Northern Rhodesia was intensely unpopular among the vast African majority and its formation hastened calls for majority rule. As a result of this pressure, the country became independent in 1964 as Zambia. The geographical, as opposed to political, term "Rhodesia" referred to a region generally comprising the areas that are today Zambia and Zimbabwe. From 1964, it only referred to the former Southern Rhodesia. The name "Rhodesia" was derived from Cecil John Rhodes, the British capitalist and empire-builder who was a guiding figure in British expansion north of the Limpopo River into south-central Africa. Rhodes pushed British influence into the region by
Malawi (1964–1966) in the 1960s but she did visit in 1979 (22–25 July). Hastings Banda held office as prime minister (and head of government). Following the abolition of the monarchy, the Republic of Malawi came into existence on 6 July 1966 and Banda became the first President of Malawi. Malawi (1964–1966) Malawi was a predecessor to the modern-day Republic of Malawi. It existed between 1964 and 1966. When British rule ended in 1964, by the Malawi Independence Act 1964, the Nyasaland Protectorate, formerly a constituent of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, became an independent sovereign state. The British monarch was head