Gabon - Africa's Last Paradise Quiz

Answer: Central Africa

The United Nations geoscheme for Africa divides the continent into five regions - Northern Africa, Western Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Africa, and Southern Africa. Gabon is located on the west coast of Central Africa. The country is bordered by Cameroon to the north, Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, and the Republic of Congo to the east.

Answer: The Equator

Located at zero degrees latitude, the equator is an imaginary line that divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres. In addition to the seven listed African nations, the line also passes through three South American nations (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador), two Asian nations (Indonesia and the Maldives), and one Oceanic nation (Kiribati).

The Equator lies approximately 8.9 kilometers (5.5 miles) south of the small Gabonese town of Ayem.

Answer: Gulf of Guinea

The Gulf of Guinea, which forms part of the Atlantic Ocean, is famous for being the location of Null Island, a unique intersection point of the equator and the prime meridian. This point is marked by a weather buoy called the Soul buoy.

In addition to its unique landmark, the Gulf of Guinea is also home to the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Biafra (also known as the Bight of Bonny).

Answer: The estuary of the Komo River

Portuguese explorers first settled in Gabon as early as the late 15th century. Noticing that the shape of the Komo River estuary greatly resembled a hooded coat, they named the area after gabão. At 230 kilometers (140 miles), the Komo River flows through Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Answer: Freetown, Sierra Leone

Libreville literally means "free town" in French. In 1846, a ship carrying slaves from the Congo was captured by the French navy near Loango. The slaves were freed and they subsequently settled at Libreville.

On the other hand, the capital city of Sierra Leone, Freetown, was founded by British Royal Navy officer Lieutenant John Clarkson (1764 - 1828) in 1792. The city provided a settlement for freed slaves from Africa, America, and Caribbean.

Answer: Lopé-Okanda

Located in Central Gabon, the Lopé-Okanda site is noted for its rich biodiversity and mysterious petroglyphs.

Home to the superhero Black Panther, the fictional East African country of Wakanda, first appeared in "Fantastic Four" #52, published by Marvel Comics in July 1966.

Of the three wrong options, the Niokolo-Koba National Park is located in Senegal, the Ibanda-Kyerwa National Park is located in Tanzania, and the Bou-Hedma National Park is located in Tanzania.

Answer: Tundra

Gabon's coastal plains face the Atlantic Ocean. The nation's highlands primarily consist of the Cristal Mountains and the Chaillu Massif. The savanna in the country's eastern region is home to a rich ecosystem.

The 17th season of the popular reality TV show "Survivor", entitled "Survivor: Gabon - Earth's Last Eden" (2008), was filmed in Gabon's coastal towns.

The tundra region, found in the Arctic and the Antarctic, is characterized by extremely cold temperatures and short vegetation period.

Answer: Panther

Designed by Swiss heraldist Louis Mühlemann, the coat of arms of Gabon depicts several elements, which include two black panthers, a ship, and an okoumé tree.

The coat of arms is unique because it features mottos in two different languages. The motto "Uniti Progrediemur" means "We shall go forwarded united" in Latin. On the other hand, the motto "Union, Travail, Justice", means "Unity, Work, Justice" in French.

Answer: Oklo

Located in the Haut-Ogooué province, the town of Oklo houses the world's only natural nuclear fission reactors. After the discovery of uranium deposits by French physicist Francis Perrin in the early 1970s, the radioactive mineral was extracted and used to generate electricity in Europe.

Oslo is the capital of Norway. Of the three wrong options, Oahu is a Hawaiian island, Omsk is a Russian city, and Orly is a commune in France.

Answer: Albert Schweitzer

Albert Schweitzer (1875 - 1965) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 "for his altruism, reverence for life, and tireless humanitarian work which has helped making the idea of brotherhood between men and nations a living one."

Albert Schweitzer and his wife, Helene Bresslau Schweitzer, established the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in Lambaréné, Gabon in 1913. The couple worked tirelessly in the hospital until their deaths. Schweitzer and his wife were buried in a cemetery near the hospital.

Of the three wrong options, Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) was a German theoretical physicist, Albert Finney (1936 - 2019) was an English actor, and Albert Pujols (born 1980) is a Dominican-American baseball player.