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Amber parchment map of Africa with eight glowing pins and historic landmarks around the edges
GeographyHard

African Capitals - Hard

20 tricky African capitals: recent transfers and dual capitals. Which city hosts the South African government? What has been Burundi's capital since 2019? And the official one of Benin (while the government sits elsewhere)? Also featured: Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Chad, Central African Republic, São Tomé and Príncipe, Eswatini, Botswana, Guinea-Bissau, Republic of the Congo, Mauritius, Seychelles, and several decoy cities that are NOT capitals.

20

Questions

4

Minutes

Tip: Use keys 1-4 to answer quickly

The 20 quiz questions

Question 1 : What is the capital of Burundi?

Possible answers:

  • Bujumbura
  • Gitega
  • Rumonge
  • Ngozi

Explanation: Gitega has been the political capital of Burundi since 2019. Bujumbura, the former capital, remains the economic capital.

Question 2 : What is the official capital of Benin?

Possible answers:

  • Abomey
  • Parakou
  • Porto-Novo
  • Cotonou

Explanation: Porto-Novo is the official capital of Benin, although the government sits in Cotonou, the largest city.

Question 3 : What is the capital of Chad?

Possible answers:

  • Abéché
  • Sarh
  • Moundou
  • N'Djamena

Explanation: N'Djamena is the capital of Chad, located at the confluence of the Chari and Logone rivers.

Question 4 : What is the capital of the Central African Republic?

Possible answers:

  • Bambari
  • Berbérati
  • Bangui
  • Bimbo

Explanation: Bangui is the capital of the CAR, located on the banks of the Ubangi River, bordering the DRC.

Question 5 : What is the capital of São Tomé and Príncipe?

Possible answers:

  • Guadalupe
  • Neves
  • Santo Amaro
  • São Tomé

Explanation: São Tomé is the capital of Africa's smallest country, an archipelago in the Gulf of Guinea.

Question 6 : What is the administrative capital of Eswatini (Swaziland)?

Possible answers:

  • Mbabane
  • Siteki
  • Manzini
  • Lobamba

Explanation: Mbabane is the administrative capital of Eswatini. Lobamba is the legislative and royal capital.

Question 7 : What is the capital of Botswana?

Possible answers:

  • Gaborone
  • Kasane
  • Maun
  • Francistown

Explanation: Gaborone is the capital of Botswana, a Southern African country famous for the Okavango Delta.

Question 8 : What is the capital of Ivory Coast?

Possible answers:

  • Yamoussoukro
  • San-Pédro
  • Abidjan
  • Bouaké

Explanation: Yamoussoukro has been the political capital of Côte d'Ivoire since 1983, although Abidjan remains the economic capital and largest city.

Question 9 : What is the capital of Guinea-Bissau?

Possible answers:

  • Gabú
  • Bafatá
  • Cacheu
  • Bissau

Explanation: Bissau is the capital of Guinea-Bissau, a small Portuguese-speaking West African country.

Question 10 : What is the capital of the Republic of the Congo?

Possible answers:

  • Dolisie
  • Brazzaville
  • Pointe-Noire
  • Owando

Explanation: Brazzaville is the capital of Congo-Brazzaville, separated from Kinshasa (DRC) by the Congo River.

Question 11 : Which city is NOT an official African capital?

Possible answers:

  • Accra
  • Nairobi
  • Abuja
  • Lagos

Explanation: Lagos is Nigeria's largest city but not its capital. Abuja has been the federal capital since 1991.

Question 12 : What is the capital of Tanzania?

Possible answers:

  • Arusha
  • Dar es Salaam
  • Zanzibar City
  • Dodoma

Explanation: Dodoma has been the official capital of Tanzania since 1996, although Dar es Salaam remains the economic center and most populated city.

Question 13 : What is the capital of South Africa where the government sits?

Possible answers:

  • Pretoria
  • Johannesburg
  • Cape Town
  • Durban

Explanation: South Africa has three capitals: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial). Pretoria houses the seat of government.

Question 14 : Which city is NOT the capital of its African country?

Possible answers:

  • Lusaka
  • Kigali
  • Dar es Salaam
  • Kampala

Explanation: Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's largest city, but the official capital has been Dodoma since 1996.

Question 15 : What is the capital of Mauritius?

Possible answers:

  • Quatre Bornes
  • Curepipe
  • Port Louis
  • Rose Hill

Explanation: Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius, an important financial center in the Indian Ocean.

Question 16 : What is the capital of Seychelles?

Possible answers:

  • Beau Vallon
  • Praslin
  • Anse Royale
  • Victoria

Explanation: Victoria is the capital of Seychelles, one of the smallest capitals in the world by population.

Question 17 : Which of these cities is NOT the capital of its country?

Possible answers:

  • Dakar
  • Casablanca
  • Algiers
  • Tunis

Explanation: Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and economic capital, but the official capital is Rabat.

Question 18 : What is the capital of Somaliland (not internationally recognized) and which country claims it?

Possible answers:

  • Berbera / Ethiopia
  • Hargeisa / Somalia
  • Borama / Djibouti
  • Burao / Kenya

Explanation: Hargeisa is the capital of self-declared Somaliland. This territory is officially claimed by Somalia whose capital is Mogadishu.

Question 19 : Which of these cities IS the capital of its country?

Possible answers:

  • Addis Ababa
  • Johannesburg
  • Abidjan
  • Mombasa

Explanation: Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia. Abidjan is only the economic capital of Ivory Coast (the official one is Yamoussoukro), while Johannesburg and Cape Town are not the seat of the South African government (that's Pretoria).

Question 20 : What is the capital of Mauritania and where is it located?

Possible answers:

  • Kaédi, Senegal River valley
  • Nouakchott, Atlantic coast
  • Nouadhibou, Mediterranean coast
  • Atar, Sahara interior

Explanation: Nouakchott is the capital of Mauritania, built in the Sahara Desert on the Atlantic coast. It's one of Africa's most isolated capitals.

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