African Decolonisation Map

This map shows just how quickly Britain (and France) granted independence to the majority of its African colonies. From 1957 to 1965 the vast majority had left the Empire. The exception of note was Southern Rhodesia which attempted to avoid sharing power with the black majority by attempting to illegally secede from the British Empire and declaring its own independence. It survived for nearly a decade and a half largely thanks to the temporary support from Apartheid South Africa, but once this support was withdrawn, Rhodesia had to negotiate a reentrance into the Empire so that it could legally be given its independence as Zimbabwe in 1980.