March 20th is the Journée internationale de la Francophonie

Flag of La Francophonie

Art
Films & TV
Food & Drink
General Knowledge
Geography >
History
Literature
Music
Sport
Science & Technology
Madrid Pub Quiz

Copyleft
In Association with Amazon.co.uk Find Pub Quiz Books

Copyleft: feel free to use these questions in your quizzes. This is not a game, there's no scoring, and questions are provided as a service only. "NEW" means less than a month old. Spanish flags denote Spanish-based questions.

Geography

322 questions in this category
Q: The Strait of Otranto separates which two countries?
A: Italy and Albania
With thanks to Ross Stewart of Auckland, New Zealand, for correcting the question
Q: Which is the smallest independent country in South America?
A: Suriname
With thanks to Tim Sharples for fine tuning the question
Q: How many points of the compass are there?
A: 32
Q: Which Spanish region has the same name as a region of eastern Europe spanning south-eastern Poland and western Ukraine?
A: Galicia
Q: Which town in Spain is the self-proclaimed 'windsurf capital of the world'?
A: Tarifa
Q: This is a Spanish-based question Whose statue is outside the main entrance to the Prado Museum?
A: Diego Velázquez
Q: With which countries does Spain have a land border (i.e. there is a border post)?
A: Portugal, France, Andorra, Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla), UK (Gibraltar)
Q: If you travelled due west from Madrid crossed the Atlantic Ocean, which city would you hit?
A: New York
Q: Which capital city is on the river Tagus?
A: Lisbon
Q: Valentia Island is off the coast of which European country?
A: Ireland
With thanks to Gerry O'Sullivan of Killarney for correcting this question
Q: Which country had, until 2011, a flag with only a solid colour?
A: Libya (the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya)
With thanks to Jake Whiteman for updating the question
Q: Where are the Tivoli gardens?
A: Copenhagen (also a less well know one in Ljubljana)
Q: Which river separates Buda from Pest?
A: The Danube
Q: Abuja is the capital of the seventh most populous country in the world. Which?
A: Nigeria
Q: The Canary Islands are named after which animal?
A: Dogs (although it could refer to monk seals, known as 'sea dogs' in Latin)
Q: Which river flows through the Grand Canyon?
A: The Colorado River
Q: Who was the first president of the Fifth Republic (1958-present) in France?
A: Charles de Gaulle
Q: Which African city derives its name from 'Three Cities'?
A: Tripoli (from 'Regio Tripolitana', region of the three cities)
Q: Which country's flag has a blue 24-spoked wheel in the centre called the Ashoka Chakra?
A: India
Q: Port Moresby (Pot Mosbi) is the capital city of which country?
A: Papua New Guinea
Q: Which city in Ireland derives its English name from Blackpool in Irish?
A: Dublin (Dubh Linn)
Q: In which time zone is Ireland?
A: WET (Western European Time) which is the same as GMT and UTC. In summer it is WEST (Western European Summer Time) which is GMT/UTC +1.
Q: Which is the only truly African language of the six official working languages of the African Union?
A: Swahili. (The other five are Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.)
Q: Which country has 37 official languages, more than any other? (the first language mentioned in the constitution and the most widely spoken is Spanish)
A: Bolivia. (Bolivian Constitution, Article 5-I: Son idiomas oficiales del Estado el castellano y todos los idiomas de las naciones y pueblos indígena originario campesinos, que son el aymara, araona, baure, bésiro, canichana, cavineño, cayubaba, chácobo, chimán, ese ejja, guaraní, guarasu'we, guarayu, itonama, leco, machajuyai-kallawaya, machineri, maropa, mojeño-trinitario, mojeño-ignaciano, moré, mosetén, movima, pacawara, puquina, quechua, siriona, tacana, tapieté, toromona, uru-chipaya, weenhayek, yawanawa, yuki, yuracaré y zamuco.)
Q: Out of the ten most populous islands in the world, only 2 are outside Asia. Can you name them?
A: Great Britain (3rd) and Hispaniola (10th)
Q: With which other country did Tanganyika merge to form present day Tanzania in 1964?
A: Zanzibar
Q: Where would you find the letters BCE, ECB, EZB, EKT and EKP together?
A: On Euro bank notes (the initials of the European Central Bank in different languages)
Q: Which is the largest country through which the equator passes?
A: Brazil
Q: The Merlion, an imaginary creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, is used as the mascot of which island nation?
A: Singapore
Q: What are the member states of the Swiss Federation known as?
A: Cantons
Q: How is French Somaliland now known?
A: Djibouti
Q: Which three countries have a flag which is simply a circle on a solid background?
A: Japan, Bangladesh, and Palau
With thanks to Neil Robinson in New Zealand for correcting the answer to this question
Q: The Gulf of Bothnia lies between which two countries?
A: Sweden and Finland
Q: Yellowstone National Park is located mainly in Wyoming but it also extends into which two other states?
A: Idaho and Montana
Q: The Juan de Fuca Strait separates which two countries?
A: Canada and USA (between Washington state and Vancouver Island)
Q: Which European capital is served by Schwechat airport?
A: Vienna
Q: Which countries use Western European Time?
A: UK, Ireland, Iceland, and Portugal (plus the Canary Islands and the Faroe Islands)
Q: Which is the only United States territory that drives on the left?
A: The US Virgin Islands
Q: Which European Union country has the largest army per capita (mainly because of the perceived threat from its larger neighbour)?
A: Greece
Q: Which mountain range separates the Rhone and Rhine rivers and gives name to a French Department, a Swiss canton, a geologic time period and, indirectly, an Oscar winning film?
A: The Jura mountains (Jura, Canton of Jura, Jurassic period, and Jurassic Park)
Q: What was the name of the balsa wood raft used by Thor Heyerdahl and his crew to sail across the South Pacific in 1947?
A: Kon-Tiki
Q: New Zealand is named after which 'old' Zealand?
A: The Dutch province of Zeeland (not the Danish Island of Zealand)
Q: Which is the largest country without an airport?
A: Andorra (but it has a heliport)
Q: In which desert is Las Vegas?
A: Mojave
Q: Which is the largest island in the Society Islands?
A: Tahiti
Q: Which Canadian territory forms most of the border with Alaska?
A: The Yukon
Q: Between which two cities is the longest railway journey that does not require changing trains?
A: Moscow and Beijing
Q: Which is the largest state in Mexico?
A: Chihuahua
Q: What is the currency of India?
A: Rupee
Q: St Patrick is known as the Patron Saint of Ireland but there are others, name at least one.
A: Brigid of Kildare, Columba of Iona, Kevin of Glendalough
Q: Which country occupies practically one half of the land of South America?
A: Brazil
Q: Which famous bridge nicknamed the "Coathanger" celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2007?
A: Sydney Harbour Bridge
Q: Which EU country has a coat of arms with a hammer and a sickle on it?
A: Austria
Q: Which country officially describes itself as "República Oriental"?
A: Uruguay
Q: This is a Spanish-based question In which Comunidad is the northernmost point in Spain ?
A: Galicia (Cabo de Bares)
Q: Which famous building complex lies on the south bank of the Yamuna river near Agra?
A: The Taj Mahal
Q: Which country has the ten highest waterfalls in Europe?
A: Norway
Q: What are the official languages of Israel?
A: Hebrew and Arabic
Q: Which city in India is now called Chennai?
A: Madras
Q: Which is the world's smallest republic?
A: Nauru
Q: Chisinau is the capital of which European country?
A: Moldova
Q: Between which two cities is the shortest intercontinental commercial flight?
A: Gibraltar and Tangier
Q: Cape York is the northernmost point of which country?
A: Australia
Q: In 1807, the capital of Portugal was moved out of Lisbon. Where?
A: Rio de Janeiro
Q: In Germany, a motorway is called an 'autobahn'. What are they called in Italy?
A: Autostrada
Q: In which country is Dubrovnik?
A: Croatia
Q: What are the Dutch East Indies now called?
A: Indonesia
Q: What is the Kotel or Western Wall of the Second Temple in Jerusalem better known as?
A: The Wailing Wall
Q: Which two animals appear on the Australian coat of arms?
A: Kangaroo and emu
Q: Which US city is known as 'The Big Easy'?
A: New Orleans
Q: This is a Spanish-based question What are Chafarinas, Alhucemas and Vélez de la Gomera?
A: Spanish islands off the coast of North Africa
Q: Pico Duarte is the highest mountain in the West Indies. In which country is it?
A: Domincan Republic
Q: In which group of British Islands would you find the port of Sullom Voe?
A: The Shetlands
Q: Llullaillaco is the world's highest active volcano. It's on the border between which two countries?
A: Argentina and Chile
Q: Paraguay borders which other countries?
A: Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia
Q: Which sea does the Volga empty into?
A: The Caspian Sea
Q: How is Portuguese West Africa now known?
A: Angola
Q: The city of St. Petersburg stands on which river?
A: Neva
Q: Which animal appears on the national flag of Sri Lanka?
A: Lion
Q: Which is the longest river in France?
A: Loire
Q: The Welland Ship Canal links which two great lakes?
A: Erie and Ontario
Q: In which states is Yellowstone National Park?
A: Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming
Q: In which Asian city would you find the Potala Palace?
A: Lhasa, in Tibet
Q: A black letter 'A' in a white oval on the back of a car denotes it is from which country?
A: Austria
Q: After the Atlas and the Middle Atlas, what comes next in North Africa?
A: The Anti Atlas
Q: Christmas Island is surrounded by which ocean?
A: The Indian Ocean (however, the island of Kiritimati, in the Pacific Ocean, is also called Christmas Island)
With thanks to Nick Wilde for correcting this question
Q: GBZ denotes cars from where?
A: Gibraltar
Q: How many stars does the flag of the European Union now have?
A: 12 - the number of stars will not change when new members are admitted
Q: How many time zones are there in China?
A: One
Q: If you crossed the Panama Canal from the Atlantic (Caribbean) to the Pacific, in which general direction would you be going?
A: South-East (NOT South-West)
Q: If you saw the letters BWI after a country on a postal address, where would you expect the letter to be delivered?
A: Somewhere in the British West Indies
Q: If you were in Molokai, in which country would you be?
A: United States (Hawaii)
Q: In Australia, in which month of the year is the longest day?
A: In December
Q: In which city is Marco Polo airport?
A: Venice
Q: In which city is the HQ of the Central Bank of China?
A: Taipei
Q: In which country is Bali?
A: Indonesia
Q: In which country is water considered so precious that it gives name to the currency: the Pula?
A: Botswana
Q: In which country would you find the Caprivi Strip?
A: Namibia. A thin finger of land surrounded by Angola, Zambia and Botswana
Q: In which US state would you find the Everglades?
A: Florida
Q: India and Pakistan have neighbouring states of the same name, meaning "land of five rivers". Which states are they?
A: Punjab and Punjab
Q: Jebel Musa is acknowledged to be one of the Pillars of Hercules, the end of the world according to Mediterranean cultures. What is the other one?
A: Jebel Tarik, better known as Gibraltar
Q: London's Fleet Street runs from the Strand to Ludgate Circus and is fast becoming the former home of British journalism. What is it named after?
A: The River Fleet which still flows under the street in the sewers
Q: Minsk is the capital of which country?
A: Belarus
Q: Monaco has the same flag as which other country?
A: Indonesia
Q: Name the eastern-most and western-most state in the United States.
A: Alaska and Alaska. The Aleutians cross the 180 degree line of longitude and are in both the eastern and western hemispheres.
Q: Only three countries (members of the United Nations) have names that start with the letter 'F' in English. Which ones?
A: France, Finland, and Fiji
Q: Some call it Sagarmatha, some call it Chomolunga, and others call it...?
A: Mount Everest
Q: The Golden Temple at Amritsar is a place of pilgrimage for whom?
A: Sikhs
Q: The language officially called Putonghua is more commonly known as what?
A: Mandarin or Chinese
Q: What is the current name of the French Sudan?
A: Mali
Q: What is the current name of what used to be the German Ocean?
A: The North Sea
Q: What is the English name for the island of Rapa Nui?
A: Easter Island
Q: What is the name of the gate in the Tower of London that leads onto the Thames?
A: Traitor's Gate
Q: What name was given to New York by Washington Irving in 'Salmagundi' in 1807 and is still a nickname for the city?
A: Gotham
Q: This is a Spanish-based question What time difference is there between Spain and Poland?
A: None
Q: What's the difference between an American and a European roulette wheel?
A: The American has an extra slot for 00
Q: When it's 4:45 pm in Kathmandu, what time is it in Madrid?
A: Noon
Q: Where is Dogger Bank?
A: The North Sea
Q: Where is the Mosquito Coast?
A: Nicaragua
Q: Where or what is Laputa?
A: An imaginary flying island in Gulliver's Travels, inhabited by unpractical scientists and philosophers who have attendants to flap them in the face with bladders to bring them down to consideration of mundane matters
Q: Where you be if you were at the geographical position 0 degrees latitude and 0 degrees longitude?
A: The Atlantic ocean
Q: Which are the only two Caribbean islands with a land border separating two countries?
A: Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and St. Martin (France and the Netherlands)
Q: Which countries have both an Atlantic and a Mediterranean coast?
A: France, Spain and Morocco
Q: Which country has HK on its aircraft?
A: Colombia
Q: Which country has RCH on its cars?
A: Chile
Q: Which country has the highest per capita tea consumption?
A: Ireland (although Turkey now claims the honour)
Q: Which country has the oldest written constitution still in existence?
A: The United States
Q: Which country in Europe has the shortest coastline?
A: Monaco
Q: Which country's aircraft registrations start with the letters EC?
A: Spain (España Civil)
Q: Which country's capital city means "Red Hero" in English?
A: Mongolia (Ulan Baatar)
Q: Which dynasty rules Jordan?
A: Hashemite
Q: Which European country is not a member of the United Nations?
A: The Vatican. Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino are members.
With thanks to Carter Young for correcting this question
Q: Which is the largest land-locked country in the world?
A: Kazakhstan
Q: Which is the longest river to flow into the Mediterranean?
A: The Nile
Q: Which is the most visited paying monument in the world that recorded in December 2002 its 200 millionth visitor?
A: The Eiffel Tower
Q: Which is the only country crossed by a tropic and the equator?
A: Brazil
Q: Which is the only country that has Hinduism as its official religion?
A: Nepal
Q: Which is the only one of New York's five boroughs to be located on the mainland?
A: The Bronx
Q: Which is the second largest country in Europe (by area) after Russia?
A: Ukraine
Q: Which is the smallest country in mainland Africa?
A: The Gambia
With thanks to Carter Young for correcting this question
Q: Which is the southernmost capital of continental South America?
A: Montevideo is 34º53'S; Buenos Aires is further north at 34º36'S
With thanks to Kevin Magill of the Cayman Islands for correcting this question
Q: Which mountain overlooks Cape Town?
A: Table Mountain
With thanks to Ken G. Fisher of Toronto for correcting this question
Q: Which of the five great lakes in North America is nearest to the sea?
A: Lake Ontario
Q: Which river flows through the Grand Canyon?
A: The Colorado River
Q: Which state is made up of 700 islands, the largest of which is Andros?
A: Bahamas
With thanks to Alan Chapple for correcting this question
Q: Which three counties of Ulster are not in Northern Ireland?
A: Cavan, Monaghan, and Donegal
Q: Which two countries in Central America do not have a coastline on both oceans?
A: Belize and El Salvador
Q: Which two US states are rectangular?
A: Colorado and Wyoming
Q: Which US city is known as Motown?
A: Detroit
Q: Which US state has by far the most tornadoes on average?
A: Texas (4,000 per annum, Oklahoma 2nd with 1,400)
Q: Why is the Empire State Building so called?
A: Because New York is the Empire State
Q: If you climbed up the Euromast which is in the Europort, which city would you be in?
A: Rotterdam
Q: If you were to go directly south from Belfast, which is the first major city you would reach?
A: Oviedo, in Spain
Q: In which county is the northernmost point in Ireland?
A: Co. Donegal (Malin Head)
Q: In which province is Dublin?
A: Leinster
Q: In which US state is Panama City?
A: Florida
Q: On which side of the road do the Japanese drive?
A: The left
Q: Which are the only two countries that have square flags?
A: Switzerland and the Vatican
Q: Which people's republic stands between the Bay of Bengal and the foothills of the Himalayas, bordered by India and Burma?
A: Bangladesh
Q: Alba is the Celtic name for which country?
A: Scotland
Q: What in Australia is a Willy-Willy?
A: A whirlwind
Q: What is the former name of Thailand?
A: Siam
Q: What is traditionally considered the burial site of St. Peter?
A: Rome
Q: Which are the last two colonial territories in North America? (Not counting Greenland)
A: Saint Pierre et Miquelon (France) and Bermuda (UK)
With thanks to Kevin Magill of the Cayman Islands for correcting this question
Q: Which is the ultimate court of appeal in Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
A: The House of Lords
Q: Where in the world would you find Queen Maude Land, Queen Mary Land, and George V Land?
A: Antarctica
Q: Where did Douglas Corrigan land to end his famous flight from Roosevelt Field, N.Y. to California in 1938?
A: Dublin. He was henceforth known as 'Wrongway Corrigan'.
Q: If you looked out to sea in El Dar el Beida, which ocean would you be looking at?
A: The Atlantic. You are in Casablanca, Morocco
Q: If you were in a place that some of the natives called 'Aotearoa', where would you be?
A: New Zealand
Q: In which continent is the country called Hrvatska in its own language?
A: Europe (Croatia)
Q: In which country do people speak the language they call Nihongo?
A: Japan
Q: Only three countries (members of the UN) have names that start with the letter 'H' in English. Which ones?
A: Haiti, Honduras, and Hungary.
Q: The city of Firenze is better known in English as...?
A: Florence, Italy
Q: What colour are French letter boxes?
A: Yellow
Q: Which city was built around and on the slopes of Mount-Royal?
A: Montreal, Canada
Q: Which country has a birth rate of zero?
A: The Vatican
Q: Which European country is called the 'Eastern kingdom' in its own language?
A: Austria (Österreich)
Q: Which large city is also called the 'Fragrant Harbour'?
A: Hong Kong
Q: Which Russian city's name means 'Rule the East' in Russian?
A: Vladivostok
Q: Which US city's name means 'straits' or 'channel' because it is on a channel?
A: Detroit
Q: What's the main official residence of the head of state of Canada?
A: Buckingham Palace
Q: Bangladesh is the seventh most populous country in the world and it only has one official language. Which?
A: Bengali (or Bangla)
Q: Which river flows through the Grand Canyon?
A: The Colorado River
Q: Which two cities had the first underground railway systems?
A: London in 1863 and Budapest in 1894
Q: Which are the only two South American countries that do not border Brazil?
A: Chile and Ecuador
Q: In what language is 'Switzerland' written on Swiss stamps and coins?
A: Latin: Helvetia or Confederatio Helvetica
With thanks to Luke Williams in Switzerland for expanding the answer
Q: Which is the main river that flows into the Dead Sea?
A: The river Jordan
With thanks to Luke Williams in Switzerland for correcting this question
Q: The Ku'damm (Kurfürstendamm) is one of the main avenues of which city?
A: Berlin
Q: Which country is the biggest producer of bananas in Europe?
A: Spain (not Iceland!)
Q: Which street in Manhattan is named after the northern boundary fortifications of the New Amsterdam settlement?
A: Wall Street
Q: Which street in the City of Westminster (home now to many clubs) is named after a mallet-and-ball game that was played there during the 17th century?
A: Pall Mall
Q: Which avenue runs for two kilometres through the 8th arrondissement in Paris from Place de la Concorde to Place Charles de Gaulle?
A: The Champs Élysées
Q: Who's official residence is called Gracie Mansion?
A: The Mayor of New York City
Q: The legendary city of Timbuktu is really in which country?
A: Mali
Q: Which is, by far, the smallest Canadian province in both area and population?
A: Prince Edward Island (5,660 Km2 and approximately 140,000 inhabitants)
Q: Which European Union member country has the lowest high point?
A: Denmark - Møllehøj at 171m
Q: Which river flows over Niagara Falls?
A: The Niagara river
Q: The Tsar-kolokol in the Moscow Kremlin weighs 216 tons and is the world's largest what?
A: Bell
Q: Which city of over 3 million inhabitants lies between Table Mountain and Table Bay?
A: Cape Town
Q: The South Western Township area of Johannesburg is better know as what?
A: Soweto
Q: This is a Spanish-based question Which were the first two Denominaciones de Origen in Spain?
A: Rioja (1925) and Jerez (1932)
Q: Which are the only three European countries that are neutral?
A: Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Vatican City
Q: The Mubarak Peace Bridge spans which waterway?
A: The Suez Canal
Q: Paramaribo is the capital of which South American country?
A: Suriname
Q: Which is the least populated state of the US with little more than half a million inhabitants in 2007?
A: Wyoming
Q: Which capital city, famous for its wool and cats, was known as Angora until 1930?
A: Ankara
Q: Where would you find the Pyramid of the Sun together with the Pyramid of the Moon?
A: In Teotihuacan, Mexico
Q: Which river flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and forms part of the border between Canada and the USA?
A: The Niagara river
Q: What is the common name of the currencies of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mauritius, and Seychelles?
A: The Rupee
Q: Which river originates in a glacier in Switzerland, flows through Lake Geneva and the city of Geneva and in Arles divides into two branches forming the Camargue delta?
A: The Rhone
Q: The southernmost point and the westernmost point of Spain are less than 20 Kms apart. Where are they?
A: El Hierro in the Canary Islands. (Southernmost is La Restinga at 27°38?N 17°59?W,? and the Westernmost is Punta de la Orchilla at 27°43?N 18°09?W)
Q: Fredericton is the capital of the only officially bilingual Canadian province. Which?
A: New Brunswick
Q: What was the official name of Burkina Fasso until it was changed in 1984?
A: Upper Volta (Haute Volta)
Q: In which Indian city would you find the Taj Mahal?
A: Agra
Q: Canada Post has assigned the post code H0H 0H0 to which location?
A: The North Pole (for letters to Father Christmas)
Q: Which US city is nicknamed the City of Brotherly Love as that is what its name means in Greek?
A: Philadelphia (Modern Greek: 'brotherly love' from philos, 'love', and adelphos 'brother')
Q: What is the name of the siren in the Rhine that lures sailors to their deaths?
A: Loreley
Q: In which country would you find the Southern Alps?
A: New Zealand
Q: In which country would you find the Atacama desert?
A: Chile
Q: Which Japanese city suffered the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995?
A: Kobe
Q: Which is the most populous state in the USA?
A: California with 36.6 million followed by Texas with 24 million (2007 estimates of the United States Census Bureau)
Q: Which is the most populous island in the world?
A: Java (124M followed by Honshu with 103M and Great Britain with 56.8M)
Q: What does GPS stand for?
A: Global Positioning System
Q: The Jurassic Coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Where is it located?
A: On the English Channel coast of southern England. The site stretches from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in East Dorset, a distance of 153 kilometres (95 miles).
Q: Shatt al-Arab forms part of the often disputed border between which two countries?
A: Iran (where it is known as Arvand Rud) and Iraq, it is formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Q: February the 6th is Waitangi Day which is the national holiday of which country?
A: New Zealand
Q: What are the Sandwich Islands now called?
A: Hawaii
Q: Fray Bentos, where a lot of the corned beef came from, is in which country?
A: Uruguay
Q: If you travel directly East from Cape Horn, what's the first land you hit?
A: Cape Horn
Q: If you go directly South from Detroit, which country (other than the US) would you first enter?
A: Canada
Q: What are the Danish West Indies now known as?
A: The US Virgin Islands
Q: What lies between Vietnam and the Philippines and between China and Borneo?
A: The South China Sea
Q: Which region of Europe derives its name from the Arabic word for 'the west'?
A: Algarve in Portugal (originally Al-gharb al-andalus)
Q: Guaraní is both the currency and an official language of which country?
A: Paraguay
Q: Which country's official languages are: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil?
A: Singapore
Q: Only one country (member of the UN) has a name that in English starts with the letter 'Y'.
A: Yemen
Q: Only three countries (members of the UN) have names that in English start with the letter 'J'.
A: Jamaica, Japan and Jordan
Q: Which city is served by George Best City Airport?
A: Belfast
Q: The international license plate code on cars denotes the country the car comes from. A is Austria, B is Belgium and C and D are?
A: Cuba and Germany
Q: Part of the border between the US and Mexico is a river known as the Rio Grande in the United States and by what name in Mexico?
A: Rio Bravo (del Norte)
Q: Christopher Columbus discovered an archipelago in the Leeward islands and named it "Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Virgenes". By what name are they now known?
A: The Virgin Islands
Q: Which is the only official language of the European Union that is not the most widely spoken in any country?
A: Irish (gaelige)
Q: Which country's flag is the same as the Irish flag except that it is flown the opposite way around, i.e. with green in the fly and orange in the hoist?
A: Ivory Coast
Q: Ireland is subdivided into four provinces. Which?
A: Connacht, Munster, Leinster and Ulster
Q: Luzon is the largest island in which large archipelago?
A: The Philippines
Q: What in shipping is 'Panamax'?
A: The maximum size that can go through the Panama Canal (length 294.1m, beam 32.3m, draft 12m, air draft 57.9m which is about 65,000 tons displacement)
Q: La Paz is the world's highest capital but which is the lowest? (Also the dirtiest according to Forbes)
A: Baku at -28m (Azerbaijan)
Q: On the 1st of January 2007, the EU adopted a third official alphabet. Which one and due to the admission of which country?
A: Cyrillic when Bulgaria joined
Q: Which church stands in the Red Square in Moscow and is sometimes mistaken for the Kremlin?
A: St Basil's Cathedral
Q: What literally means 'chief sea' in Greek but now refers to something in the sea?
A: Archipelago
Q: Vatican City is one of three countries entirely surrounded by one other. What are the other two?
A: San Marino and Lesotho
Q: Where or what is Romandy (Romandie)?
A: The French-speaking part of Switzerland
Q: What are two main tributaries of the Nile?
A: White Nile and Blue Nile
Q: Which is the only non-American capital of a country named after an American president?
A: Monrovia
Q: Which river flows through Baghdad?
A: The Tigris
Q: Which Mediterranean country is called Misr in its own language?
A: Egypt
Q: Catalan is the official language of Andorra. it is also spoken in parts of three other countries. Which?
A: Spain, France, and Italy (Alghero or L'Alguer in Sardinia)
Q: On which island is Waikiki Beach?
A: Oahu in Hawai'i
Q: In which country would you find the Spanish Virgin Islands?
A: In Puerto Rico (or United States). Also know as the Passage Islands,
Q: On which country's flag would you see an eagle on a cactus eating a snake?
A: Mexico
Q: What in Africa is a 'Bidonville'?
A: A slum or shanty town
Q: Batavia was the old Dutch name for which modern city?
A: Jakarta
Q: Which two capital cities (of countries members of the UN) are closest to each other?
A: Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo) and Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) are across the Congo river from each other. Vatican City lies within Rome but is not a member of the UN.
With thanks to Nicola Wood for correcting this question
Q: Which European capital means 'Merchant's harbour' in it original form and was also known as Hafnia to the Romans?
A: Copenhagen (Kjøbmandehavn)
Q: Where is Reina Sofia airport?
A: Tenerife
Q: This is a Spanish-based question In memory of whom is the monument in Plaza de Castilla?
A: José Calvo Sotelo (1893-1936)
Q: The Khyber Pass kinks which two countries?
A: Pakistan and Afghanistan
Q: How do you say 'journey' in Swahili?
A: Safari
Q: Pashto is the official language of which country?
A: Afghanistan
Q: This is a Spanish-based question The Tower of Hercules (Torre de Hércules) in La Coruña is the oldest what in the world?
A: Working lighthouse
Q: How is the submerged section of the Great Rift Valley known?
A: The Red Sea
Q: Which is the smallest state in Australia?
A: Tasmania
Q: What is the name of the cube shaped building in Mecca that is the holiest place in Islam?
A: The Kaaba
Q: What is the popular name of the Angel of Christian Charity in London?
A: The statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus
Q: In which country is the Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfalls?
A: Venezuela
Q: Which Central American country's official language is English?
A: Belize
Q: What are the Twelve Bens in Ireland?
A: Mountains (in Connemara)
Q: How many avenues radiate from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris?
A: 12
Q: If you are known as a 'Porteño', from which South American city do you come?
A: Buenos Aires
Q: In which US state is the Tongass National Forest (the largest National Forest in the US)?
A: Alaska
Q: Which country is Muscat the capital of?
A: Oman
Q: Bridgetown is the capital of which country?
A: Barbados
Q: In which country is the island of Mindanao?
A: The Philippines
Q: From where does the airline Cathay Pacific come?
A: Hong Kong
Q: Which two countries are connected by the Khyber pass?
A: Afghanistan and Pakistan
Q: What was Ho Chi Min City previously known as?
A: Saigon
Q: The Thar Desert lies between which two countries?
A: India and Pakistan (also known as the Great Indian Desert)
Q: Off which country would you find the Gulf of Taranto?
A: Italy
Q: In which country would you find the Nullarbor Plain?
A: Australia
Q: Winnipeg is the capital of which Canadian province?
A: Manitoba
Q: Which was the last African country to achieve independence?
A: Eritrea (won independence from Ethiopia on May 24, 1991)
With thanks to Fithi Garza for correcting the date in the answer
Q: Only three countries (members of the UN) have names that start with the letter 'V' in English. Which ones?
A: Vanuatu, Venezuela and Vietnam
Q: Which is the largest region (Regione) of Italy?
A: Sicily
Q: Which country surrounds the Gulf of Carpentaria?
A: Australia
Q: Which country administers the Andaman Islands?
A: India
Q: Which river flows through the city of Derry (Londonderry)?
A: The Foyle
Q: Which sea has no coast?
A: Sargasso
Q: The Dong is the currency of which country?
A: Vietnam
Q: Which was the world's first national park?
A: Yellowstone
Q: Name the northernmost and southernmost capital cities in the world.
A: Reykjavik and Wellington
Q: What takes place in Happy Valley, Hong Kong?
A: Horse racing
Q: Which country is known to its inhabitants as Hellas?
A: Greece
Q: Only five countries (members of the UN) have monosyllabic names in English. Which ones?
A: Chad, France, Greece, Spain and Laos
With thanks to Andy Henderson at the Breeze Beer Garden in Thailand for correcting the answer to this question
Q: What large tourist attraction lies between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario?
A: Niagara Falls
Q: Which EU countries drive on the left?
A: UK, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta
Q: Which landlocked European country is bordered only by other landlocked countries?
A: Liechtenstein
Q: In which sea would you find the Eolian Islands?
A: The Tyrrhenian Sea
Q: What are the Santa Ana in California, the Brickfielder in southeastern Australia and the Haboob in Sudan?
A: Winds
Q: This is a Spanish-based question How many Spanish provinces have a coast?
A: 19
Q: In the highlands of which African country are the lakes Tana, Shala, and Abayla?
A: Ethiopia
Q: What is the currency of Albania?
A: The Lek
Q: On which river is the US city of Albuquerque, NM?
A: The Rio Grande
Q: Which Italian region includes the towns of Assisi, Orvieto, and Perugia?
A: Umbria
Q: Which is the second largest city in France in terms of population?
A: Marseilles
Q: In which country would you find Mount Kilimanjaro?
A: Tanzania
Q: Suva is the capital of which country in Oceania?
A: Fiji
Q: Avianca is the national airline of which South American country?
A: Colombia
Q: Which is the largest Spanish-speaking country in terms of population?
A: Mexico
Q: Which airport has the code DFW?
A: Dallas / Fort Worth
Q: The Vinson Massif is the highest mountain in which continent?
A: Antarctica
Q: What is the name given to the notorious tidal current in the Lofoten Islands of Norway?
A: Maelstrom
Q: What proportion of the population has an IQ of under 100?
A: 50% by definition

Acknowledgements

Questions compiled by Luis de Avendaño. Additional questions provided by Alex Carter, Antony Reid, Antonio Vázquez, Declan Forde, Peter Moore, Steve Owen, John Wirnsberger, Clive Mendes, and Jennifer Riggins.

Thanks also to Alan; Alan Boxall; Alan Chapple; Andy Corder and Mick Watts; Andy Henderson at the Breeze Beer Garden in Thailand; Anthony Anchors; Barbara Ridgely; Bob Clarke; Bren Murphy of The Irish Rover; Brian Holt; Carter Young; Chris; Chris Goode and Nic Crequer; Chris O'Byrne; Chris Wilkins; Claire Ambler, Billy Painter and Richard Painter; Colin Dinnie; Colin Hurst; Damian Considine; Dan Hall; Dave Cohen, ex-teammate; Dave Harrop; Dave Love and Andy Bell; David Heslop; David Keen; David Regal; Diane Peake; Esther Ford; Fithi Garza; Geoff Swaine; George Holdstock; George Pitchley and Colin Hurst; Gerry O'Sullivan of Killarney; Godfrey Donaldson of Jeffreys Bay, South Africa; Graham Jones; Harry Winfield, question master of the Marina Alta Pensionisters Association in Benitachell, Alicante, Spain; Ian; Ian Gerrard; Jake Whiteman; Jeff Hicks; Jim Welsh; Jimmy Rafferty; Joe Bicarregui; John Polias; Jonathan Burt; Jurgen Lobert; Karim Nanji, Entertainments Officer, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London; Keith Woodcock from Chippenham; Ken G. Fisher of Toronto; Kevin Magill of the Cayman Islands; Kirsty Taylor; Lesley Melvin; Lucy Boulding; Luke Williams in Switzerland; Lynda Finn in New Zeland; Lynne and Thierry in Paris, and Steve Hall in Angola; Matt Jones; Mike Healy and Carol Balster; Mike Jones; Mike Mooney from Leeds; Mike O'Shea; Mr Lucky; Neil Robinson in New Zealand; Nick Dadds; Nick Dodd; Nick Wilde; Nicola Wood; Oscar Nolan from Dublin; Remo Anniyan; RKN; Rolland Willa; Ross Stewart of Auckland, New Zealand; Russ Hall; Sam Jones PhD, South Wales; Sebastien D. Fortas; Shelley; Sinead Fisher; Steve Rose; Steven Malan; Susanne; Suzy Fewtrell of New Zealand; Ted Bollard from Dublin; Terry Denham; Tim Sharples; Tony Newman; Yvonne Steyn from Somerset West, South Africa; and many others for correcting, amending and fine tuning the questions and answers.

Please send corrections and amendments to These questions have all been used at the Moore's Irish Pub quiz (formerly O'Donnell's) and at Triskel. New questions are added at irregular intervals. However, if 322 geography questions are not enough, we recommend you check TriviaBug.

Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, The World Almanac and Book of Facts, Whitaker's Almanac, The Compact Edition of The Oxford English Dictionary, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Collins Gem Fact File, Diccionario Enciclopédico Espasa 1 and Wikipedia.. This page layout was last updated on Saturday, September 15th, 2018 @ 7:41pm CEST (Europe/Madrid).

Website designed and maintained by Luis de Avendaño and conforms to level Triple-A of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 and to Section 508 standards. This website was first published on January 1st, 1999 at www.avendano.org/quiz. Website hosting by pair Networks.

5,222,872 visitors since March 23rd, 2001

Valid XHTML Valid CSS
Web content accessibility test