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