Quiz 2 (Ghana, The Gambia & Ethiopia)

What was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonial rule?

• Ghana
• The Gambia

• Ethiopia

• Kenya

Answer explanation

Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonial rule: Ghana was colonised by the British until it gained its independence on March 6, 1957, led by Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. Ghana’s independence was a major milestone in the history of Africa, inspiring other African countries to fight for their independence from colonial powers. This event marked the birth of a new era in Africa, characterized by a spirit of freedom, hope, and dignity.

What is the smallest country in mainland Africa?

• Ghana

• Ethiopia

• The Gambia

Answer explanation

The Gambia is a long strip of land that follows the course of the River Gambia, and is situated on Africa's west coast, bordered on either side by Senegal.

It's incredibly narrow, measuring less than 30 miles wide at its widest! Although small, the country is densely populated with approximately 2.28 million people.

The Gambia has a unique voting system. What do the Gambians use to vote?

• Seashells
• Marbles
• Pebbles
• Coins

Answer explanation

The Gambia has a unique voting system. When it comes time to elect a new president, the Gambian people use marbles, instead of a ballot paper, to vote.

The marble system was introduced in the 1960s because it was a way of ensuring that ‘everyone had their say in a country with very high illiteracy rates.’(DW)

Where is the birthplace of coffee?

• The Gambia

• Ghana

• Ethiopia

Answer explanation

You know your morning caffeine shot? You’ve got some Ethiopian goats to thank for that. As the story goes, a goat herder way back when noticed his flock’s fondness for a certain bush and decided to give one of the fruits a nibble himself. His day’s herding was notably more efficient for it – and the coffee industry took off from there.

Who is Ghana’s only Nobel Prize Winner?

• Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
• Kofi Annan
• Nelson Mandela
• Desmond Tutu

Answer explanation

Kofi Annan is Ghana’s only Nobel Prize Winner. He won the Peace Prize in 2001 for his ‘work for a better organized and more peaceful world.’

Kofi Annan is probably the most internationally known Ghanaian. He was the UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006. Annan died in 2018 at the age of 80.

Approximately what year are Ethiopians currently in on the Ethiopian calendar (as of April 10, 2024 Gregorian)?

• 2016

• 2017

• 2018

• 2019

Answer explanation

Plenty of cultures have their own calendars that they prefer to follow over the Western Gregorian one, but most still abide by the unspoken ’12 months to a year’ rule. Not Ethiopia.

Several thousand years ago the Ethiopians believed that one more is always better – and have been counting 13 months to their year ever since.