Very Difficult Geography Trivia #002

Question

Answer

What is the unoriginal name of the artificial archipelago off Dubai’s coast composed of some 300 small islands shaped roughly like Earth’s continents? It is built from dredged sand and rock and forms a “map" in the Persian Gulf.

The oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, the Kapellbrücke, is located in which lakeside city? It was severely damaged in a 1993 fire that destroyed two-thirds of its interior paintings.

What Tamil-derived term meaning “the realm of the Cholas” gave its name to the coast bounded by the Krishna river mouth to the north, the Bay of Bengal to the east, and Point Calimere to the south? It shares a name with a New Zealand peninsula.

What northwestern Nigerian regional capital was the seat of a same-named caliphate founded by Usman dan Fodio? This city's Sultan still serves today as the main spiritual leader for Nigeria's Muslim population.

What Persian word meaning “port” or “haven” may also be found in the name of several port towns across Southeast Asia?

What Arctic Ocean island served as the last refuge of the woolly mammoth, which survived there until about 4,000 years ago?

With a maximum incline of 35% gradient at its steepest point, Baldwin Street is often considered the world's steepest residential street. In which Oceanian city is it located?

What city hosts an annual International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival often considered to be the largest festival of its kind in the world? Other landmarks in this city include the Saint Sophia Orthodox Cathedral and the Dragon Tower.

Literally meaning "within the walls" in Spanish, what historic walled district in Manila, the colonial core of the city, is home to landmarks such as Fort Santiago and the San Agustin Church?

What island and special municipality located in the Caribbean is locally known as Statia and its inhabitants as Statians?

Which Iranian island, Iran's first Free Trade Zone in the Persian Gulf, is known for its luxury resorts like the Dariush Grand Hotel, the Kariz Underground City, and projects such as the Ocean Water Park and the Dolphin Park?

Which African capital city is home to the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, listed by Guinness World Records as the largest church in the world by overall area? In terms of interior space and volume, St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City is however often regarded as the largest.

The eastern portion of the South Atlantic Ocean gyre is a current named for which coastal Angolan city and province? This town/province also lends its name to a railway connecting Lobito to the resource-rich regions of the southern DRC.

Which Colombian volcano’s 1985 eruption triggered the lahars that caused the Armero tragedy? It is the deadliest lahar in recorded history.

What is the name of the flower garden in Lisse, The Netherlands, which plants approximately 7 million bulbs annually, making it one of the largest flower gardens in the world?

The coal-rich industrial area in Pennsylvania consisting of the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area is located in a "Valley" that shares its name with what other U.S. state?

What Icelandic word describes a sudden and massive flood caused when meltwater trapped under or inside a glacier (or an ice dam) is abruptly released? This often occurs due to glacial melt or volcanic activity beneath the ice.

What term for a type of lava, distinct from ʻaʻā lava but also borrowed from the Hawaiian language, is characterized by a smooth surface, low viscosity, and slow movement?

Which Buenos Aires building located on the Plaza de Mayo serves as the official workplace of the President of Argentina and was allegedly painted in a specific color in order to symbolize unity between the country's two main political parties? (Spanish name required)

Connecting Bahrain and Saudi Arabia is a bridge-causeway system that includes a “middle island” used as a border station. This major causeway is named for which Saudi monarch?

What 19th-century Austrian engineering marvel designed by Karl Ritter von Ghega became the world’s first true mountain railway, allowing trains to cross the Alps long before the advent of automobiles?

What World Heritage site in Croatia is renowned for its chain of sixteen tufa lakes that change color due to their mineral content as well as sunlight and algae? These lakes are connected by a series of scenic waterfalls.

The Heydar Aliyev Center, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, and the Flame Towers are some of the tourist attractions located in which city on the Absheron Peninsula?

The fertile and mostly flat strip along the Mediterranean coast of Israel, stretching roughly from Mount Carmel in the north towards Tel Aviv in the south, bears what name? This plain gives its name to a plant described in the Song of Solomon as a crocus-like flower.

What London junction has long been regarded as the city’s notional center and the point from which distances from London are officially measured (also known as kilometer zero)?

What is the name of the bridge near Kingston upon Hull that spans an eponymous estuary? It was formerly the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world until it was surpassed by the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in Japan in 1998.

In which Flemish municipality is Brussels' main international airport (BRU) officially located? The name of this municipality sometimes follows "Brussels" in the full name of the airport.

First identified near a certain Nebraskan town (itself named after a Native American tribe), what is the largest freshwater aquifer in North America? It is currently facing environmental concerns due to rapid depletion and it would take approximately 6,000 years to refill naturally if it were to be completely drained.

What autonomous Comorian island with its capital at Mutsamudu is among the world's primary exporters of ylang-ylang oil, an ingredient used in almost all perfumes? This island was the site of an amphibious assault in 2008 to oust rebel leader Mohamed Bacar.

Which major thoroughfare in São Paulo, considered the city’s economic heart, is a frequent site of large public protests and is home to landmarks such as the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) or the historic Casa das Rosas mansion?

Also nicknamed the "New Philippines", which group of islands in the western Pacific Ocean is split politically between Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia?

The Cordillera de Talamanca mountain range contains the transboundary La Amistad International Park, a biodiverse protected area spanning which two countries?

What unique shrubland ecosystem, found primarily in South Africa’s Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces and rich in endemic plants like proteas and ericas, relies on periodic fires to regenerate?

Located between the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, what sea is considered the westernmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea?

Which oft-contested desert strip along the Libya‑Chad border was finally awarded to Chad by the International Court of Justice in 1994?

What largest freshwater lake in China serves as a wintering ground for migratory birds such as the Siberian cranes? A section of this lake has been labeled the "Chinese Bermuda Triangle" due to several unexplained ship disappearances.

Barysaŭski trakt, Park Čaliuskincaŭ, and Ploshcha Yakuba Kolasa are three of the stations located on the Maskoŭskaja Metro line in which city?

What name is given to a stretch of the unpaved Road No. 8 lying between Morondava and Belon'i Tsiribihina in Madagascar’s Menabe region that was given full national monument status in 2015?

What Saharan mountain range has its highest point at Mount Tahat, which at an elevation of 2,908 metres is the tallest mountain in Algeria?

What palindromic city primarily located on Île Jésus in the Hochelaga Archipelago shares its name with the capital of the Mayenne department in France?

Which South Dakota national park contains the world’s densest cave system? It is also famous for its rare boxwork formations, which are honeycomb-like calcite blades created when surrounding rock eroded away.

Which narrow strip of land, originally created as a buffer zone between the British and Russian Empires, connects Afghanistan to China while preventing Tajikistan and Pakistan from sharing a border?

Which former capital city was so heavily damaged by Hurricane Hattie in 1961 that the devastation led to the relocation of the country's capital to a safer inland site in 1970?

What was the former name of the American military installation now called Pituffik Space Base in Greenland? It referenced a legendary northerly land in classical Greco-Roman mythology.

What mineral links the towns of Wieliczka in Poland, Hallein in Austria, and Zipaquirá in Colombia?

Southern elephant seals, Magellanic penguins and dwarf armadillos (pichi) can all be found on or around what barren Argentine peninsula in Chubut Province that serves as a breeding ground for many species? The only town on this peninsula is Puerto Pirámides.

Which town on the shores of Lake Titicaca is known for its car-blessing ceremonies and serves as the main starting point for ferries heading to the Isla del Sol?

What is the name of the large public park in the 16th arrondissement of Paris that is home to both the Longchamp Racecourse and the Louis Vuitton Foundation? The Stade Roland Garros that hosts the French Open is located on the edge of this park.

Which uninhabited islet, recognized as the tallest volcanic sea stack in the world, lies roughly 20 km southeast of Lord Howe Island? It is home to an endemic stick insect species often labeled the rarest insect in the world.

The Vajrayana Buddhist monastery known as the Tiger's Nest is located in what Himalayan district? It is perched on a cliff in a valley that shares its name with the district.

Which territory lying on the Red Sea coast, long disputed between Egypt and Sudan because of conflicting 1899 and 1902 border lines, is today administered by Egypt but still claimed by both countries? Unlike Bir Tawil, this area boasts a permanent population.

What former imperial capital of Ethiopia not far from Lake Tana is home to several royal castles including the Fasil Ghebbi fortress?

Excluding Alaska's boroughs and census areas, what is the largest county in the United States by area?

What six-letter adjective meaning "relating to freshwater lakes" also precedes "eruption" in a type of natural disaster where a deep lake suddenly releases large amounts of dissolved gases, such as carbon dioxide? Examples of such eruptions include ones at Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun in Cameroon.

Located on the Ialpug River, Comrat serves as the capital of which European autonomous region populated by a predominantly Turkic-speaking ethnic group?

Which mountain, the highest peak on its island, is located in the Sudirman Range and lies just a few kilometers away from the Grasberg mine, one of the world’s largest gold and copper reserves?

What Thai word used to describe over 1,600 waterways in Bangkok refers to any type of canal in Thailand (natural or manmade)? A notable example is Saen Saep.

Following a 2017 constitutional referendum, what African country added a red band at the top and bottom of its national flag to honor the sacrifices of the nation's martyrs?

What shallow alkaline lake in northern Tanzania, so caustic its water can calcify dead animals, also serves as the only regular breeding ground for millions of lesser flamingos?

What Osaka district, built around a canal of the same name, is known for its neon-lit streets, street food and vibrant nightlife as well as its long-standing Glico Running Man LED sign?

What is the five-letter term for a first-level administrative subdivision of Mongolia? The term comes from the original Mongolian word for "tribe".

Name any one of the five Italian villages collectively known as the Cinque Terre.

Which South American island (and archipelago) is known for its unique curanto cooking method, its historic wooden churches, and its colorful stilt houses (palafitos) along the waterfront?

Which easternmost district of Brunei is actually a semi-exclave, since it is physically separated from the rest of the country by Malaysia and a bay? It is now connected to the Bruneian mainland by the Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge, inaugurated in 2020.

What large volcanic caldera directly west of Naples is characterized by its slow vertical ground movement, a phenomenon known as bradyseism? This caldera also includes the active sulfurous vents of the Solfatara crater.

Which Mexico City borough, whose Nahuatl name refers to a species of canine, is known for its distinct bohemian culture and is home to the Casa Azul in which Frida Kahlo was born? It also served as the first capital of New Spain.

Lawrence of Arabia and The Martian are two of the numerous films that were partly shot in what Jordanian valley characterized by Martian-like red desert landscapes, ancient petroglyphs, and a significant Bedouin presence?

Which upland region, located about halfway between Saint Petersburg and Moscow, is popular for fishing and vacationing as well as being home to a lake that lends its name to a well-known Russian-based think tank and discussion forum?

Matobo National Park, the Hwange Thermal Power Station, and the ruined city of Khami are all located in what modern-day country, the founding location of the Mutapa Empire?

Named for the Royal Navy officer who led the first inshore circumnavigation of Australia, what street lends its name to Melbourne’s oldest and busiest railway station?