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Geography General Knowledge #8

Can you answer these random geography questions?
Includes questions from both physical geography and human geography
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: August 24, 2020
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First submittedMarch 24, 2013
Times taken83,141
Average score60.0%
Rating4.41
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Question
Answer
What city was once called New Amsterdam?
New York City
Including inland seas, what's the world's largest lake?
Caspian Sea
In what city would you find the Bolshoi Theatre?
Moscow
Name one of the two countries whose name starts with "North"
North Korea /
North Macedonia
What African nation became the world's newest independent country in 2011?
South Sudan
What conquerer had his capital at Xanadu, about 300 kilometers north of Beijing?
Kublai Khan
Near what major American city is Lake Pontchartrain located?
New Orleans
What city is home to the world's tallest building?
Dubai
What valley is the site of the Earth's highest-ever recorded temperature, 54° Celsius?
Death Valley
On what peninsula are Albania and Serbia located?
Balkan
What is Pakistan's longest river?
Indus River
If measured from its base on the sea floor, what mountain is the world's tallest?
Mauna Kea
What west African country shares its name with a former British coin worth 21 shillings?
Guinea
What is the Rome's Flavian Amphitheatre better known as?
The Colosseum
What is the busiest airport in the London area?
Heathrow
What is the most common first name in the world?
Muhammad
What constellation is depicted on the Australian flag?
Southern Cross
On what peninsula would you find the cities of Mérida and Cancún?
Yucatán
What famous event for daredevils happens in Pamplona, Spain?
Running of the Bulls
What is the capital of Western Australia?
Perth
+6
Level 84
Aug 14, 2013
Never realized that the stars on the Aussie flag were a constellation... googled an image of the flag and realized which constellation it was. I'll count that as only half cheating.
+5
Level 75
Feb 14, 2014
Yup, a few of us antipodeans use it - Aus, NZ, PNG, Samoa and even Brazil, though not as prominently.
+5
Level 76
Feb 23, 2016
I saw the Southern Cross in 2004 while in Hawaii in late February. It is just visible above the southern horizon - the only state where one can see both the North Star and the Southern Cross. So, I suppose that means Crux could also be on the US flag. :)
+3
Level 57
May 2, 2014
bull run should be accepted for running of the bulls
+2
Level ∞
Aug 13, 2015
Okay, that will work now.
+8
Level 87
Nov 24, 2018
Damn, I thought it was Antietam.
+1
Level 88
Apr 24, 2021
I thought it was Manassas.
+2
Level 67
May 24, 2014
So glad it accepts 'crux' for 'Southern Cross'! Good quiz
+3
Level 83
Mar 28, 2018
I also typed 'crux', mainly just to see if it would work.
+2
Level 56
Nov 23, 2014
For Lake Pontchartrain I took a chance, went to Google maps and just typed in Lake Port. Fortunately it popped up Lake Pontchartrain, LA so I was able to guess the city, knowing that LA =/= Los Angeles in this context.
+1
Level 71
Nov 23, 2014
Who was it said "In future you wont have to know anything, just where to find the answer!"...........
+22
Level 76
Feb 23, 2016
Who said, "If you Google it before you answer, it's called cheating?" Oh, yeah, it was me who said it.
+3
Level 56
Feb 25, 2016
^ It's a good saying.
+3
Level 75
Nov 11, 2018
Is it cheating if you actually go to Lake Pontchartrain? I just feel like I have an unfair mnemonic :P
+2
Level 66
Nov 24, 2018
Einstein said he didn't remember things he could look up. So I guess he would cheat on these quizzes.
+3
Level 66
Dec 8, 2014
Could you accept San Fermin for Running of the Bulls?
+2
Level ∞
Aug 13, 2015
Okay
+4
Level 63
Feb 23, 2016
Can you accept bullfighting for the running of the bulls? I think it fits in with the criteria, and it's all part of the same festival (San Fermin), so I think it should be accepted too.
+3
Level 59
Feb 23, 2016
don't you think south cross should count for southern cross
+3
Level 81
Nov 30, 2016
yeah
+5
Level 67
Nov 24, 2018
Never heard that phrase in my life, and I live in NZ. So, no.
+2
Level 57
Feb 25, 2016
If only I spelt Colosseum right :(
+3
Level 48
Jan 3, 2017
I think that for the question "Which constellation is depicted on the Australian Flag" should also include the New Zealand flag because they share the same constellation on both their flags and is an important matter to address.
+4
Level 59
Apr 4, 2017
Why? It's depicted on the Samoan and Papuan flags as well? Should they be included too?
+2
Level 74
Feb 19, 2020
And the Brazilian flag
+3
Level 72
Mar 5, 2017
Highest temperatures on earth , this is final answer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mityushikha_Bay

Try to match a 55 Megaton thermonuclear bomb, all thermometers melted down at 100 miles.

You are welcome.

+3
Level 71
Apr 4, 2017
As the question asks for "The Earth's highest RECORDED temperature".... then the temperature from the thermonuclear bomb wasn't actually recorded...... sorry.... you are welcome.
+5
Level 48
Nov 20, 2017
Or maybe instead of suggesting a change to the quiz, he is making a simple statement.
+3
Level 91
Oct 29, 2018
i would have thought the temperature at krakatoa or vesuvius got pretty high too. I wonder how hot it gets near somewhere like Kilauea on any given day.
+4
Level 59
Mar 11, 2017
Given that mauna is just the Hawaiian word for mountain, could you accept just Kea as an answer? It wouldn't really be any different than accepting Everest for Mount Everest.
+2
Level 52
May 16, 2017
Surprised that Mauna Kea is so low.
+7
Level 76
Nov 25, 2018
Especially since it is so high. :)
+2
Level 90
Oct 30, 2017
Nice quiz. Thank you.
+5
Level 81
Jan 21, 2018
When you ask "What valley ...", just Death should be enough.
+3
Level 76
Jan 21, 2018
^ This
+3
Level ∞
Jan 22, 2018
Death will work now
+2
Level 84
Nov 24, 2018
death is always the best answer
+2
Level 63
Mar 19, 2021
This should also apply to the "North" country question, you've already said North is in the country name but have to type North in again, Korea or Macedonia should work.
+3
Level 83
Jan 22, 2018
You can lose the "the" in "What is the Rome's Flavian Amphitheatre better known as?"
+2
Level 83
Jan 29, 2021
Still there.
+2
Level 74
Jan 23, 2018
I spent a good 60 seconds interpreting "Pontchartrain" as "Champlain" in my head and wondering why the heck Montreal was not accepted...
+3
Level 37
Feb 12, 2018
The former name of New York is spelled NIEUW Amsterdam. And, a more accurate term for the event in Pamplona would be "running from the bulls!"
+4
Level 84
Nov 24, 2018
not in English it's not.
+4
Level 86
Apr 3, 2018
Why can I never remember "Balkan"? I think of Baltic right away, know that it's not correct for that region, but simply cannot think of the right answer. Someday...
+1
Level 62
Jan 25, 2022
I remember both, but I used to have troubles remembering which one is north and which one is south.
+2
Level 36
Jun 8, 2018
don't you think south cross should count for southern cross
+1
Level 66
Nov 24, 2018
Khan for Kublai Khan?
+4
Level 60
Nov 24, 2018
But would you mean Genghis, Kublai, or Khan Noonien Singh?
+3
Level 64
Jan 31, 2019
Isn't Khan a title like king or emperor?
+2
Level ∞
Mar 7, 2019
Yes
+1
Level 83
Jan 29, 2021
It still doesn't stop me from shouting "Khan!" every time I answer the question.
+2
Level 61
Mar 7, 2019
What country's name starts with "North"? That could now be North Macedonia.
+2
Level ∞
Mar 7, 2019
Okay
+2
Level 45
Aug 18, 2020
The Roman Colosseum or Roman Colosseum, should be accepted for The Colosseum.
+2
Level 78
Aug 31, 2020
Which other Colosseum did you need to differentiate it from?
+3
Level 67
Oct 13, 2020
The one in Vegas?
+1
Level 53
Apr 24, 2021
Or the one in Nur-Sultan?
+2
Level 60
Jan 8, 2021
There's a theory that there's a Christian name that is more common than Muhammad, but it's been translated so many times that it's now has dozens of variations. Some examples include, John, Iohannes, Giovanni, Sean, and many others that come from the original Hebrew Yohanan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O2Yjn3OXRk

I just think it's pretty cool to follow names through languages.

+1
Level 71
Apr 24, 2021
Much in the same way that Jack and James both descend from the Latin Jacopus. And they're both English names
+2
Level 67
Apr 24, 2021
That's interesting, given that Jack is sometimes used as a nickname for "John." Funny that it actually comes from "James."
+1
Level 62
Aug 31, 2021
I thought that too, Xenobio. Another one is Yvon in Breton. And of course there are all the female variants from the same root - Jane, Jeanette, Yvonne. Glad I'm not the only one to have thought about etymology!
+1
Level 68
Jul 6, 2022
I was about to make the same point.
+1
Level 60
Apr 24, 2021
Could just Kea, or Mount Kea please be accepted for Mauna Kea, given that Mauna means Mount in Hawaiian?
+1
Level 69
Apr 24, 2021
A really interesting quiz, featuring a diverse range of topics and with enough challenges to make it interesting. There were quite a few I didn’t get on my first attempt, and a number of my correct answers required quite a bit of thought to achieve, so you have made me think, and have helped me learn a few things. Thank you.
+1
Level 53
Apr 24, 2021
Seriously I can't believe I am taking this quiz on VR. so weird!
+1
Level 53
Apr 25, 2021
I’ve heard it only as London-Heathrow before. Not sure if many other people have heard it like this, but I would consider adding this to be accepted
+1
Level 28
Oct 14, 2021
Ugh why should I care about British money
+1
Level 66
Nov 9, 2022
Why should I care about American cities?
+1
Level 28
Oct 14, 2021
Can't you describe guinea in other ways
+1
Level 72
Apr 20, 2022
A number of questions as for cities, but the Bolshoi question doesn't (yet its answer is a city). What's up with that?
+1
Level 64
Jun 16, 2022
Can you accept bullfight for running of the bulls?