The Republic of Zimbabwe
(formerly Rhodesia or Southern
Rhodesia), located in the eastcentral
part of southern Africa,
has an area of 150,820 sq. mi.
(390,580 sq. km.) and a
population of 12.39 million.
Capital: Harare (formerly
Salisbury). The economy is d on
agriculture and mining. Tobacco,
sugar, asbestos, copper and
chrome ore and coal are
exported.
The Rhodesian area, the habitat
of paleolithic man, contains
extensive evidence of earlier civilizations, notably the world-famous ruins of Zimbabwe, a goldtrading
center that flourished about the 14th or 15th century AD. The Portuguese of the 16th
century were the first Europeans to attempt to develop south-central Africa, but it remained for
Cecil Rhodes and the British South Africa Co. to open the hinterlands. Rhodes obtained a
concession for mineral rights from local chiefs in 1888 and administered his African empire (named
Southern Rhodesia in 1895) through the British South Africa Co. until 1923, when the British
government annexed the area after the white settlers voted for existence as a separate entity,
rather than for incorporation into the Union of South Africa. From Sept. of 1953 through 1963
Southern Rhodesia was joined with the British protectorates of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland
into a multiracial federation. When the federation was dissolved at the end of 1963, Northern
Rhodesia and Nyasaland became the independent states of Zambia and Malawi.
Britain was prepared to grant independence to Southern Rhodesia but declined to do so
when the politically dominant white Rhodesians refused to give assurances of representative
government. In November 1965, the white minority government of Southern Rhodesia unilaterally
declared Southern Rhodesia an independent dominion. The United Nations and the British
Parliament both proclaimed this unilateral declaration of independence null and void. In 1970, the
government proclaimed a republic, but this too received no recognition. In 1979, the government
purported to change the name of the colony to Zimbabwe Rhodesia, but again this was never
recognized. Following a conference in London in December 1979, the opposition government
conceded and it was agreed that the British government should resume control. A British governor
soon returned to Southern Rhodesia. One of his first acts was to affirm the nullification of the
purported declaration of independence. On April 18, 1980, pursuant to an act of the British
Parliament, the Colony of Southern Rhodesia became independent within the Commonwealth as
the Republic of Zimbabwe.
For earlier issues see Rhodesia.
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