It is the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent, with approximately 1.3 billion people. Among the seven continents in the world, Africa is a distinctively unique landmass with a very diverse culture and rich history.
Besides its cultural heritage and diversity, it has a vast wealth of breathtaking natural resources, which make it a top holiday destination and a tourist attraction. It is divided into five sub-sections: North, East, West, Central, and Southern Africa.
Africa Facts Trivia Questions and Answers
Despite its challenges of hot weather conditions, poverty, war, and unemployment, Africa has its fair share of good “deals.” It is home to beautiful mountains, the world’s longest river (River Nile), the world’s tallest and largest animals (the giraffe and African elephant respectively), and the largest wildlife immigration on earth among many other interestingly amazing facts.
Have you visited Africa before? How much information do you know about it? Oh! The wildlife safaris are amazing, but there’s so much more to learn about the continent. We have prepared some trivia questions that will make your next afternoon or weekend with friends and family fun! The questions include the geography of Africa, wildlife, rivers and lakes, its history among many others.
It’s time for that vacation already, pack your bags. We are going to Africa through trivia!!
1. After which American President is the capital of an African country named?
2. Which is the second-longest river in Africa?
3. Through which country does the greater part of the Nile flow?
4. Who was Zambia’s first president?
5. This country is one of the oldest civilizations in Africa, famous for pyramids and mythical creatures. In what country are an important canal and the world’s longest river located?
6. Which are the towns at either end of the Suez Canal?
7. Which 100-mile long waterway links the Mediterranean and the Red Sea?
8. Africa is a really big place. How big is it compared to other continents?
9. Two South African provinces take their names from rivers. Which are they?
10. In which country is the Aswan Dam?
11. Lagos, the largest city in Africa, is located in which country?
12. The Mercato is one of Africa’s largest open-air markets and is located in the city of Addis Ababa. But in which country is it?
13. Where did Idi Amin rule from 1971-1979?
14. What color is also the name of the longest river in South Africa?
15. Of which country is Cyrenaica a part?
16. What does ANC stand for?
17. Malawi is located in Africa and borders three countries, two of which are Zambia and Mozambique. Which is the other one?
18. Where are the craters of the Moon?
19. Which country has the rand as its currency?
20. What is the longest river in Africa?
21. This African city was once an internationally administered enclave. Which city is this?
22. What is the former name of the People’s Republic of Benin?
23. What is the capital of Algeria?
24. The longest African river which empties into the Indian Ocean is?
25. In which country are Tangier and Casablanca?
26. What is the capital of Botswana?
27. The biggest city in Natal is?
28. Who was the Egyptian president who was assassinated in 1981?
29. What continent is Egypt in?
30. The highest peak in Africa is?
31. Which country, bordering Zaire, takes its name from the former name of the Zaire river?
32. This is the largest island nation in Africa nicknamed the Red Island. It is one of the world’s top ten hot spots for biodiversity. What country is located off the southeast coast of Africa and is the only place where lemurs can be found in the wild?
33. The northernmost city in Africa is?
34. Which country unilaterally declared independence in November 1965?
35. In which country would you find the city of Timbuktu?
36. Which northern Nigeria city is the center on which the major caravan routes converge?
37. Which country was called Upper Volta until 1984?
38. What is the name of the famous mountain that overlooks the city of Cape Town?
39. Which is the capital of the country that used to be called Abyssinia?
40. Which narrow stretch of water separates North Africa from Spain?
41. Which of the following cities is in Malawi? Johannesburg, Green Bay, Lilongwe, Cairo
42. What is the name of the Angolan enclave sandwiched by Zaire and Congo?
43. Which volcano in Tanzania is the highest mountain in Africa?
44. The longest-lasting and most influential civilization in African history (known for its still-impressive pyramids) provides the name for what modern-day nation?
45. In which country is the Kalahari Desert?
46. Who was the Egyptian king whose tomb and treasures were discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1922?
47. What is the name of the highest point of Algeria?
48. What is Sahrawi?
49. Flag of Libya is a plain rectangle of which color?
50. What is the highest point in Botswana?
51. Which mountain range stretches across Algeria and Morocco?
52. Name the East African country which lies on the equator.
53. This is a former British colony located in the east of Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean in the southeast. The country is famous for producing world-class long-distance runners, its rich wildlife, and nature. What country shares the same name as its highest mountain?
54. The westernmost major city of Africa is?
55. What are the two main arms of the River Nile called?
56. As Africa is generally a hot place, deserts are found in a large portion of Africa. Which is *NOT* a desert found in Africa? Sahara, Namib, Kalahari, Mojave
57. Kimberley is famous for?
58. Which explorer was the first to reach the Cape of Good Hope?
59. What is the largest lake in Africa? It is named after the British queen from 1837-1901.
60. Belgian Congo is now called?
61. In which country did King Hassan II ascend the throne in 1961?
62. South Africa has three capital cities. Cape Town and Bloemfontein are two of them, but which city is the third?
63. What is the area of land in Egypt which is below sea level?
64. Which British general was killed at Khartoum in 1885?
65. Malawi’s type of government is one where people get to choose their leader by the majority of votes. What is this system called?
66. Two countries share the waters of Lake Kariba. Which are they?
67. On the border of which two countries is Victoria Falls?
68. There are no recorded rivers in Algeria making the country pretty much reliant upon other forms of water supply. Approximately how much of the area of Algeria is water?
69. Where is Swahili generally spoken?
70. What is the name shared by the currency units of Algeria and Tunisia?
71. What is the longest river in Botswana?
72. The Malagasy Republic is now called?
73. What is the name of the volcanic valley that runs from the Sinai peninsula to central Mozambique?
74. This country is formerly a French colony, the largest African country by size, and is located in the north of Africa. What country has a capital with a very similar name?
75. The capital of Togo is?
76. Which actor won an Academy Award for his performance in The African Queen?
77. In which country is the northernmost point of the African mainland located?
78. Which country is completely landlocked by South Africa?
79. Who wrote the novel Cry, the Beloved Country about South Africa?
80. Malawi’s independence day is celebrated on the 6th of July. Which country did Malawi get independence from in 1964?
81. Where is the Nubian Desert?
82. What is the capital of Kenya?
83. Which of these countries never had any colonies in Africa? Argentina, Great Britain, France, Blegium
84. What is Nigeria’s main export?
85. From which European country did Angola achieve independence in 1975?
86. Where does Algeria rate in terms of the size of African countries?
87. Of which country is Bangui the capital?
88. Which country mainly makes up the Horn of Africa?
89. What is the currency of Botswana?
90. Which is Kenya’s biggest port?
91. At which town in Sudan do the White and Blue Niles join?
92. Who was the first Pharaoh of Egypt?
93. Which nationals first arrived in South Africa?
94. This small landlocked African country was ravaged by civil war in 1994. Kigali is the capital of what country is nicknamed “the land of a thousand hills”?
95. What is known as the White Gold of Egypt?
96. Mount Toubkal is the highest peak of which range of mountains?
97. What is the second-highest mountain in Africa?
98. What is the main agricultural produce of the Nile Valley?
99. Who has the best Africa and African trivia quiz questions and answers?
100. South Africa is made up of many different groups who have different languages. How many official languages are there?
101. A mixed-race inhabiting the North-Western part of Africa is called?
102. What is the capital of Sierra Leone?
103. One of Malawi’s major industries is represented by tobacco. Which other product represents another major industry of the country?
104. Which is the largest city in Africa?
105. Which country is the island of Zanzibar part of?
106. Running roughly along the Tropic of Cancer is a huge expanse of hot, dry land. What is the name of this desert?
107. How many states are there in Africa?
108. What is Africa’s largest country?
109. How many countries and territories border Algeria?
110. Which state in Africa is most populous?
111. Which African country is bordered by Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Niger, and Mali?
112. Name one fact about Botswana.
113. Which province of South Africa is known as the Garden Province?
114. Who was the woman sentenced to six years in jail after the murder of Stompei Seipi?
115. How old was King Tut when he died?
116. On which river is Brazzaville?
117. In which country are the towns of Gweru and Kwekwe?
118. This is the southernmost country in Africa where apartheid started in 1948 and ended in 1994. It has three capitals and eleven official languages. In what country are Kruger National Park and Table Mountain located?
119. A part of Namibia is a finger pointing eastwards. What is this territory called?
120. Of which African country is Niamey the capital?
121. One of the great wonders of the world is Victoria Falls on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. On which river will you find these waterfalls?
122. Which major city developed as a consequence of the boom in the Witwatersrand?
123. Who was the founder of the Back to Africa movement who largely inspired Rastafarianism?
124. Which country, the fourth largest island in the world, is part of Africa?
125. In which countries are there cities commemorating in their names Stanley and Livingstone?
126. Which African country is sandwiched between Ghana and Benin?
127. In which mountain range will you find Mafadi, the highest peak in South Africa?
128. Which was the largest of the French West African countries in the area?
129. The Zambesi and which other river define the borders of Matabeleland?
130. Which of the following religions is predominant in Malawi? Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism
131. Of which country or territory is St. Denis the chief town?
132. Which African country is the only one in the world to lie entirely one thousand meters above sea level?
133. Which of these large bodies of water does Africa NOT border? The Arctic Ocean, The Atlantic Ocean, The Indian Ocean, The Mediterranean Sea
134. Near which well-known coastal physical feature is Cape Town?
135. Which ethnic group inhabiting northern Tanzania and southern Kenya is the stretching of earlobes a common practice?
136. Which country borders Botswana to the west?
137. The historical names of the four stretches of coast from Nigeria to Liberia are?
138. What large land animal kills the most people in Africa?
139. Formerly known as Abyssinia, this is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world. It is a landlocked country in East Africa. What country has its capital at Addis Ababa?
140. How many lakes are a part of Congo’s eastern borders?
141. Name the principal river of western Africa?
142. I am going to circumnavigate Africa in a canoe. When I travel along the northern coast of Africa from Morocco to Egypt, along what specific body of water am I paddling?
143. The island of Pemba is a part of this country. Which country?
144. Today, the term Greater Maghreb corresponds roughly to which 16th to 19th-century region?
145. Lake Assal is the lowest point on land in Africa. Which country can you find Lake Assal in?
146. The capital of Cameroon is?
147. The Republic of the Congo became independent from which country in 1960?
148. Situated at the bottom of Africa, South Africa is surrounded by two oceans. One is the Atlantic Ocean; what is the other one?
149. There is an island nation that lies between Madagascar and the African Mainland. Which is it?
150. Who was Ethiopia’s regent from 1916 to 1930, and Emperor from 1930 to 1974?
151. One of Malawi’s most eaten foods is maize. What is perhaps a more common word used to refer to maize?
152. This island nation, geographically considered part of Africa has an Indian population in the majority?
153. Kano and Abuja are two large cities in which country?
154. Which of these is NOT a historic African city? Zimbambwe, Alexandria, Timbuktu, Tenochtitlan
155. Salisbury is now called?
156. Kofi Annan, the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006, is what nationality?
157. What colors make up the flag of Algeria?
158. Which African city finds a prominent place in the battle song of the US Marines?
159. How many hours ahead is Botswana from London Greenwich Mean Time (outside of any daylight saving adjustments)?
151. What does South Africa’s mineral wealth mainly comprise of?
152. At Ujiji in 1858, Richard Burton and John Speke first reached the shore of which lake?
153. Formerly known as the Gold Coast, this country in western Africa was a former British colony. What country has its capital in Accra?
154. This former Italian colony was integrated with Ethiopia in 1952. Name it.
155. Which African city includes in its area, the archaeological site of Carthage?
156. As I paddle my canoe around Africa I notice six of the 54 nations are islands. Which one of the six is the largest?
157. Of whose empire was Congo once a part?
158. Entebbe is a major town in which country?
159. Which country is NOT located in Africa? Mauritania, Guinea, Suriname, Côte d’Ivoire
160. The names of the Spanish enclaves in North Africa are?
161. Which country accounts for 80% of the world’s platinum production?
162. What unusual bloom is the national flower of South Africa?
163. Where in Africa would you find the Mahgreb?
164. Over 90% of which African country’s wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth?
165. Which of these combinations of colors matches those in the flag of Malawi?
166. Between which countries is Togo Sandwiched?
167. Name the longest river in South Africa?
168. Which are the two small countries sandwiched by the borders of Uganda and Tanzania?
169. Which African received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984?
170. Part of northeastern Africa extends sharply eastward into the Arabian Sea to the south of Yemen and Saudi Arabia. What is this distinctively shaped region commonly called?
171. What is al Qahira better known as?
172. In 2016, which African country became China’s biggest supplier of oil?
173. Algeria gained independence from which country in 1962?
174. What was Malawi once called?
175. Africa’s busiest airport is near which major city?
176. What is the official language of Botswana?
177. What is South-West Africa now called?
178. Which island country is located 350 miles off the coast of West Africa?
179. This country located in western Africa is a landlocked country. It is the largest western African country by size. What country is named after its main river?
180. Which city lies in the shadow of Table Mountain?
181. The goliath frog, the largest living frog on Earth, is found in which African country?
182. Africa has some really big cities. While Cairo, the biggest city in Egypt, has been settled for over 5000 years, when was Johannesburg, the largest city in southern Africa first settled?
183. Which is the capital of Congo?
184. Which country lies directly north of Namibia?
185. South Sudan became an independent state in which year?
186. In which country would you expect to find the Copper Belt?
187. The Serengeti National Park is in which country?
188. Which of these valleys run from the north, all the way to the south of Malawi? Inn Valley, Great Rift Valley, Malawi Valley, North-South Valley
189. Which is the largest lake in West Africa?
190. Named after a Scottish explorer, what is the second-fastest land animal on earth?
191. What is the official language of Algeria?
192. Which countries have parts of their boundaries in Lake Victoria?
193. Iman, the widow of English rock musician David Bowie, was born in which African city?
194. Which desert can be found in the southwest of Botswana?
195. With which West African country is Pagalu linked?
196. Evidence of the earliest modern humans was found in which African country?
197. This country in North Africa is located to the south of Spain (separated by the Mediterranean Sea) and was formerly a French colony. In what country can you find the famous city of Casablanca?
198. Of which country is the Ogaden a region?
199. What is the westernmost country in the mainland of Africa?
200. The capital cities of two African countries are literally on opposite banks of the same river. Which two countries have such capitals?
201. The coast of which country is called the Gold Coast?
202. There are only two African countries ‘entirely’ south of the Tropic of Capricorn; name both?
203. The springbok is the national animal of South Africa and is also the name given to the national team in which sport?
204. What was Burkina Faso previously called?
205. Name the channel of water that separates Madagascar from East Africa?
206. Which of the following climates is most commonly experienced in Malawi?
207. Zambia and Zimbabwe had a common territorial name when they were administered by Britain. What was this name?
208. Which African country has more French speakers than France?
209. How many hours ahead of London is Algeria based upon Greenwich Mean Time (not counting any time changes due to daylight saving)?
210. In which country is Lambarene, where Dr. Schweitzer lived?
211. Which African desert is considered the oldest with the highest dunes on Earth?
212. When did Botswana win its independence from Great Britain?
213. Lake Chad is, of course in Chad. But which countries does it seasonally extend into?
214. Which country is also known as the Gold Coast?
215. In 1884, Mahdi leads an uprising against the British in which country?
216. What is the name of the lake the Aswan High Dam has helped create?
217. Which country is entirely surrounded by Senegal, except for a narrow coastal strip?
218. Which is the capital of Madagascar?
219. Which African artist, known as Mama Africa, gained world-wide acclaim with her release of “The Click Song” in partnership with Harry Belafonte?
220. Swaziland is encircled by South Africa except for a short boundary with one other country. Which country?
221. In which African country would you find the African penguin?
222. What is the narrow feature that separates Africa from Asia?
223. What is the correct term for a pack of hyenas?
224. In the mid-1960s this group had a hit with “Timothy” and in 1968 overseas success with “Master Jack”. Who were they?
225. With which of its Southern neighbors does Libya have the longest boundary?
226. The African owl is not a true owl. What is it?
227. This group has been described as a musical representation of the African Renaissance, and their efforts have resulted in “We Bring the Fire”, “Supalava”, “Siyajabula” and “Mankind”. What are they called?
228. One island in the Comoros Group has a different political status. Which one?
229. The horns of which animals are removed in Zimbabwe in order to protect them?
230. Which South African town features in the name of a Grammy-winning group that played on a 1980’s Paul Simon album?
231. Which group of islands is a nation just north-east of Madagascar?
232. Which of these animals feeds on the African acacia tree? Giraffe, Vulture, Hippo, Lion
233. She was born in 1941 in the port town of Mindelo on the Cape Verde Island of Sao Vicente and is known as ‘The Barefoot Diva’, because of her propensity to appear on stage in her bare feet in support of the disadvantaged women and children of her country. Who is she?
234. To whom do the Azores Islands belong?
235. Which creature has the ability to bite an adult crocodile in half?
236. A common feature of traditional northern Ghanaian music is singing one syllable of text across several notes. What is this called?
237. Which nation or islands is to the west of the Central African coast?
238. To whom do the Canary Islands belong?
239. What was the name of Trevor Rabin’s fox terrier?
240. By which river delta is Port Harcourt located?
241. They released their first album in 1984, the height of musical protest in South Africa. Their songs include “Madiba 1990”, “Weeping”, “Window on the World” and “The Rising Tide”. Who are they?
242. What is Leopoldville now called?
243. All-girl group “Clout” had a hit song in Europe and England in 1978 with a cover version of a song originally recorded by which group?
244. Which was the occupying power in Western Sahara and which is the present power?
245. Art Matthews is the songwriter for this SA Rock band. Their playlist would include songs like “Father and Farther”, “Shallow Waters”, “Too Late” and “Painting Hours”. Which band are we referring to?
246. In which country would you find the Hoggar Mountains?
247. Which city is known, as Switzerland of Africa?
248. Although he had major success in South Africa, in which country was David Scobie born?
249. Which place is known as Whiteman’s Grave?
250. If you set off on a Safari trip from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara game reserve, which country would you be in?
251. Where, according to the Rabbitt lyrics, did the people “go to school as the English did”?
252. Promoting strong rumba tunes Samba Mapangala formed the Les Kinois Band whilst avoiding the brutalities of Idi Amin’s regime in which East African country?
253. Which South African artist is famous for his red “vellies”?
254. This band had many super hits and many closet fans. With releases like “Mysteries and Jealousies”, “Terror in the Attic”, “Whisper your Secret” and “Kissing for Pleasure”, which group is it?
255. Who recorded “Michael Row the Boat Ashore”, spending nine weeks at the top of the South African singles chart?
256. Which Senegalese singer, skilled in the traditional art of sabar and tama drumming, collaborated with American hip-hop singer Neneh Cherry on the hit song “Seven Seconds”?
257. Where did “die manne” sit in the David Kramer song?
258. Who was South Africa’s entrant at the 1971 Athens Song Festival?
259. Which South African singer was the first non-American female to be signed to the American soul label, STAX?
260. In what year did Bles Bridges pass away?
261. Gnawa music, which is linked to healing rituals, stems from an ethnic group called the Sufi who hail from which exotic North African country?
262. Which South African Country and Western singer had a hit in South Africa with “Gentle on my Mind”?
263. Alan Garrity spent 33 weeks on the South African singles charts with “I need Someone”. This was a record for over 10 years. Which song broke his record?
264. In the 1990s, the new musical style from Ghana was hiplife, a fusion of _____ and _____?
265. Which musician, dubbed the shining star of African reggae, did not live up to his name when he was tragically shot dead by carjackers?
266. Which legendary black songbird sang “Mama Themba’s Wedding”?
267. Which South African songstress sang “World in Union” at the 1995 Rugby World Cup?
268. Born in 1933 in Douala, Cameroon, this man is a true African international superstar. When he was just fifteen, his parents sent him to Paris to prepare for a professional career. After 21 seasick days, he reached Marseille. Soon he met Francis Bebey, another African expatriate, and together the two began to explore the jazz scene in Calais. Who is he?
269. Formed by the gentle vision of Joseph Shabalala, which South African male choral group rose to prominence supporting Paul Simon on his “Graceland” album?
270. Their best selling album “Gate Crashers” was also released in Asia, Europe and the USA. With a style of music that is distinctly kwaito they have released songs such as “Loot”, “Majika”, “Morena” and “Bangradesh”; what is this group’s name?
