Geo Challenge Trivia

Mr. Byrd builds a rectangular shaped house. The house has four windows--one on each of the exterior sides. All four windows are facing north. What kind of vegetation is growing in Mr. Byrd's yard?
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A commercial jet will fly from Atlanta, Georgia to Tokyo, Japan and will make a stop at the international airport that is closest to the midpoint of the flight. At what airport will the plane make its stop? (Hint: use the calculator)
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As a boat departs from the south shore of an inland body of water, a sturgeon is seen swimming nearby. The boat heads due north for a distance of 670 miles (1078 km) and arrives at the north shore. What is the name of the body of water?
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Three friends, one living in London, UK, another in Barcelona, Spain and a third in Vienna, Austria decide to get together. In order to minimize their travel distance they will meet at the city or town that is closest to the geographic midpoint of their three cities. Where will they meet?
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Mr. Schirra maneuvers his heavier-than-air craft into position high above the country of Kenya, then he turns off his engines. He is able to remain over Kenya for one week without losing altitude and without using propulsion of any kind. Can you explain how this is possible?
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My home is in a national capital. My country is the same as my continent and my continent is the same as my country. Can you tell me where I live?
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Of the following plants: corn, bean, potato, tomato, banana and pineapple, which one is not native to the Americas? (this one is a little tricky)
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What major city lies halfway between Richmond, Virginia and Tampa, Florida?
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Unscramble the words race duo to find the name of a country where you can go from a steamy jungle to frigid mountain peaks within a fairly short distance.
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The ancient city of Byzantium was established on the border of Europe and Asia and was later renamed in honor of the Emperor Constantine. What is the modern day name of this city?
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Suppose that a new highway will be built across a continent from coast to coast, from west to east. It will follow a great circle route with a bearing of 90 degrees east along its entire length and it will pass through six countries. What is the name of the continent?
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What is the capital of South Korea? Also, what does the name of this city mean when it is literally translated into English?
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What are the residents of the following three European cities called: Hamburg, Germany, Frankfurt, Germany and Vienna, Austria?
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How much would the world sea level rise if all of the ice caps worldwide, including in Antarctica and Greenland were to completely melt?
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Which letter of the alphabet is most widely used as the last letter in the names of the 50 US states?
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A plane will depart from Caracas, Venezuela and fly nonstop to Perth, Australia. After takeoff, in which direction will the pilot head the plane in order to fly the shortest possible distance?
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True or false. If a straight tunnel were dug from the United States down through the center of the earth then out to the opposite side of the earth, the far end of the tunnel would be in China.
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Of the world's seven continents, which one has the shortest coastline?
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In which direction does the earth rotate on its axis when it is seen at a distance from space?
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Which major US city has had its name most drastically shortened from the time of its original settlement to the present?
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Name the country with the world's lowest birth rate. Hint: It also happens to be the world's smallest independent country with an area of just 10 acres.
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Unscramble the words 'yarn mam' to find the name of a country in southeast Asia.
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Suppose that a crew will fly a space plane from Earth to Saturn. How long will the flight last if the plane flies at 1000 miles per hour (1609 km per hour)? For the sake of simplicity, assume that the plane will fly on a direct straight line from the orbit of Earth out to the orbit of Saturn.
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Name the city in east India where thousands of hand-pulled rickshaws can still be seen moving down its streets alongside its motorized vehicles.
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Which of these cities is the farthest west, San Diego, California, Los Angeles, California or Reno, Nevada?
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This wall is 73 miles (117 km) in length and 15 feet (4.5 m) high. It crosses a country from coast to coast. What is the name of this wall and where is it located?
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How high would Mt. Everest be on a relief world globe that is 18 inches (45 cm) in diameter? Assume that mountains and other features are properly scaled to the size of the globe.
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Is it typical for it to snow in Hawaii during most years?
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Name the country where you can see sunrise over the Pacific Ocean on one coast and sunset in the Atlantic Ocean on the opposite coast. This country is part of a continent, not an island.
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Name the country that has seven of the world's fifteen largest lakes. Hint: it shares four of these lakes with a neighboring country.
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Thanksgiving trivia: Is turkey eaten in the country of Turkey?
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The legendary city of Timbuktu was renowned for centuries for its remoteness and great wealth--the roofs of the city were supposed to be made of gold. Does Timbuktu really exist or is it just a myth?
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A plane with holiday travelers will depart from London, UK then fly at a bearing of 131 degrees for a distance of 596 miles (960 km). Where will the plane land at? Hint: You can solve this with the Bearing and Distance Calculator.
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Find the geographic midpoint for the winners of the last 12 U.S. presidential elections (1964-2008). Use the capital city of the home state for each winning candidate. Candidates who won two elections will be counted twice.
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If winters are a little chilly where you live, imagine what it would be like to live in the American town that has the coldest winters. Can you name this place?
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A yacht comes to a stop at a point which is located directly over the world's deepest ocean trench. Can you give the name of this place? Also, if a steel ball which is 3/4" (2 cm) in diameter is dropped overboard, how long will it take to reach the bottom of the trench?
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This major world city, the westernmost national capital in the Americas is continually sinking deeper into the ground every year. Can you name this city, and why is it sinking?
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If you are driving along listening to a tune with the words "Take me home country roads", you may be headed towards the "Mountain State". Which state is the Mountain State and why does it have this nickname?
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Name all of the continents that touch the Indian Ocean.
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Suppose that two hikers plan to travel from Albuquerque, New Mexico to the Canadian border. They will make the journey totally on foot and they will set foot in only three states including New Mexico. What route can they use to accomplish their goal?
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The Himalaya Mountains, including Mt. Everest are continually growing taller at a rate of at least 0.35 inches (1 cm) per year. What forces are working to cause the world's highest mountains to become taller?
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Through which three continents does the Arctic Circle pass?
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Rosie Swale-Pope, a 61-year-old grandmother from Tenby, Wales has concluded a remarkable journey. Where did she travel to and why did she make this journey?
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Which U.S. state was the only one that was formerly an independent country before joining the United States?
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Which South American country was named after a city in Italy?
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Name the sea that is bordered by Europe, Africa, and Asia.
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Washington DC was established in 1790 at roughly the geographic halfway point of the thirteen original colonies. If the capital were to be relocated today to the geographic midpoint of the 50 state capitals, where would it be built?
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This country, fairly small in size, has the highest density of railroad tracks in the world. Can you name it?
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If you were to take a trip to the world's driest continent, what kind of clothing would you need to pack?
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Name the saltiest body of water in the world. Also, how did it get its name?
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Which U.S. states have the most and the fewest earthquakes?
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This capital city heats over 95% of its buildings by geothermal energy and is one of the cleanest cities of its size on earth. Can you name it?
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How much gold is in the interior of the earth and could we ever get to it?
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Which continent is crossed by both the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn?
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Suppose that a man has to deliver goods to many locations. He leaves his home and travels due south to the first location in Boston. He then delivers to all other locations in turn, with the last one being in Fairbanks, Alaska. He then travels due north to return to his home. Where does the man live?
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The earth is putting on weight, not just during the holidays, but all year round. Can you explain where this extra weight is coming from?
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Where would you travel to if you wanted to visit the wettest place on earth?
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Name the country that was founded in 1291. It has four official languages and has the fourth highest per capita income in the world.
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This city, sometimes called the Paris of the East, became the world's largest cargo port in 2005. Can you name it?
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Which U.S. national park receives the most visitors each year?
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Lunar sports: Would it ever be possible at some future time for a game of basketball to be played on the moon?
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What are some of the popular outdoor recreational activities on earth that will never become popular on the moon in the future?
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Which U.S. state capital was named after a famous trapper and frontiersman?
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This 130 foot (39.6 m) tall statue stands on top of a mountain overlooking a major tropical port city. What is the name of the statue and which city does it overlook?
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Which is the most common chemical element at the surface of the earth as well as within the human body?
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What is the tallest mountain in the world as measured from its base to its peak?
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The word 'American' was derived from the first name of an Italian explorer. Give the explorer's name. Also, what if the explorer's last name had been used instead of his first name, what would Americans be called?
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Which small country in the Middle East is located on a group of small islands in the Persian Gulf?
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Long walk. Suppose that the land area of the earth's continents and islands is divided into one foot (30cm) squares. How long would it take a person to walk the entire earth, stepping at a rate of one square foot per second?
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Here are the official names for six important Asian cities: Beijing, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guangzhou, Nanjing, and Yangon. Can you give the common English name formerly used for each city?
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Lake Mead, a large reservoir on the Colorado River, is less than half full and its water level is dropping. Where is all of the water going to?
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In most English-speaking countries people answer the phone by saying "hello". How do people answer the phone in Italy, Spain, and Germany?
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Which of the following places lies farthest north?
Boston, MA
French Riviera
Chicago, IL
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Which three countries have had the most active volcanos during recent history?
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You are standing on a beach looking west over the Pacific Ocean with the sun directly overhead on the first day of summer. Which major beach resort city is located a short distance away?
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Name the earth's five largest land masses.
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Which of these languages is most closely related to English?
Finnish
Hungarian
Hindi
Chinese
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Name some of the words that are similar in English and the language mentioned above.
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Which city has a name that translates to 'Red hero' and is the coldest national capital in the world?
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A pilot departs from base camp and flies south for 3 hours, then on an easterly course for 3 hours where he spots a bear. Then he flies north for 3 hours and arrives back at base camp. What color was the bear?
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What great secret did Chinese emperors order never to be divulged at the penalty of death? It remained secret for over 2,000 years.
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