Provinces of South Africa Trivia Quiz

Answer: Limpopo

Limpopo was formed in 1994 and consists of the northern part of the former Transvaal Province. Upon its formation, it was called Northern Transvaal before it was renamed after the Limpopo River in 2003. The largest group of people here are the Northern Ndebele people, who primarily live in Zimbabwe.

Limpopo is largely rural especially in the northern part. It is said to be the province that connects the modernized nation of South Africa to the wild plains of Sub-Saharan Africa. The most famous place in the province is the Waterberg Biosphere, a rocky, mountainous area that is home to many of the oldest archeological sites on the planet. It is also a conservation area and is one of a few places in Africa where white rhinos can be found. Despite the conservation efforts, Limpopo is notorious for its big game hunting, some of which is illegal.

Limpopo is also well known for its baobab trees. In the town of Modjadjiskloof, there was once a giant, thousand-year old baobab called Sunland which split and died in 2017.

Answer: North West

North West is a mostly flat province located along the country's northern border with Botswana. It was formed in 1994 and was the center of a number of border controversies that were not resolved until 2009. Mining is the dominant industry in North West with gold being king. The city of Klerskdorp, which was once a very tiny village, grew tremendously in the late 19th century when gold was discovered in the Witwatersrand and the city was used as an outpost. Today, Klerksdorp remains an important city in the gold industry.

Other industries in North West include casinos. Sun City is sometimes called the Las Vegas of South Africa because of its casinos and nightlife. It is also located near the popular Pilansberg Game Reserve.

The capital of North West is Mahikeng which is also nearby goldfields. It is best known for being besieged during the Second Boer War, an event that brought Robert Baden-Powell to international fame.

Answer: Free State

Free State is located right in the center of South Africa and borders Lesotho to the south and west. Free State largely consists of the former Boer area of the Orange Free State. The province did not change much after 1994 when the provincial borders were changed drastically throughout the nation.

Much of the action in Free State takes place in the judicial capital of Bloemfontein, which means fountain of flowers in Dutch. Bloemfontein hosts an annual rose festival and the city is sometimes referred to as "the city of roses". Rock climbing is also an incredibly popular sport in the city. Many sports teams that play in the city are nicknamed the Cheetahs because Bloemfontein is also called "the city of cheetahs".

The Drakensburg Mountains run partially throughout Free State along its border with Lesotho. These mountains have a name that means "Dragon's mountain" because the tall peaks resemble a dragon's spikes or teeth.

Answer: Eastern Cape

Eastern Cape is the main home of the Xhosa People with about 80% of Eastern Capers identifying as Xhosa. Politically, Eastern Cape is a bit chaotic as it was created to be a unifying province for the Xhosa People who had previously lived in different regions. This led to several different local systems of government and courts that has slowly been straightened out over time.

The main city here is Port Elizabeth. Port Elizabeth is the southernmost city in all of Africa, although it is not located at the southernmost point of the continent. Port Elizabeth is called "the Windy City" and is also known for its steady climate. Some of the sites in the city include Market Square and the Donkin Heritage Trail.

Nelson Mandela was born in the small village of Mvezo, leading many places in Eastern Cape to be named after him including Nelson Mandela Stadium.

Eastern Cape has a long coastline along the Indian Ocean, making beach tourism popular. In the north, there are many game reserves including a large population of cape buffalo, one of Africa's Big Five animals.

Answer: Western Cape

Cape Town is the most important city in Western Cape and is home to more than two-thirds of the province's population. The skyline of Cape Town is dominated by the famous Table Mountain at Table Bay. Cape Town is considered the oldest city in South Africa and was its most important until gold and diamond rushes moved people inward. Some of the other famous sites in Cape Town include Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, several colonies of African penguins, Clifton Beach and the port.

Western Cape is also home to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point in Africa. It is also here where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. Historically, Cape Agulhas was known to be a very dangerous area for sailors sailing around the coast of Africa. The winds can get very strong and chilly and the waves are unpredictable. The coastline is littered with shipwrecks.

Answer: KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal is conveniently located along South Africa's eastern coast along the Indian Ocean. It borders the countries of Mozambique, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Lesotho. South Africa's highest peak, Mafadi Mountain, is found here along the border with Lesotho.

KwaZulu-Natal has a very diverse geography. The iSimangaliso Wetlands along the coastline are of particular rich diversity. Many rare and endangered animals live there including hippos, African lions, white rhinos and several species of turtles. Inland, the uKhahlamba Drakensburg Park is a mountainous area with a large collection of ancient cave paintings.

Durban is the dominate city in the province. It is known internationally for its entertainment facilities particularly along the Golden Mile beginning at uShaka Beach. Other places of interest in Durban are the Durban Art Gallery and the Suncoast Casino Complex.

Answer: Gauteng

Gauteng is the smallest province in Africa but it is also the most densely populated because of its huge population. The province is almost entirely urbanized. Johannesburg and Pretoria dominate here.

The province first came to be settled heavily during the end of the 19th century when gold was discovered in the Witwatersrand. The name Gauteng is derived from several languages' word for gold. This led to the founding of Johannesburg and Pretoria, the latter of which is the administrative capital of the country. Language wise, Gauteng is the most diverse in the country with seven of the major languages of South Africa being spoken about evenly.

Johannesburg and Pretoria are popular destinations for tourists. However, the more rural areas are also popular. There are a few cave systems in the province including Sterkfontein where one of the oldest known human fossils was discovered. In addition, the Cullinan Diamond, the largest diamond ever discovered, was found in Gauteng.

Answer: Northern Cape

Northern Cape is the only province in South Africa to have a coastline only along the Atlantic Ocean. However, it is best known for being the center of the international diamond and mining industry. The city of Kimberly is the probably the most important city in the world for diamonds. Many of South Africa's diamond companies are headquartered here or were founded here before moving elsewhere. The Kimberley Process is a process in the diamond industry that attempts to prevent the spread of conflict diamonds, that is diamonds whose sale would ultimately wind up funding terrorist groups.

Northern Cape is also known for its wine industry along the Orange River. Most of South Africa's wine vineyards are located in this province.

Northern Cape is known for having part of the Great Karoo, an area of semidesert flatland that is very dry and perfect for preserving ancient artifacts and fossils.

Answer: Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga is along South Africa's border with Mozambique. It is extremely rural. It is generally considered one of the best places to view Africa's Big Five animals (elephant, lion, water buffalo, rhino and leopard). Kruger National Park can be found partially in this district and is home to the more well attended areas. Despite efforts from national and local governments, poaching is a frequent activity in Mpumalanga. So is big game hunting that, depending on the circumstances, may be illegal.

Another important place here are the Sudwala Caves. Formed hundreds of millions of years ago, this vast cave system was frequently used by ancient people as shelter as well as a variety of people throughout history, even as late as the early 20th century. It is said Paul Kruger hid his vast wealth and treasures here during the Second Boer War.

Answer: Lesotho

Lesotho is located near the central part of South Africa. Because of its location, it is commonly mistaken for being part of South Africa. The first people to live here were the San People, who are well known for their cave paintings. The modern day Lesotho came into being around 1822 when King Moshoeshoe I and his followers separated from their clan and the rule of Shaka Zulu.

The British ruled over Lesotho, calling it Basutoland until 1966 when the country gained independence. At over 4,500 feet high, the lowest point of Lesotho is where the Orange and Makaheleng Rivers meet.

This is the highest lowest point of any nation on Earth. The highest point in Lesotho is Thabana Ntlenyana, which ironically means little mountain. The capital is Maseru.