Rhodesia or Zimbabwe: Location, History, Size, Population, & Government

About the location, size, population, and government of the land Rhodesia or Zimbabwe.

RHODESIA (ZIMBABWE)

NITTY GRITTY

Location--Landlocked in southeastern Africa; to its northwest is Zambia, to the north and east Mozambique, to the south the Republic of South Africa, and to the southwest is Botswana.

How Created--Formerly Southern Rhodesia and a member of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland until 1963 when it became a self-governing British Protectorate. In 1965 Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence from Britain, but has gone unrecognized by the official world community.

Size--150,820 sq. mi. (390,622 sq. km.).

Population--Over 6 million: Bantu, 94.9%; European, 4.5%; other, 0.6%. 80% Animist, 11% Christian, 9% none and other.

Who Rules--Technically still a British colony. Head of state is a President appointed by the elected Prime Minister who heads the Government. Laws are made by the racially apportioned Parliament: a 50-white and 16-black House of Assembly, and a 23-member Senate. A 25-member Council of Chiefs acts as spokesman for the black population.

Who REALLY Rules--The constitutionally-guaranteed white minority.