1

Zim Primary school Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The ancient ruins of Great Zimbabwe are found about 29km from what
major Zimbabwean City?

Answer: Masvingo

The ruins of Great Zimbabwe are found near the city of Masvingo. Masvingo's
name is actually pronounced "Mashingo" and it is easy to recognize foreigners
when they emphasize the "v" by mistake!
2. What large man-made lake is also near the ruins of Great Zimbabwe?

Answer: Lake Kyle

The wildlife preserve surrounding Lake Kyle is known for large (relatively)
numbers of the highly endangered white rhinos. White rhinos are often killed
for their horns.
3. Beitbridge, on Zimbabwe's southern border, crosses what major river?

Answer: Limpopo River

Bietbridge crosses the "great green greasy Limpopo" on the way to South
Africa. It is a major "port of entry" into Zimbabwe.
4. This national park, covering 14,600 square kilometers, is Zimbabwe's
largest. Some of its most important camps include: Main Camp, Robins
Camp, Nantwitch Camp, and Sinamatella Camp. Name this park.

Answer: Hwange National Park

Hwange is Zimbabwe's largest national park. It has a great variety of wildlife,

and is known especially for its lions. The park's close proximity to Victoria Falls
makes it an important tourist attraction.
5. One of the largest waterfalls in the world, this waterfall lies on the
Zambezi River, and was discovered by Dr. David Livingstone.
 2

Answer: Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is also known as "the smoke that thunders," a name that refers to
its large roar and the mist cloud that it produces which can be seen from miles
away. The Falls itself actually consists of five smaller segments.
6. A large number of balancing rocks can be found outside of what major
Zimbabwean city? (Hint: also the country's capital)

Answer: Harare

The large granite "sculptures" slowly formed as nature wore down large stacks
of granite boulders. There are several different stacks of these balancing rocks
just outside of Harare.
7. This large national park in southeast Zimbabwe was named for the
large number of elephants that can be found there.

Answer: Gonarezhou National Park

The word Gonarezhou actually means "place of elephants." While Gonarezhou

was supposedly named after its bountiful elephants, every time we go, we
never can find many at all. Oh well.
8. The _________ Highlands are lush, forested mountains where coffee, tea,
and lumber are produced.

Answer: Eastern

The Eastern Highlands is a very beautiful area. It is rather rough terrain, and is
on the Zimbabwean border with Mozambique. Some of the best coffees in the
world are grown here.
9. At 2592m. this mountain is the tallest in Zimbabwe.

Answer: Mount Nyangani

 3

Mount Nyangani is found in the northern part of the Eastern Highlands and is
a popular destination for hikers and amateur climbers.
10. This fish is a popular gamefish in the Highlands, especially in the
Nyanga area.

Answer: Trout

Trout fishing is very common in the Eastern Highlands. It is a popular tourist

activity and one of the luxury hotels in the area is even named "Troutbeck."
11. This large lake was created on the Zambezi River in the 1950s by the
British government to generate electricity for Zambia & Zimbabwe.

Answer: Lake Kariba

The Kariba dam took almost ten years to complete. It dramatically changes the
landscape of northwestern Zimbabwe and the lives of the people that lived
there. Today, the area is a main tourist attraction, and is very economically
important to the country.
12. Found near Kariba Road this large cave system, known for its Sleeping
Pool, is a beautiful attraction near Chinhoyi.

Answer: Chinhoyi Caves

These caves were named after Chief Chinhoyi who, in 1830, brought his people
to the refuge of the caves to avoid the attack of a hostile tribe. Instead, unable
to escape their enemies, Chief Chinhoyi and his people were thrown to into
the Sleeping Pool to their deaths.
13. What is the beautiful resort hotel, found east of Mutare, that
resembles a Scottish moorland castle? It is also known for its golf course
and its casino.

Answer: Leopard Rock

This hotel was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth, who stayed there in 1953. It was
 4

extensively damaged by rocket fire during the Bush War, but was restored
later by a wealthy tobacco farmer.
14. These red sandstone cliffs are found in southeastern Zimbabwe along
the Runde River.

Answer: Chilojo Cliffs

These spectacular cliffs are found in Gonarezhou National Park. Surrounded by

rough looking ironwood trees, they resemble something desolate and alien.
15. This bridge over the Save River was, at one time, the second largest
suspension bridge in the world. It is very similar in appearance to
Australia's Sydney harbor bridge.

Answer: Birchenough Bridge

This bridge was built by the British in the 1930's. Its picture can also be found
on the Zimbabwe twenty cent coin.

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Matabeleland North is the site of Victoria Falls, one of the world's
largest waterfalls, located on the Zambezi River. They are located on the
border with which of Zimbabwe's neighbours?

Answer: Zambia

The Victoria Falls, called in the Lozi language Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that
Thunders), are on the Zambezi River, on the border between Zimbabwe and
Zambia. The fall is a distance of 108 m (360 ft), with an average flow rate of
1,088 cu m/s (38,430 cu ft/s). Victoria Falls National Park (along with
Zimbabwe National Park, adjacent to the west along the river) features an
abundance of wildlife: elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, antelopes, vervet
monkeys and baboons are common; lions and leopards are occasionally seen.
Above the falls, the river has large populations of hippopotamus and
 5

crocodile. A large variety of birds are also found near the falls, including
several species which breed there.

The names of many of Zimbabwe's provinces are based on the historical

development of the country. The Matabeleland districts were conquered by
settlers during the First Matabele War (1893-1894), and were the tribal lands
of the Ndebele people.
2. The city-province of Bulawayo lies between Matabeleland North and
Matabeleland South, near the watershed between the drainage of the
Zambezi and that of Zimbabwe's other major river. Which river is that?

Answer: Limpopo

Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, after the capital Harare, with
a population in 2009 of 1,500,000. Before becoming an administrative area in
its own right, it was the capital of Matabeleland North. Located on Zimbabwe's
Highveld (High Plain), it is close to the watershed between the Zambezi River,
which forms part of Zimbabwe's northern border with Zambia, and the
Limpopo River, which forms part of the southern border with South Africa.

Bulawayo is home to the Queens Sports Club and Bulawayo Athletic Club, two
of the three grounds in Zimbabwe where Test match cricket has been played.
It is also an important venue for Rugby matches.
3. Matabeleland South is one of Zimbabwe's driest provinces, situated as
it is on the edge of a desert. What desert is located just to the southwest
of Zimbabwe?

Answer: Kalahari desert

The Kalahari desert covers most of Botswana, as well as large portions of

Namibia and South Africa and small areas of Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It
is actually only a semi-desert region, and supports wildlife with large areas of
 6

excellent grazing after good rainfalls.

There are a number of nature reserves featuring such spectacular wildlife as

hyenas, lions, meerkats, giraffes, warthogs, and a range of antelope species.
There are even seasonal wetlands in the desert, which attract flamingos during
the rainy season.
4. Zimbabwe gets its name from the ruins of an ancient city in Masvingo
province, the Great Zimbabwe National Monument. What does the name
Zimbabwe mean in the Karanga dialect of the Shona language?

Answer: Large houses of stone

The term 'zimbabwe' is used to describe over 200 sites in southern Africa with
the ruins of large buildings constructed with mortarless walls, of which the
Great Zimbabwe is the largest, having been the capital of the Kingdom of
Zimbabwe (1220-1450). The kingdom of Zimbabwe controlled the ivory and
gold trade from the interior of Africa to the coast, and was also a centre for
imports from Arabia and Asia.

The most commonly accepted origin for the word 'zimbabwe' is that it is
derived from 'dzimba-dza-mabwe', and means 'large houses of stone'. It may
also be a contracted form of 'dzimba woye' which means 'venerated houses' in
the Zezuru dialect.
5. The African Lion Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) has its
headquarters at Antelope Park, 8 km outside Gweru, the capital of
Midlands province. Which of the following animals will you NOT see at
Antelope Park?

Answer: Wolves

Tourists have the opportunity to wrestle with lion cubs during the day, watch
lions hunting at night, ride elephants (both on land and as they swim in the
lake) and view a range of game species in a safari that can be conducted on
 7

foot, on horseback, from a horse-drawn carriage or on elephant.

ALERT is a programme designed to ethically re-introduce the offspring of

rehabilitated captive-bred African lion back into the wild, safeguarding the
future of a species which is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of
Endangered Species.
6. Although Mashonaland West is primarily a farming region, its capital
of Chinhoyi has an interesting geological feature nearby. Which of these
is it?

Answer: Limestone caves

The Chinhoyi caves, about 8 km (5 mi) north of town, were first described by
Frederick Courteney Selous in 1888. They are the most extensive cave system
in Zimbabwe with public access, and were designated as a National Park in
1955. The main cave has a pool of cobalt blue water called the Sleeping Pool
or Chirorodzira (Pool of the Fallen). Diving in the caves is popular all year
round, and divers have discovered submarine connections between some of
the caves.
7. Mashonaland Central, in the northeast of the country of Zimbabwe, is
an area in which both mining and agriculture play an important role in
the economy. Which of the following minerals was the first to be mined
in the region?

Answer: Gold

The town of Shamva (originally called Abercorn) was established in 1895 when
gold was discovered in the area. The town of Kimberly Reefs was established
in 1901, when a gold mine opened there. It was given its current name of
Bindura in 1913. Bindura, the capital of the province, also has nickel, copper
and cobalt mines. Important agricultural products of the province include
cotton, maize, tobacco, soybeans and tropical fruits.
 8

On June 21, 2001, the district of Centenary attracted many who wanted to see
the total solar eclipse, as it was one of the few areas of Zimbabwe from which
it could be seen.
8. Marondera, the capital of Mashonaland East, is in the centre of
Zimbabwe's forestry and farming region. Which of the following has NOT
been one of the commodities marketed there?

Answer: Steel

Marondera was one of the earliest European settlements in Southern Rhodesia

(the colonial name for Zimbabwe). Before the seizure of white-owned farms
and redistribution of land which began in 2000, it was a major trade centre for
timber, tobacco, maize, cotton, beef and dairy products,

Mashonaland East is also an area with a history of mining. The Wedza district
was originally inhabited by the Mbire people of the Soko clan, who mined iron
in the hills of Wedza (a name meaning 'place of wealth'). A number of other
minerals have been mined in the vicinity, including gold, nickel, beryl and
tungsten, but they are not found in sufficient quantities to be considered
commercially viable at the start of the 21st century.
9. Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, is a city-province near the centre of
the Mashona area, and one of the few places in the country with any
significant industrial development. Which of the following is a significant
industry in Harare?

Answer: Textiles

Harare (known as Salisbury before 1982) has significant textile, steel and
chemical manufacturing industries. It is also a major trade centre, and gold is
mined in the area. In 2009, Harare was voted to be the world's toughest city to
live in according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's liveability poll.

The Mashona area of Zimbabwe, now divided into the provinces of East
 9

Mashonaland, Central Mashonaland, West Mashonaland and Harare, was the

first territory occupied by the British South Africa Company. It corresponds
roughly to the region occupied by the Shona people.
10. The highest point in Zimbabwe is found in the province of
Manicaland. What is its name?

Answer: Mount Nyangani

Mount Nyangani, formerly known as Mount Inyangani, is 2,592 m (8,504 ft)

above sea level at its peak. It is in the Nyanga National Park, about 275 km
(170 mi) southeast of Harare, near the border with Mozambique. Manicaland is
also the location of Murahwa Hill, known for its rock paintings and Iron Age
village.

Mount Smith is in Ethiopia, while Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru are both
in Tanzania.
Source: Author looney_tunes

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In which part of the African continent is Zimbabwe located?

Answer: Southern Africa

The African continent is geographically divided into five main regions -

northern, eastern, central, southern, and western. The Republic of Zimbabwe is
located in Southern Africa, or specifically, Southeast Africa.
2. Zimbabwe borders four African nations. Which of the following
countries is NOT one of them?

Answer: Algeria

Zimbabwe's neighboring countries include Botswana, Mozambique, South

 10

Africa, and Zambia. Algeria is located in northern Africa. Namibia is located

approximately 150 meters (492 feet) from the westernmost point of
Zimbabwe.

Due to this mere 150 meters, the borders of Botswana-Namibia-Zambia-

Zimbabwe, is, strictly speaking, not a quadripoint. Instead, this region contains
two tripoints (Botswana-Namibia-Zambia and Botsawna-Zambia-Zimbabwe).
3. Which of the following bodies of water does Zimbabwe border?

Answer: None; it is a landlocked nation

Zimbabwe is one of the 16 landlocked African nations. The other 15, in

alphabetical order, are Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African
Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, South Sudan,
Swaziland, Uganda, and Zambia.
4. Zimbabwe is strategically located between which two major African
rivers?

Answer: Limpopo and Zambezi

Located along the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Zambezi River, also
spelled Zambesi, flows into the Indian Ocean. The Limpopo River, which
originates in South Africa, also flows into the Indian Ocean.
5. Zimbabwe is home to the world's largest man-made lake by volume.
Which lake, located in the northern region of Zimbabwe, along the
Zambian border, is being described?

Answer: Lake Kariba

The construction of the Kariba Dam began in 1955, and the work completed in
1959. The dam created Lake Kariba.
 11

Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake. Lake Baikal is located in Russia, whereas
Lake Titicaca is located in South America.
6. Which large waterfall, known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke That
Thunders) in the Lozi language, is located on the Zambia-Zimbabwe
border?

Answer: Victoria Falls

Scottish explorer David Livingstone sighted the magnificent Victoria Falls in

1855. He named the waterfall after Queen Victoria.

The waterfall has a combined width of 1,708 meters (5,604 feet), and a
maximum height of 108 meters (354 feet). The site has been inscribed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989.
7. Zimbabwe is divided into ten administrative divisions - Bulawayo,
Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East,
Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South,
and Midlands. What are these administrative divisions called?

Answer: Provinces

Zimbabwe is divided into ten provinces. Out of these ten provinces, two of
them are cities, namely Bulawayo and Harare. The provinces are further
divided into districts, and subsequently, wards.
8. When Zimbabwe gained its independence from the UK in 1980, the
then President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, told the first Prime Minster of
Zimbabwe, "You have the jewel of Africa in your hands, now look after
it." Which Zimbabwean politician, who served as the first Prime Minster
of the nation, from 1980 to 1987, later served as the nation's President,
from 1987 to 2017?

Answer: Robert Mugabe

Robert Gabriel Mugabe (1924 - 1992) was born in Kutama, Southern Rhodesia.
 12

He was a prominent political figure in Zimbabwe for almost four decades. "The
Black Scholar" described him as "either one of the world's great tyrants or a
fearless nationalist who has incurred the wrath of the West."
9. The capital of Zimbabwe, Harare, is the financial and commercial
center of the nation. Named after a UK Prime Minister, what is Harare's
former name?

Answer: Salisbury

Harare was known as Salisbury prior to 1982. The city was named after Lord
Salisbury, who served as the Prime Minister of the UK from 1895 until 1902.
10. Zimbabwe experienced massive economic crisis in the late 2000s. The
hyperinflation had resulted in the issuance of banknotes with
denominations up to 100 trillion dollars. Which intriguing
geomorphological features are featured on the obverse of the banknote?

Answer: Balancing rocks

The Chiremba Balancing Rocks are featured on the obverse of the 100 trillion
(100,000,000,000,000) Zimbabwean dollar banknote, issued by the Reserve
Bank of Zimbabwe.

Another famous balancing rocks called the Mother and Child inselberg, are
located in the Matopos National Park.