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 Geography Quiz Questions

173.
Which tiny European nation claims itself to be the oldest recorded sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world?New!
Answer

San Marino

The constitution of San Marino, enacted in 1600, is the world's oldest constitution still in effect.

 
172.
Out of the ten most populous islands in the world, only 2 are outside Asia. Can you name them?New!
Answer

Great Britain(3rd) and Hispaniola(10th)

The most populous are Java(Indonesia) and Honshu(Japan).

 
171.
Which icon that attracted more than 6 million visitors in 2006 is the single most visited paid monument in the world?New!
Answer

The Eiffel Tower

More than 200,000,000 people have visited the tower since its construction in 1889.

 
170.
Named for 3 states, which large peninsula on the east coast of the US separates Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean?New!
Answer

The Delmarva peninsula

It is a portmanteau word formed from the names of the states that occupy it: Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia (abbreviated VA).

 
169.
If water bodies were left out and only land area were considered, what is the second largest country in the world after Russia?New!
Answer

China

 
168.
Russia and Georgia fought a war in 2008 over which political entity that is now recognized as an independent republic by Nicaragua, Russia, Venezuela and Nauru?
Answer

South Ossetia

The Republic of South Ossetia declared its independence from Georgia in 1990. The Georgian government responded by abolishing South Ossetia's autonomy and trying to retake the region by force. This led to the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War. Georgian fighting against those controlling South Ossetia occurred on two other occasions, in 2004 and 2008. The last conflict led to the 2008 South Ossetia war, during which Ossetian separatists and Russian troops gained full, de-facto, control of the territory of the former South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast. Georgia does not recognize South Ossetia's existence as a political entity.

 
167.
Landseer's Lions, a set of four sculptures of lions surround which London monument?
Answer

Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square

 
166.
The Bridge of the Horns is a proposed construction project to build a bridge across the Bab-el-Mandeb, the strait between the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. What two countries will it connect?
Answer

Djibouti and Yemen

 
165.
'Pha That Lung', a large gold-covered Buddhist stupa is regarded as the most important monument and a national symbol in which landlocked Asian country?
Answer

Laos

Since its initial establishment suggested to be in the 3rd century, the stupa has undergone several reconstructions until the 1930s due to foreign invasions to the area.

 
164.
Located in Micronesia and covering just 21 square kilometres, what is the world's smallest island nation?
Answer

Nauru

 
163.
The word 'Eyjafjallajökull' may be hard to pronounce but something with that name caused even more hardship in recent times. What is it?
Answer

The Icelandic volcano whose 2010 eruption caused the ash cloud over Europe

 
162.
Distributed across the three islands of Tutuila, Ofu-Olosega, and Ta‘ū, what is the only American national park located south of the equator?
Answer

National Park of American Samoa

 
161.
Which French city is home to the Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes) where several popes and antipopes lived from the early 14th to early 15th centuries?
Answer

Avignon

 
160.
What is the only language that is historically African in origin among the six official working languages of the African Union?
Answer

Swahili

The other five are Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

 
159.
Bordered on three sides by Senegal and with a small coast on the Atlantic Ocean in the west, what is the smallest country on mainland Africa?
Answer

The Gambia

Its borders roughly correspond to the path of the Gambia River, the nation's namesake, which flows through the country's center and empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

 
158.
The largest impact over land in Earth's recent history, how is the explosion that occurred in 1908 near the namesake river in Siberia commonly known?
Answer

The Tunguska event

Although the cause of the explosion is the subject of debate, it is commonly believed to have been caused by the air burst of a large meteoroid or comet fragment at an altitude of 5–10 kilometres (3.1–6.2 mi) above the Earth's surface.

 
157.
Located in northeast Caribbean, what is the smallest inhabited sea island that is divided between two nations?
Answer

Saint Martin

The southern Dutch half comprises the Island Territory of St. Martin and is part of the Netherlands Antilles. The northern French half comprises the Collectivity of St. Martin and is an overseas collectivity of France. Collectively, the two territories are known as "St-Martin/St Maarten". Sometimes SXM, the IATA identifier for Princess Juliana International Airport (the island's main airport), is used to refer to the island.

 
156.
Located on the Atlantic coast, what is the largest city of the Maghreb (the 5 countries constituting North Africa)?
Answer

Casablanca

It is considered the economic and business center of Morocco, while the political capital city of Morocco is Rabat. (Thanks to Matt Budhiarta for sending in a correction.)

 
155.
The name of which South American region comes from a word used by Magellan to describe the native people whom his expedition thought to be giants?
Answer

Patagonia (from Patagon)

 
154.
Though it was the dream of many historical rulers including Nero, the Corinth canal was completed only in 1893. It separates which two land masses?
Answer

The Peloponnesian peninsula and the Greek mainland

It saves the 400 kilometres long journey around the Peloponnesus for smaller ships, but since it is only 21 metres wide it is too narrow for modern ocean freighters. The Roman Emperor Nero (r. 54–68 A.D.) launched an excavation, personally breaking the ground with a pickaxe and removing the first basket-load of soil, but the project was abandoned when he died shortly afterwards.

 
153.
During the apartheid era, what was the name for the territory set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) of which ten were established?
Answer

Bantustan

The term was first used in the late 1940s, and was coined from 'Bantu' (meaning 'people' in some of the Bantu languages) and '-stan' (a suffix meaning 'land of' in Persian). The word 'bantustan', today, is often used in a pejorative sense when describing a country or region that lacks any real legitimacy or power, consists of several unconnected enclaves, and/or emerges from national or international gerrymandering.

 
152.
Which prominent mountain has three volcanic cones called Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira?
Answer

Kilimanjaro

It is in north-eastern Tanzania and is the highest peak in Africa at 5,895 metres.

 
151.
The 'Triskelion', a symbol consisting of three interlocked spirals, or three bent human legs is featured on the flag of which British crown dependency?
Answer

The Isle of Man

The island is not part of the United Kingdom but foreign relations, defence, and ultimate good governance of the Isle of Man are the responsibility of the government of the United Kingdom.

 
150.
The 19th century civic planner Baron Haussman is associated with the rebuilding of which city?
Answer

Paris

The Haussmann Renovations was a work commissioned by Napoléon III between 1852 and 1870, though work continued well after the Second Empire's demise in 1870. The project encompassed all aspects of urban planning, both in the centre of Paris and in the surrounding districts: streets and boulevards, regulations imposed on facades of buildings, public parks, sewers and water works, city facilities and public monuments.

 
149.
The Mungo lake remains consisting of two prominent fossils known as Mungo Lady and Mungo Man are located in the World Heritage listed Willandra Lakes Region of which country?
Answer

Australia

 
148.
Which Jamaican city that was destroyed by a 1692 earthquake is called as the 'City that Sank' and is considered as the most important underwater archaeological site in the western hemisphere?
Answer

Port Royal

The disaster caused two thirds of the city to sink into the Caribbean Sea.

 
147.
With a total drop of 948 meters (3,110 feet) in five free-leaping falls, Tugela Falls is the world's second highest waterfall. They are located in the Drakensberg (Dragon's Mountains) range in which country?
Answer

South Africa

 
146.
Which Spanish city, now home to a great mosque was probably the most populated city in Europe and perhaps in the world in the later half of the 10th century?
Answer

Córdoba

Today a moderately-sized modern city, the old town contains many impressive architectural reminders of when it was the thriving capital of the Caliphate of Córdoba, and when it governed almost all of the Iberian peninsula.

 
145.
Taking its name from a Manchu word meaning 'the boundary between two countries', the Yalu river forms the border between what two countries?
Answer

China and North Korea

 
144.
When combined with its headstreams the 'Peace' and the 'Finlay', what becomes the second longest river in North America at 4,241 kilometres (2,635 mi)?
Answer

The Mackenzie

It originates in Great Slave Lake, in the Northwest Territories, and flows north into the Arctic Ocean. It is the longest river in Canada at 1,738 kilometres (1,080 mi).

 
143.
'The Lost Villages' are ten communities in the Canadian province of Ontario which were permanently submerged by the creation of what in 1958?
Answer

The St. Lawrence Seaway

The flooding was expected and planned for. In the weeks and months leading up to the inundation, families and businesses in the affected communities were moved to the new planned communities of Long Sault and Ingleside. These negotiations were controversial, however, as many residents of the communities felt that market value compensation was insufficient since the Seaway plan had already depressed property values in the region.

 
142.
Which geographic term's etymology comes from the Latin for 'midday' as the sun crosses a given one midway between the times of sunrise and sunset on it?
Answer

A meridian

The same Latin stem gives rise to the terms A.M. (Ante Meridian) and P.M. (Post Meridian) used to disambiguate hours of the day when using the 12-hour clock.

 
141.
Sigsbee deep, named for the captain of the USS Maine which exploded in the harbor of Havana in 1898 is the deepest part of which body of water?
Answer

The Gulf of Mexico

The Sigsbee Deep is a trough that extends more than 300 miles and is often called the "Grand Canyon under the sea."Its closest point to the American coast is 200 miles southeast of Brownsville, Texas.

 
140.
Which country has the longest coastline in Africa?
Answer

Somalia

 
139.
Which Chilean city whose name comes from the Spanish for 'Sandy Point' is sometimes considered the southernmost city in the world?
Answer

Punta Arenas

It is the most prominent settlement on the Strait of Magellan.

 
138.
Which South Pacific territory named for its shores’ similarities to the Scottish coastline will hold a referendum on independence from France between 2014 and 2019?
Answer

New Caledonia

It is located in the region of Melanesia in the southwest Pacific. It comprises a main island (Grande Terre), the Loyalty Islands, and several smaller islands. It is approximately half the size of Taiwan and the capital and largest city of the territory is Nouméa.

 
137.
Based on a 1995 realignment of the International Date Line, which Oceanic country with it's capital at South Tarawa is now the easternmost country in the world?
Answer

Kiribati

It is also the only country in the world through which both the Equator and the International Date Line passes.

 
136.
On which Japanese islands are Hiroshima and Nagasaki located?
Answer

Hiroshima-Honshu, Nagasaki-Kyushu

 
135.
If you love resorts, you must have been to the Côte d'Azur. How do we know it better in English?
Answer

The French Riviera

It is the Mediterranean coastline of the south eastern corner of France, extending from Menton near the Italian border in the east to either Hyères or Cassis in the west. ts largest city is Nice, which is home to Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, France's second-busiest airport (after Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport).

 
134.
Which major German seaport on the Baltic sea was for several centuries the capital of the Hanseatic League and was also known as 'Queen of the Hanse'?
Answer

Lubeck

 
133.
Located in southeastern Alaska and occupying 17 million acres, what is the largest national forest in the United States?
Answer

The Tongass National Forest

 
132.
Which country is separated into two parts by the town of Limbang of Malaysia?
Answer

Brunei

 
131.
Literally meaning 'Hill of Spring' and located on the Mediterranian, what is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan?
Answer

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 on the outskirts of the ancient port city of Jaffa. The growth of Tel Aviv soon outpaced Jaffa, which was largely Arab at the time. Tel Aviv and Jaffa were merged into a single municipality in 1950, two years after the establishment of the State of Israel. Tel Aviv's White City, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, comprises the world's largest concentration of Modernist-style buildings.

 
130.
McMurdo Station can support only 1258 residents but is still considered as the largest community in which part of the world?
Answer

Antarctica

Located on the southern tip of Ross Island on the shore of McMurdo Sound, 2,200 miles (3,500 km) due south of New Zealand, it is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National Science Foundation. It is also featured in many popular sci-fi novels and movies.

 
129.
Which strait located between Yemen and Djibouti connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Aden and means the 'Gate of Tears' in Arabic?
Answer

Bab-el-Mandeb

The strait derives its name from the dangers attending its navigation, or, according to an Arab legend, from the numbers who were drowned by the earthquake which separated Asia and Africa.

 
128.
What is the name of the famous rock on the bank of the Rhine near St. Goarshausen, Germany that soars 120 meters above the water line and is associated with several tales in German folklore?
Answer

The Loreley (also written as Lorelei)

The name comes from the old German words "lureln" (Rhine dialect for "murmuring") and the Celtic term "ley" (rock). Loreley is also the name of one of the beautiful Rhine Maidens who lured navigators of this river to their dooms with their alluring singing, much as the ancient Greek Sirens did.

 
127.
What is the largest and most populous country in the world situated only on islands?
Answer

Indonesia

Comprising 17,508 islands, it is the world's largest archipelagic state.

 
126.
Due to its location in a time zone to the east of Europe, which French island in the Indian Ocean was the first region in the world where the euro became legal tender?
Answer

Réunion

It is located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 km (130 miles) south west of Mauritius, the nearest island. Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas départements of France.

 
125.
Must be boring to live in the Great Plains. What is the largest US state with no officially-designated National Park?
Answer

Kansas

 
124.
Which coast off the Atlantic Ocean of Namibia and Angola is named for the bleached whale and seal bones which covered the shore during the days of the whaling industry as well as shipwrecks caused by rocks?
Answer

The Skeleton Coast

More than a thousand vessels of various sizes and areas litter the coast. The Bushmen of the Namibian interior called the region "The Land God Made in Anger", while Portuguese sailors once referred to it as "The Gates of Hell".

 
123.
Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America is on which archipelago that translates as 'Land of Fire' in Spanish?
Answer

Tierra del Fuego

It is separated from the southernmost tip of the South American mainland by the Strait of Magellan. Cape Horn is the most southerly of the great capes, and marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage; for many years it was a major milestone on the clipper route, by which sailing ships carried trade around the world. The need for ships to round the horn was greatly reduced by the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914.

 
122.
Completely bordered by France on three sides, what is the world’s most densely populated sovereign country as well as the smallest French-speaking country?
Answer

Monaco

Monaco is a Constitutional Monarchy and Principality with Prince Albert II as head of state. The Grimaldi family has ruled over Monaco since 1292 and the state's sovereignty was officially recognized by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861. Despite being independent, Monaco’s defense is still the responsibility of France. To the east it is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea.

 
121.
The name of which Central Asian mountain range where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together and where the mighty rivers Irtysh, Ob and Yenisei have their sources literally means 'Mountains of Gold' in Turkic?
Answer

The Altai range

 
120.
Scania, Zealand and Jutland have historically been the three lands of which country/kingdom?
Answer

Denmark

 
119.
Which island, the third largest in the world, is divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei?
Answer

Borneo

Indonesia's region of Borneo is called "Kalimantan" (although Indonesians use the term for the whole island), while Malaysia's region of Borneo is called East Malaysia or Malaysian Borneo. The independent nation of Brunei occupies the remainder of the island.

 
118.
What enters the UK from the North on a shore east of Kingston upon Hull and then passes through France, Spain, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Ghana, and then through Queen Maud Land to its southern destination?
Answer

The Prime/Greenwich Meridian

The Prime Meridian and the opposite 180th meridian (at 180° longitude), which the International Date Line generally follows, form a great circle that divides the Earth into he Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

 
117.
By strict definition, the US has only 46 states and not 50 as the states of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia designate themselves as what?
Answer

Commonwealths

This designation, which has no constitutional impact, emphasizes that they have a "government based on the common consent of the people" as opposed to one legitimized through their earlier Royal Colony status that was derived from the King of Great Britain. The word commonwealth is of English derivation and refers to the common "wealth" or welfare of the public. In common parlance, people do not make the distinction between state or commonwealth. Two U.S. territories — Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas — are also referred to as commonwealths, and do have a legal status different from the states (both are unincorporated territories).

 
116.
Since all time zones converge at the South Pole, there is no reason for placing it in any particular time zone. But as a practical convenience, the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station keeps the time of which country?
Answer

New Zealand

This is because the US flies its resupply missions ("Operation Deep Freeze") out of Christchurch, New Zealand. Given the continuing and constant US presence in Antarctica since 1955-56, "Operation Deep Freeze" has come to be used as a general term for US operations in that continent, and in particular for the regular missions to resupply US Antarctic bases, coordinated by the US military.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Pole)

 
115.
From the Greek for 'going downhill' and most commonly found in Antarctica and Greenland, what is the name of the wind that carries high density air from a higher elevation down a slope under the force of gravity?
Answer

A Katabatic wind

The buildup of high density cold air over the ice sheets and the elevation of the ice sheets brings into play enormous gravitational energy, propelling the winds well over hurricane force. In Greenland these winds are called Pitaraq and are most intense whenever a low pressure area approaches the coast. Not all downslope winds are katabatic. For instance, winds such as the Föhn, Chinook or Bergwind, are rain shadow winds where air driven upslope on the windward side of a mountain range drops its moisture and descends leeward drier and warmer.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katabatic)

 
114.
Derived from Greek for 'fortunate islands', what is the modern collective name for several groups of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean near Europe and North Africa belonging to Portugal, Spain and Cape Verde?
Answer

Macaronesia (not to be confused with Micronesia in Oceania)

Macaronesia consists of five archipelagos: (1) Azores (Portugal) (2) Madeira (Portugal) (3) Savage Islands (Portugal) (4) Canary Islands (Spain) and (5) Cape Verde (Cape Verde) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaronesia)

 
113.
What is the exclave of Russia that is surrounded by Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea?
Answer

The Kaliningrad oblast

It has no land connection to the rest of Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Borderless travel to the main part of Russia is only possible by sea or air. Its largest city and the administrative center is Kaliningrad, which has historical significance as both a major city of Prussia and the capital of the former German province East Prussia, of which the region remains the northern core remnant. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliningrad_Oblast)

 
112.
What is the longest river in the world that flows entirely in one country?
Answer

The Yangtze

It is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world, after the Nile in Africa, and the Amazon in South America. The river is about 6,300 km long and flows from its source in Qinghai Province, eastwards into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It has traditionally been considered a dividing line between North and South China.

 
111.
Which Australian English word is used to refer to an oxbow lake, a stagnant pool of water attached to a waterway that is usually formed when the path of a creek or river changes, leaving the former branch with a dead end?
Answer

A billabong

The word is derived from two Indigenous Australian words: "billa" meaning "creek" and "bong" meaning "dead". Billabongs appear relatively often in Australian literature. One of the most well-known references is in the opening line of Banjo Paterson's famous poem "Waltzing Matilda".

 
110.
Which is the country closest to the US without bordering it?
Answer

Russia

The Bering Strait separates eastern Russia from Alaska at a distance of approximately 90 kilometers. The next closest country is Bahamas, with Grand Bahama Island resting approximately 100 kilometers off the east coast of Florida.

 
109.
Located in Israel, what is the second-lowest lake in the world (after the Dead Sea) on whose shores much of the ministry of Jesus occurred?
Answer

The Sea of Galilee

One of Jesus' famous teaching episodes, the Sermon on the Mount, was given on a hill overlooking the lake whilst many of his miracles were also recorded to occur here including his walking on water, calming a storm, and his feeding five thousand people (in Tabgha). In the time of the Byzantine Empire, the lake's significance in Jesus' life made it a major destination for Christian pilgrims.

 
108.
Meaning 'place of sunset' or 'western' in Arabic, which word is generally applied to the geographic area of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia together?
Answer

The Maghreb

In older Arabic usage, the word pertained only to the area of the three countries between the high ranges of the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Historically some writers also included Spain — especially during its period of Muslim domination — in the definition. The region was united as a single political entity only during the first years of Arab rule (early 8th century), and again for several decades under the Almohads (1159–1229). The Arab states of North Africa established the Arab Maghreb Union in 1989 to promote cooperation and economic integration. Its members are Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania.

 
107.
Which current day Russian republic at the center of Asia fascinated the physicist Richard Feynman because of its obscurity and is the subject of his book 'X or Bust!' that chronicles his attempts to travel there?
Answer

Tuva

In the 1920s and 1930s, postage stamps from Tuva were issued. Many philatelists, including famous physicist Richard Feynman, have been fascinated with the far-away and obscure land of Tuva because of these stamps.

 
106.
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao form the three major island groups of which country?
Answer

The Philippines

Luzon is the largest and most economically and politically important island.

 
105.
The summit of which mountain in Ecuador is generally regarded as the spot that is farthest from the center of the Earth?
Answer

Chimborazo

It is also Ecuador's highest summit. The summit measures 20,946,232 ft (6,384,412 m) from the Earth's core. The summit of Mount Everest reaches a higher elevation above sea level, but the summit of Chimborazo is widely reported to be the farthest point from Earth's center, despite a possible challenge from Huascarán (in Peru). Chimborazo is just one degree south of the equator and the earth's diameter at the equator is greater than at Everest's latitude, with sea level also being elevated. So, despite being 2,581 m (8,568 ft) lower in elevation above sea level, it is 6,384.4 km (3,968 mi) from the Earth's center, 2.1 km farther than the summit of Everest.

 
104.
The Caribbean Mosquito Coast historically consisted of an area along the Atlantic coast of which two present-day countries?
Answer

Honduras and Nicaragua

The Mosquito Coast was incorporated into Nicaragua in 1894, however, in 1960 the northern part was granted to Honduras by the International Court of Justice. It is so called from its principal inhabitants, the Miskito Indians, whose name was corrupted into Mosquito by European settlers.

 
103.
What is the only Central American country with English as its official language?
Answer

Belize

 
102.
The Bab-el-Mandeb meaning Gate of Tears' in Arabic is the strait seperating which two land masses?
Answer

Asia and Africa

It seperates Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti, north of Somalia on the Horn of Africa and connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean (Gulf of Aden). It is sometimes called the Mandab Strait in English.

 
101.
What is the largest country located entirely in Europe?
Answer

Ukraine

 
100.
Which mountain range is composed principally of two great ranges, the Cordillera Oriental and the Cordillera Occidental often separated by a deep intermediate depression?
Answer

The Andean range

The Andes mountain range is the highest mountain range outside Asia, with the highest peak, Aconcagua, rising to 6,962 m (22,841 ft) above sea level. The summit of Mount Chimborazo in the Ecuadorean Andes is the point on the Earth's surface most distant from its center, because of the equatorial bulge. The Andes cannot match the Himalayas in height but do so in width and are more than twice as long. It is over 7,000 km (4,400 miles) long, 500 km (300 miles) wide in some parts and of an average height of about 4,000 m (13,000 ft).

 
99.
After Bhagdad, what is the second largest city in Iraq?
Answer

Basra

The city is located along the Shatt al-Arab waterway near the Persian Gulf, 55 kilometers (34 mi) from the Persian Gulf and 545 kilometers (339 mi) from Baghdad. A network of canals flowed through the city, giving it the nickname "The Venice of the Middle East" at least at high tide.

 
98.
The name of which vast area of arid country north of the Great Australian Bight is derived from the Latin for 'no trees' and the crossing of which is a seminal experience of the Australian Outback?
Answer

The Nullarbor Plain

It is the world's largest single piece of limestone, and occupies an area of about 200,000 km² (77,200 sq miles). The Nullarbor Plain is thought to be a former seabed. About 20-25 million years ago, the whole area was uplifted by crustal movements, and since then, erosion by wind and rain has smoothed out most topographic features, resulting in the extremely flat terrain across the plain today.(Thanks to George A for clarifying the meaning of Nullarbor.)

 
97.
Lake Assal with 34.8 percent salinity, and more than that of the Dead Sea is considered the most saline body of water outside Antarctica. In which tiny nation in the Horn of Africa is it located?
Answer

Djibouti

 
96.
What is the largest desert in the North and South Americas?
Answer

The Patagonian desert

It is the 5th largest desert in the world by area, occupying 260,000 square miles (673,000 km²). It is located primarily in Argentina with small parts in Chile and is bounded by the Andes, to its west, and the Atlantic Ocean to its east, in the region of Patagonia, southern Argentina.

 
95.
Easter Island in the South Pacific is well-known for its numerous moai, the stone statues located along the coastlines. Which country does the island belong to?
Answer

Chile

Easter Island was annexed by Chile on September 9, 1888 by Policarpo Toro, by means of the "Treaty of Annexation of the island" (Tratado de Anexión de la isla), that the government of Chile signed with the native people of the island.

 
94.
Which rain forest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is famed as the home of the pygmies?
Answer

The Ituri

 
93.
As of April 2010, apart from Western Sahara, Tokelau is the only other non-self governing territory in the world that is not administered by the UK, US or France. Which country administers it?
Answer

New Zealand

It consists of three tropical coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean. The UN maintains a list of territories that do not govern themselves. The list was initially prepared in 1946 pursuant to Article XI of the United Nations Charter, and has been updated since then by the General Assembly on recommendation of the Special Committee on Decolonization and its predecessors. Only permanently inhabited territories are considered for inclusion in this list.

 
92.
A trans-boundary river is a river that crosses at least one political border (either a border within a nation or an international boundary). Which country in Asia is trans vested with the greatest number of such rivers?
Answer

Bangladesh

Bangladesh has at least 58 major rivers that enter that nation from India or Myanmar. The hydrologic and political effects of rivers that cross significant boundaries are enormous. Rivers have positive effects in that they carry a significant amount of sediment which aids in building land in estuarine regions. However this sediment raises the h eighth of riverbed thereby causing flooding. International conventions governing water sharing lead to complex political disputes.

 
91.
Which New York City's northernmost borough is the only one of the city's five boroughs situated primarily on the United States mainland rather than on an island?
Answer

The Bronx

If all five boroughs were independent cities, the Bronx would rank as the ninth most populous city in the United States.

 
90.
Tribhuvan International Airport serves which Asian capital city?
Answer

Kathmandu, Nepal

It is the sole international airport in Nepal. Austrian Airlines is the only European airline to serve the airport, although it is only a seasonal service to cater for the tourist season.

 
89.
The European microstates are six very small sovereign states on the European continent and the surrounding islands. Name all of them.
Answer

Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City

Owing to their small size, which limits their natural resources and population, most of the microstates have adopted special economic measures in order to prosper — usually by lowering taxes and encouraging financial investment. Many of the microstates have also entered into a Customs Union with their larger neighbours to improve their economic situation (Vatican City and San Marino with Italy, Liechtenstein with Switzerland, and Monaco with France). The microstates also have particular relations with the European Union, of which Malta is a full member.

 
88.
Which Russian city was called as Stalingrad between 1925-1961?
Answer

Volgograd

It was formerly called Tsaritsyn (1598–1925) and is today the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. It is situated on the west bank of the Volga River.

 
87.
Which two countries share the longest border in the world?
Answer

USA and Canada

The terrestrial boundary (including small portions of maritime boundaries on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic coasts as well as the Great Lakes) is 8,891 kilometres (5,522 mi) long, including 2,477 kilometres (1,539 mi) shared with Alaska. Officially known as the International Boundary, it is generally unmilitarized.

 
86.
As of 2010, the ten highest active volcanoes are located in which continent?
Answer

South America

San Pedro in Chile is the highest at 20,161 feet or 6145 metres.

 
85.
What is the name given to Asia's principal area of illicit opium production that overlaps the three nations of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan?
Answer

The Golden Crescent

 
84.
Which famous Bay in Sydney, Australia was the site of a landing by Captain James Cook of HMS Endeavour and sparked Britian's interest in Australia?
Answer

Botany Bay

In modern times the Bay is chiefly notable for being the site of Kingsford Smith International Airport, Australia's largest.

 
83.
What is the largest country with a single time zone?
Answer

China

 
82.
What is the collective name given to the 16 volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas?
Answer

The Decade Volcanoes

A volcano may be designated a Decade Volcano if it exhibits more than one volcanic hazard; shows recent geological activity; is located in a populated area (eruptions at any of the Decade Volcanoes may threaten tens or hundreds of thousands of people, and therefore mitigating eruption hazards at these volcanoes is crucial); is politically and physically accessible for study; and there is local support for the work.

 
81.
Which country's two main islands are seperated by the Cook strait?
Answer

New Zealand

It lies between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. On its north side stands the city of Wellington; on the south side lie the Marlborough Sounds and Cloudy Bay. The strait takes its name from Captain James Cook, the first European commander to sail through it, in January - February 1770. In Mâori it has the name Raukawa or Raukawa Moana. Raukawa may mean "bitter leaves".

 
80.
Which city in Egypt has been characterised as the 'world's greatest open air museum' and contains the ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak as well as monuments that include the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens?
Answer

Luxor

It was called Thebes in ancient times. Luxor today represents an excellent base for touring Upper Egypt, and is a popular holiday destination, both in its own right and as a starting or finishing point for Nile cruises.

 
79.
Which island in the Mediterranean, also Greece's largest, was the center of the Minoan civilization (ca. 2600-1400 BCE) the oldest civilization in Europe?
Answer

Crete

Crete is a popular tourist destination; its attractions include the Minoan sites of Knossos and Phaistos, the classical site of Gortys, the Venetian castle in Rethymno, and the Samaria Gorge, as well as many other natural sites, monuments, and beaches.

 
78.
In geography, what is an endorheic basin that is also called a terminal or closed basin?
Answer

A watershed from which there is no outflow of water

Any rain (or other precipitation) that falls inside an endorheic basin may only leave the system by evaporation. Although endorheic basins can occur in any climate, in practice they are most commonly found in hot desert locations.

 
77.
With an area of 25,708 sq. kms (9,926 sq. miles) and five million inhabitants, which is the largest island in the Mediterranean?
Answer

Sicily

It is an autonomous region of Italy.

 
76.
If Panama Canal has two sets of locks, how many does the Suez Canal have?
Answer

None!

The canal has no locks because the terrain through which it passes is flat, and the minor difference in sea level at the ends is easily coped with through the length of the canal.

 
75.
Which feature that is 6380 kms long has traditionally been considered a dividing line between North and South China?
Answer

The Yangtze river

It is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world, after the Nile in Africa, and the Amazon in South America.

 
74.
Two monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into a cliff that were infamously destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 are located in which part of central Afghanistan?
Answer

In the Bamyan valley (they were called 'Buddhas of Bamyan')

Built during the 6th century, the statues represented the classic blended style of Greco-Buddhist art.

 
73.
What are the only two South American countries that do not border Brazil?
Answer

Ecuador and Chile

Brazil borders Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and the department of French Guiana to the north, Uruguay to the south, Argentina and Paraguay to the southwest, Bolivia and Peru to the west, and Colombia to the northwest.

 
72.
Located in Guatemala, what is the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Mayan civilization?
Answer

Tikal

Now part of Guatemala's Tikal National Park, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist spot. Tikal was one of the major cultural and population centers of the Maya civilization. Though monumental architecture at the site dates to the 4th century BC, Tikal reached its apogee during the Classic Period, ca. 200 AD to 850 AD, during which time the site dominated the Maya region politically, economically, and militarily while interacting with areas throughout Mesoamerica, such as central Mexican center of Teotihuacan.

 
71.
What is the name of the 'crooked street' in San Fransisco that is famous for having a steep, one-block section that consists of tight hairpin turns?
Answer

Lombard street

The crooked section of the street is reserved for one-way traffic traveling east (downhill), and is paved with bricks. The section was built in 1923 to accommodate the steepness of the slope.

 
70.
What is the largest landmass that lies entirely in the Pacific Ocean?
Answer

New Guinea, the second largest island in the world

Almost all of the smaller islands of the Pacific lie between 30°N and 30°S, extending from South-east Asia to Easter Island; the rest of the Pacific Basin is almost entirely submerged.

 
69.
It is common knowledge that 70% of earth's surface is covered with water. Of this, what percentage does the Pacific Ocean cover?
Answer

About 46% (about 32% of earth's total surface area)

At 169.2 million square kilometres (65.3 million square miles) in area, it is larger than all of the Earth's land area combined. The equator subdivides it into the North Pacific Ocean and South Pacific Ocean.

 
68.
Located in Botswana, which is the world's largest inland delta?
Answer

The Okavango

The area was once part of Lake Makgadikgadi, an ancient lake that dried up some 10,000 years ago. Today, the Okavango River has no outlet to the sea and it empties onto the sands of the Kalahari Desert, irrigating 15,000 km² of the desert.

 
67.
Which is the shallowest ocean on earth?
Answer

The Arctic Ocean

It is also the smallest.

 
66.
The erstwhile Yugoslavia has broken up into into how many countries?
Answer

7

The seven countries that were once part of Yugoslavia are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and Kosovo.

 
65.
It is well known that Germany re-unified in 1990. In the same year, which two middle eastern nations, North X and South X formally united as the Republic of X?
Answer

Yemen

In the sixteenth century and again in the nineteenth century, north Yemen was part of the Ottoman Empire, and in some periods its Imams exerted control over south Yemen. North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and became a republic in 1962. In 1839, the British occupied the port of Aden and established it as a colony in September of that year. They also set up a zone of loose alliances (known as protectorates) around Aden to act as a protective buffer. In 1967, the British withdrew and gave back Aden to Yemen due to extreme pressure of battles with the North and Egyptian allies. After the British withdrawal, this area became known as South Yemen.

 
64.
Uros are a group of about 43 artificial islands made of floating reeds on which navigable lake?
Answer

Lake Titicaca

These islands have become a major tourist attraction for Peru, drawing excursions from the lakeside city of Puno. Their original purpose was defensive, and they could be moved if a threat arose. One of the islands retains a watchtower largely constructed of reeds.

 
63.
On the geologic time scale, which term denotes the largest subdivision of time?
Answer

An eon

Eon > Era > Period > Epoch. We are currently in the Phanerozoic Eon, the Cenozoic Era, the Quaternary Period, and the Holocene epoch. Formerly, only one eon existed besides the Phanerozoic: the Precambrian. More recently, the Hadean, Archean, and Proterozoic "eras" of Precambrian time have been considered eons.

 
62.
Among US states with the highest number of national parks, California and Alaska come in first with 8 each. Which state comes next with 5 of them?
Answer

Utah

With Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Zion.

 
61.
Established in 1974 in a self-governing territory, which is the largest national park in the world with an area of 972,000 sq kms (375,000 square miles)?
Answer

Northeast Greenland National Park

It is also the only national park in Greenland. The park encompasses the entire northeastern coastline and interior sections of Greenland.

 
60.
What is the beautiful onion-domed church situated in Red Square, Moscow that is often confused with the Kremlin?
Answer

St Basil's Cathedral

The misconception has inadvertently been reinforced by Western television journalists, who have often stood in front of St. Basil's during their reports.

 
59.
What is the only nation state of the Commonwealth of Nations on the mainland of South America?
Answer

Guyana

Guyana achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 and became a republic in 1970, remaining a member of the Commonwealth.

 
58.
What area does the imprecise geographic term 'Levant' refer to?
Answer

The Eastern Mediterranean at large but can also denote a large area in Western Asia

The term Levant is first attested in English in 1497, originally used in the wider sense of "Mediterranean lands east of Venetia". Today "Levant" is typically used by archaeologists and historians with reference to the prehistory and the ancient and medieval history of the region, as when discussing the Crusades. The term is also occasionally employed to refer to modern or contemporary events, peoples, states, or parts of states in the same region, namely Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian territories.

 
57.
Flemish Cap, an area of shallow waters in the north Atlantic east of Newfoundland and Labrador is featured in which 2000 film as the final fishing grounds for Billy Tyne (George Clooney) and his crew?
Answer

The Perfect Storm

The waters of the Flemish Cap are noted as excellent fishing waters. Halibut, swordfish, shrimp, scallop and other marine species may be found in abundance there.

 
56.
An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. What is the world's largest?
Answer

The Gulf of Saint Lawrence

It is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean.

 
55.
The city of DeKalb, Illinois is credited as the first manufacturing site of what 'restraining' invention that revolutionized ranching in the US?
Answer

Barbed wire

The first patent in the United States for barbed wire was issued in 1867 to Lucien B. Smith of Kent, Ohio, who is regarded as the inventor. Joseph F. Glidden of DeKalb, Illinois, received a patent for the modern invention in 1874 after he made his own modifications to previous versions.

 
54.
What is the newest territory of Canada that formed in 1999 and has a population of around 30,000 spread over an area the size of Western Europe?
Answer

Nunavat

Nunavut means 'our land' in Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit. If Nunavut were a sovereign nation, it would be the least densely populated in the world: Nearby Greenland, for example, has almost the same area and twice the population.

 
53.
What geographic distinction is held by the Sakha Republic, a federal subject of Russia with its area of nearly 2 million square miles?
Answer

It is the largest subnational governing body in the world by area

Sakha became the largest country subdivision in the world, when Nunavut separated from Canada's Northwest Territories in 1999.

 
52.
The Fedchenko Glacier is the longest glacier in the world outside of the polar regions. In which Asian country which has its capital at Dushanbe is it located?
Answer

Tajikistan

The glacier is long and narrow, currently extending for 77 km (47 miles) and covering over 700 km² (270 mi²).

 
51.
Which stretch of water between Peninsular Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world?
Answer

The Strait of Malacca

The Strait forms the main ship passageway between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, linking three of the world's most populous nations: India, Indonesia and China. At Phillips Channel near Singapore, the Strait narrows to 2.8 km (1.5 nautical miles) wide, creating one of the world's most significant traffic bottlenecks.

 
50.
Which tiny landlocked European country, also the smallest German-speaking country in the world, has bordering countries that are also landlocked?
Answer

Liechtenstein

It is in Western-Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to its west and by Austria to its east. Uzbekistan in Central Asia (if the Caspian Sea is considered as a lake) is the only other 'double-landlocked' country in the world.

 
49.
After Russia, what is the second largest country in terms of area amongst the former Soviet republics?
Answer

Kazakhstan

It is the 9th largest country in the world.

 
48.
The melting Furtwängler Glacier, sometimes used as an example of global warming is near which African geographic feature?
Answer

Mount Kilimanjaro

Furtwängler Glacier is a small remnant of an enormous icecap which once crowned the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. This icecap has retreated significantly over the past century and between 1912 and the 2000, 82 percent of the glacial ice on the mountain has disappeared. The retreat of glacial ice on the summit is expected to continue and by the year 2020, all the glaciers on top of the mountain may be gone.

 
47.
How many US state capitals are named after the countries presidents?
Answer

4 (Lincoln-Nebraska, Jackson-Mississippi, Madison-Wisconsin and Jefferson City-Missouri).

 
46.
What is the geographic and historical term for the Western Asian peninsula which comprises about two-thirds of Turkey?
Answer

Anatolia, also known as Asia Minor

The name comes from the Greek for "east". The Byzantine theme of "Anatolikon" ("eastern one") signified the lands to the east of Europe and Constantinople.

 
45.
Which tributary of the Yukon river in Canada gave its name to the Gold Rush of 1896?
Answer

The Klondike

Gold was discovered in tributaries of the Klondike River in 1896 and is still being mined today. Its name comes from the Hän word Tr'ondëk meaning "hammerstone", which were used to hammer down stakes used to set salmon nets.

 
44.
Which group of islands in the Caribbean Sea are divided into a 'Greater' part that includes Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico and a 'Lesser' part comprising the Leeward Islands, the Windward Islands and the Leeward X?
Answer

The Antilles

Geographically, the Antilles are generally considered part of North America. Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico – due to the prevalence of Spanish – are included in Latin America. The Bahamas, though part of the West Indies, are generally not included among the Antillean islands.

 
43.
Which Peruvian city was the historic capital of the sun-worshipping Inca empire?
Answer

Cusco

 
42.
What is the French-speaking part of Switzerland called?
Answer

Romandy

The term Romandy does not formally exist in the political system but is used to distinguish and unify the French-speaking population of Switzerland. About 1.5 million people (or 20% of the Swiss population) live in Romandy.

 
41.
Which national capital is the only city built in the 20th century to be considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO?
Answer

Brasilia

The city was planned and developed in 1956 with Lúcio Costa as the principal urban planner and Oscar Niemeyer as the principal architect. In 1960, it formally became Brazil's national capital. When seen from above, the main planned part of the city's shape resembles an airplane or a butterfly.

 
40.
Which US state shares its name with an independent country?
Answer

Georgia

 
39.
What term for a cluster of islands literally means 'chief sea' in Greek?
Answer

Archipelago

In antiquity, the Archipelago was the proper name for the Aegean Sea and, later, usage shifted to refer to the Aegean Islands (since the sea is remarkable for its large number of islands). It is now used to generally refer to any island group or, sometimes, to a sea containing a large number of scattered islands like the Aegean.

 
38.
What are the two main tributaries of the mighty Nile?
Answer

The White Nile and the Blue Nile

Blue Nile is the source of most of the Nile's water and fertile soil, but the White Nile is the longer of the two. The White Nile rises in the Great Lakes region of central Africa and flows north from there through Tanzania, Lake Victoria, Uganda and southern Sudan, while the Blue Nile starts at Lake Tana in Ethiopia, flowing into Sudan from the southeast. The two rivers meet near the Sudanese capital Khartoum. The Nile ends in a large delta that empties into the Mediterranean Sea.

 
37.
After the five oceans, what is the largest sea body in the world?
Answer

The South China Sea

It is a part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from Singapore to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 km². The sea and its mostly uninhabited islands are subject to several competing claims of sovereignty by neighboring nations. These competing claims are also reflected in the variety of names used for the islands and the sea.

 
36.
What is the largest country in the world without permanent rivers?
Answer

Saudi Arabia

 
35.
What are the trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats called?
Answer

Mangroves

The Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh is the largest mangrove forest in the world.

 
34.
In the world of mountaineering, what are referred to as the seven summits?
Answer

The highest mountains of each of the seven continents

Summiting all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such in the 1980s by Richard Bass.

 
33.
What is 'La Manche' in French and what does it typically refer to?
Answer

Meaning 'The Sleeve', it refers to the English channel

It that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about 563 km (350 mi) long and at its widest is 240 km (150 mi). The Strait of Dover is the narrowest part of the channel being only 34 km (21 mi).(Many thanks to Jim Welsh for sending in a correction.)

 
32.
Boyoma Falls, earlier known as Stanley Falls, are the world's highest-volume waterfall located in which country?
Answer

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

They consists of seven cataracts extending over 100 km on the Lualaba River near Kisangani (formerly Stanleyville). At the bottom of the falls the Lualaba becomes the Congo River.

 
31.
What geographic marvel has an uninterrupted drop of 807 m (2,648 ft) and is located in Canaima National Park, Venezuela?
Answer

Angel Falls, the world's highest free-falling waterfall

Although sighted in the early 20th century by the explorer Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz, the waterfall was not known to the Western world until it was visited in 1935 by American aviator James Crawford Angel on a flight while he was searching for a valuable ore bed. In 1936, Angel returned and landed his plane at the top of the waterfall. The falls are currently named after him.

 
30.
Three of the ten largest islands in the world belong to which country?
Answer

Canada - with Baffin (5th largest), Victoria (9th largest) and Ellesmere (10th largest)

Greenland is the largest island. Australia is widely considered as a continental landmass, not an island, though it is much larger than Greenland.

 
29.
Which street in London is synonymous with British journalism?
Answer

Fleet street

Even though the last major British news office, Reuters, left in 2005, the street's name continues to be used as a metonymy for the British national press. Fleet Street is now more associated with the Law and its courts and barristers' chambers.

 
28.
Which country became the first sovereign state of the 21st century when Indonesia relinquished control on May 20, 2002?
Answer

East Timor (Capital: Dili)

Colonized by Portugal in the sixteenth century, East Timor was known as Portuguese Timor for centuries. It was invaded and occupied by Indonesia in 1975 and declared the country's 27th province the following year. Alongside the Philippines, East Timor is one of only two predominantly Roman Catholic countries in Asia, and the only Portuguese-speaking sovereign state in Asia.

 
27.
The Bridge of Sighs was given its name by Lord Byron from the suggestion that prisoners would sigh at their final view of which beautiful city out of its window before being taken to their cells?
Answer

Venice

In reality, the days of inquisitions and summary executions were over by the time the bridge was built, and the cells under the palace roof were occupied mostly by small-time criminals. A local legend says that lovers will be assured eternal love if they kiss on a gondola at sunset under the bridge.

 
26.
What geographic entity means 'all earth' in Greek and existed over 250 million years ago?
Answer

Pangea, the supercontinent

It existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras before the process of plate tectonics separated each of the component continents into their current configuration.

 
25.
Which country, the smallest in continental America, is called the 'Tom Thumb of the Americas' because of its size?
Answer

El Salvador

It is the only Central American country that does not have a Caribbean coastline.

 
24.
What are the only two land-locked South American countries?
Answer

Bolivia and Paraguay

 
23.
Which country is associated with polders, that are defined as a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes?
Answer

The Netherlands

The Dutch have a long history of reclamation of marshes and fenland, not only within their country but also abroad. About half of all polderland within northwest Europa is located within the Netherlands. The first embankments in Europe were constructed in Roman times. The first polders were constructed in the 11th century. This also leads to the expression used to describe Dutch decision making - the Polder Model.

 
22.
Which system of whirlpools off the coast of Norway has featured in many historical accounts and has been written about by many authors like Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne?
Answer

The Moskstraumen or Maelstrom

The Moskstraumen has featured in many historical accounts, generally exaggerated. It was first described more than 2000 years ago by the Greek historian Pytheas, and later, it was marked on many nautical maps with warnings and dramatic descriptions. Both Poe and Verne both portray it inaccurately as a single massive whirlpool.

 
21.
All the largest islands in the world are in oceans/seas and hence are surrounded by sea-water. Marajo which has the distinction of being the largest island completely surrounded by fresh water is in which water body?
Answer

The Amazon

Marajo is located at the mouth of the Amazon in Brazil and has a land area of 15,500 sq mi. Although its northeast coastline faces the Atlantic Ocean, the outflow from the Amazon is so great that the sea at the mouth is quite unbriny for some distance from shore. The island sits almost directly on the equator.

 
20.
What is the southern tip of Greenland?
Answer

Cape Farewell

 
19.
Which beautiful geographic feature can be shaped as Crescentic, Linear, Star, Dome, Parabolic, Longitudinal, Transverse and Reversing?
Answer

A sand dune

In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind activity. The world's highest dunes are found in Algerian Sahara, where they can reach more than 1.5 kms.

 
18.
Which self-governing territory has its capital at Nuuk?
Answer

Greenland

It is a self-governed Danish territory.

 
17.
By political definition, what is the essential difference between Great Britian and United Kingdom?
Answer

Northern Ireland

Great Britian = England + Scotland + Wales; United Kingdom = Great Britian + Northern Ireland.

 
16.
Which 'dark' area in Europe is famous for its cuckoo clocks, honey, ham, pork knuckle and of course, its cake?
Answer

Black Forest

The Black Forest (German Schwarzwald) is a wooded mountain range in southwestern Germany. It was also the setting for many fairy tales popularized by the Brothers Grimm.

 
15.
Jarbah island in the Mediterranean Sea is a popular tourist place which is said to be so idyllic that one forgets all sense of time there. This is attested by Homer who called it as what in his Odyssey?
Answer

Land of lotus-eaters

Djerba is a popular tourist destination, particularly for French, German, Italian and Czech tourists. It is one of the few remaining places in Tunisia where a Berber language is still spoken. Another factor drawing some tourists to Djerba is the 1977 location of the Mos Eisley exterior scenes in the first Star Wars movie, filmed in the town of Ajim.

 
14.
Lesotho is one of only three states surrounded entirely by another (South Africa); What are the other two?
Answer

San Marino and Vatican City, in Italy

 
13.
Which country is entirely surrounded by South Africa?
Answer

Lesotho

The name Lesotho roughly translates into "the land of the people who speak Sotho." The most notable geographic fact about Lesotho, apart from its status as an enclave, is that it is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) in elevation.

 
12.
Alfred Wegener was the first to publish the hypothesis that these had somehow 'moved' apart but he was unable to provide a convincing explanation for the physical processes which might have caused it. What are we talking about?
Answer

The theory of continental drift

The hypothesis of continental drift became part of the larger theory of plate tectonics.

 
11.
Japan has a territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands with which country?
Answer

Russia

Japan also has disputes with South Korea over Dokdo (Takeshima), with China and Taiwan over the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyutai Islands), and with China over the status of Okinotorishima. These disputes are in part about the control of marine and natural resources, such as possible reserves of crude oil and natural gas.

 
10.
Formerly called the Republic of Upper Volta, which country was renamed in 1984 by its president Thomas Sankara to mean 'the land of upright people'?
Answer

Burkina Faso

It is a landlocked country in West Africa and is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.

 
9.
If you are trekking in the Khumbu region, the gateway to the high Himalaya, or even on the way to climb Everest, which village you are most likely to stay at, for altitude acclimatization?
Answer

Namche Bazaar

 
8.
What is also known as Qomolangma or Sagarmatha or Chomolungma in the native tongues of the people around it?
Answer

Mount Everest

The Nepali name is Sagarmatha and the Tibetan name is Chomolungma or Qomolangma. In 1865, the mountain was given its English name by Andrew Waugh, the British surveyor-general of India who surveyed it and he chose to name the mountain after George Everest, the surveyor-general of India from 1830 to 1843, who was largely responsible for completing the section of the Great Trigonometric Survey of India.

 
7.
The Shatt al-Arab waterway constitutes a part of the border between which countries?
Answer

Iran and Iraq

Also called Arvandrud, it is a river of some 200 km in length, formed by the confluence of the Euphrates and the Tigris. The the southern end of the river constitutes the border between Iraq and Iran down to the mouth of the river as it discharges into the Persian Gulf. Conflicting territorial claims and disputes over navigation rights between Iran and Iraq were among the main factors for the Iraq-Iran War that lasted from 1980 to 1988, when the pre-1980 status quo was restored.

 
6.
Upon seeing which stunning South American geographic feature did Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly say "Poor Niagara"?
Answer

The Iguazu Falls

The waterfall system consists of about 270 falls along 2.7 kilometres (1.67 miles) of the Iguazu River. Vastly larger than North America's Niagara Falls, Iguazu is rivalled only by Southern Africa's Victoria Falls. The Garganta del Diablo or Devil's Throat is the most impressive of all, and marks the border between Argentina and Brazil.

 
5.
Which American state was nicknamed the 'Rip Van Winkle State' during the 19th century for its reputation of backwardness?
Answer

North Carolina

 
4.
What gorge, found in the Ngorongoro area of Tanzania, is considered the seat of humanity after the discovery of the earliest known specimens of modern man?
Answer

The Olduvai Gorge

It is one of the most important prehistoric sites in the world and has been instrumental in furthering understanding of early human evolution. Excavation work there was pioneered by Louis Leakey in the 1950s and is continued today by his family.

 
3.
Which central Asian city was the capital of Tamerlane?
Answer

Samarkand

Present in modern day Uzbekistan, it is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, prospering from its location on the Silk Road trade route between China and Europe.

 
2.
The mighty Himalayas take the cake as far as the list of highest mountains goes; so, what is the highest peak outside of this range?
Answer

Mt Aconcagua, in the Andes

To comprehend the enormous scale of Himalayan peaks, consider that Aconcagua is at 6,962 m, while the Himalayan system has over 100 separate mountains exceeding 7,200 meters

 
1.
What is the only non-American capital city named after a US president?
Answer

Monrovia, the capital of Liberia

 
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