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Zimbabwe History Trivia

Zimbabwe History Trivia Quizzes

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3 Zimbabwe History quizzes and 30 Zimbabwe History trivia questions.
1.
Tales of the Great Zimbabwe
  Tales of the Great Zimbabwe   best quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
"Among the gold mines of the inland plains between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers there is a fortress built of stones of marvelous size, and there appears to be no mortar joining them...." --Vicente Pegado, 1531
Average, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Aug 11 17
Average
ponycargirl editor
382 plays
2.
  When We Were In Rhodesia   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Were you there? How much do you know about Rhodesia, and its 15 years of troubled history?
Average, 10 Qns, VANEYK, Oct 26 14
Average
VANEYK
295 plays
3.
  Rhodesiana    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Rhodesia is a part of history - and was in many ways fascinating.
Tough, 10 Qns, faintinggoat, Aug 06 16
Tough
faintinggoat
1013 plays

Zimbabwe History Trivia Questions
1. In 1895 the informal name of "Rhodesia", originally given by white settlers, was officially assigned to which two present day countries?

From Quiz When We Were In Rhodesia

Answer: Zimbabwe-Zambia

The territory was crossed by a natural border, the Zambezi river. The territory to the north of it was officially designated as "Northern Rhodesia" (the present Zambia, since its independence in 1964) and to the south, "Southern Rhodesia", which only became Zimbabwe in 1980. Northern and Southern Rhodesia were sometimes informally called "the Rhodesias". The term "Rhodesia" was popularized in the region by white settlers in the 1890s who informally named their new home after Cecil Rhodes, the British South Africa Company's founder and managing director.

2. What chartered company ran what was to become Rhodesia?

From Quiz Rhodesiana

Answer: British South Africa Company

The BSA ran Rhodesia as a private fiefdom, under a royal charter.

3. Rhodesia issued its own Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from which country on 11 November 1965?

From Quiz When We Were In Rhodesia

Answer: United Kingdom

In order to try to stop an independence movement and a transition to black majority rule, as in the rest of the continent, Colonial Rhodesia's predominantly white government issued its own Unilateral Declaration of Independence on that day, keeping the government in the hands of Whites. When Zambia gained independence in 1964, Southern Rhodesia simplified its name to "Rhodesia" since there was just one left, and it kept the same name after UDI.

4. Rhodesia was named after Rhodes. What were his first names?

From Quiz Rhodesiana

Answer: Cecil John

Rhodes was the only Briton ever to have a country named after him. He went on to become Prime Minister of the Cape Colony and to found the Rhodes Scholarships, which are held in high regard. Money donated by him was also used to establish Rhodes House, Oxford, and its library.

5. This politician remained the Prime Minister of Rhodesia, from its Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965 until the end of it, in 1979.

From Quiz When We Were In Rhodesia

Answer: Ian Smith

Smith was the first Rhodesian born Prime Minister. Also, Smith who has been described as the "soul" of white Rhodesia, remains, even today, a highly controversial figure. His supporters would say he was a man of integrity and vision "who understood the uncomfortable truths of Africa", while his critics will see in him an unrepentant racist whose policies and actions caused many of Zimbabwe's later problems.

6. In 1923 a referendum was held in Southern Rhodesia. The voters decided to:

From Quiz Rhodesiana

Answer: Become self governing

The Union of South Africa was keen on Southern Rhodesia becoming 'the fifth province', but the Rhodesians would have none of it

7. The capital city of Rhodesia was founded in 1890 and kept its name until it was changed to the present one in 1982. What was it called?

From Quiz When We Were In Rhodesia

Answer: Salisbury

The capital city retained the name of "Salisbury" until 1982 when it was changed to the present name - Harare - by President Robert Mugabe's government.

8. The British government combined three colonies into a federation in the 1950s and 1960s. This was known as the Federation of Rhodesia and _____?

From Quiz Rhodesiana

Answer: Nyasaland

The Federation was an idealistic British plan to forge a prosperous multi-racial state in central Africa. Unfortunately, no one living there wanted it.

9. The Rhodesian flag was very different from the present Zimbabwean one. Can you pick it up from the following description?

From Quiz When We Were In Rhodesia

Answer: Three vertical stripes green white and green and the coat of arms in the middle of the white stripe

The actual flag of Nigeria is identical to the Rhodesian flag with the exception that it doesn't have the coat of arms of the country in the central white strip.

10. On 11 November 1965, Southern Rhodesia declared its independence from the United Kingdom. Who was Prime Minister at the time?

From Quiz Rhodesiana

Answer: Ian Smith

Ian Smith came to power in Southern Rhodesia as leader of the Rhodesian Front, a right-wing white supremacist party.

11. During the civil war that followed the Declaration of Independence, two civilian airliners of Air Rhodesia were shot down by insurgents, and the passengers massacred. What type of aircraft was involved?

From Quiz Rhodesiana

Answer: Vickers Viscount

Both aircraft were brought down by SA 7 Grail missiles. Interestingly, evidence exists that the Commander-in-Chief of the Rhodesian forces was scheduled to fly on one of them, which would have made it a legitimate target.

12. What was the name of the major port from where virtually all the exports from Rhodesia went overseas until 1975?

From Quiz When We Were In Rhodesia

Answer: Beira

After the collapse of Portuguese rule in Mozambique in 1974-75, it was no longer viable for the regime to sustain white minority rule indefinitely. Beira, the closest port to Rhodesia, was its main "window" to the world. After Mozambique became an independent country under Communist rule, Rhodesia was completely surrounded by enemies, except for the (then) apartheid South Africa in the south.

13. The Rhodesian Security Forces became world famous for their success in counter-insurgency operations. One unit specialised in "pseudo" operations, pretending to be insurgents and infiltrating enemy ranks. What was this unit?

From Quiz Rhodesiana

Answer: Selous Scouts

The Selous Scouts were extremely tough troops, and scored higher kill ratios than any other unit in Rhodesia, and far higher than US troops in Vietnam.

14. After recognised independence in April 1980, the history of Rhodesia became that of Zimbabwe. Who was the politician who won the elections at the time?

From Quiz When We Were In Rhodesia

Answer: Robert Mugabe

Mugabe "reigned" over Zimbabwe until well into the second decade of the 21st century and remains in power. He also ruined the country, giving Zimbabwe the rare privilege of having one of the highest inflation rates recorded in world history, among other "achievements", just to name one of the things he did. (At the height of the inflation prices doubled every 25 hours). Ian Smith remained the Leader of the Opposition during Mugabe's first seven years in power. Smith was a strident and vocal critic of the Mugabe government both before and after his retirement from front-line politics in 1987; he dedicated much of his 1997 memoirs, "The Great Betrayal", to condemning Mugabe and UK politicians. As Mugabe's reputation thereafter plummeted amid Zimbabwe's economic ruin, domestic and foreign reckoning of Smith and his legacy improved. Zimbabwean opposition supporters lauded the elderly Smith as an immovable symbol of resistance. He remained in Zimbabwe until 2005.

15. The Rhodesian Prime Minister during UDI had made his name in the RAF during World War 2. What aircraft did he fly?

From Quiz Rhodesiana

Answer: Spitfire

Ian Smith was shot down in Italy, joined the partisans and eventually returned to his unit. The crash caused his lisp.

16. As the war situation deteriorated, the Rhodesian forces adopted an aggressive policy to defeat the insurgents. What was this policy (or 'doctrine') called?

From Quiz Rhodesiana

Answer: Hot Pursuit

The Rhodesians ranged all over Southern Africa, hitting targets in Mozambique, Angola, Zambia, Botswana and Tanzania. They could not however overcome their numerical inferiority and were forced to the negotiating table.

17. How do people in South Africa and often white Zimbabweans nickname themselves?

From Quiz When We Were In Rhodesia

Answer: Whenwes

Today, a white Zimbabwean outside his country and who is nostalgic for that era is known as a "Rhodie". These nostalgic "Rhodesians" are also sometimes referred to as "Whenwes", because of the nostalgia of "When We Were In Rhodesia" and the implication of the "good life we had there". This phrase is often heard in conversations and is sometimes an opening phrase for a wide variety of topics where a "Rhodie" is taking part of.

18. Who became Prime Minister of Rhodesia after Ian Smith?

From Quiz Rhodesiana

Answer: Abel Muzorewa

After an internal settlement, Muzorewa was elected Prime minister in a one man one vote election, and renamed the country Zimbabwe Rhodesia. This result was rejected by the African Bloc, and the war weary Muzorewa government was browbeaten into a new settlement brokered by the UK.

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