Southern Rhodesia
- proper noun
- Literature
- The country was known as Southern Rhodesia until 1980.
Examples
-
The transition from Southern Rhodesia to Zimbabwe marked a major moment in the region's political evolution.
-
She researched the colonial administration of Southern Rhodesia for her thesis on African history.
-
Many historical documents refer to Southern Rhodesia before the country became known as Zimbabwe.
-
Many historical events took place in Southern Rhodesia.
-
Many historical documents refer to Southern Rhodesia before the country became known as Zimbabwe.
-
The transition from Southern Rhodesia to Zimbabwe marked a major moment in the region's political evolution.
-
The country was known as Southern Rhodesia until 1980.
Synonyms
A country in southern Africa famous for Victoria Falls and the ruins of Great Zimbabwe
The old name of the country in southern Africa now called Zimbabwe
The official name of Zimbabwe, a country in south central Africa that became independent in 1980
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward adjectival place name: 'southern' + 'Rhodesia' directly indicates the southern part or designation of Rhodesia. Geographic naming by combining a directional adjective with a place name is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Southern Rhodesia takes its name from British businessman Cecil Rhodes: the word Rhodesia was made from his name and Southern showed it was the southern part of the area, while the northern part was called 'Northern Rhodesia'. That's why Southern Rhodesia was the name people used for the country before it became 'Zimbabwe' in 1980.