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Zambian History - Quiz
Contributed by: Best
  • 1. Zambia, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, has a rich and diverse history that dates back to ancient times. The region that is now Zambia was inhabited by various indigenous tribes for centuries before the arrival of European explorers and colonizers. In the late 19th century, the area came under British control and was known as Northern Rhodesia. The struggle for independence from colonial rule was led by prominent figures such as Kenneth Kaunda, who later became the first President of Zambia upon gaining independence in 1964. Since then, Zambia has experienced periods of political stability and economic growth, as well as challenges such as poverty, corruption, and health crises like the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The country's history is marked by a vibrant cultural heritage, diverse ethnic groups, and a commitment to democracy and social development.

    Who was the first President of Zambia?
A) Michael Sata
B) Levy Mwanawasa
C) Kenneth Kaunda
D) Frederick Chiluba
  • 2. When did Zambia gain independence from British colonial rule?
A) 1986
B) 1972
C) 1958
D) 1964
  • 3. What is the capital city of Zambia?
A) Kigali
B) Nairobi
C) Harare
D) Lusaka
  • 4. Which major river forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe?
A) Zambezi
B) Orange
C) Congo
D) Nile
  • 5. What is Zambia's currency called?
A) South African rand
B) Zambian kwacha
C) Zimbabwean dollar
D) Botswana pula
  • 6. Which mineral is Zambia known for exporting?
A) Diamonds
B) Copper
C) Gold
D) Uranium
  • 7. Who was Zambia's first female Vice President?
A) Sylvia Masebo
B) Inonge Wina
C) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
D) Joyce Banda
  • 8. What is Zambia's official language?
A) Tonga
B) English
C) Bemba
D) Nyanja
  • 9. Which sport is popular in Zambia?
A) Golf
B) Rugby
C) Cricket
D) Soccer
  • 10. What type of government does Zambia have?
A) Communism
B) Dictatorship
C) Monarchy
D) Republic
  • 11. Which famous political leader from South Africa spent time in prison in Zambia during apartheid?
A) Thabo Mbeki
B) Winnie Mandela
C) Nelson Mandela
D) Jacob Zuma
  • 12. Which European explorer was one of the first to visit the area that is now Zambia?
A) Christopher Columbus
B) David Livingstone
C) Marco Polo
D) Vasco da Gama
  • 13. What is Zambia's largest ethnic group?
A) Bemba
B) Tonga
C) Ngoni
D) Lozi
  • 14. Which famous waterfall is located on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border?
A) Angel Falls
B) Iguazu Falls
C) Victoria Falls
D) Niagara Falls
  • 15. What is the name of the traditional Zambian ceremony where the Paramount Chief is crowned?
A) Ku'omboka
B) Kuomboka
C) Likumbi Lya Mize
D) Ukusefya Pa Ng'wena
  • 16. What was the name of the independence movement in Zambia?
A) Zambia First Party
B) National Democratic Congress
C) Movement for Multiparty Democracy
D) United National Independence Party (UNIP)
  • 17. What is the traditional beer in Zambia made from?
A) Maize
B) Barley
C) Sorghum
D) Wheat
  • 18. What is the name of the traditional Zambian dish made from maize meal?
A) Ishima
B) Chibwabwa
C) Nshima
D) Ubwali
  • 19. When did Northern Rhodesia become a British protectorate?
A) 1964
B) 1963
C) 1924
D) 1888
  • 20. Which event marked the end of colonial rule in Africa according to Harold Macmillan?
A) The formation of the Republic of Zambia in 1964.
B) The dissolution of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1963.
C) The declaration in 1960 that the age of colonial rule was ending.
D) The independence of Northern Rhodesia from Britain.
  • 21. What is the significance of Kalambo Falls in Zambian prehistory?
A) It shows evidence of human cultures dating back more than 36,000 years ago.
B) It is where the first European missionaries settled.
C) It was a major trade route for ancient Bantu peoples.
D) It marks the site where Broken Hill Man was discovered.
  • 22. Who were the early inhabitants of modern Zambia before AD 300?
A) The Khoisan and Batwa peoples.
B) The Bantu people.
C) The Kalanga/Shona traders.
D) The Portuguese.
  • 23. What was the primary reason for the decline of Great Zimbabwe?
A) The Bantu Expansion.
B) Increasing trade competition from other Kalanga/Shona kingdoms like Khami and Mutapa.
C) The arrival of European missionaries.
D) Migrations by the Ngoni people.
  • 24. What was the primary export of the Maravi Empire?
A) Gold.
B) Salt.
C) Ivory.
D) Copper.
  • 25. Who founded the Mutapa Empire?
A) Nyatsimba Mutota.
B) Mwene Kongo VIII Mvemba.
C) Shaka Zulu.
D) Changamire Dombo.
  • 26. What event in 1935 highlighted poor safety records and increased taxes for African mineworkers?
A) African mineworkers' Copperbelt strike
B) Discovery of copper deposits
C) Formation of the Central African Federation
D) White miners' strike
  • 27. Who was the American prospector credited with discovering major copper deposits in Central Africa?
A) Cecil Rhodes
B) Frederick Russell Burnham
C) David Livingstone
D) Henry Morton Stanley
  • 28. How many people were arrested after the failed 1997 coup?
A) 30
B) 100
C) At least 84
D) 50
  • 29. How many seats did UNIP win in the pre-independence elections?
A) 25 seats
B) 75 seats
C) 10 seats
D) 55 seats
  • 30. What was the primary export of the Mutapa Empire?
A) Salt and copper.
B) Fabrics and beads.
C) Gold and ivory.
D) Iron and ceramics.
  • 31. What was the primary reason for the decline of the Mutapa Empire?
A) The arrival of European missionaries.
B) The Bantu Expansion.
C) Trade competition from Great Zimbabwe.
D) Internal disputes and civil war, followed by conquest by the Portuguese and rival Shona states.
  • 32. Who became acting President of Zambia after Michael Sata's death?
A) Rupiah Banda
B) Guy Scott
C) Edgar Lungu
D) Levy Patrick Mwanawasa
  • 33. In which year were enormous copper deposits discovered on the Copperbelt, transforming Northern Rhodesia's economy?
A) 1953
B) 1940
C) 1928
D) 1935
  • 34. Which hydroelectric station helped Zambia meet its electricity needs?
A) The Victoria Falls hydroelectric station
B) The Kariba hydroelectric station
C) The Cahora Bassa hydroelectric station
D) The Inga Dam hydroelectric station
  • 35. What was the primary reason for the decline of the Maravi Empire?
A) The Bantu Expansion.
B) Trade competition from Great Zimbabwe.
C) Succession disputes within the confederacy, attack by the Ngoni, and slave raids from the Yao.
D) The arrival of European missionaries.
  • 36. Which country did Zambia have especially close relations with outside the Non-Aligned Movement?
A) Yugoslavia
B) Soviet Union
C) United Kingdom
D) United States
  • 37. What system was formalized in the 1973 constitution of Zambia?
A) Federal republic
B) One-party participatory democracy
C) Military dictatorship
D) Multi-party democracy
  • 38. What was the primary reason for the decline of the Rozvi Empire?
A) Internal conflicts and external pressures after defeating the Portuguese.
B) The Bantu Expansion.
C) Trade competition from Great Zimbabwe.
D) The arrival of European missionaries.
  • 39. Who was the Zambian president from 2008 to 2011?
A) Michael Sata
B) Rupiah Banda
C) Levy Patrick Mwanawasa
D) Edgar Lungu
  • 40. What was the primary reason for the decline of the Luba-Lunda states?
A) The arrival of European missionaries.
B) Trade competition from Great Zimbabwe.
C) The Bantu Expansion.
D) Atlantic and Indian Ocean slave trades, wars with breakaway factions, and instability.
  • 41. What was the primary reason for the decline of the Lunda Empire?
A) Trade competition from Great Zimbabwe.
B) The arrival of European missionaries.
C) The Bantu Expansion.
D) Wars with breakaway factions and instability caused by slave trades.
  • 42. What was the primary reason for the decline of the Barotse Kingdom?
A) Conquest by the Kololo and subsequent revolt by the Luyana.
B) The arrival of European missionaries.
C) Trade competition from Great Zimbabwe.
D) The Bantu Expansion.
  • 43. Which company initially administered Northern and Southern Rhodesia under British control?
A) British South Africa Company (BSAC)
B) South African Rhodesian Selection Trust (RST)
C) Anglo American Corporation (AAC)
D) Northern Territories Exploration Co.
  • 44. What was the primary reason for the decline of the Chokwe state?
A) Defeat by other ethnic groups and Portuguese intervention.
B) The Bantu Expansion.
C) The arrival of European missionaries.
D) Trade competition from Great Zimbabwe.
  • 45. In which year did Cecil Rhodes obtain mineral rights concessions from local chiefs in Central Africa?
A) 1895
B) 1888
C) 1923
D) 1900
  • 46. Who was the Zambian president before Hakainde Hichilema?
A) Michael Sata
B) Levy Patrick Mwanawasa
C) Edgar Lungu
D) Rupiah Banda
  • 47. Who defeated incumbent President Edgar Lungu in the 2021 presidential election?
A) Guy Scott
B) Michael Sata
C) Rupiah Banda
D) Hakainde Hichilema
  • 48. Who was the Zambian president from 2011 to 2014?
A) Edgar Lungu
B) Levy Patrick Mwanawasa
C) Rupiah Banda
D) Michael Sata
  • 49. What was the primary reason for the decline of the Ngoni state?
A) Trade competition from Great Zimbabwe.
B) The arrival of European missionaries.
C) Internal conflicts and external pressures after their migrations.
D) The Bantu Expansion.
  • 50. Which empire defeated the Portuguese in their attempt to control trade routes along the Zambezi river?
A) The Mutapa Empire.
B) The Luba Kingdom.
C) The Rozvi Empire under Changamire Dombo.
D) The Maravi Empire.
  • 51. In what year were all political parties except UNIP banned in Zambia?
A) 1968
B) 1972
C) 1980
D) 1973
  • 52. What was the primary reason for the decline of the Swahili Coast trade?
A) The arrival of European missionaries.
B) Trade competition from Great Zimbabwe.
C) Competition and conflicts with Portuguese traders.
D) The Bantu Expansion.
  • 53. When did the coup d'état attempt take place in 1997?
A) 12 December
B) 5 September
C) 15 June
D) 28 October
  • 54. What was the primary reason for the decline of the Zulu Empire?
A) The arrival of European missionaries.
B) Internal conflicts and external pressures after Shaka's reign.
C) Trade competition from Great Zimbabwe.
D) The Bantu Expansion.
  • 55. What was the goal of Zambia's economic policy after independence?
A) To establish a strong manufacturing sector
B) To integrate fully into the global economy
C) To become a major exporter of agricultural products
D) To achieve self-sufficiency through import substitution
  • 56. Who succeeded Frederick Chiluba as President of Zambia?
A) Levy Patrick Mwanawasa
B) Michael Sata
C) Rupiah Banda
D) Edgar Lungu
  • 57. Who won the Zambian presidential election on 24 January 2015?
A) Michael Sata
B) Rupiah Banda
C) Hakainde Hichilema
D) Edgar Chagwa Lungu
  • 58. How many leaders from each province were part of the Committee of 14?
A) Four leaders
B) One leader
C) Three leaders
D) Two leaders
  • 59. What was the primary reason for the decline of the Kongo Kingdom?
A) Trade competition from Great Zimbabwe.
B) The arrival of European missionaries.
C) The Bantu Expansion.
D) Internal conflicts and external pressures, including slave trades.
  • 60. How many seats did the MMD secure in the National Assembly in 1991?
A) 150
B) 125
C) 75
D) 100
  • 61. In which year did the British government decide not to renew the BSAC's charter, leading to Southern Rhodesia being annexed?
A) 1953
B) 1935
C) 1940
D) 1923
  • 62. What percentage of the presidential vote did Chiluba win in 1991?
A) 76%
B) 50%
C) 85%
D) 60%
  • 63. What was the primary reason for the decline of the Kalanga/Shona kingdoms?
A) Trade competition from Great Zimbabwe.
B) Competition and conflicts with Portuguese traders and other states.
C) The arrival of European missionaries.
D) The Bantu Expansion.
  • 64. In which year did Edgar Lungu win re-election narrowly in the first round?
A) 2016
B) 2021
C) 2015
D) 2017
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