Cruising In The CAR Trivia Quiz

Answer: White yam

Ten thousand years ago, when the land was beginning to become desertified, African hunter-gatherers began to migrate into the area that is known as Central African Republic today. During the Neolithic Revolution they learned how to farm. Scientists believe that the first domesticated crop in the area was the white yam, which is also called the African yam, a tuber that provided nutrition and made the previously nomadic way of life unnecessary, and continues to be an important foodstuff today. The white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) and the yellow yam (D. cayennensis) are both native to Africa, and it is believed that they were originally domesticated from a forest species. Altogether there are 870 known species of yams, and 95% of them are found in Africa.

Only about 3% of the land in the CAR is considered to be arable. Even so, much of the country is agriculturally self-sufficient. The tsetse fly, however, makes the raising of livestock difficult.

Answer: Ubangi River

The presence of the Ubangi River, a tributary of the Congo River, originally attracted settlers to the area. The river forms the southern border of the country and eventually flows into the Congo River. By the late 1700s, the Bobangi people, who lived along the Congo River, became the main slave traders in the area and used the Ubangi River to transport their captives to coastal ports, as it connects to the Congo River which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. One hundred years later, the area was mostly taken over by Europeans and the native people dispersed. Today there are few Bobangi people who still live in the area, but the river system is still a major artery of trade, especially between the capital cities of Bangui (CAR) and Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo).

Answer: France

France was able to take over control of German land after World War I. Since many colonies were held by France in West Africa, they all were grouped in a loose confederation called French Equatorial Africa in 1920. France's policy was to allow private companies access to the area's natural resources in exchange for part of the profit.

These policies were not favorable to the people of the area. From 1890-1940 the native population was cut in half. French Equatorial Africa was governed from Brazzaville, which is the capital of neighbor Republic of the Congo today; even though missionaries were sent to the area and roads and other infrastructure were constructed, the people suffered terribly. Native rebellion in the area did not accomplish much, and the Central African Republic did not gain independence until 1960.

Answer: Savanna

All of the CAR except for the extreme southwestern tip is classified as a tropical savanna ecoregion called the East Sudanian savanna. There is a distinct rainy season from April to October; during this time the northern part of CAR can become flooded and unreachable.

In contrast, the rainy season is followed by a dry season, when the temperatures become so hot they can burn the shrubs, grasses, and trees that are part of the terrain of the savanna in the CAR.

Answer: Bad - It brings hot and dry winds.

Not only are the Harmattan winds hot and dry, but they also carry dust. Even though Central African Republic has a tropical climate with a wet season, the northern part of the country can experience very hot temperatures from February-May and the resulting conditions caused by the Harmattan are described as desert-like. In some areas the Harmattan can cause dust storms; sometimes they interact with monsoon winds to cause tornadoes. Of course, a heavy wind can also increase the risk of fire and crop damage.

Answer: Sango

There are over 80 ethnic groups in the Central African Republic, and most have their own language. In fact, there are 72 different languages used in the country. The Sango, or Sangho, language developed as a trading language; it is estimated that 92% of the people in CAR can speak Sango, while approximately 22% of the people can speak French. Sango is considered to be an easy language to learn. Teachers say that if students apply themselves they can speak the language within three months, although it does take longer to reach a level of fluency.

Answer: Dzanga-Ndoki National Park

Established in 1990, the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park is divided into the Dzanga and Ndoki sectors, with the the Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve in between. The Dzanga sector is the area to find the western lowland gorilla, which is the smallest subspecies of gorilla and considered to be critically endangered at this time.

In addition, there are three kinds of forests, populations of African forest elephants, and over 350 different bird species.

Answer: False

Really, looking at the list of natural resources found in CAR leaves one baffled about the economic situation in the country. There is industry, including diamond mining, logging, and textiles. Its exports include diamonds, coffee, cotton, and tobacco.

There are important mineral deposits found there, such as uranium reserves and crude oil. Nevertheless, current estimates placed the Central African Republic as one of the ten poorest countries in the world in 2017 Why? Since gaining independence in 1960 there has been constant upheaval in the government and continuous civil war.

It is safe to say that CAR is one of the poorest resource-rich countries in the world.

Answer: Boali Falls

Named after the town of Boali, the falls are about 100 km north of the capital city of Bangui. The road between the two (and beyond) is one of the few paved roads in Central African Republic. An important tourist attraction, Boali Falls is also a source of hydroelectric power that is used to supply the capital with electricity.

Answer: Tropical Rainforest

Central African Republic is part of the Congo Basin, which is Africa's largest rainforest, and the world's second largest. It is home to 8,000 plant species, 1,000 bird species, and 400 types of mammals. Although it contains several valuable species of trees, the Congo Basin in the CAR is difficult to reach. That has not prevented, however, logging companies from exploiting the resources; it has been estimated that from 1990-2005 approximately 1.9% of the forest in the CAR was lost.

Although that may not sound like a high number, many of the areas have been degraded.

In spite of the fact that the areas are protected, logging still continues in some national parks.