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Quiz about Africas Independence Decade  The 1960s
Quiz about Africas Independence Decade  The 1960s

Africa's Independence Decade -- The 1960s Quiz


Seventeen African nations gained their independence in 1960, and 15 more over the rest of the decade. Here are ten that gained their freedom between 1961 and 1968. Have fun!

A multiple-choice quiz by shvdotr. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
shvdotr
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
382,497
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
377
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Led by Jomo Kenyatta, which African nation gained its freedom from Britain on December 12, 1963? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Named by Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra in 1462, this country gained its independence in 1961. In the 18th Century, the British resettled a couple thousand former slaves here in what was called the "Province of Freedom." Similar efforts continued in the next century and included a settlement named Freetown, which is now this nation's capital. Which West African country is it? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Eleven of the first 15 African countries to become independent in the period 1961 to 1968 did so from the United Kingdom. On July 1, 1962, two countries gained freedom from Belgium. One of these has its capital at Bujumbura, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Which of the following is it? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Famous for a former inhabitant, now extinct, this nation (which gained freedom from Britain on March 12, 1968), was owned by the Dutch from 1638 to 1710 and by the French from 1715 to 1810. Which African nation is this that has no official language (although English is official in Parliament), has its own distinctive music genre called sega, and is the 179th-largest nation in the world? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Among the world's least developed countries, this African nation gained its freedom from Britain on July 6, 1964. Which country is this that was formerly known as Nyasaland and has its capital at Lilongwe? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Which French colony, the largest African nation to gain its independence between 1961 and 1968, became a free nation on July 2, 1962? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. This country, with a flag sporting a large black-and-white African shield on a broad horizontal red band, gained its independence from Britain on September 6, 1968. Which small, land-locked nation in southern Africa was declared an absolute monarchy in 1973 by King Sobhuza II? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. In 1855, David Livingstone was the first European to see the magnificent waterfalls, which he named Victoria Falls, on the river this nation is named for. But before it became free of the UK on October 24, 1964, it bore the name of the British businessman who dominated the British colonies of southern Africa at the end of the Nineteenth Century. Which kidney-shaped nation is this, whose capital is Lusaka? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The last African country to gain its independence in the 1960s was not a British colony at the time. The only African country with Spanish as its official language (it gained independence from Spain on October 12, 1968), it also recognizes French and Portuguese as official. Which small state is this, whose capital, Malabo, lies on an island called Bioko? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Once known as Bechuanaland, this nation's geography is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. After becoming independent from the United Kingdom on September 30, 1966, it changed its name to the word its citizens use to refer to themselves, which also reflects the country's most widely spoken language. Which nation is this, whose capital is Gaborone? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Led by Jomo Kenyatta, which African nation gained its freedom from Britain on December 12, 1963?

Answer: Kenya

In 1945 Jomo Kenyatta helped organize the Pan-African Congress, held in Britain. In 1947 he was elected president of the Kenya African Union. From 1953 to 1961 he was imprisoned by the British for being a member of the Mau Mau, a charge that has never been proven.

While in prison he was elected president of the Kenya Africa National Union, a post he held until Kenya gained its independence, whereupon Kenyatta became Prime Minister (until '64) and subsequently Kenya's first President. He died in office in 1978.
2. Named by Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra in 1462, this country gained its independence in 1961. In the 18th Century, the British resettled a couple thousand former slaves here in what was called the "Province of Freedom." Similar efforts continued in the next century and included a settlement named Freetown, which is now this nation's capital. Which West African country is it?

Answer: Sierra Leone

Sadly, Sierra Leone's history has been unsettled since its independence. Military coups in 1967 and '68 ended its democratic period, and a one-party state followed until 1991. That was followed by a ten-year civil war until 2002, resulting in the deaths of approximately 50,000 people.

However, in 2012, after United Nations troops left the country, an election was held which has been deemed fair and which has given Ernest Koroma a second term as president.
3. Eleven of the first 15 African countries to become independent in the period 1961 to 1968 did so from the United Kingdom. On July 1, 1962, two countries gained freedom from Belgium. One of these has its capital at Bujumbura, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Which of the following is it?

Answer: Burundi

For 200 years Burundi was an independent kingdom until colonized by Germany in the 1880s as part of German East Africa. It was then ceded to Belgium with Germany's defeat in World War I. When it became independent in 1961, it was as a constitutional monarchy under King Mwami Mwambutsa IV.
4. Famous for a former inhabitant, now extinct, this nation (which gained freedom from Britain on March 12, 1968), was owned by the Dutch from 1638 to 1710 and by the French from 1715 to 1810. Which African nation is this that has no official language (although English is official in Parliament), has its own distinctive music genre called sega, and is the 179th-largest nation in the world?

Answer: Mauritius

The dodo is the extinct former resident from the question and appears on the coat of arms to the left of the shield. It was from Mauritius that Abel Tasman sailed forth in 1642 to discover Tasmania.
5. Among the world's least developed countries, this African nation gained its freedom from Britain on July 6, 1964. Which country is this that was formerly known as Nyasaland and has its capital at Lilongwe?

Answer: Malawi

Lying along the southern end of the Great Rift Valley, over half of Malawi lies along Lake Malawi (formerly known as Lake Nyasa), which Wikipedia says contains "about a third of Malawi's area."

Established as a trading post in 1906, Lilongwe was only recognized as a town in 1947. In 1975 Hastings Banda, who ruled Malawi from independence until 1994 (and from 1971 as President for Life), moved the capital from Zomba to Lilongwe. Banda did allow free elections in 1994 and was defeated. He died, reportedly at age 99, in South Africa in 1997.
6. Which French colony, the largest African nation to gain its independence between 1961 and 1968, became a free nation on July 2, 1962?

Answer: Algeria

Not only is Algeria the largest African country to gain its independence in the Sixties, it is Africa's largest nation, period, ranking number 10 in the world. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is second in Africa and 11th in the world. They are the only two African countries with more than two million square kilometers. Algeria is also the largest Arab country and the largest nation with a Mediterranean coastline.
7. This country, with a flag sporting a large black-and-white African shield on a broad horizontal red band, gained its independence from Britain on September 6, 1968. Which small, land-locked nation in southern Africa was declared an absolute monarchy in 1973 by King Sobhuza II?

Answer: Swaziland

Although it is an absolute monarchy, Swaziland does have a parliament made up of two houses, including a Senate composed of 30 members and a House of Assembly composed of 65 seats. Ten members of the Senate are appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 by the king. Mswati III has ruled as king since 1986, succeeding his father, who ruled for 82 years, perhaps the longest in history.

He had 70 wives and 210 children. In 2018 King Mswati II renamed the country Eswatini.
8. In 1855, David Livingstone was the first European to see the magnificent waterfalls, which he named Victoria Falls, on the river this nation is named for. But before it became free of the UK on October 24, 1964, it bore the name of the British businessman who dominated the British colonies of southern Africa at the end of the Nineteenth Century. Which kidney-shaped nation is this, whose capital is Lusaka?

Answer: Zambia

Known as Northern Rhodesia when it was controlled by Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company, Zambia took its name from the Zambezi River when it became independent. Kenneth Kaunda became its first president in 1964.
9. The last African country to gain its independence in the 1960s was not a British colony at the time. The only African country with Spanish as its official language (it gained independence from Spain on October 12, 1968), it also recognizes French and Portuguese as official. Which small state is this, whose capital, Malabo, lies on an island called Bioko?

Answer: Equatorial Guinea

The first European to see the island of Bioko was Fernando Po, a Portuguese explorer who sighted the isle in 1472. The island was given the explorer's name and was known as Fernando Po until 1973.
10. Once known as Bechuanaland, this nation's geography is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. After becoming independent from the United Kingdom on September 30, 1966, it changed its name to the word its citizens use to refer to themselves, which also reflects the country's most widely spoken language. Which nation is this, whose capital is Gaborone?

Answer: Botswana

In the language of the Tswana, who make up 79% of the country's population, "Batswana" refers to the people of the nation, and the word "Motswana" refers to one person. Although its size is similar to France's (Botswana is ranked 47th in area worldwide, France 41st), Botswana's population in 2014 was only estimated at 2,155,784, compared to France's 66 million in 2016.
Source: Author shvdotr

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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