Quizology.Online

“There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge.”

— Bertrand Russell

Tag: geography

  • Islands Surrounded by Land — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    See question five. Flag of San Marino.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question relates to today’s date, 7 June, and also to an ‘enclave’. The other questions are not date related but all are about enclaves. 

    One

    What enclave became a sovereign state on this day in 1929 as a result of the Lateran Treaty taking effect?

    Answer: Vatican City.

    On this day in 1929, the Lateran Treaty came into effect, establishing Vatican City as a sovereign state and the world’s smallest nation. Covering a mere 0.44 square km (0.17 square miles), it’s roughly one-eighth the size of New York City’s Central Park. Completely encircled by Rome, Vatican City is a tiny enclave within the city.

    Two

    Measuring approximately one mile by one mile, this city dates back to Roman times and can trace its charter back almost a thousand years. It is now an enclave within another (much larger) city. What three words form the name of this city?

    Answer: City of London.

    Surrounded by Greater London, the City of London, also known as the Square Mile, is a historic and financial centre in England. It is the smallest city in the UK by area, with a population of 8,583, yet it serves as a major employment hub with over 500,000 workers. Its unique government system, rooted in pre-Norman Conquest rights, has influenced parliamentary government. The Court of Husting, established by 1032, was the supreme court of medieval London, with Aldermen playing a key role in municipal authority. 

    Three

    ACT, which became a federal area in 1911, is an enclave of another area (which is not a nation). What is ACT, and what area surrounds it, making it an enclave?

    Answer: Australian Capital Territory; New South Wales.

    The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), an internal Australian territory, encloses Canberra, the nation’s capital. Established in 1911, it hosts key political institutions like the Parliament and High Court. The ACT, landlocked and mostly comprising Namadgi National Park, includes smaller towns and experiences a dry, continental climate.

    Four

    Maseru is the capital of this landlocked sovereign state in the southern hemisphere, which is an enclave totally surrounded by another country. What is the name of this enclave, and that of the surrounding country?

    Answer: Lesotho; South Africa.

    Lesotho, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, is surrounded by South Africa and is the largest sovereign enclave. Formed in 1824, it gained independence in 1966. The Sotho ethnic group dominates, with Sesotho as an official language. Despite socioeconomic challenges, it boasts high literacy and is part of several international organisations.

    Five

    The flag shown at the top of this post is that of yet another enclave; a European sovereign state totally surrounded by another. What country is the enclave mentioned, and what country surrounds it? 

    Answer: San Marino; Italy.

    San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked microstate in Southern Europe, surrounded by Italy. It is the fifth-smallest country globally, with a land area of over 61 square kilometres and a population of 34,042 as of 2025. Founded in AD 301, it claims to be the oldest sovereign state and constitutional republic, named after Saint Marinus. It has a unique constitutional structure with two Captains Regent, elected every six months, and the oldest Constitution, dating from 1600.

    Islands Surrounded by Land

    An enclave is described by Wikipedia as ‘An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity’. Like an island totally surrounded by water, an enclave is totally surrounded by land.

  • Islands Surrounded by Land

    See question five. Flag of ?
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question relates to today’s date, 7 June, and also to an ‘enclave’. The other questions are not date related but all are about enclaves. 

    One

    What enclave became a sovereign state on this day in 1929 as a result of the Lateran Treaty taking effect?

    Two

    Measuring approximately one mile by one mile, this city dates back to Roman times and can trace its charter back almost a thousand years. It is now an enclave within another (much larger) city. What three words form the name of this city?

    Three

    ACT, which became a federal area in 1911, is an enclave of another area (which is not a nation). What is ACT, and what area surrounds it, making it an enclave?

    Four

    Maseru is the capital of this landlocked sovereign state in the southern hemisphere, which is an enclave totally surrounded by another country. What is the name of this enclave, and that of the surrounding country?

    Five

    The flag shown at the top of this post is that of yet another enclave; a European sovereign state totally surrounded by another. What country is the enclave mentioned, and what country surrounds it? 

    Islands Surrounded by Land

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Walk Amongst the Stars — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Flag of Montenegro.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    All of today’s questions relate to the date, 3rd June.

    One

    Which country’s national flag is shown? From which state union did it gain independence in 2006? 

    Answer: Montenegro; Serbia and Montenegro** (or the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro).

    Montenegro, located in Southeast Europe on the Balkan Peninsula, has a population of 633,158 across 25 municipalities. It borders Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania, Croatia, and the Adriatic Sea, with Podgorica as its capital and Cetinje as its cultural centre. Historically inhabited by Illyrians, it became a semi-independent principality under the rule of the Prince-Bishops beginning in 1696 and gained independence in 2006. Montenegro has an upper-middle-income, service-based economy and is a member of several international organisations, pursuing EU membership since 2012.

    Two

    In 1965, Ed White became the first American astronaut to walk in space. Who was the first man and the first woman to walk in space? (Individually, not together.)

    Answer: Alexei Leonov; Svetlana Savitskaya.

    Extravehicular activity (EVA) involves astronauts performing tasks outside spacecraft, including spacewalks and moonwalks. Conducted by nations like Russia, the U.S., and China, EVAs require space suits for life support. Notable milestones include Alexei Leonov’s first spacewalk in March 1965, Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk in July 1969, and Svetlana Savitskaya’s first female spacewalk in July 1984. EVAs can be tethered or untethered, with untethered walks using the Manned Manoeuvring Unit in 1984 and SAFER in 1994.

    Three

    The United Kingdom had three kings in 1936, one of whom had been born on this day in 1865. Who was he?

    Answer: George V.

    George V reigned as King of the United Kingdom from 1910 to 1936. The second son of Prince Albert Edward, later King Edward VII, he unexpectedly became heir to the throne after the death of his elder brother, Prince Albert Victor.
    Upon George V’s death in January 1936, he was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII, who abdicated later that year to marry Wallis Simpson. Edward was then succeeded by his younger brother Albert, who became King George VI.

    Four

    In 1844, the last pair of Great auks were killed by fishermen on Eldey Island. In what nation is Eldey Island?

    Answer: Iceland.

    Great Auk.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The great auk (Pinguinus impennis), also known as the garefowl or penguin, is an extinct species of flightless alcid that first appeared around 400,000 years ago and was driven to extinction by human exploitation in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus. It was not closely related to the penguins of the Southern Hemisphere, which were named for their resemblance to this species.
    — Wikipedia 

    Five

    In 1973. the first crash of a supersonic passenger aircraft happened in France with the loss of fourteen lives. What aircraft crashed?

    Answer: Tupolev Tu-144.

    Nicknamed ‘Concordski’ by the press, the Tupolev Tu-144 is a Soviet supersonic passenger airliner designed by Tupolev that operated commercially from 1975 to 1983, including a passenger service between 1977–1978. It was the first commercial supersonic transport, first flew on 31 December 1968, ahead of Concorde. Produced by Tupolev, 16 units were made, conducting 102 commercial flights, with only 55 carrying passengers. It reached Mach 2 on 26 May 1970. Reliability issues, a 1973 crash, and high costs led to its withdrawal from passenger service in 1978. It served as a cargo aircraft until 1983 and was later used for space and research programs, making its final flight in 1999.

  • Walk Amongst the Stars

    Flag of ? See question one.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    All of today’s questions relate to the date, 3rd June.

    One

    Which country’s national flag is shown? From which state union did it gain independence in 2006? 

    Two

    In 1965, Ed White became the first American astronaut to walk in space. Who was the first man and the first woman to walk in space? (Individually, not together.)

    Three

    The United Kingdom had three kings in 1936, one of whom had been born on this day in 1865. Who was he?

    Four

    In 1844, the last pair of Great auks were killed by fishermen on Eldey Island. In what nation is Eldey Island?

    Five

    In 1973. the first crash of a supersonic passenger aircraft happened in France with the loss of fourteen lives. What aircraft crashed?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Gallimaufry XI — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Question two. Just Room Enough Island, Thousand Islands archipelago.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s first question concerns the date 2nd June. The other questions are random and unrelated.

    One

    In 1953, ‘Inquiring Camera Girl’ covered the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at London’s Westminster Abbey for the Washington Times-Herald. Shortly to become very famous herself, who was ‘Inquiring Camera Girl’?

    Answer: Jackie Bouvier (Kennedy).

    Jackie Bouvier, a reporter for the Washington Times-Herald and writer of the paper’s Inquiring Camera Girl column, was in the crowd outside the Abbey for the coronation. Three months later, she would marry John F. Kennedy, and in under eight years, she would be First Lady. 

    Two

    In what body of water are North America’s Thousand Islands found, and to the nearest fifty, approximately how many islands are in the archipelago?

    Answer: Saint Lawrence River; 1,850.

    The Thousand Islands, an archipelago of 1,864 islands, straddles the Canada-US border in the Saint Lawrence River. The islands range in size and must have at least one square foot of land above water year-round, and have one or two living trees* to be considered part of the Thousand Islands. (*Number of trees varies depending on source.)

    Three

    The Olympic Rings are a symbol consisting of five interlocking coloured rings. What colours are the rings on top?

    Answer: Blue, black and red.

    The rings are interlaced from the left and are blue, yellow, black, green, and red. The founder of the modern Olympics stated the following in 1913:

    … the six colours (including the flag’s white background) combined in this way reproduce the colours of every country without exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the tricolour flags of France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Hungary, and the yellow and red of Spain are included, as are the innovative flags of Brazil and Australia, and those of ancient Japan and modern China. This, truly, is an international emblem. —Baron Pierre Coubertin, Olympique, August 1913.

    Four

    The forum currently known as the Group of Seven (G7) has, since its founding, been variously the G6, G7, and the G8. Angela Merkel was the second woman to chair this forum; who was the first?

    Answer: Margaret Thatcher.

    The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental forum of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US, and the EU, focusing on pluralism and liberal democracy. Established in 1973, it addresses global issues like trade and climate change. Despite criticism for limited representation, the G7 has influenced initiatives like the Paris Agreement. Members, with a population of 780 million, contribute over 44% to the world’s nominal GDP and 30% by purchasing power parity.

    Five

    What colour are white rhinoceros?

    Answer: Grey.

    White rhinos, the second-largest land mammals, are named for their wide mouths, not their colour and there is no difference in the skin colour of white and black rhinos. There are two subspecies of white rhino: northern and southern. As of March 2018, only two female northern white rhinos remain, critically endangered due to poaching. Southern white rhinos, once thought extinct, now number around 18,000, classified as Near Threatened. They inhabit South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. White rhinos have complex social structures, with females forming groups and males defending territories.

  • Gallimaufry XI

    Question two. Just Room Enough Island, Thousand Islands archipelago.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s first question concerns the date 2nd June. The other questions are random and unrelated.

    One

    In 1953, ‘Inquiring Camera Girl’ covered the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at London’s Westminster Abbey for the Washington Times-Herald. Shortly to become very famous herself, who was ‘Inquiring Camera Girl’?

    Two

    In what body of water are North America’s Thousand Islands found, and to the nearest fifty, approximately how many islands are in the archipelago?

    Three

    The Olympic Rings are a symbol consisting of five interlocking coloured rings. What colours are the rings on top?

    Four

    The forum currently known as the Group of Seven (G7) has, since its founding, been variously the G6, G7, and the G8. Angela Merkel was the second woman to chair this forum; who was the first?

    Five

    What colour are white rhinoceros?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Opening Gambit — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Henry III of France, c.1580-1586.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question relates to an event on this day, and the remainder follow a theme created by the first?

    One

    In 1578, King Henry III of France (pictured) laid the first stone of a bridge on the River Seine, which is now the oldest of all the bridges in Paris. The bridge is in two separate spans with an island between them. What is the name of the bridge, and what is the island? 

    Answer: Pont Neuf; Île de la Cité.

    The Pont Neuf (New Bridge), Paris’s oldest bridge across the Seine, connects the left bank, Île de la Cité, and the right bank. Despite its name it is actually the oldest in the city. The Île de la Cité (Island of the City), a natural island in the Seine, is a historic centre in Paris. It boasts significant landmarks like Notre-Dame cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle and the Hôtel-Dieu hospital, as well as important government buildings.

    Two

    In what capital city did the world’s first underground passenger railway open in 1863? 

    Answer: London.

    The London Underground, also called the Underground or Tube, is a rapid transit system in Greater London and parts of several surrounding counties. The Underground began with the steam locomotives and gas-lit wooden carriages of the Metropolitan Railway in 1863, the first underground passenger railway. The first electrified underground line was opened in London in 1890, making it the first metro system in the world. The system has expanded to 11 lines with 250 miles of track which serves up to 5 million daily journeys, with 1.216 billion in 2024/25. 

    Three

    The Brooklyn Bridge, New York, opened in May 1883. What body of water does it cross, and what two islands does it join?

    Answers: East River; Manhattan and Long Island.

    The Brooklyn Bridge, a cable-stayed suspension bridge in New York City, connects boroughs of Manhattan (on Mahattan Island) and Brooklyn (Long Island), opening on May 24, 1883. Initially called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, it was the world’s longest suspension bridge at its opening. Designed by John A. Roebling and completed by his son Washington and wife Emily, construction took thirteen years. Now a National Historic Landmark, it serves only passenger vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, remaining a major tourist attraction and New York City icon.

    Four

    Paris’s largest public park was opened to the public by Louis XV. What park is it?

    Bois de Vincennes.

    The Bois de Vincennes, Paris’s largest public park, spans 995 hectares, slightly larger than Bois de Boulogne and three times larger than New York’s Central Park. Created by Napoleon III (1855–1866), it features an English garden, lakes, a zoo, arboretum, botanical garden, hippodrome, velodrome, and a sports institute. Known for nighttime prostitution, it occupies 10% of Paris, nearly the size of the first six arrondissements.

    Five

    In what decade was London’s Royal Albert Hall opened, and who opened it?

    Answers: 1860s.

    The Royal Albert Hall in London, opened by Queen Victoria in 1871 and named in memory of her consort, Prince Albert, seats 5,272. It hosts over 390 main auditorium shows annually, including BBC Proms, concerts, and events. Amongst its diverse range of events, it hosts the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance annually on the evening before Remembrance Sunday, has featured speeches by Winston Churchill, and exhibition fights by Muhammad Ali. Eric Clapton has appeared there over 200 times, starting with Cream’s farewell concerts in 1968.

  • Opening Gambit

    Henry III of France, c.1580-1586.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question relates to an event on this day, and the remainder follow a theme created by the first?

    One

    In 1578, King Henry III of France (pictured) laid the first stone of a bridge on the River Seine, which is now the oldest of all the bridges in Paris. The bridge is in two separate spans with an island between them. What is the name of the bridge, and what is the island? 

    Two

    In what capital city did the world’s first underground passenger railway open in 1863? 

    Three

    The Brooklyn Bridge, New York, opened in May 1883. What body of water does it cross, and what two islands does it join?

    Four

    Paris’s largest public park was opened to the public by Louis XV. What park is it?

    Five

    In what decade was London’s Royal Albert Hall opened, and who opened it?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Gallimaufry X — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Quokkas—two adults and a juvenile at Rottnest Island, Western Australia.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    No theme, just a mixed bag of questions today.

    One

    A family of what cat-sized macropod with the Latin name Setonix brachyurus is pictured?

    Answer: Quokka.

    The quokka, a small herbivorous marsupial, is found in southwestern Australia, including Rottnest Island and Bald Island.

    Two

    What colour and make of car features in the title of a 1964 film starring Rex Harrison and Jeanne Moreau?

    Answer: The Yellow Rolls-Royce.

    The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964) is a British film about three owners of a yellow Rolls-Royce Phantom II, set before and during WWII. The film features an all-star cast and won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.

    Three

    What was the first single released from 50 Cent’s album Get Rich or Die Tryin’?

    Answer: In Da Club.

    In da Club by 50 Cent, from his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’, was released in 2003 and peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song, which was 50 Cent’s first number one, received critical acclaim and was nominated for several awards.

    Four

    Cambria is the Latinised form of what country’s name?

    Answer: Wales.

    Cambria is the Latinised form of Cymru — the Welsh name for Wales. It was not used during the period when the Romans were in Britain but emerged in the 12th century as an alternative to Britannia and Wallia, gaining popularity in the late Middle Ages.

    Five

    Janmashtami, a Hindu festival, celebrates the birth of which avatar of Vishnu?

    Answer: Krishna.

    Krishna Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. An important festival in Vaishnavism, it is observed with recitations, devotional singing, dance, dramatic reenactments, fasting, and midnight celebrations, ending with a feast. Celebrated worldwide, it usually falls in August or September.

  • Gallimaufry X

    See question one.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    No theme, just a mixed bag of questions today.

    One

    A family of what cat-sized macropod with the Latin name Setonix brachyurus is pictured?

    Two

    What colour and make of car features in the title of a 1964 film starring Rex Harrison and Jeanne Moreau?

    Three

    What was the first single released from 50 Cent’s album Get Rich or Die Tryin’?

    Four

    Cambria is the Latinised form of what country’s name?

    Five

    Janmashtami, a Hindu festival, celebrates the birth of which avatar of Vishnu?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.