Take a Gander at The Gambia Online Quiz | Africa

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1. The very small country of The Gambia has a coastline on one of the great oceans of the world. Which of the following oceans does this African nation have a coastline on?

Answer: Atlantic Ocean

The Gambia is found towards the northwest of the African mainland and has a very small coastline indeed. In fact its border with the Atlantic Ocean only extends for 80km. This small coastline however is of great economic advantage to The Gambia, as it allows the nation to house an ocean port.

2. The Gambia shares just under 750km of its border with one country. What is the name of this neighbouring country?

Answer: Senegal

Senegal is the only country that borders The Gambia. It can therefore be seen as an African equivalent to Denmark, who has a sole border with Germany or Vatican City, which borders only Italy. Another African country that shares this feature with The Gambia is Lesotho which is landlocked entirely by South Africa.

3. The shape of The Gambia is dictated by the river that runs the length of the nation. What is the name of this river which flows from the east of the country to its ocean border in the west?

Answer: Gambia River

There is always something quite disappointing about a river that has the same name as the area in which its found. The Limpopo, found in Mozambique and a few other southern African countries, is a far more intriguing name!

There is an island in the mouth of the Gambia River which used to be a significant location for slave traders. The island, named James Island after King James II of England, has since become a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site.

4. The Gambia is the smallest country on the mainland of Africa and to put that in perspective, it is just a little bit smaller than a certain Caribbean country. What is the name of this Caribbean island of comparative size to The Gambia, which has a flag of green, yellow and black?

Answer: Jamaica

Even though The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, there are other countries that are smaller in continental Africa. The islands surrounding the African mainland that are smaller than The Gambia include Comoros, R�union and Mauritius.

To maintain the theme of vexillology, the flag of The Gambia consists of five horizontal stripes of different widths. These stripes are coloured, from top to bottom, red, white, blue, white and green.

5. Banjul is the capital city of The Gambia and it is situated on an island which is found in the mouth of a river that runs through the country. What is the name of this island which shares its name with the mother of Jesus?

Answer: St Mary's Island

St Mary's Island is also known as Banjul Island, but the latter wouldn't have made for a very good answer to this question! The capital city, Banjul, is found on this island at the mouth of the River Gambia. The island is connected to the mainland by two bridges and it is also possible for people to travel to and from the city by ferry.

6. The Gambian capital city of Banjul is twinned with a city in the northeast region of the United States of America. What is the name of Banjul's sister city, the largest city in the state of New Jersey?

Answer: Newark

Newark is given the nickname 'The Brick City' and despite being the largest city in the state of New Jersey, it is not the capital. The state capital is the city of Trenton.

Another of Banjul's sister cities is Grimsby, found in the English county of Lincolnshire. Grimsby, like Banjul, is a seaport and is located on an estuary.

7. The Gambia is one of quite a few countries where the capital is not the country's largest city. What is the largest city in The Gambia?

Answer: Serekunda

The capital city of The Gambia, Banjul, is situated on an island and the expansion of the city is therefore restricted. Serekunda however doesn't have such inhibitions and has the potential to grow further.

The three incorrect answers, Dakar, Saint-Louis and Touba, are all cities found in neighbouring Senegal. Dakar is the capital city of Senegal and is well known for being the final destination of the Dakar Rally.

8. Janjanbureh, formerly known as Georgetown, is a town found in the east of The Gambia. The town is home to a major Gambian prison and just north of the area lie monuments of cultural significance. What can be found just north of Janjanbureh?

Answer: Stone circles

For such a small country The Gambia really does house a significant number of World Heritage Sites. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) decided that the stone "monuments" were so numerous, concentrated and significant that the site had to be recognised. The stone circles, which UNESCO call "laterite pillars" serve as a reminder of burials.

(Information obtained from UNESCO's website, www.unesco.org)

9. The official language of many African nations is dependent upon their history. Which of the following countries did The Gambia gain its independence from in 1965?

Answer: United Kingdom

As a result of the British influence over The Gambia, the official language of the African nation is English. The date of Gambian independence was February 18, 1965 and five years later on April 24, 1970, The Gambia became a republic.

10. If you leave The Gambia via one of its ports and travel into the ocean you may come into contact with a series of nearby islands. This collections of islands constitute a country with the capital Praia. What country would you be travelling to?

Answer: Cape Verde

With a bit of luck you will have arrived at the Republic of Cape Verde or in Portuguese, Cabo Verde.

Source: Author jonnowales

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ozzz2002 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

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