Islands Around Africa Trivia Quiz

Though an overseas department of France and, technically, a European Union destination, the island of Réunion sits off the coast of Africa and Madagascar (which was also colonized by France). Today, it's a sunny Indian Ocean destination and one of the furthest points in the EU from the continent.

Its capital is Saint-Denis and most of its smaller towns are also named after saints (Saint-Pierre, Saint-Philippe, Saint Paul, etc.). Piton de la Fournaise, a volcano that rises from the island's eastern edge, is one of the most active peaks in the world.

At one time known as the Malagasy Republic, the nation of Madagascar is one of the largest island nations in the world. One of the planet's most unique ecosystems, the geographical isolation of Madagascar has led it to become the sole home to thousands of creatures, some of which may never have been seen by people.

The capital city of Antananarivo can be found in the middle of the country, but visitors may also check out the cities of Mahajanga, Mahaboboka, Tsiroanomandidy, and Mananara on a visit.

Consisting of nearly ten dozen islands in the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles are scattered more than fifteen hundred kilometres from Africa's east coast (due east of Tanzania). Though visitors are likely to fly into the capital city of Victoria on the island of Mahé, the archipelago is home to several inhabited locales, many of which are beautiful equatorial resort destinations (including the cities of Anse Royale and Takamaka.

The easternmost point of Africa, Mauritius is comprised of four large islands east of Madagascar with the largest of these being home to the capital city of Port Louis, a former Dutch colony that would be overtaken by the French. Today, Mauritius is an independent nation shaped by years of European influence.

It's emerged as a wealthier country than most African nations due in part to its tourism and banking industries. Other cities to visit here include Curepipe, Mahebourg, Chemin Grenier, and Circonstance, all of which follow the tendency here to have French name origins.

The island of São Tomé, and its partner, Príncipe, are off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea, nestling it to the west of Equatorial Guinea and Gabon and to the south of Nigeria. The island of São Tomé specifically is home to the islands' capital, also known by the name São Tomé. Established as a Portuguese colony, the pair were uninhabited until the age of European exploration. Today, you can visit towns all around the coasts of the islands (like Santa Cruz, Santa Caterina, and Porto Alegre).

In both cases the centres of the islands contain dense forests and extinct volcanic peaks.

Cape Verde marks the westernmost location on the African map stretching more than eight hundred kilometres out into the Atlantic off the west coast of Senegal. Comprised of ten volcanic islands, Cape Verde's largest is Santiago and it's home to the nation's capital, Praia, which sits on a series of plateaus overlooking the sea.

The archipelago, like others on the west side of Africa, was first inhabited by Portuguese explorers; it has since gained independence. Besides Praia, cities like Mindelo (on the island of São Vicente) and Santa Maria (on the island of Sal) are significant spots to visit.

Only a short ferry ride off the coast of Tanzania from the city of Dar es Salaam, the island of Zanzibar is one of the largest in Africa and is known for its spice industry (and tourism, of course). Visitors to Zanzibar City's Stone Town, on the island's southwest coast, will find a city rich in culture and history derived from Portuguese settlers, Arab nations, Germany, and the British.

The Zanzibar archipelago consists of the islands of Unguja (the larger of the two) and Pemba, which are separated from the mainland by no more than fifty kilometres.

Another archipelago, the island-based nation of Comoros is off the southeast coast of Africa in the Mozambique Channel (which divides Madagascar from mainland Africa). Although surrounded by smaller islands, Comoros is comprised of three major ones-- Ngazidja, Mwali, and Ndzwani.

The nation's capital, Moroni, can be found on Ngazidja and it's known for its rustic old town, first built and settled by French explorers. Comoros sits on islands made from still-active volcanoes, one of which, Mount Karthala, is one of the most active in the world.

Although overseen by Spain, the Canary Islands are located one hundred kilometres due west of Morocco and are considered a bit of a unique case. Though not part of the African continent politically, their proximity would cause one to beg to differ. Composed of eight main islands (and many smaller ones) visitors would be most likely to pass through Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, or La Palma, all of which are now major tourist destinations for those looking for beach resorts. Centuries ago, these islands were key ports of call for explorers headed for the New World and the Caribbean.

Found in the Gulf of Guinea, this island is considered part of Equatorial Guinea even though it's closer to the nation of Cameroon; it's only about thirty kilometeres from the mainland though it's more than two hundred kilometres to the city of Bata on Equatorial Guinea's coast.

This said, Bioko is home to the city of Malabo, which was made the nation's capital. It was later decided that a new capital, Ciudad de la Paz, would take its place as a purpose-built city on mainland Africa. Bioko is otherwise known for its natural gas industry and its rainforests.