North Rhodesia (Lion Country)

North Rhodesia or Northern Rhodesia is one of the three constituent states of the Federation of the Rhodesias. It is the largest state of the federation by population, more than double the size of the second large South Rhodesia. North Rhodesia's capital and largest city is Saint Mary (previously known as Lusaka).

It existed until 1936 as a colony under direct control of the British empire, until it federated with South Rhodesia to form a new country within the British Empire. It's official border with South Rhodesia lies along the Zambezi river, which bisects the federation in half.

The majority of North Rhodesia's land is undeveloped and, despite a large amount of arable land, farming is mostly confined to the Zambezi river valley. Most of North Rhodesia's income is derived from her massive mineral deposits, in particular, copper. It has earned the nickname of 'Copperopolis'.

History
South Rhodesia was made a separate entity when the British government took over the company territory of Rhodesia, dividing it into two along the Zambezi river. North Rhodesia's initial settlement lies in the fortunes of the copper industry, and many came to the colony to make their fortune. North Rhodesia (unlike the south) wasn't granted self-government, and it remained under direct control of the British empire until it federated with South Rhodesia in 1936, to become a state of the federation.

During the UDI and the Bush War, South Rhodesian was host to fierce fighting, particularly on the border with Angola.

Upon the lifting of the international embargo, exports of copper soared, and the 'Copperbelt' region became the wealthiest in the entire federation. Immigration was high and a second copper rush occurred.