Rhodesia and Nyasaland, << roh DEE zhuh and ny AS uh `land` >>, Federation of, was a federated territory in central Africa from 1953 to 1963. It belonged to the United Kingdom. The federation consisted of the self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia and the protectorates of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The United Kingdom created the federation in 1953. Black Africans opposed the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland because white people controlled the government even though they were in the minority there.
The United Kingdom agreed to dissolve the federation on Dec. 31, 1963. In 1964, Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi and Northern Rhodesia gained independence as Zambia. Southern Rhodesia became the self-governing area of Rhodesia, which is now the independent nation of Zimbabwe. See Zimbabwe (History) for details on the area since the federation ended.
