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