With a vast array of cultures, biomes, and wildlife, the African continent is full of amazing feats. So whether you’re a fan of anthropology or have an interest in African wildlife, there’s sure to be some trivia facts on this list that’ll pique your interest. There’s a lot to learn about these fifty-four countries, so even if you think you’re a geography expert, some of these Africa trivia questions may trip you up!
From the northern tip of Algeria to the southernmost regions of South Africa, these Africa trivia questions and answers span the whole continent. You’ll want to study up on every country before you test yourself with this Africa quiz! It’s perfect for geography classes, game night with friends, or even testing your skills on your own.
Are you looking for more geography trivia quizzes? Check out our Asia trivia, Australia quiz questions, and capital city trivia lists.
Off which coast of Africa does the island of Zanzibar lie?
South
North
West
East
Which of these is a country in Africa?
Bogota
Uganda
Caracas
La Paz
In which country did Robert Mugabe come to power in 1980?
Tunisia
Kenya
Zimbabwe
Angola
The Paris-Dakar rally originally ended in Dakar which is the capital of where?
South Sudan
Sierra Leone
Senegal
Sudan
Which of these cities is in Africa?
Luton
Palma
Cairo
Sydney
Which religion regards Africa as a spiritual state rather than a geographical place?
Shinto
Bahai
Zoroastrianism
Rastafarianism
Which of these African countries is furthest west?
Burkina Faso
Kenya
Mali
Niger
Dallas, Texas lies on the same line of latitude as which African city?
Tripoli
Addis Ababa
Lagos
Accra
Which of the countries of Africa is first alphabetically?
Benin
Zimbabwe
Angola
Algeria
Which African city is overlooked by Table Mountain?
Edinburgh
Mexico City
Montreal
Cape Town
Which African country’s name means ‘free’?
Rwanda
Zimbabwe
Algeria
Liberia
In Africa which of these is a river?
Zimbabwe
Zambezi
Zambia
Zanzibar
Bamako is the capital of which African country?
Mali
Mozambique
Morocco
Malawi
In which African country is the city of Marrakesh?
Nigeria
Morocco
South Africa
Cameroon
In which African country is the Kalahari Desert?
Zambia
Botswana
Kenya
Sudan
The Kissi, the Meru and the Kikuyu are tribes in which African nation?
Somalia
Kenya
Malawi
Rwanda
Table Mountain in South Africa is an example of which sort of mountain?
Fold
Island
Volcano
Erosional
Which of these countries is on the African continent?
Armenia
Thailand
Bolivia
Egypt
What is the more common name for the island of Unguja which lies off the east coast of Africa?
Zanzibar
Madagascar
Mauritius
Tenerife
Which of these African countries lies south of the Sahara Desert?
Morocco
Zimbabwe
Algeria
Tunisia
What is Africa’s largest desert?
Namib
Sahara
Gobi
Mojave
In which African country is Timbuktu?
Ivory Coast
Ghana
Burkina Faso
Mali
Which of these countries is in Africa?
Congo
Chile
China
Croatia
Which party won the General Election in South Africa in 2009?
UKIP
Monster Raving Looney
ANC
BNP
Which African country is home to over 200 languages?
Kenya
Cameroon
South Africa
Nigeria
Which of these South African cities lies furthest east?
Cape Town
Johannesburg
Durban
Pretoria
In 1895, which European country invaded and took control of Ethiopia?
Spain
Germany
Italy
France
Which African country is not a monarchy?
Lesotho
Tunisia
Morocco
Swaziland
Which of these African countries’ coast lies on the Red Sea?
Sudan
Somalia
Libya
Tanzania
Which of these African countries is landlocked?
Ethiopia
Eritrea
South Africa
Sudan
Of which country was Idi Amin the dictator for much of the 1970s?
Uganda
Algeria
Angola
Rhodesia
Which of these features lies between Zambia and Zimbabwe?
Victoria Falls
Ngorongoro Crater
Nubian Desert
Lake Victoria
What is the largest country in Africa?
Botswana
Chad
Nigeria
Sudan
Which of these African countries is an island?
Madagascar
Libya
Botswana
Chad
The ruins of ancient Carthage are found in the suburbs of which modern city?
Cairo
Tripolis
Tunis
Beirut
Which African country’s motto is ‘Let’s work together’?
Kenya
South Africa
Botswana
Ghana
In terms of population what is the largest city in Africa?
Mombasa
Cairo
Johannesburg
Nairobi
After which natural feature is the African country of Niger named?
Volcano
Mountain
River
Lake
Which of these is a range of mountains in North Africa?
Diary Mountains
Dictionary Mountains
Atlas Mountains
Bible Mountains
From which country did Algeria gain independence in 1962?
Belgium
France
Netherlands
Britain
Which of these African countries is furthest north?
Kenya
Egypt
Nigeria
South Africa
Locally known as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’, what do we call this feature of Africa?
Table Mountain
Lake Victoria
Great Rift Valley
Victoria Falls
For most of the 20th century, what was Zimbabwe called?
Rhodesia
South Africa
Kenya
Yugoslavia
The state of Washington is a similar size to which African country?
Senegal
Cameroon
Nigeria
Togo
Freetown is the capital of which African country?
Gabon
Cape Verde
Djibouti
Sierra Leone
Ghana is located in the Gulf of ______?
Ghana
Mexico
Africa
Guinea
Which of these African countries is a member of the Commonwealth?
Ghana
Gabon
Comoros
Cameroon
Which popular holiday destination lies off the coast of Western Sahara in Africa?
Madeira
Seychelles
Canary Islands
Malta
Of which African country as Joao Bernardo Vieira President?
Cape Verde
Guinea-Bissau
Western Sahara
The Comoros
Nsanje, Ntcheu and Ntchisi are regions in which African nation?
Uganda
Malawi
Tanzania
Angola
Which of these rivers is NOT on the African continent?
Niger
Ganges
Congo
Limpopo
In which African country were the Mau Mau once active?
Zambia
Sudan
Kenya
Botswana
Which ‘K’ is the highest peak in Africa?
Kilimanjaro
Kenya
Kilmarnock
Kuwait
The Dallol volcano is in which African country?
Benin
Ethiopia
Tunisia
Djibouti
Which country was formerly known as South West Africa?
Lesotho
Angola
Namibia
Botswana
Which of these capital cities is in Africa?
Willemstad
Wellington
Windhoek
Warsaw
Which of these countries is on the African continent?
Japan
Nigeria
Thailand
Canada
The island of Madeira lies off the coast of which African country?
Morocco
Libya
Algeria
Mauritania
Nigeria has Africa’s biggest population, which is second?
Libya
Sudan
South Africa
Ethiopia
In which part of Africa did the Boer Wars take place?
East
South
North
West
What is the name of the small country entirely surrounded by South Africa?
Lesotho
Central Africa
Cape Town
San Marino
Which of these African countries has French as an official language?
South Africa
Angola
Egypt
Côte d’Ivoire
Lake Volta lies in which African country?
Guinea
Egypt
Ghana
Burkina Faso
Which of these ancient civilizations was formed in Africa?
Indus
Egyptian
Greek
Roman
Which North African city has a name which means ‘white house’ in Spanish?
Casablanca
Ceuta
Ogoobu
Melilla
Which of these is South Africa particularly famous for being a source of?
Tea
Diamonds
Rice
Cotton
Which country was known as Nyasaland?
Zimbabwe
Zambia
Malawi
Namibia
Lagos is the former capital of which African country?
Nigeria
Ethiopia
South Africa
Egypt
What percentage of the African continent is covered by the Sahara Desert?
0.17
0.33
0.9
0.25
In which year did Nelson Mandela become President of South Africa?
1998
1994
1992
1996
What color is the cross on the flag of Switzerland?
Yellow
Blue
Red
White
99 per cent of which country’s population live in a valley or delta of the River Nile?
Algeria
Ghana
Mali
Egypt
How many of the world’s population live in Africa?
1 in 12
1 in 4
1 in 6
1 in 8
The lowest point in Africa is Asal Lake – in which country can it be found?
Tunisia
Djibouti
Tanzania
South Africa
Which African country has been ruled by Colonel Gadaffi for almost 40 years?
Libya
Algeria
Kenya
South Africa
Which of these African countries is furthest east?
Kenya
Ethiopia
Sudan
Angola
1936 Olympics star Jesse Owens was from which country?
United States
New Zealand
Australia
Canada
Which of these was NOT a former name of an African country?
French Guinea
British Guinea
Portuguese Guinea
Spanish Guinea
Which other African country does Mauritius lie closest to?
Mozambique
Malawi
Mali
Madagascar
The Live Aid concerts in 1985 took place in which London music venue?
The O2
Royal Albert Hall
Wembley Stadium
Hyde Park
Which of these African countries is furthest south?
South Africa
Sudan
Libya
Ethiopia
Of which North African country is Cairo the capital?
Morocco
Algeria
Egypt
Tunisia
Which is Africa’s least densely populated country?
D.R.Congo
Mozambique
Niger
Western Sahara
Approximately how many more countries are there in Africa than in South America?
20
30
40
10
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