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African history
Contributed by: O'Reilly
  • 1. African history is a rich tapestry woven with the threads of diverse cultures, ancient civilizations, dynamic empires, and impactful events. From the great kingdoms of Mali, Ghana, and Zimbabwe to the Ethiopian civilization and the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, Africa's past is filled with remarkable achievements and contributions to human civilization. The continent has experienced colonization, struggles for independence, and periods of economic and social development. Throughout it all, African history reflects resilience, creativity, and a deep connection to the land and traditions that have shaped its people and societies for centuries.

    Which ancient civilization built the Great Pyramid of Giza?
A) Greeks
B) Romans
C) Persians
D) Egyptians
  • 2. Who was the first president of independent Kenya?
A) Kwame Nkrumah
B) Nelson Mandela
C) Julius Nyerere
D) Jomo Kenyatta
  • 3. Where did the Songhai Empire exist?
A) Southern Africa
B) West Africa
C) East Africa
D) North Africa
  • 4. Who was the famous Zulu leader who fought against British colonial rule?
A) Jomo Kenyatta
B) Nelson Mandela
C) Kwame Nkrumah
D) Shaka Zulu
  • 5. Which African country was formerly known as Abyssinia?
A) Ethiopia
B) Sudan
C) Ghana
D) Angola
  • 6. What was the major trade commodity in the Mali Empire?
A) Gold
B) Silk
C) Spices
D) Tea
  • 7. Who was the first female President of Liberia and in Africa?
A) Joyce Banda
B) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
C) Wangari Maathai
D) Grace Mugabe
  • 8. Which river is the longest in Africa?
A) Zambezi
B) Congo
C) Nile
D) Niger
  • 9. Who led the fight against apartheid in South Africa?
A) Steve Biko
B) Desmond Tutu
C) Nelson Mandela
D) Thabo Mbeki
  • 10. Which North African country was ruled by Muammar Gaddafi for over 40 years?
A) Libya
B) Tunisia
C) Egypt
D) Algeria
  • 11. In which year did Nigeria gain independence from British rule?
A) 1960
B) 1982
C) 1975
D) 1956
  • 12. Where is the city of Timbuktu located?
A) Ethiopia
B) Nigeria
C) Tanzania
D) Mali
  • 13. Which kingdom was known for its control of the gold trade routes in medieval West Africa?
A) Malawi
B) Benin
C) Ghana
D) Zimbabwe
  • 14. What is the capital of Nigeria?
A) Accra
B) Abuja
C) Cairo
D) Lagos
  • 15. Which African country was formerly known as Rhodesia?
A) Zambia
B) Zimbabwe
C) Malawi
D) Mozambique
  • 16. What was the name of the South African policy of racial segregation and discrimination?
A) Neo-colonialism
B) Decolonization
C) Apartheid
D) Pan-Africanism
  • 17. Who was the first black Secretary-General of the United Nations?
A) Kofi Annan
B) Trygve Lie
C) Dag Hammarskjöld
D) Ban Ki-moon
  • 18. What is the largest desert in Africa?
A) Libyan
B) Sahara
C) Kalahari
D) Namib
  • 19. Which famous ancient city is located in present-day Tunisia?
A) Alexandria
B) Carthage
C) Thebes
D) Memphis
  • 20. Who is considered the father of modern Zimbabwe?
A) Robert Mugabe
B) Joshua Nkomo
C) Morgan Tsvangirai
D) Emmerson Mnangagwa
  • 21. Who was the leader of the anti-colonial Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya?
A) Uhuru Kenyatta
B) Mwai Kibaki
C) Dedan Kimathi
D) Jomo Kenyatta
  • 22. Which African country was formerly a French colony known as Upper Volta?
A) Niger
B) Ivory Coast
C) Mali
D) Burkina Faso
  • 23. Which African country was the home of the ancient Kingdom of Kush, with its capital at Meroe?
A) Sudan
B) Zimbabwe
C) Madagascar
D) Somalia
  • 24. Which African country was formerly known as Tanganyika before merging with Zanzibar to form a new nation?
A) Kenya
B) Rwanda
C) Tanzania
D) Uganda
  • 25. Who was the South African leader who introduced apartheid and became Prime Minister in 1948?
A) F.W. de Klerk
B) P.W. Botha
C) Daniel Francois Malan
D) Hendrik Verwoerd
  • 26. Which European country colonized Angola?
A) Portugal
B) France
C) Spain
D) Italy
  • 27. What was the significance of the Mfecane in Southern Africa?
A) Era of peaceful coexistence among tribes
B) Golden age of trade and prosperity
C) Period of widespread chaos and warfare
D) Cultural renaissance and artistic flourishing
  • 28. Who was the first President of Tanzania after independence?
A) Samora Machel
B) Idi Amin
C) Julius Nyerere
D) Jomo Kenyatta
  • 29. In which country was the 1994 genocide that killed hundreds of thousands of Tutsis mainly carried out?
A) Burundi
B) Sudan
C) Uganda
D) Rwanda
  • 30. Which North African country was colonized by the French and later gained independence in 1962?
A) Tunisia
B) Morocco
C) Libya
D) Algeria
  • 31. Which European country colonized present-day Ghana?
A) Portugal
B) France
C) Germany
D) Britain
  • 32. Who wrote the famous novel 'Things Fall Apart'?
A) Wole Soyinka
B) Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
C) Ben Okri
D) Chinua Achebe
  • 33. What was the name of the movement that aimed to unite all Africans against European colonial rule?
A) African Nationalism
B) Pan-Africanism
C) African Diaspora
D) Black Power Movement
  • 34. The Swahili language originated as a mix of Bantu languages and which other language group?
A) Arabic
B) English
C) French
D) Spanish
  • 35. Who was the first female President of Malawi, serving from 2002 to 2012?
A) Sylvie Kinigi
B) Joyce Banda
C) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
D) Ameenah Gurib-Fakim
  • 36. What was the name of the organization founded by Nelson Mandela to fight against apartheid in South Africa?
A) Pan-African Congress (PAC)
B) United Democratic Front (UDF)
C) African National Congress (ANC)
D) Democratic Alliance (DA)
  • 37. Which African country was colonized by the Portuguese and later became the first post-colonial communist state in Africa?
A) Angola
B) Cape Verde
C) Mozambique
D) Guinea-Bissau
  • 38. Which African country was once led by the military dictator Idi Amin?
A) Kenya
B) Nigeria
C) Uganda
D) Congo
  • 39. In which year did Ghana become the first African country to gain independence from colonial rule?
A) 1975
B) 1948
C) 1963
D) 1957
  • 40. The Transatlantic Slave Trade mostly involved the transportation of slaves from Africa to which other continent?
A) Europe
B) Australia
C) Americas
D) Asia
  • 41. Which European power colonized Algeria in the 19th century?
A) Spain
B) England
C) Portugal
D) France
  • 42. Who was the Libyan leader overthrown and killed during the Arab Spring in 2011?
A) Hosni Mubarak
B) Muammar Gaddafi
C) Ben Ali
D) Bashar al-Assad
  • 43. Which African country was a former colony of Portugal?
A) Mozambique
B) Angola
C) Namibia
D) Botswana
  • 44. Who was the Nigerian musician known for popularizing Afrobeat music?
A) Angelique Kidjo
B) Miriam Makeba
C) King Sunny Ade
D) Fela Kuti
  • 45. Who was the Ethiopian Emperor who led the resistance against Italian colonization in the late 19th century?
A) Menelik II
B) Askia Mohammed
C) Haile Selassie
D) Mansa Musa
  • 46. Who was the leader of the Pan-African movement and the first President of Ghana?
A) Patrice Lumumba
B) Kwame Nkrumah
C) Julius Nyerere
D) Jomo Kenyatta
  • 47. Which famous African leader was assassinated in 1961, just months before his country's independence?
A) Leopold Sedar Senghor
B) Patrice Lumumba
C) Hastings Banda
D) Kwame Nkrumah
  • 48. What was the famous city of trade and scholarship in medieval Mali Empire?
A) Kilwa Kisiwani
B) Cairo
C) Timbuktu
D) Fez
  • 49. Who was the King of Mali Empire known for his pilgrimage to Mecca and vast wealth?
A) Shaka Zulu
B) Askia Muhammad
C) Mansa Musa
D) Sunni Ali
  • 50. What was the main economic activity of the Swahili city-states along the East African coast?
A) Fishing
B) Mining
C) Agriculture
D) Trade
  • 51. Who was the Nigerian activist who fought against environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region?
A) Ken Saro-Wiwa
B) Wole Soyinka
C) Olusegun Obasanjo
D) Chinua Achebe
  • 52. What was the major religion spread through trade in East Africa, particularly in modern-day Kenya and Tanzania?
A) Christianity
B) Buddhism
C) Islam
D) Hinduism
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