| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This river that flows between the cities of Nukus and Dasoguz [[dah-SOH-goos]] is formed by the junction of the Vakhsh and Panj rivers. A bridge across this river that connects the cities of Hairatan (+) and Termez was used by aid organizations after the fall of Mazar-i-Sharif. This river was known in Latin as the Oxus, and historically marked the border between Greater Iran and (*) Turan. For the points, name this river that flows into the Aral Sea with the Syr Darya [[SEER DAHR-yah]] River. | Amu Darya (accept Jayhoun; accept Oxus River until mentioned;) |
| This island was known as Île-Royale until the Siege of Louisbourg, which the French lost with their Miꞌkmaq allies. Sydney (+) is the largest city of this island, which encloses the saline Bras d'Or Lake and is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Canso. Separated from Newfoundland by the (*) Cabot Strait is, for the points, what Nova Scotian island northeast of the mainland? | Cape Breton Island |
| This archipelago contains Dragon Hole, the deepest blue hole in the world. Yongxing Airport and the Coconut Princess (+) both provide the only outside connection to this archipelago, operating on Woody Island's city of Sansha. Sanya is the closest major city to this archipelago claimed as part of Kaohsiung, Da Nang, and (*) Hainan Province. For the points, name these islands disputed between China and Vietnam, northwest of the Spratly Islands. | Paracel Islands (or Xisha Islands; or Hoàng Sa Archipelago) |
| This city's Newborn Monument has been repainted with the flags of countries which recognize the local government every February 17th. This city officially serves as the capital of an "autonomous province" partly named for Metohija [[meh-toh-HEE-yah]]. (+) This city, home to the Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa, isn't Tirana, but is dominated by ethnic Albanians, and serves as the capital of a country which declared independence from (*) Serbia in 2008. For the points, name this capital city of Kosovo. | Pristina |
| This non-South American peninsula includes the ports of La Paz and Rosarito, and its northwestern edge includes the Coronado (+) Islands. This peninsula is located west of the states of Sinaloa and Sonora and is bounded by the (*) Colorado River. For the points, name this Western Mexican peninsula that shares part of its name with a U.S. state. | Baja California (do not accept or prompt on "California") |
| The Cross Desert Highway spans this desert north to south, linking the cities of Hotan and Luntai. Historically, people crossing this desert would stop in oasis towns like Kashgar (+) and Dunhuang. This desert occupies the bulk of the center of the (*) Tarim Basin. For the points, name this Western Chinese desert, found in Southwest Xinjiang. | Taklamakan |
| Pirates called ushkuyniks operated from this city's republic, where Mongol officials had their noses cut off by Alexander Nevsky. Yaroslav's Court (+) is located in this city, whose namesake red- walled Kremlin overlooks Lake Ilmen. This city formed the easternmost outpost of the Hanseatic League, and its first name distinguishes it from a city partly named (*) Nizhny. For the points, name this oldest Russian city, literally translating to "Great Newtown." | Veliky Novgorod (do not accept or prompt on "Nizhny Novgorod") |
| This region's Algodones Dunes form the largest dune ecosystem in the United States. This valley, whose northern section extends into Riverside (+) County, contains Calexico [[kah-leh-SHEE- koh]]. Separated from the Coachella Valley by the (*) Salton Sea, for the points, what is this valley region in far southeastern California? | Imperial Valley (or Valle Imperial; accept Imperial County; prompt on “California” before mentioned) |
| This mountain range's Mount Speke contains peaks named for members of the Italian royal family, and the apex of this mountain range is called Margherita Peak. (+) The highest mountain of this range, which lies between Lakes Albert and Edward, is (*) Stanley Peak. For the points, name this mountain range shared between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. | Rwenzori Mountains (or Rwenjura) |
| This body of water is mostly surrounded by the Zulia State, home to the settlements of Cabimas and Ciudad Ojeda. This body of water's palafitos, houses on stilts built by the Guajiro people, (+) inspired Amerigo Vespucci to name its region "little Venice." This body of water can be considered South America's largest lake though it is technically an inlet of the (*) Caribbean Sea. For the points, name this lagoon home to immense oil reserves in western Venezuela. | Lake Maracaibo |
| Father Damien spent the last years of his life at Kalaupapa on this island's Kalawao County, the smallest county by area in the U.S. which was designated as a leper colony (+) by King Kamehameha the Fifth. This island is the alleged birthplace of the Hula dance by the goddess Laka, and it lies to the north of (*) Lana'i. For the points, name this long and skinny Hawaiian island between Maui and Oahu, the fifth largest of the state. | Molokai |
| The Zheltuga Republic was established on the banks of this river during an 1800s gold rush, which saw use of the Kyakhta pidgin language near the modern-day city of Da Hinggan Ling. Blagoveshchensk is the capital (+) of an oblast named for this river, and the Songhua is the longest tributary of this river, which runs through the "Ice City" of Harbin. Forming the northern border of (*) Manchuria, this is, for the points, what river between Russia and China? | Amur River (or Heilong Jiang) |
| This sea has its easternmost extent at the Gulf of İzmit, and was known in ancient Greek as Propontis, or "before sea." This sea takes its name from its country's second largest island after Gökçeada, (+) and it is known for its Proconnesian marble that was used to construct the Hagia Sophia. Drained by the Dardanelles and located between the Black and (*) Aegean Seas is, for the points, what Turkish sea south of Istanbul? | Sea of Marmara (accept Propontis until mentioned) |
| The Timna Valley belongs to the namesake range of this city, which was captured during Operation Udva with the hoisting of the "ink flag" that displayed a blotched-out hexagram. Tourists from this city can see three other countries, which includes the towns of Haql (+) and Taba. This city's Wadi Arabia crossing, or Yitzhak Rabin Terminal, connects it to (*) Aqaba. For the points, name this busy port on the Red Sea, the southernmost city of Israel. | Eilat |
| This archipelago's Baining people are known for practicing a "fire dance" involving massive wood masks, inspired by the volcanoes of Tavurvur (+) and Vulcan which forced a change in capital from Kokopo to Rabaul in 1994. This archipelago forming the western edge of "Island Melanesia" includes New Ireland and (*) New Britain. For the points, name this archipelago between the Solomon Islands and New Guinea, named for a German leader. | Bismarck Archipelago |
| This settlement, supplied by Mirny Station, has a name that translates to "Station East." The longest ice core in history (+) was drilled at this settlement, located near the south geomagnetic pole. Having recorded the coldest temperature in history, this is, (*) for the points, what Russian research base in Antarctica, located above a massive subglacial lake? | Vostok Station |
| Lydekker's Line runs along one of these areas called Sahul, which bounds the Wallacea region with another of these areas called Sunda. (+) A Russian claim on one of these areas led to territorial declarations on the Lomonosov Ridge and the (*) North Pole. For the points, name these areas that extend off major landmasses before sloping dramatically into open ocean. | Continental Shelf (prompt on partial answers) |
| This peninsula administers Madha, an enclave which itself enclaves the town of Nahwa. Khasab is the capital (+) of this peninsula, whose Kumzari is more closely related to Persian than Arabic. This peninsula forms an exclave that borders the emirates of Fujairah and (*) Ras Al Khaimah. For the points, name this peninsula south of the Strait of Hormuz, an exclave of Oman. | Musandam Peninsula |
| This city's Yujiapu Financial District has been nicknamed the "Manhattan of China," and it is home to the futuristic Binhai railway station. This city is the second largest of the Jing-Jin-Ji (+) metropolitan area. This city, which is mostly surrounded by Hebei Province, is the largest port on the (*) Bohai Sea. For the points, name this European-influenced port city to the southeast of Beijing. | Tianjin (or Tientsin) |
| This mountain is the highest on the Long Trail, the oldest long-distance trail in the U.S., as well as the third most prominent on a list called the "Fifty Finest" (+) of its region. This mountain contains the ski resort of Stowe on its slopes, and it is the highest between the White and (*) Adirondack Ranges. For the points, name this highest peak of the Green Mountains and the state of Vermont. | Mount Mansfield |
| This gulf's former islands of Santonen and Syökari merged to form the island of Hailuoto two hundred years ago. Luleå and (+) Oulu are ports on this gulf, which merges with the Archipelago Sea to its south. The Åland [[OOH-land]] Islands are located at the south end of, (*) for the points, what gulf of the Baltic Sea that is shared between Sweden and Finland? | Gulf of Bothnia (or Pohjanlahti; or Bottniska viken) |
| This city is the gateway to the Château de Chenonceau [[sheh-non-SOH]], a castle built over the Cher River. This city, home to St. Martin, (+) was disputed between Blois [[BLWAH]] and Anjou, and this city is equidistant from Poitiers [[PWAH-tyeh]], Angers [[AHN-jeh]], Le Mans, and Orléans on the (*) Loire [[LWAH]] River. For the points, name this French city that lends its name to the battle that halted Umayyad expansion into modern France. | Tours [[TOOR]] (accept Battle of Tours) |
| This region’s civilian population has been targeted by bombing campaigns in cities such as Al Fashir, Geneina, and Nyala. This region was the site of the first genocide of the 21st century, (+) carried out by the Arab Janjaweed militia against the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa minority groups, causing hundreds of thousands of people to be displaced into (*) Chad. For the points, name this region of western Sudan, the site of an ongoing civil war. | Darfur (prompt on “Western Sudan” before mentioned) |
| This island's Jesus Buntu Burake is the world's tallest statue of Jesus. This island's Floating Mosque of Palu (+) survived a 2018 earthquake that struck this island's Minahasa Peninsula. That peninsula on this island extends to the city of Manado, and this island's largest city is Ujung Padang. The Makassar Strait separates (*) Borneo from, for the points, what Indonesian island known for its indented shape? | Sulawesi (or Celebes) |
| This sea contains the port of Maratea, which gives Potenza province a small coastline on this sea. The ruins of Baiae on this sea are situated on a peninsula across from the island of Ischia, (+) and this sea stretches from the Straits of Messina to the island of Elba. This sea separates Tuscany from Corsica and its ports include Salerno and (*) Palermo. For the points, name this sea that is enclosed by Sardinia, Sicily, and the Italian peninsula. | Tyrrhenian Sea (or Mar Tirreno) |
| This river's delta was the 1,000th place to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This river originates as the Cubango, (+) which flows through the city of Rundu before gaining its more well-known name at its confluence with the Cuito. This river seasonally floods the Makgadikgadi [[MUK-gah-dee-GAH-dee]] Salt Pans. (*) For the points, name this southern African river that empties into a swampy inland delta in Botswana. | Okavango River (accept Cubango River until mentioned) |
| This city was founded as a fur trading outpost on the Kaministiquia [[kah-min-ees-TEE-kwee- ah]] River. This city, home to a Finnish Quarter, (+) also contains a memorial where Terry Fox was forced to stop his Marathon of Hope. With a population eclipsing that of Duluth, this is the largest city by population on the (*) northernmost Great Lake. For the points, what large Ontario city is named for an indentation of Lake Superior? | Thunder Bay |
| This country's Oklo Mine is believed to be the world's only natural nuclear reactor, located in the Haut-Ogooué Province. That province is governed from Franceville, (+) the birthplace of Omar Bongo. This country's city of Port-Gentil fuels its oil industry, which contributes to it having one of Africa's highest GDPs per capita. (*) For the points, name this country which encloses Equatorial Guinea with Cameroon, and is governed from Libreville. | Gabonese Republic (or République gabonaise) |
| The Eivissenc [[“EYE”-vih-sink]] dialect is spoken on this island, which was invaded by the Norwegian Crusader Sigurd as part of the Taifa of Denia. This island is part of the Pine Islands (+) along with neighboring Formentera. This island's town of Sant Antoni is often called the "Clubbing Capital of the Universe." (*) For the points, name this third-largest and westernmost of the Balearic Islands in Spain, known for its nightlife. | Ibiza |
| It's not in North America, but this city on the eastern Brunswick Peninsula administers Dawson Island, which was originally inhabited by the Yahgan people. This city's Museo Nao Victoria (+) contains a replica of the first ship to circumnavigate the globe, and if Ushuaia is excluded, this city is the coldest major port in Latin America. The southernmost city (*) on the mainland of the Americas, this is, for the points, what Chilean city located on the Straits of Magellan? | Punta Arenas |
| This river flows through the town of Chur before forming Liechtenstein's western border, and the Europa canal connects it to the Danube via its tributary, the Main River. (+) A formerly militarized region along this river called the Maginot Line contained Alsace–Lorraine and the Black Forest on (*) either side of it. For the points, name this river that flows through western Europe, emptying near Rotterdam. | Rhine River |
| This peninsula's town of Fish Hoek is located on False Bay, and its settlement of Simon's Town contains one of Africa's largest naval bases and a penguin colony. (+) This peninsula is often mistaken as the meeting point between the Benguela and Agulhas currents, as well as the meeting point of the Atlantic and (*) Indian Oceans. For the points, name this peninsula south of Table Mountain, which gives its name to a namesake point of "Good Hope." | Cape Peninsula (or Kaapse Skiereiland) |