Our ten kids’ quiz questions about Africa are in popular multiple choice format and provide some interesting facts and figures about this diverse region of our planet which may very well be the continent where the human species originated from. Our Africa quiz questions for kids include topics such as geography, languages, population and foods …. and penguins get a mention too! Africa is our hottest continent with around two-thirds of its area comprising of deserts and drylands.
Something unique to this continent is that a combination of its shape and location allows it to stretch from the northern temperate zone to the southern temperate zone. So, enjoy the following ten children’s quiz questions about Africa and we hope they inspire you to learn more about this exciting part of the world. The quiz answers are at the bottom of the page.
Question 1: Africa is a continent (a very large mass of land) which is made up of many different countries. How many countries make up the continent of Africa?
(a) 24 (b) 54 (c) 84
Question 2: What percentage of all the land on the planet Earth does Africa cover?
(a) 10% (b) 20% (c) 30%
Question 3: What are the origins of the name ‘Africa’? The name has its origins in a small country in the North of Africa (Tunisia) and it means:
(a) sunny place (b) enormous place (c) dangerous place
Question 4: In 1950, about 221 million people lived in Africa. How many people live in Africa today?
(a) 500 million people
(b) 750 million people
(c) more than 1000 million (a billion) people
Question 5: What is the distance from the top of Africa (i.e. its most northerly point) to the bottom of Africa (its most southerly point)?
(a) 1000 miles (1600km)
(b) 5000 miles (8000km)
(c) 10000 miles (16000km)
Question 6: Along with lions, elephants and giraffes, Africa is also home to penguins.
TRUE or FALSE?
Question 7: How many different languages are spoken across Africa?
(a) About 30 (b) About 300 (c) About 3000
Question 8: What is the name of the fast food dish popular in South Africa which is made by filling a hollowed-out loaf of bread with curry?
(a) Bunny Chow (b) Funny Chow (c) Runny Chow
Question 9: Which country is Africa’a most popular tourist destination?
(a) Egypt (b) Morocco (c) Tunisia
Question 10: To make chocolate you need cocoa beans. Approximately how much of the world’s cocoa bean crop is grown in West Africa?
(a) 33% (b) 66% (c) 99%
STOP SCROLLING! … ANSWERS BELOW
Here are the answers to our Africa quiz questions for kids …
Answer 1: (b) Africa is made up of 54 countries.
Answer 2: (b) Africa covers approximately 20% of our planet’s land area …. and about 6% of the total surface area of the Earth.
Answer 3: (a) The name ‘Africa’ has its origins in an ancient area of Tunisia called Ifriqiya which roughly translates to ‘sunny place’.
Answer 4: (c) more than 1000 million (a billion) people live in Africa today making it home to more than 15% of the world’s human population.
Answer 5: (b) 5000 miles (8000km)
Answer 6: TRUE. African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus) live in the south of Africa on islands and rocky coastal areas. They are sometimes referred to as black-footed penguins or jackass penguins (because of their loud ‘braying sound’ which is similar to a donkey).
Answer 7: (c) It is estimated that around 3000 different languages are used across the continent of Africa.
Answer 8: (a) Bunny Chow. Also known as a kota or ‘quarter’.
Answer 9: (a) Egypt is Africa’s top tourist destination which is not surprising when you remember that it is home to world famous attractions like the Great Sphinx of Giza, and the tomb of Tutankhamun at Luxor.
Answer 10: (b) 66% …. with Ivory Coast alone being responsible for about 30% of the world’s cocoa supply. (Always check it’s Fair Trade!).