It’s National Trivia Day, which means I have an excuse to publish a few fun geographical/travel questions. Here goes with 10 questions (answers below).
QUESTIONS
1. Which is further west, Los Angeles, California or Reno, Nevada?
2. True or false: St. John’s Newfoundland in Canada is closer to Ireland than it is to Vancouver.
St. John’s Newfoundland. JIM BYERS PHOTO
3. Everyone knows (or should) that Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain on the planet. What’s the second tallest? 1. Mount McKinley. 2. K2 3. The Matterhorn
4. China and India are by far the most populous countries on earth. What country is third in population? A. Indonesia B. The United States C. Brazil
5. Canada has roughly what percentage of the world’s fresh water? A. 10%. B. 15% C. 20%
6. What countries make up the United Kingdom?
7. In what U.S. state would you find the town of Truth or Consequences?
Sunrise on Easter Island, Chile. JIM BYERS PHOTO
8. Easter Island is in the Pacific Ocean and is a five hour flight west of Santiago, Chile. That places it almost exactly due south of what U.S. city? A. Albany, New York. B. Bowie, Arizona. C. New Orleans, Louisiana.
9. In what year did Athens host the first modern-day Olympics (the first ones sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee?) A. 1896. B. 1906. C. 1924
10. Israel is located on what continent?
ANSWERS
1. The California coast dips a great deal to the east as you travel south from Monterey. Reno is 220 miles or so from San Francisco, but it’s WEST of Los Angeles.
2. It’s not even close. Galway, Ireland is only 3,107 km’s from St. John’s (about 1,930 miles). Vancouver is a whopping 5,0098 km’s from St. John’s, or about 3,112 miles.
3. K2 (Pakistan) is second only to Mt. Everest.
4. B. The United States.
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is on the shores of Lake Superior, near Thunder Bay, Ontario, is a wonderful hiking spot. JIM BYERS PHOTO
5. C. Canada has roughly 20% of the world’s fresh water. Amazing.
6. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
7. Truth or Consequences is a small city in New Mexico.
8. Easter Island is pretty much due south of Bowie, Arizona. That shows you just how far EAST South America is from North America. Santiago, Chile is on the west coast of South America, but it’s almost the same longitude as Portland, Maine. Weird.
9. A. 1896
10. Israel is known as a “Middle Eastern” country, but it’s technically in Asia.
