other · Central and Southern Africa

Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland

1953 CE – 1963 CE · capital Salisbury

A British-created union of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland, rejected by African nationalists and dissolved after ten years.

Origins

White settler leaders, chiefly Godfrey Huggins of Southern Rhodesia and Roy Welensky of Northern Rhodesia, pressed for a union of the three British territories in central Africa. Despite African opposition, Britain created the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, or Central African Federation, in 1953, with its capital at Salisbury.

Rule and society

A federal government handled defence, economy and railways, while the territories kept their own governments. The federation promised racial 'partnership', but voting rights remained mostly white. Copper revenues financed growth and the Kariba Dam on the Zambezi, mainly benefiting Southern Rhodesia. The 1959 emergency in Nyasaland and the Devlin and Monckton reports undermined its legitimacy.

Decline and legacy

Britain allowed Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia to leave, and the federation was dissolved on 31 December 1963. Malawi and Zambia became independent in 1964, while Southern Rhodesia moved towards unilateral independence.

Connections (4)

  • Nyasaland was part of Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland1953 CE – 1963 CE
  • Northern Rhodesia was part of Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland1953 CE – 1963 CE
  • Southern Rhodesia was part of Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland1953 CE – 1963 CE
  • Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was part of British Empire1953 CE – 1963 CE

More states of Central and Southern Africa →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/federation-of-rhodesia-and-nyasaland
MLA
“Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/federation-of-rhodesia-and-nyasaland. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/federation-of-rhodesia-and-nyasaland.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/federation-of-rhodesia-and-nyasaland (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻