Q 01/05

Which desert, the largest hot desert on Earth, covers nearly a third of the African continent?

A) Sahara

B) Kalahari

C) Danakil

D) Karoo

Answer · why

A) Sahara

The Sahara spans about 9 million square km, 31% of Africa, yet it ranks only third among the world's deserts: icy Antarctica and the Arctic are both b...

Q 02/05

Which north-flowing river drains a basin spread across eleven countries before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea?

A) Orange

B) Senegal

C) Nile

D) Volta

Answer · why

C) Nile

The Nile gets most of its water from the shorter of its two main branches. The Blue Nile carries more than twice the volume of the longer White Nile.

Q 03/05

Which dormant East African volcano is both Africa's highest peak and the world's tallest free-standing mountain?

A) Mount Kenya

B) Kilimanjaro

C) Ol Doinyo Lengai

D) Mount Meru

Answer · why

B) Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro stands 5,895 m above sea level and about 4,900 m above the plateau at its base. Its last eruption came more than 150,000 years ago.

Q 04/05

Which island country off Africa's southeast coast is the native home of all lemurs?

A) Comoros

B) Seychelles

C) Mauritius

D) Madagascar

Answer · why

D) Madagascar

Madagascar broke away from the Indian subcontinent about 90 million years ago, and that long isolation is why over 90% of its wildlife is found nowher...

Q 05/05

Which lake, shared by Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, is Africa's largest by area and the world's largest tropical lake?

A) Victoria

B) Malawi

C) Turkana

D) Naivasha

Answer · why

A) Victoria

Victoria got its English name in 1858, when explorer John Hanning Speke, the first Briton to document the lake, renamed it after his queen. Only Lake ...