Physical Map of Africa Quiz at a Glance
A physical map of Africa shows the land itself: rivers, mountains, deserts, seas and lakes. This one has 12 great rivers, 8 mountain ranges, deserts and plains, and 13 seas, oceans and lakes. Click any of them to see its name, then play a round: a name appears and you click it on the map. Free, with no sign-up.
- On the map
- 33 places
- Rivers
- 12
- Longest river
- Nile, about 6,650 km
- Highest peak
- Kilimanjaro, 5,895 m
- Biggest desert
- Sahara, about 9 million km²
- Biggest lake
- Lake Victoria
How to Play the quiz
- Click any river, mountain range, desert, sea or lake to see its name before you start.
- Pick a round: Rivers (12), Mountains & deserts (8) or Seas & lakes (13). A name appears and you click it on the map. Whole map asks all 33 once each.
- Rivers are thin lines, so a click on or just beside the line counts. On a phone, a tap where several features meet opens a magnifier; tap the right one inside it.
- After every answer the right place turns green, so a wrong click still shows you where it is.
Rivers of Africa
The Nile runs north from Lake Victoria through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt; the Blue Nile joins it at Khartoum from Lake Tana in Ethiopia. The Congo crosses the Equator twice in a great arc and carries more water than any river but the Amazon. The Niger starts near the Atlantic, flows inland towards the Sahara, then turns south to the Gulf of Guinea. The Zambezi falls over Victoria Falls on its way to the Indian Ocean.
Deserts and mountains
The Sahara covers most of North Africa, about 9 million km², as big as the United States. The Ahaggar and Tibesti mountains rise in the middle of it. In the south west the Namib runs along the coast and the Kalahari fills Botswana. The Atlas cross Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia; the Ethiopian Highlands are the roof of Africa, and the Drakensberg guard South Africa and Lesotho. The highest peak, Kilimanjaro, stands alone in Tanzania.
The Rivers in the Quiz, Longest First
Lengths are of the main river, rounded to 10 km; sources give slightly different figures.
| # | River | Length | Flows into | On its banks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nile | about 6,650 km | Mediterranean Sea | Juba, Khartoum, Cairo |
| 2 | Congo | about 4,700 km | Atlantic Ocean | Kisangani, Kinshasa, Brazzaville |
| 3 | Niger | about 4,180 km | Gulf of Guinea | Bamako, Niamey |
| 4 | Zambezi | about 2,570 km | Indian Ocean | Victoria Falls, Tete |
| 5 | Ubangi | about 2,270 km | Congo River | Bangui |
| 6 | Orange | about 2,200 km | Atlantic Ocean | Upington |
| 7 | Kasai | about 2,150 km | Congo River | Ilebo |
| 8 | Limpopo | about 1,750 km | Indian Ocean | Xai-Xai |
| 9 | Okavango | about 1,600 km | Okavango Delta (inland) | Rundu |
| 10 | Volta | about 1,500 km | Gulf of Guinea | Akosombo |
| 11 | Blue Nile | about 1,450 km | Nile, at Khartoum | Bahir Dar |
| 12 | Senegal | about 1,090 km | Atlantic Ocean | Kayes, Saint-Louis |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the longest river in Africa?
The Nile, about 6,650 km, from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean. It is often called the longest river in the world, with the Amazon a close second or ahead, depending on how they are measured.
What is the largest desert in Africa?
The Sahara, about 9 million km², the largest hot desert in the world.
What is the highest mountain in Africa?
Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, 5,895 m.
What is the largest lake in Africa?
Lake Victoria, shared by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Lake Tanganyika is the longest and deepest.
What does a physical map show?
The land itself rather than countries: rivers, mountains, deserts, plains, seas and lakes. This one shows the borders faintly for reference, and the quiz asks for the natural features.
Made by Kashif Sulehria in Lahore, Pakistan. Updated October 31, 2026.