Formerly known as the territory of Northern Rhodesia while under colonial rule by the British, the nation became known as the Republic of Zambia upon its independence 24 October 1964. Zambia is located in Sub-Saharan Africa as is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania to the north, Mozambique to the east, Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south, and Angola to the west. Geographically Zambia is the 39th largest country in the world and is slightly larger than the state of Texas. Although Zambia is a practicing republic there have been several historical instances of political harassment and violence, chiefly in 1991 and 1996.