January 2023 Africa Trivia Quiz

Happy New Year! January 2023’s continental quiz is a continuation of the Africa GeoQuiz in December of last year. After testing your African trivia prowess, you can further test your geographic knowledge (↗) with other geography quizzes from GeoFact of the Day. The answers are listed below; enjoy and good luck!

1)      Fill in the blank: _________ from desert land in present-day MALI was once so highly prized that an ounce of this resource carried the same value as an ounce of gold!
A — sand
B — salt
C — pepper

2)      True or false: the Olduvai Gorge, Serengeti grassland region, and Mount Kilimanjaro are all notable landscape features of northern UGANDA.

3)      The naming (etymology) of BURKINA FASO translates in English to “land of the honest men” as well as “land of the _________.”
A — liars
B — incorruptible
C — brazen

4)      Fill in the blank: tucked in the northeast corner of EQUATORIAL GUINEA, Ebebiyín is a “corner city” of about 36,000 residents near _________ as well as GABON.
A — CAMEROON
B — DJIBOUTI
C — LESOTHO
D — MADAGASCAR

5)      MAURITIUS is one of the first countries around the globe to convert a relatively unconventional material to generate electricity. Steam turbines powered by this crop produce up to one fifth (1/5) of the island’s electricity during the annual harvest season! Which crop is especially used in Mauritius for energy needs?
A — broccoli
B — sugarcane
C — plantains
D — guava, mangoes, and papaya

6)      True or false: Lake Togo gave the country of TOGO its name. Togo is derived from the Ewe word togodo, meaning “behind the lake.”

7)      One provincial name in SOUTH AFRICA translates from the Sotho language into English as the “place of gold.” Which is the correct province?
A — Gauteng
B — Kwazulu-Natal
C — Western Cape



















ANSWERS

Question 1:
B . . . . . salt

Question 2:
False . . . . . northern Tanzania

Question 3:
B . . . . . incorruptible

Question 4:
A . . . . . Cameroon

Question 5:
B . . . . . sugarcane

Question 6:
True

Question 7:
A . . . . . Gauteng

Independence Day in Mali

People all across MALI celebrated their country's Independence Day yesterday on Tuesday, September 22nd. Mali achieved independence from France in 1960. Happy Independence Day!

Mali is Known for...

●    Timbuktu and other trade cities
●    Well-known musicians
●    An abundance of baobab trees
●    Ceremonial wooden masks and statues
●    Intriguing Dogon rituals
●    Salt caravans plying the desert deposits
●    Mali Empire

Most items were listed in The Africa Book; the MLA citation is below. What are other "trademarks" of this African country? Feel free to share your thoughts with a comment!

Phillips et al. The Africa Book: A Journey through Every
          Country in the Continent. Lonely Planet, 2007.

— #AfricaWeek —

Mali Exports

According to MIT's Observatory of Economic Complexity (atlas.media.mit.edu), the following items are major exports of MALI: amber and similar resins, animal hides, automobiles (small amounts), buckwheat, carbonates, cassava, cereal and wheat flour, construction vehicles, corn (maize), cotton, detonating fuses, dried fruit, engines, excavation machinery, fertilizer, gold, groundnuts, integrated circuits, jam/jelly, livestock, medicine, oilseeds, organosulfur compounds, paint, processed food, refined petroleum, revolution counters, spices, tea, telephones, televisions, tropical fruit, and wood. According to the International Monetary Fund (data.imf.org), countries and territories buying and importing most of those exports (February 2017 statistics) include Switzerland (top importer), Ukraine, Senegal, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Indonesia, France, Russia, Germany, Burkina Faso, China, Thailand, Morocco, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and India.

Mali Endangered Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ for MALI in West Africa lists 1 regionally-extinct species (Scimitar-horned Oryx), 7 critically endangered species, and 11 endangered species. The Scimitar-horned Oryx is Mali's only extinct species listed by the IUCN. While not believed to still remain in the wild, these antelopes are fortunately living in captivity — being reintroduced to Senegal and introduced near Morocco's western coast. Mali's seven critically endangered species are the African Slender-snouted Crocodile, Addra Gazelle, Hooded Vulture, Northern Bald Ibis, Rueppell's Griffon (Vulture), White-backed Vulture, and White-headed Vulture. Acridocarpus monodii shrub plants (endemic to central Mali's Dogon Plateau), Cape Hunting Dogs, Common Chimpanzees, Egyptian Eagles, Lappet-faced Vultures, Philochortus zolii lizards, Pteleopsis habeensis plants, Rhim Gazelles, Saker Falcons, Steppe Eagles, and Vepris heterophylla plants are endangered in Mali. Species named after Mali include the Mali Agama lizard and Mali Firefinch.

Mali Lakes

In Western Africa, MALI has a dry and arid northern region because the country straddles the Saharan Desert. There are even multiple lakes in the desert-like area of South Central Mali, although they are sometimes devastated by excessive evaporation and desertification. Most of them are connected to meandering streams and rivers, including the wide Niger River. Some of Mali's lakes include Lac Aougoundou, Lac Débo, Lac Fati, Lac Kabara, Lac Korienzé, and Lac Oro. This webpage on NASA's Earth Observatory shows two satellite images of Lac Faguibine, a large lake that is affected by the aridity that comes with the regional climate.

Some Facts About Mali

MALI is a relatively diverse and mainly French-speaking country located in Western Africa. There are seven bordering countries: Algeria (to the north), Burkina Faso (southeast), Côte d'Ivoire (south), Guinea (southwest), Mauritania (west), Niger (east), and Senegal (west). The largest ethnic group is Mande, which composes half of Mali's population. 17% of the total population is comprised of Peul people, 12% is Voltaic, 10% is Taureg and Moor, and 6% is Songhai. A whopping 90% of Malians are Muslims, while 9% believe in indigenous beliefs (the other percent belongs to other religions). The capital is Bamako, which has around 1,260,000 inhabitants and is located in southwestern Mali.

>>> Visit my Mali post to learn more!

Mali

MALI is a large country situated in Western Africa. There are 7 bordering countries: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal. Mali was part of 3 major empires in Africa. The capital is Bamako. The currency is the West African Franc, and its ISO 4217 currency code is XOF.