RHODESIA, r6-derT-4, South Africa, a British possession colonized in the last quarter of the 19th century by the British South Afri can Company, founded by Cecil John Rhodes (q.v.), after whom it is named. It is bounded on the north and northwest by the Kongo Free State, on the west by Portuguese territory and Bechuanaland, on the south by Bechuanaland and the Transvaal, on the east by Portuguese territory and the British Central Africa Pro tectorate and on the northeast by German East Africa. Total area, about 1750;000 stable miles. The river Zambesi, which traverses it from west to east, divides it into the two portions called Southern and Northern Rhodesia. South ern Rhodesia (area, 174,728 square miles) con sists of the two former districts of Mashona land, capital, Salisbury, and Matabeleland, capi tal, Bulawayo. Northern Rhodesia is divided into two parts under separate administrators, namely, Northeastern Rhodesia, headquarters, Fort Jameson, and Northwestern Rhodesia, headquarters, Lialui.
The river Limpopo forms the southern boundary and the Matoppo Hills and their northeastern continuations from the watershed between the basins of the Zambesi and the Limpopo. Of the tributaries flowing north to the Zambesi, the most important are the Shang hai* Umfuli and Panyame; and of those flow ing south to the Limpopo the Bubye, Tuli, Shashi and Macloutsie. The whole country is a plateau varying in elevation from 3,500 to 3,000 feet above sea-level, and in Southern Rhodesia there are numerous mountain ranges, of which the chief is that of the Matoppo Hills already mentioned, Rhodes' burial-place. Of the individual peaks Mount Hampden near Salis bury, Hartley Hill, Mount Wedza near New Unnali and Mount Inyanga are the best known. There appear to be no lakes of any importance apart from the great lakes on the frontiers of Northern Rhodesia (Tanganyika, Moero, etc.). The prevailing rock-formations are granite and metamorphic rocks, and rounded, projecting knobs of granite, often of fantastic appearance, -form a striking feature in the scenery of many districts. The climate in the higher parts of the country is generally suitable for Europeans, but in the lower swampy parts •and some of the river valleys malaria is prevalent, and the
.tsetse fly commits great ravages among cat tle and horses. The area above 3,000 feet in Southern Rhodesia, most of which is adapted for the residence of Europeans, is stated at 100,000 square miles, and above 4,000 feet, where European children can be reared, there are 26,000 square miles. The summer season, from December to April, is characterized by great heat during the day and heavy rains, but dur ing the rest of the year the weather is gen erally dry and much colder, especially in June and July. At Salisbury the mean July temperature is 57.5° P., the mean January tem perature 70.5° F., and the extremes for the year are about 34° and 93°. The annual rainfall is about 33.8 inches and falls on some 75 days. The soil in many parts is fertile, and the or dinary cereals, vegetables and fruit-trees of Europe can be grown, in addition to the native crops of rice, tobacco, india-rubber and cotton. Extensive tracts of land furnish excellent pas ture. Gold has been worked in Southern Rhodesia from ancient times, and there are striking remains at Zimbabye (near Victoria) and elsewhere, of the works erected by the early miners. At the present time little, if any, alluvial gold is found, but quartz-reefs are being worked with more or less success in various parts of the country, especially around Gwanda, Buluwayo, Gwelo, Sebakwe, Victoria, Umtali, Mazoe, Salisbury, Hartley Hill, Lo Magonda, Abercorn and Selukwe. The total output of gold for the year 1900-01 was 106,783 'ounces, valued ar$1,919,900. Coal, iron, copper, silver, tin, pluinbago and kieselguhr have also been reported, and some of them are being worked. Southern Rhodesia is being rapidly opened up by means of railways, telegraphs and roads. Buluwayo is in direct railway communi cation with Cape Town, 1,360 miles, and in 1899 the line from Salisbury to the Portuguese coast at Beira was opened for traffic. A line to connect Salisbury with Bnluwayo is rapidly approach' completionand other subordinate lines have projected or begun.