white settlers. Over time as more settlers arrived and a growing number had less than the amount of land required to own a share in the company or where in trades supporting the company as workers, successive activism resulted in first increasing the proportion of elected seats, and eventually allowing non-share holders the right to vote in the election. Prior to about 1918, the opinion among the electorate supported continued BSAC rule but opinion changed because of the development of the country and increased settlement. In addition, a decision in the British courts that land not in private ownership belonged to the British Crown rather than the BSAC gave great impetus to the campaign for self-government. In the resulting treaty government self-government, Crown lands which were sold to settlers allowed those settlers the right to vote in the self-governing colony.

Cecil Rhodes (1853–1902), Founding chairman of the board of directors of De Beers Mining Company, funded by Nathaniel, 1st Lord Rothschild[6][7]

### Century up to independence

[edit]

The territory north of the Zambezi was the subject of separate treaties with African chiefs: today, it forms the country of Zambia. The first BSAC Administrator for the western part was appointed for Barotseland in 1897 and for the whole of North-Western Rhodesia in 1900. The first BSAC Administrator for the eastern part, North-Eastern Rhodesia, was appointed in 1895.[8][9] The whites in the territory south of the river paid it scant regard though, and generally used the name "Rhodesia" in a narrow sense to mean their part. The designation "Southern Rhodesia" was first used officially in 1898 in the Southern Rhodesia Order in Council of 20 October 1898, which applied to the area south of the Zambezi,[10] and was more common after the BSAC merged the administration of the two northern territories as Northern Rhodesia in 1911.

As a result of the various treaties between the BSAC and the black tribes, Acts of Parliament delineating BSAC and Crown Lands, overlapping British colonial commission authority of both areas, the rights of the increasing number of British settlers and their descendants were given secondary review by authorities. This resulted in the formation of new movements for expanding the self-government of the Rhodesian people which saw BSAC rule as an impediment to further expansion.

The Southern Rhodesian Legislative Council election of 1920 returned a large majority of candidates of the Responsible Government Association and it became clear that BSAC rule was no longer practical. Opinion in the United Kingdom and South Africa favored incorporation of Southern Rhodesia in the Union of South Africa, but, by forcing the pace of negotiation, the Southern Rhodesians obtained unfavorable terms and the electorate backed responsible government in a 1922 referendum.

In view of the outcome of the referendum, the territory was annexed by the United Kingdom on 12 September 1923.[11][12][13][14] Shortly after annexation, on 1 October 1923, the first constitution for the new Colony of Southern Rhodesia came into force.[15][13] Under this constitution Sir Charles Coghlan became the first Premier of First Cabinet of Southern Rhodesia and upon his death in 1927 he was succeeded by Howard Unwin Moffat.

During World War II, Southern Rhodesian military units participated on the side of the United Kingdom. Southern Rhodesian support for the Allied war effort was based on a mixture shared kinship and identity with Britain and support for democracy.[16] Southern Rhodesian forces were involved on many fronts including the East and North African campaigns, Italy, Madagascar and Burma. Southern Rhodesian forces had the highest loss ratio of any constituent element, colony, dependency or dominion of the British Empire forces during World War II. Additionally, the Rhodesian pilots earned the highest number of decorations and ace appellations of any group within the empire. This resulted in the royal family paying an unusual state visit to the colony at the end of the war to thank the Rhodesian people.

Economically, Southern Rhodesia developed an economy that was narrowly based on production of a few primary products, notably chrome and tobacco. It was therefore vulnerable to the economic cycle. The deep recession of the 1930s gave way to a post-war boom. This boom prompted the immigration of about 200,000 white settlers between 1945 and 1970, taking the white population up to 307,000. A large number of these immigrants were of British working-class origin. The black population was about 6 million.[17]

In the 1940s, the founding of a university to serve central African countries was proposed. Such a university was eventually established in Salisbury, with funding provided by the British and Southern Rhodesian governments and some private sources. One condition of British funding was that student admission should be based on "academic achievement and good character" with no racial distinction. University College of Rhodesia (UCR) received its first intake of students in 1952. Until 1971 it awarded degrees of the Universities of London and Birmingham. In 1971 UCR became the University of Rhodesia and began awarding its own degrees. In 1980 it was renamed the University of Zimbabwe.[18]

* White settlers in Southern Rhodesia, 1922

* A postage stamp commemorating the royal visit of 1947

### 1953–1965

[edit]

Land apportionment in Rhodesia in 1965

In 1953, with calls for independence mounting in many of its African possessions, the United Kingdom created the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (or the Central African Federation, CAF), which consisted of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland (now Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, respectively). The idea was to try to steer a middle road between the differing aspirations of the black nationalists, the colonial administration and the white settler population. The CAF sought to emulate the experience of Australia, Canada and South Africa – wherein groups of colonies had been federated together to form viable independent nations. Originally designed to be "an indissoluble federation", the CAF quickly started to unravel due to the low proportion of British and other white citizens in relation to the larger black populations. Additionally, by incorporating the tribes within the Federation as potential citizens, the Federation created the paradoxical situation of having a white elite owning most of the land and capital, whilst being completely dependent upon cheap black labour.[citation needed]

The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was dissolved on 1 January 1964. However, it was expected that only Nyasaland would be let go, whilst the remainder of Rhodesia both north and south would be united. Although Northern Rhodesia had a white population of over 100,000, as well as additional British military and civil units and their dependents, most of these were relatively new to the region, were primarily in the extraction business, had little landed interests, and were more amenable to allowing black nationalism than the Southern Rhodesians. Accordingly, Britain granted independence to Northern Rhodesia on 24 October 1964. However, when the new nationalists changed its name to Zambia and began tentatively at first and later in rapid march an Africanisation campaign, Southern Rhodesia remained a British colony, resisting attempts to bring in majority rule. The colony attempted to change its name to Rhodesia although this was not recognised by the United Kingdom. The majority of the Federation's military and financial assets went to Southern Rhodesia, since the British government did not wish to see them fall into the hands of the nationalist leaders, and since Southern Rhodesia had borne the major expenses of running the Federation. With regard to the latter, however, Northern Rhodesia was the wealthiest of the three member states (due to its vast copper mines) and had contributed more to the overall building of infrastructure than the other two members did. Southern Rhodesia, recognising an inevitable dissolution of the Federation, was quick to use federal funds in building its infrastructure ahead of the others. A key component of this was the building of the Kariba Dam and its hydroelectric facility (shafts, control centre, etc.), which was situated on the Southern Rhodesian side of the Zambezi Gorge. This situation caused some embarrassment for the Zambian government later when it was a "front line state" in support of insurgents into Rhodesia in that its major source of electric power was controlled by the Rhodesian state.[citation needed]

### Return to "Rhodesia"

[edit]

With the protectorate of Northern Rhodesia no longer in existence, in 1964, Southern Rhodesia reverted to the name Rhodesia (see next section).

In 1965, Rhodesia unilaterally declared itself independent under a white-dominated government led by Ian Smith. After a long civil war ensued between the white (until 1979) government and two African majority, Soviet Bloc-aligned 'liberation movements' (Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army and Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army), the Salisbury government, realizing the situation was untenable, and facing strong international pressure, concluded the Internal Settlement with black nationalist leaders in March 1978. A general election a year later resulted in the creation of a unity government, which in December 1979 concluded the Lancaster House Agreement, whereby Britain resumed control of the country for a brief period before granting independence to the renamed Zimbabwe on 18 April 1980.

### Legal aspects of the name since 1964

[edit]

On 7 October 1964, the Southern Rhodesian government announced that when Northern Rhodesia achieved independence as Zambia, the Southern Rhodesian government would officially become known as the Rhodesian Government and the colony would become known as Rhodesia.[19]

On 23 October of that year, the Minister of Internal Affairs notified the press that the Constitution would be amended to make this official. The Legislative Assembly then passed an Interpretation Bill to declare that the colony could be referred to as Rhodesia. The Bill received its third reading on 9 December 1964, and passed to the Governor for royal assent.

However, no royal assent was granted to the Bill. Section 3 of the Southern Rhodesia (Annexation) Order 1923 provided that Southern Rhodesia "shall be known as the Colony of Southern Rhodesia" and the Southern Rhodesia (Constitution) Act 1961 and the Order-in-Council which followed it both referred to it as such. The country's name had been agreed previously by both Southern Rhodesia and the United Kingdom, and it was therefore outside the powers of Southern Rhodesian institutions to amend them unilaterally.[20] Notwithstanding the Governor's lack of assent to the Interpretation Bill the United Kingdom's Colonial Office was, by 1965, officially using the name "Rhodesia" in British Government–issued Gazettes of the period (for instance see: The 1965 Queen's Birthday Honours of 12 June 1965).[21]

The Rhodesian government, which had begun using the new name anyway, did not press the issue. The Unilateral Declaration of Independence, adopted on 11 November 1965, was in the name of "Rhodesia", which remained unchanged by the declaration of a republic in 1970, the title of the republican constitution of 1969, like the constitution before it, being "Constitution of Rhodesia".[22] Following the Internal Settlement of 1978, the country's name was changed to Zimbabwe Rhodesia.

While the new name was widely used, 'Southern Rhodesia' remained the colony's formal name in United Kingdom constitutional theory: for example, the Act passed by the United Kingdom Parliament declaring the independence a legal nullity was entitled the Southern Rhodesia Act 1965.[22]

On 21 December 1979, the Lancaster House Agreement was signed, providing for the country to temporarily return to British rule before transitioning to independence under majority rule following an election. The Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the Southern Rhodesia Constitution (Interim Provisions) Order 1979, establishing the offices of Governor and Deputy Governor of Southern Rhodesia, filled by Lord Soames and Sir Antony Duff respectively. Their roles were to administer the country on a caretaker basis and organise an election. To that end, they were vested with full executive and legislative powers.[23]

The new governor arrived in Salisbury on 12 December 1979, and on that day the Parliament of Zimbabwe Rhodesia handed power over to him by passing the Constitution of Zimbabwe Rhodesia (Amendment) (No. 4) Act, declaring that "Zimbabwe Rhodesia shall cease to be an independent State and become part of Her Majesty's dominions". After the 1980 Southern Rhodesian general election, British rule ceased and Zimbabwe became independent at midnight on 17 April 1980.[24]

## Judiciary

[edit]

Main article: High Court of Southern Rhodesia

List of chief justices of Southern Rhodesia  Incumbent  | Tenure  | Notes

|
|

Took office  | Left office
Sir Murray Bisset | 1927  | 1931  | Previously Test cricketer for South Africa
Sir Fraser Russell | 1931  | ?1943  |
Sir Robert James Hudson | 1943  | 15 May 1950  |
Vernon Lewis[25] | 1950  | 1950  | Died in service, 1950
Sir Robert Tredgold | 1950  | 1955  | Chief Justice of Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1953?–1961
Sir John Murray | 1 August 1955  | 1961  |
Sir Hugh Beadle | 1961  | 1977  |
Hector Macdonald | 1977  | 1980  |

## See also

[edit]

* Administrative posts of the British South Africa Company in Southern Rhodesia
* Albert John Lutuli, a famous South African born in Southern Rhodesia
* Governor-General of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
* History of Zimbabwe
* List of presidents of Zimbabwe
* President of Rhodesia
* Southern Rhodesia in World War I
* Tati Concessions Land, a region detached from Matebeleland and annexed to the Bechuanaland Protectorate

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Census of the British empire. 1901". Openlibrary.org. 1906. p. 177\. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
2. ^ "Southern Rhodesia Act 1965". legislation.gov.uk. 1965. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
3. ^ "Southern Rhodesia Act 1979". legislation.gov.uk. 1979. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
4. ^ The Ruined Cities of Mashonaland, J. Theodore Bent, Longmans, Green & Co., London, 1892.
5. ^ Farwell, Byron (2001). The Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Land Warfare: An Illustrated World View. W. W. Norton & Co. p. 539\. ISBN 0-393-04770-9. Archived from the original on 8 July 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
6. ^ "Our History". Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
7. ^ "The Business ‹ Private clients :: The Rothschild Archive". Archived from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
8. ^ P E N Tindall, (1967). A History of Central Africa, Praeger, pp. 133–34.
9. ^ E A Walter, (1963).The Cambridge History of the British Empire: South Africa, Rhodesia and the High Commission Territories, Cambridge University Press, pp. 696–97.
10. ^ "Southern Rhodesia Order in Council" (PDF). rhodesia.me.uk. 1898. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
11. ^ Southern Rhodesia (Annexation) Order in Council, 30 July 1923 which provided by section 3 thereof: "From and after the coming into operation of this Order the said territories shall be annexed to and form part of His Majesty's Dominions, and shall be known as the Colony of Southern Rhodesia".
12. ^ Stella Madzibamuto v Desmond William Larder – Burke, Fredrick Phillip George (1969) A.C 645 – Authority for date of annexation having been 12 September 1923, being the date the Rhodesia (Annexation) Order in Council came into effect
13. ^ a b Collective Responses to Illegal Acts in International Law: United Nations Action in the Question of Southern Rhodesia by Vera Gowlland-Debbas
14. ^ Stella Madzibamuto v Desmond William Larder – Burke, Fredrick Phillip George (1969) A.C 645
15. ^ Southern Rhodesia Constitution Letters Patent 1923
16. ^ Bishi, George. "'Filthiest Gangs of Thugs': Anti-Fascism and Anti-Nazism Perceptions in Southern Rhodesia, 1930s to 1940s". South African Historical Journal 74, no. 1 (2022): 100–19.
17. ^ "A Split in Rhodesia Ranks". New York Times. 3 July 1977. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
18. ^ "History of the University of Zimbabwe" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 June 2007.
19. ^ Southern Rhodesia Information Service Press Statement 980/64 A.G.C.
20. ^ See Palley, Claire (1966). The Constitutional History and Law of Southern Rhodesia. Oxford University Press. pp. 742–43.
21. ^ Supplement to The London Gazette no. 43667 published on 4 June 1965, p. 5503. "Colonial Office, Great Smith Street, London S.W.1. 12th June, 1965. The Queen has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of the Celebration of Her Majesty's Birthday, to approve the award of the Colonial Police Medal to the undermentioned officers: RHODESIA for Meritorious Service, Jack Berry, Superintendent, British South Africa Police, &c...",
22. ^ a b International Enclopedia of Comparative Law Archived 21 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine, J C B Möhr, 1976, p. xx
23. ^ Southern Rhodesia Constitution (Interim Provisions) Order 1979 Archived 21 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Hansard, 14 December 1979
24. ^ Collective Responses to Illegal Acts in International Law: United Nations Action in the Question of Southern Rhodesia, Vera Gowlland-Debbas Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1990, p. 91
25. ^ "Heroes: the underground railroad in Rhodesia". Vukutu. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2016.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Blake, Robert (1978). A History of Rhodesia. New York: Knopf. ISBN 0-394-48068-6.
* Shutt, Allison K. (2015). Manners Make a Nation: Racial Etiquette in Southern Rhodesia, 1910–1963. Rochester: University of Rochester Press.

## External links

[edit]

* Hillier, Alfred Peter; Cana, Frank Richardson (1911). "Rhodesia" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). pp. 1004–08.
* Cana, Frank Richardson (1922). "Rhodesia" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 32 (12th ed.). pp. 269–73.

* v
* t
* e

Southern Rhodesia / Rhodesia articles

1890–1923: Company rule; 1923–80: Southern Rhodesia; 1953–63: Federation; 1965–79: Rhodesia under UDI; 1979: Zimbabwe Rhodesia under UDI; 1980–present: Zimbabwe

History|

* Pre-colonial
* Rudd Concession
* Company rule
* Pioneer Column
* First Matabele War
* Shangani Patrol
* Second Matabele War
* Second Boer War
* First World War
* Southern Rhodesia
* colonial history
* Second World War
* Malayan Emergency involvement
* Federation
* Unilateral Declaration of Independence
* Bush War
* 1975 Victoria Falls Conference
* 1976 Geneva Conference
* Internal Settlement
* Zimbabwe Rhodesia
* Lancaster House Agreement
* Zimbabwe

Geography|

* Chimanimani Mountains
* Cities and towns
* Limpopo River
* Zambezi River

Politics|

* Political history
* Districts
* Legislative Assembly
* Parliament
* Elections
* Ministry of External Affairs
* Mission in Lisbon
* Centre in Sydney
* Municipalities
* Police
* Political parties
* Central Africa Party
* Confederate Party
* Dominion Party
* Federal Party
* Responsible Government Association (RGA)
* Rhodesian Action Party (RAP)
* Rhodesian Front (RF)
* Rhodesia Labour Party (RLP)
* Southern Rhodesia African National Congress (SRANC)
* Southern Rhodesia Communist Party (SRCP)
* Southern Rhodesia Liberal Party (SRLP)
* United Federal Party (UFP)
* United National Federal Party (UNFP)
* United Rhodesia Party
* Queen
* Governor
* President
* Prime Minister
* Deputy Prime Minister
* Cabinet
* Leader of the Opposition
* Provinces
* Security Forces
* Chemical weapons and biological agents

Economy|

* Dollar (currency from 1970)
* Pound (currency to 1970)
* Reserve Bank
* Stock Exchange
* Telecommunications
* Tourism
* Transportation
* Air Rhodesia

Society|

* List of Rhodesians
* Public holidays
* Rhodesiana

Demographics|

| Ethnic groups
(diaspora)|

| Black|

* Kunda
* Lemba
* Manyika
* Ndebele
* Rusape Jews
* Shona
* Tokaleya
* Tonga

|

White|

* Afrikaners
* British
* Greeks
* Jews
* "Rhodies"

Others|

* Coloureds (Goffals)
* Indians

Languages|

* Afrikaans
* English (South African)
* Shona
* Ndebele

Symbols|

* Animal
* Anthem
* Coat of arms
* Emblem
* Flags
* national
* Insignia
* Flower

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Former British Empire and current British Overseas Territories

Legend
Former territory
Current territory
*Current Commonwealth realm
†Current member of the Commonwealth of Nations

Europe

* Akrotiri and Dhekelia since 1960 (before as part of Cyprus)
* Corsica 1794–1796
* †Cyprus 1878–1960
* Gibraltar since 1713
* Heligoland 1807–1890
* Ionian Islands 1809–1864
* Lordship of Ireland 1177–1542
* Kingdom of Ireland 1542–1800 (integrated into the UK)
* Free State 1921–1931
* †Malta
* Protectorate 1800–1813
* Colony 1813–1964
* Minorca 1708–1757, 1763–1782 and 1798–1802

Africa

* Basutoland (†Lesotho) 1868–1966
* Bechuanaland (†Botswana) 1884–1966
* Cameroons13 1919–1961
* Cape Colony 1795–1803
* Cape of Good Hope 1806–1910
* Central Africa 1891–1907
* East Africa 1895–1920
* Egypt 1882–1922
* †The Gambia 1816–1965
* Gold Coast (†Ghana) 1874–1957
* †Kenya 1920–1963
* Lagos 1862–1906
* Madeira 1807–1808
* †Mauritius 1810–1968
* Natal 1856–1910
* Niger Coast 1884–1900
* †Nigeria 1914–1960
* Northern Nigeria 1900–1914
* Northern Rhodesia15 1924–1964
* Nyasaland 1891–1964
* Orange River 1900–1910
* †Seychelles 1903–1976
* †Sierra Leone 1792–1961
* Somaliland 1884–1960
* †South Africa 1910–1931
* South-West Africa12 1915–1931
* Southern Rhodesia14 1923–1965 and 1979–1980
* Southern Nigeria 1900–1914
* †Swaziland 1893–1968
* Sudan 1899–1956
* Tanganyika13 1922–1961
* Transvaal 1900–1910
* †Uganda 1890–1962
* Zanzibar 1890–1963
* Zululand 1887–1897

* 12Now †Namibia
* 13League of Nations mandate. British Cameroons is now part of †Cameroon and Nigeria, while Tanganyika is part of †Tanzania.
* 14Self-governing Southern Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965 (as Rhodesia) and continued as an unrecognised state until the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement. After recognised independence in 1980, Zimbabwe was a member of the Commonwealth until it withdrew in 2003.
* 15Now †Zambia

Asia

* Aden Colony 1839–1967
* Afghanistan 1839–1842
* Protectorate 1879–1919
* Bencoolen 1685–1824
* Banka and Billiton 1812–1824
* Bengal 1757–1947
* Bhutan (protectorate) 1907–1949
* Borneo 1874–1963
* British Indian Ocean Territory since 1965 (before as part of Mauritius and Seychelles)26
* Burma 1824–1948
* †Brunei 1888–1984
* †Ceylon 1795–1948
* †Cyprus 1878–1960
* Hong Kong 1841–1997
* †India18 1858–1947
* Java 1811–1816
* Kuwait 1918–1961
* Labuan 1848–1946
* Malaya 1819–1826
* Federated States 1895–1946
* Unfederated States 1885–1946
* Union 1946–1948
* Federation 1948–1957
* Malacca 1824–1946
* Crown Colony 1946–1957
* †Maldives 1796–1965
* Manila and Cavite 1762–1764
* Mesopotamia19 1920–1932
* Muscat and Oman 1891–1971
* North Borneo 1882–1963
* Crown Colony 1946–1963
* Padang 1781–1784 and 1795–1819
* Palestine19 1923–1948
* Penang 1786–1946
* Crown Colony 1946–1957
* Pulo Condore 1702–1705
* Sarawak 1841–1946
* Crown Colony 1946–1963
* †Singapore 1946–1963
* South Vietnam 1945–1946
* Straits Settlements 1826–1946
* Transjordan 1921–1946
* Trucial States 1892–1971
* Weihai 1898–1930

* 18Now †India, †Pakistan and †Bangladesh
* 19League of Nations mandate. Iraq's mandate was not enacted and replaced by the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty
* 26Legitimacy of territorial establishment disputed

North America

* Anguilla since 1650
* *Antigua 1632–1860
* *Antigua and Barbuda 1860–1981
* †*Bahamas 1670–1973
* †Barbados 1624–1966
* Bay Islands 1643–1860
* †*Belize 1871–1981
* Bermuda since 1619
* British Arctic Territories 16th c.–1880
* British Columbia 1858–1866
* 1866–1871
* Cape Breton Island 1754–1820
* †Dominica 1763–1978
* East Florida 1763–1783
* †*Grenada 1762–1974
* †*Canada
* Lower 1791–1841
* Upper 1791–1841
* Province 1841–1867
* Dominion 1867–1931
* Carolina 1663–1712
* Cayman Islands since 1670
* Columbia District/Oregon Country 1818–1846
* Connecticut 1636–1776
* Delaware 1701–1776
* East Jersey 1674–1702
* Georgia 1733–1776
* †*Jamaica 1655–1962
* Leeward Islands 1671–1816, 1833–1960
* Massachusetts Bay 1629–1691
* Province, 1691–1776
* Maryland 1632–1776
* Montserrat since 1632
* Mosquito Coast 1655–1860
* Nevis 1628–1983
* New Albion 1579
* New Brunswick 1784–1867
* New England 1686–1689
* New Hampshire 1680–1776
* New Haven 1637–1662
* New Jersey 1665–1674 and 1702–1776
* New York 1664–1776
* Newfoundland 1907–1949
* Newfoundland and Labrador 1583–1907
* North Carolina 1712–1776
* North-Western Territory 1859–1870
* Nova Scotia 1713–1867
* Paulet affair 1843
* Prince Edward Island 1763–1873
* Pennsylvania 1681–1776
* Plymouth 1620–1691
* Quebec 1763–1791* Queen Charlotte Islands 1853–1863
* Rhode Island 1636–1776
* Rupert's Land 1670–1870
* Saint Croix 1625–1650
* Saint Kitts 1623–1983
* †*Saint Kitts and Nevis 1882–1983
* †*Saint Lucia 1605–1979
* †*Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1627–1979
* Saybrook 1635–1644
* South Carolina 1712–1776
* Stickeen 1862–1863
* †Trinidad and Tobago 1889–1962
* Turks and Caicos Islands since 1799
* Vancouver Island 1849–1866
* Virgin Islands since 1666
* Virginia 1607–1776
* West Florida 1763–1783
* West Indies Federation 1958–1962
* Associated States 1967–1983
* West Jersey 1674–1702
* Windward Islands 1833–1960

South America

* Providence Island 1631–1641
* Willoughbyland 1651–1667
* Saint Andrew and Providence Islands4 1670–1688
* †Guiana 1831–1966

* 4Now a department of Colombia

Oceania

* New South Wales 1788–1901
* Van Diemen's Land/Tasmania 1803–1901
* Auckland Islands20 1807–1863
* New Hebrides21 1824–1980
* Queensland 1824–1901
* Swan River/Western Australia 1829–1901
* South Australia 1836–1901
* Pitcairn Islands since 1838
* New Zealand 1841–1907
* North Australia 1846–1847
* Victoria 1851–1901
* †Fiji 1874–1970
* Western Pacific Territories 1877–1976
* Papua 1884–1902
* Rarotonga/Cook Islands20 1888–1901
* Union Islands20 1889–1948
* Gilbert and Ellice Islands22 1892–1979
* †*Solomon Islands 1893–1978
* †Tonga 1900–1970
* Niue20 1900–1974
* †*Australia 1901–1942
* †*New Zealand 1907–1947
* †Samoa 1914–1962
* †Nauru 1919–1942 and 1945–1968

* 20Now part of the †Realm of New Zealand
* 21Now †Vanuatu
* 22Now †Kiribati and †*Tuvalu

Antarctica and the South Atlantic

* Saint Helena23 since 1658
* Ascension Island23 since 1815
* Tristan da Cunha23 since 1816
* Falkland Islands5 since 1833
* †Australian Antarctic Territory (transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia) 1841–1933
* †Ross Dependency (transferred to the Realm of New Zealand) 1841–1947
* British Antarctic Territory24 since 1908
* South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands25 since 1908

* 5Occupied by Argentina during the Falklands War of April–June 1982.
* 23Since 2009 part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; Ascension Island (1922–) and Tristan da Cunha (1938–) were previously dependencies of Saint Helena.
* 24Claimed in 1908; territory formed 1962; overlaps portions of Argentine and Chilean claims, borders not enforced but claim not renounced under the Antarctic Treaty.
* 25Claimed in 1908; territory formed 1985

* Historical flags of the British Empire
* Anglosphere culture
* Category
* Portal

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Regions of Africa

Central|

* Guinea region
* Gulf of Guinea
* Cape Lopez
* Mayombe
* Igboland
* Mbaise
* Pool Malebo
* Congo Basin
* Chad Basin
* Cameroonian Highlands forests
* East Sudanian savanna
* Congolian rainforests
* Ouaddaï highlands
* Ennedi Plateau

East|

* African Great Lakes
* Albertine Rift
* East African Rift
* Great Rift Valley
* Gregory Rift
* Rift Valley lakes
* Virunga Mountains
* Kavirondo
* Zanj
* East African montane forests
* Eastern Arc Mountains
* Serengeti
* Horn of Africa
* Afar Triangle
* Al-Habash
* Barbaria
* Danakil Alps
* Danakil Desert
* Ethiopian Highlands
* Dahlak Archipelago
* Hanish Islands
* Gulf of Aden
* Gulf of Tadjoura
* Red Sea
* Indian Ocean islands
* Comoro Islands
* Lamu Archipelago
* Madagascar
* Central Highlands
* Northern Highlands
* Zanzibar Archipelago
* Swahili coast

North|

* Eastern Desert
* Maghreb
* Ancient Libya
* Atlas Mountains
* Barbary Coast
* Gibraltar Arc
* Ifriqiya
* Nile Valley
* Nile Delta
* Bashmur
* Cataracts of the Nile
* Darfur
* Lower Egypt
* Lower Nubia
* Middle Egypt
* Nile Delta
* Nuba Mountains
* Nubia
* The Sudans
* Upper Egypt
* Tibesti Mountains
* Western Sahara

South|

* Rhodesia
* North
* South
* Thembuland
* Succulent Karoo
* Nama Karoo
* Bushveld
* Maputaland
* Highveld
* Fynbos
* Indian Ocean coastal belt
* Albany thickets
* Cape Floristic Region
* Skeleton Coast
* Kalahari Desert
* Okavango Delta
* Cape Peninsula
* False Bay

West|

* Pepper Coast
* Gold Coast
* Slave Coast
* Ivory Coast
* Cape Palmas
* Cape Mesurado
* Guinea region
* Guinean Forests of West Africa
* Upper Guinean forests
* Lower Guinean forests
* Guinean forest-savanna mosaic
* Guinea Highlands
* Gulf of Guinea
* Dahomey Gap
* Niger Basin
* Niger Delta
* Inner Niger Delta
* West Sudanian savanna
* Yorubaland

Macro-regions|

* Aethiopia
* Afromontane
* Arab world
* Commonwealth realm
* Equatorial Africa
* Françafrique
* Greater Middle East
* Guineo-Congolian region
* Islands of Africa
* List of countries where Arabic is an official language
* Mediterranean basin
* MENASA
* Middle East
* Middle East and North Africa
* Miombo woodlands
* Mittelafrika
* Negroland
* Northeast Africa
* Portuguese-speaking African countries
* Sahara
* Sahel
* Southeast Africa
* Sub-Saharan Africa
* Sudan (region)
* Sudanian savanna
* Tropical Africa
* Zambezian region

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* 2

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Czech Republic
* Israel

Other|

* Yale LUX

*[c.]: circa
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