Kings & Kingdoms
He ruled the Mali Empire in the 14th century and is often cited as the richest man in history.
Bonus (50): What city did he help develop into a major Islamic center?
Who is Mansa Musa?
What is Timbuktu?
This is the most widely spoken language in West Africa
Bonus: List all six countries where this language is recongized as an official/national language
What is Hausa
Bonus: Niger and Niger
This Nigerian superstar is known for hits like Calm Down and became one of the most streamed African artists globally.
Bonus (50): Which American singer featured on the remix of “Calm Down”?
🟢 Who is Rema?
Who is Selena Gomez?
This man became the first president of Ghana in 1957 and was a leading voice in the Pan-African movement.
Bonus (50): What political slogan is he known for?
Who is Kwame Nkrumah?
What is “Forward Ever, Backward Never”?
This West African country elected Africa’s first female president.
B: What was her name?
What is Liberia?
B: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
This coastal kingdom in what is now Ghana was famous for its military power and sacred Golden Stool.
Bonus (50): What does the Golden Stool symbolize?
What is the Ashanti Kingdom?
What is the soul of the Ashanti nation?
This French-based creole is spoken in Guinea-Bissau and parts of Senegal.
What is Guinea-Bissau Creole (or Kriol)?
Bonus: What is the official language of Guinea-Bissau?
What is Guinea-Bissau Creole (or Kriol)?
Bonus: What is Portuguese?
This Malian-born French pop is the most streamed French artist in the world.
Bonus (50): Name one of her songs.
Who is Aya Nakamura?
He became Nigeria’s first president in 1963 after the country became a republic, following its independence from Britain.
Before becoming president, what important national role did he hold?
Who is Nnamdi Azikiwe?
B: What is Governor-General?
This small island nation has the highest GDP per capita in Africa and is a popular luxury honeymoon destination.
Which ocean surrounds this country?
What is Seychelles?
B: What is the Indian Ocean?
In what is now Nigeria, this kingdom produced bronze and ivory art that amazed Europeans.
Bonus (50): What was the name of the city where the royal palace stood?
What is the Benin Kingdom?
Bonus: What is Benin City?
This language, spoken mostly in southern Togo and southeastern Ghana, plays an important role in traditional drumming and dance.
Bonus: This language is apart of which language group?
🟡 What is Ewe?
Bonus: Kwa language group
Known for pioneering Coupé-Décalé, this Ivorian artist was a cultural icon until his death in a 2019 motorcycle accident.
Bonus (50): What was his nickname among his fans?
Who is DJ Arafat?
B: What is “Yorobo”?
He became the first president of Senegal in 1960 and was also a celebrated poet and philosopher.
Bonus (50): What cultural movement did he co-found?
Who is Léopold Sédar Senghor?
What is Négritude?
In 2023, this country’s government accidentally announced its president had died — while he was alive and tweeting from New York.
B: What’s the name of its capital city?
What is the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville)?
B: What is Brazzaville?
This lesser-known but powerful kingdom of the Wolof people existed in present-day Senegal and was involved in Atlantic trade.
Bonus (50): What European power did they frequently interact with during early trade?
What is the Jolof Empire?
What is Portugal?
In Mauritania, this variety of Arabic is the dominant spoken language.
Bonus: Name three other langauges spoken in Mauritania.
What is Hassaniya Arabic?
Bonus: Pulaar, Soninke, and Wolof, Berber, French
This Senegalese fashion designer was the first African creative director at a major French luxury house.
Bonus: Which iconic singer did he recently style for a global tour?
Who is Ib Kamara?
B: Who is Rihanna?
He became the first president of Sierra Leone in 1971 after serving as Prime Minister, leading the country into a republic.
Bonus (50): What political party did he lead? → What is the All People's Congress (APC)?
Who is Siaka Stevens?
What is the All People's Congress (APC)?
This landlocked country hosts FESPACO, Africa’s largest film festival — but doesn’t have a single commercial movie theater.
B: What is the capital of this country?
What is Burkina Faso?
B: What is Ouagadougou?
This empire, founded by Samory Touré in the late 1800s, fiercely resisted French colonization in parts of present-day Guinea and Mali.
Bonus (50): What tactic did Samory Touré famously use to slow down French advances? →
🟠 What is the Wassoulou Empire?
Bonus: What is scorched earth warfare?
This language, spoken in parts ofGuinean and parts of Sierra Leone, is a key language in Islamic and commercial life and belongs to the Mandé family.
Bonus: Name two languages closely related to this langauge
What is Maninka (or Malinké)?
Bonus: What is Bambara and Dioula?
This legendary Burkinabé filmmaker is often called the “father of African cinema” and directed the groundbreaking film Tilai in 1990.
Bonus (50): What prestigious African film festival is hosted in Burkina Faso every two years?
Who is Idrissa Ouédraogo?
B: What is FESPACO?
He became the first president of Benin after independence in 1960, but his term was marked by political instability and military coups.
Bonus (50): What was Benin’s former name before it was changed in 1975?
Who is Hubert Maga?
B: What is Dahomey?
This island nation has had over 20 coups or coup attempts since gaining independence in 1975 — nearly one per president.
B: This country is located between the east coast of Africa and this large island nation.
What is Comoros?
B: What is Madagascar?