Which African capital was formerly called Salisbury?

Which African capital was formerly called Salisbury? The answer is Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital.

The city was founded in 1890 by the Pioneer Column, a settler force organized by the British South Africa Company. It was first called Fort Salisbury, after the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, then British prime minister; the shorter name Salisbury soon became standard.

Salisbury served as the capital of Southern Rhodesia and later of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. After Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, the government renamed the city Harare on 18 April 1982, the second anniversary of independence. The new name refers to Neharawa, a Shona chief associated with the area.

A common mix-up is confusing Harare with Salisbury in England, the cathedral city whose name inspired the colonial name. Harare remains Zimbabwe’s largest city and sits on a high plateau at roughly 1,490 metres above sea level.