Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style

When did Zambia gain independence?

Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Zambia became independent on October 24, 1964. During the colonial era, the Indigenous population had come under the administration of the British South Africa Company and, later, under the British Colonial Office. For much of that time, Zambia was known as Northern Rhodesia. From 1953 to 1963, Northern Rhodesia was part of a British colonial political unit with neighboring Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Nyasaland (now Malawi) called the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The federation was ended as part of Britain’s ongoing decolonization efforts, with Zambia gaining its independence less than a year later.