Geography Test

Africa:

1. What body of water does the Nile empty into?
   The Nile empties into the Mediterranean Sea.

2. Who named Lake Victoria?
   British explorer John Hanning Speke named it in honor of Queen Victoria.

3. What country possesses the Sinai Peninsula?
   Egypt possesses the Sinai Peninsula.

4. What famous African Christian was the first black bishop to be ordained by the Church of England?
   Samuel Ajayi Crowther was the first black bishop ordained by the Church of England.

5. What is the highest peak in Africa?
   The highest peak in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro.

6. What is the name of the longest river in the world?
   The longest river in the world is the Nile River.

7. What is the name of the first independent black republic that was settled by freed slaves?
   The first independent black republic settled by freed slaves was Liberia.

8. What is the name of Africa’s largest freshwater lake?
   Africa’s largest freshwater lake is Lake Victoria.

9. Afrikaners are descendants of the Dutch who settled in what country?
   Afrikaners are descendants of the Dutch who settled in South Africa.

10. What year did Mauritania outlaw the slave trade?
    Mauritania outlawed the slave trade in 1981.

Australia/Oceania:

11. What are the native inhabitants of Australia called?
    The native inhabitants of Australia are called Aboriginal Australians.

12. What are the native inhabitants of New Zealand called?
    The native inhabitants of New Zealand are called Māori.

13. What is the world’s biggest natural structure formed by living things?
    The world’s biggest natural structure formed by living things is the Great Barrier Reef.

14. What event caused Australia’s population to increase by nearly 200%?
    The Australian Gold Rush (1850s) caused Australia’s population to increase by nearly 200%.

15. Name New Zealand’s main islands.
    New Zealand’s main islands are the North Island and the South Island.

16. What is the name of the highest peak in Australia?
    The highest peak in Australia is Mount Kosciuszko.

17. Name the lowest point on Earth.
    The lowest point on Earth is the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.

18. What body of water separates New Zealand’s main islands?
    The Cook Strait separates New Zealand’s main islands.

19. What is Australia’s longest permanent river?
    Australia’s longest permanent river is the Murray River.

20. What are the massive sculptures on Easter Island called?
    The massive sculptures on Easter Island are called Moai.

21. Name the three regions of Oceania and give the meaning of each.

• Micronesia – "small islands"

• Melanesia – "black islands"

• Polynesia – "many islands"

Antarctica:

22. Name both men who led the first expeditions to the South Pole.
    Roald Amundsen (Norway) and Robert Falcon Scott (United Kingdom) led the first expeditions to the South Pole.

23. How much of Antarctica is free from ice?
    About 0.4% of Antarctica is free from ice.

24. What keeps Lake Vostok from freezing?
    Geothermal heat from the Earth's interior keeps Lake Vostok from freezing.

25. Why is Antarctica the largest desert in the world?
    Antarctica is the largest desert in the world because it receives very little precipitation, making it a polar desert.