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Answer
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What two words denote a popular circular tourist route northeast of Moscow that connects ancient medieval cities renowned for their historical architecture, wooden crafts, and onion domes, such as Suzdal, Sergiyev Posad, and Ivanovo?
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Golden Ring
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Named after an ancient Greek region ruled by the Mithridatic dynasty, what 1,000-km long mountain range runs parallel to the southern coast of the Black Sea in northern Turkey?
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Pontic Mountains / Parhar Mountains
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Also the name of one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, what word in its singular or plural form can immediately follow Hyrcanian and Sinharaja to designate two UNESCO Heritage Sites respectively located in Iran/Azerbaijan and Sri Lanka?
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Forest
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It is claimed that Paul Ahyi followed the golden ratio (1:1.618) when designing the flag of what sovereign country that became independent in 1960? It is one of two national flags to use an irrational aspect ratio, the other being Nepal.
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Togo
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Nicknamed the "Rainy Port", what Taiwanese seaport home to the Miaokou Night Market is a popular day trip destination for those in Taipei? This city boasts a centuries-old colonial heritage and features remnants of the Spanish, Dutch, and Qing occupations.
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Keelung
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The Naruto whirlpools are natural tidal vortices created by the collision of tidal movements squeezing through the narrow Naruto Strait between Shikoku and what island, the first Japanese island to have been created according to ancient Shinto texts?
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Awaji
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What is the native Maltese name of Victoria, the main town on Gozo? Its name is identical to that of a locality on Malta's main island adjacent to the walled city of Mdina, and also identical to that of a much larger city located almost 2,000 km away.
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Rabat
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The adjective Mahoran (or Mahorais) refers to anything pertaining to what island? This island is home to two indigenous languages: the commonly spoken Shimaore, and the lesser spoken but still important Kibushi.
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Mayotte
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The primary marine boundary separating County Wexford and Pembrokeshire is what channel connecting the Irish Sea with the Celtic Sea? A 14th-century legend claims that its namesake traveled to England by miraculously crossing this channel on foot.
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St George's Channel
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Becoming the capital of the new Abai Region in 2022, what Kazakh city on the Irtysh lends its name to the primary test site for the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons? Public outcry and the independence of Kazakhstan have led to the site's closure in 1991.
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Semey / Semipalatinsk
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While the Celtic prefix Inver-, meaning "mouth of the river", is particularly common in western and northern Scotland place names, what other prefix of Brittonic or Pictish origin with a similar meaning is more widely used in Wales and eastern Scotland?
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Aber-
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In 2009, Antigua's highest point, Boggy Peak, was renamed to honor which individual? This change was criticized and reverted in 2016 by the parliamentary opposition, who argued that national landmarks should honor local Antiguan heroes instead.
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Barack Obama
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What artificial freshwater reservoir in Panama forms the central navigable portion of the Panama Canal? Created in the early 20th century by the damming of the Chagres River, it sits 26 meters (85 feet) above sea level.
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Gatun Lake
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Surpassing the Dead Sea in terms of salinity and roughly ten times saltier than regular seawater, what lake in Djibouti is Africa's lowest point?
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Lake Assal
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Eight well-preserved natural mummies of Maronite villagers dating back to around 1283 AD were discovered between 1989 and 1991 in what Lebanese valley known for its early Christian rock-hewn monasteries and the Cedars of God grove?
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Kadisha
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What Senegalese area that includes the regions of Ziguinchor, Sédhiou, and Kolda is known for its resort town of Cap Skirring, its dense mangrove forests, and its rich Jola culture? It is the location of West Africa's longest-running separatist rebellion, though it has de-escalated significantly in recent years.
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Casamance
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Often compared to New York's Fifth Avenue and Paris' Champs-Élysées, what thoroughfare is Singapore's primary shopping and entertainment boulevard? It takes its name from the nutmeg, pepper, and fruit plantations that the road once connected to.
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Orchard Road
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Which ancient soda lake in California’s Eastern Sierra is best known for its limestone tufa towers? This lake has experienced significant declines in water level because the City of Los Angeles diverts many of the freshwater streams that naturally flow into it.
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Mono Lake
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The "World's Largest Dinosaur" is a roadside tourist attraction shaped like a Tyrannosaurus Rex that contains a viewing platform that overlooks the Canadian Badlands. It is located in what Alberta town, the "Dinosaur Capital of the World"?
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Drumheller
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Developed around 3,000 years ago in ancient Persia, what term of Arabic origin refers to ancient gravity-powered underground water supply systems that provided a sustainable water supply for drinking, sanitation, and irrigation in otherwise difficult arid conditions? Variants include falaj in Oman, ʿuyūn in Saudi Arabia, and foggāra in Algeria.
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Qanat
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What is missing from this otherwise complete set arranged in alphabetical order: Adélie Land, Crozet Islands, ______, Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands, Scattered Islands?
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Kerguelen Islands / Desolation Islands
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Located within the Chiquibul National Park and notorious for its extreme remoteness and the long jungle trek required to reach its summit, Doyle's Delight is the highest peak in which country?
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Belize
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A general term for a public resthouse on the Indian subcontinent and a Sikh term for a place of worship that predates gurdwaras share their name with what Himachal Pradesh town best known for hosting the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile?
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Dharamshala
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The ancestral home of the Setos, an indigenous Finnic ethnic and linguistic minority with a unique culture that blends Eastern Orthodox Christianity with ancient pagan traditions, is primarily centered around Pskov Oblast and what bordering Estonian county?
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Võru
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The Spirit of Tasmania ferry operates across the Bass Strait between two main home ports, Devonport in Tasmania and what city on the mainland? This home of the Australian rules football's Cats is north of Torquay, the starting point of the Great Ocean Road.
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Geelong
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What full name links a town in Eswatini where the Maputo River meanders abruptly, the only U.S. National Park to contain an entire mountain range within its boundaries, and the informal area in Florida where the panhandle transitions into the peninsula?
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Big Bend
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A barren ridge of red sandstone featured in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West is known as the "Flaming Mountains" and was formed in the center of what fault-bounded depression located in China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region?
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Turpan
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The sixteen remaining funiculars (locally known as ascensores) of what city connect the city's flat port area (el plan) to its steep labyrinthine hilltops? This city also boasts the oldest Spanish language newspaper in continuous publication in the world, El Mercurio.
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Valparaíso
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The Districts under Central Government Jurisdiction (or under Republican Subordination) is a national subdivision that completely surrounds what world capital and district?
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Dushanbe
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What city on the northern shores of Lake Victoria is known as the location of the source of the White Nile River? This city shares its name with a Python template engine and the generic Japanese word for a Shinto shrine.
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Jinja
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Standing at an elevation of 870m (or 887m according to some sources), what currently dormant volcano is the highest point in the Kingdom of the Netherlands?
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Mount Scenery
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Once a Mediterranean tourist resort favored by celebrities but abandoned due to a 1974 military intervention, the ghost town of Varosha is the southern quarter of what city? Landmarks in this city include the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque and Othello Castle.
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Famagusta
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Germany’s oldest holiday route, the Romantic Road, connects several picturesque medieval walled towns. Provide either the name of its northern terminus, a Franconian city home to the Marienberg Fortress, or its southern terminus, a town located near Neuschwanstein Castle.
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Würzburg / Füssen
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What six-letter singular term best describes locations such as Complexo do Alemão, Rocinha, Heliópolis, and Paraisópolis? The word in question is derived from the colloquial name of the deciduous tree Cnidoscolus quercifolius, commonly found on hillsides.
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Favela
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Giving its name to a geographic extreme, what swift and warm western boundary current in the southwest Indian Ocean flows south along the eastern coast of Africa? It is one of the fastest and most treacherous ocean currents in the world.
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Agulhas Current
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In 1843, over 300 citizens emigrated from the Kaiserstuhl area of Germany to establish what Venezuelan mountain town? Although Spanish is now the predominant language there, some inhabitants still speak Alemán Coloniero, a Low Alemannic dialect that is not mutually intelligible with Standard German.
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Colonia Tovar
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What term from the Arabic for "to blow" was originally used to describe intense wall-like dust storms and sandstorms in Sudan, particularly around the region of Khartoum? The term began spreading in North American meteorology in the 1970s, especially in Arizona.
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Haboob
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Named after a Missouri town, what intraplate earthquake zone located deep within the interior of the North American Plate experienced a series of intense earthquakes in 1811-12, the most powerful to have occurred east of the Rockies in recorded history?
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New Madrid
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A rocky Spanish exclave off the coast of Morocco famous for containing the world's shortest international border is known as "Peñón de Vélez de" what two words? It is also the name of the island containing Garajonay National Park.
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La Gomera
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What female name is shared by a Quebec archipelago located in the Atlantic Time Zone, the main river in Colombia, and a municipality in the Laguna province of the Philippines? You may provide your answer in English, French, or Spanish.
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Magdalen / Madeleine / Magdalena
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What short word fills in the blank in the names of the Algerian natural landmarks Grand ___ Oriental and Grand ___ Occidental? The word in question stems from the Arabic for "dune field" and is spelled the same as a unit of energy and mechanical work.
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Erg
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Which country's flag features a single star with 24 points symbolizing its electoral districts? The four longer points on the star represent the cultural centers of Jaluit, Wotje, and Ebeye, as well as the national capital.
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Marshall Islands
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Along with W National Park, provide the name of either of the two other transboundary "WAP" parks spanning Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger, that feature the largest and most ecologically significant intact wild ecosystem remaining in the West African savanna.
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Arli / Pendjari
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With a name stemming from the Dinka language meaning either "central meeting place" or "where rhinoceroses meet", Ramciel is the planned future capital city of what country? The project has been stalled by seasonal flooding, land disputes, and funding shortages.
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South Sudan
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What short term used to describe an isolated volcanic hill, especially those found in Auvergne, may be found in the names of a Haute-Loire pilgrimage town, a department whose prefecture is Clermont-Ferrand, and a historical theme park in the Vendée?
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Puy
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Differing only by a letter, name either the large inselberg that is also the highest point in Malawi, or the inland Angolan provincial capital located next to the Kalandula Falls and Capanda Dam.
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Mulanje / Malanje
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Stortorget, the oldest public square in Sweden, and Kungliga slotett, the official residence of the Swedish monarch, are both located in what colorful historic Stockholm core whose name literally translates to "Old Town"? An answer in Swedish is required.
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Gamla Stan
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Originating in the Carpathians as two separate streams, the meandering bed of what river is believed to contain the tomb of Attila the Hun? This river gained renewed significance in the 2020s as the inspiration for the name of Péter Magyar’s political party.
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Tisza
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The Igorot people of the Philippines are native to what mountain range containing Luzon's highest peak, Mount Pulag? This range's name, derived from a diminutive of a word meaning "rope" in Spanish, is identical to numerous ranges found in Latin America.
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Cordillera Central / Cordillera Range
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What Polish word meaning "market square" and derived from the German word "Ring" refers to the traditional central plaza of Polish cities? Kraków's Main Square is considered the largest medieval town square in Europe, spanning 40,000 square meters.
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Rynek
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What mountain range forms a roughly crescent-shaped arc through northern Oman and the eastern United Arab Emirates, separating the coastal plains from the high desert? The wadi known as Sama'il Gap separates it into Eastern and Western subranges.
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Hajar Mountains
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The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, the Svartsengi power station, and the Bridge Between Continents are all located on what geologically active peninsula where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates drift apart?
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Reykjanes
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The highest international airport in the world, which is also the highest commercial airport outside China, is located in what city? It forms a metropolitan area with the country's administrative capital.
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El Alto
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Copper Canyon, the Pueblo Mágico of Creel, the Naica Mine, the archeological site of Casas Grandes, and the starting point of the CHP (ChePe) train line are all located within what national subdivision?
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Chihuahua
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Extremadura is made up of only two provinces which are also the two largest provinces in Spain by land area. Name either.
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Cáceres / Badajoz
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The ancient stone cone-like huts commonly found in southwestern Ireland known as clocháin are popularly known by what other name, after the shape they resemble? It is also the common name of the New Zealand parliament's executive wing building.
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Beehive
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What triangular plateau is bordered by the Vindhya and Satpura ranges to the north, the Eastern Ghats to the east, and the Western Ghats to the west? The northwestern part of this plateau features one of the largest volcanic provinces on Earth.
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Deccan Plateau
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What city in Cameroon's Far North Province forms a transborder agglomeration with N'Djamena? It has experienced rapid population growth due to the influx of refugees from Chad, and the majority of its population are Shuwa Arabs.
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Kousséri
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The medhi (base), the anda (dome), the harmika (balconies), and the chhatra (umbrella) are some of the components of what type of Buddhist monument, examples of which include the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar and Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh?
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Stupa
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A natural oasis in Egypt's Western Desert connected to the Nile by the Bahr Yussef canal shares its name with what governorate southwest of Cairo? This governorate is also the location of the ancient Lake Moeris, whose hypersaline remnant is known as Lake Qarun.
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Faiyum
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What village in Afghanistan's Shahrak District lends its name to a tall minaret built by the Ghurid dynasty and featuring geometric brickwork and turquoise tile inscriptions? It provided the primary inspiration for Delhi's Qutb Minar, built around the same time.
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Jam
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Khagrachhari, Rangamati, and Bandarban are the three hill districts that make up the Hill Tracts (abbreviated CHT) named for what division (and larger city)?
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Chittagong / Chattogram
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The two largest Australian deserts by area are the Great Victoria Desert and the Great Sandy Desert. Which desert comes third? It is slightly larger than the Simpson and Gibson deserts, respectively fourth and fifth in size.
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Tanami
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What word was coined by Alan Dawson as a punning contrast to the Munro classification of Scottish mountains above 3,000 ft? This contrasting term refers to any mountain or hill in the British Isles that has a topographical prominence above 492 ft (150 metres).
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Marilyn
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Name any one of the four main state-operated spaceports in China. They are respectively located on the border of Gansu and Inner Mongolia, northwestern Shanxi, eastern Hainan, and southern Sichuan, and are all named after nearby cities.
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Jiuquan / Taiyuan / Wenchang / Xichang
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Because the continent of Africa consists of crust from both the African and the Somali plates, some geologists refer to the African tectonic plate by using what other adjective that references an ancient region whose hubs include Kerma, Napata, and Meroë?
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Nubian
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The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic that enshrines the left canine tooth of Gautama Buddha is located in what city, the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818?
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Kandy
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Often contrasted with Poverty Bay, what other bight between the Coromandel Peninsula and Cape Runaway was so named by James Cook because the local Māori villages were highly prosperous and the surrounding areas featured vast cultivated agricultural lands?
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Bay of Plenty
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The longest river in South Korea is what stream that flows through the major urban centers of Daegu and Busan? It forms an eponymous estuary that serves as a major international habitat for migratory birds.
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Nakdong
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A white background with a horizontal seven-colored rainbow stripe spanning its center is the flag of what national subdivision? Despite its religious symbolism, the flag briefly came under government scrutiny in 2013 due to its resemblance to the LGBT colors.
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Jewish Autonomous Oblast
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