Rhodesia UK /ɹəʊˈdiːʃə/US /ɹoʊˈdiːʒə/ noun2 •(historical) A former country in Southern Africa, in what is now Zimbabwe, originally called Southern Rhodesia, named after its founder, Cecil Rhodes.If you did that in Rhodesia, you could be punished with many years in prison. — 2006 •(historical) A historical region of Southern Africa, the area now occupied by Zimbabwe and Zambia.