| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This mountain is the primary attraction of Piscataquis [[pih-SKAH-teh-kwiss]] County, and it is home to the Knife (+) Edge Ridgeline trail. This mountain’s name means “Great Mountain” in the local Penobscot language. This mountain, the (*) highest point in Baxter State Park, is the final destination of many travelers going north through the Hundred-Mile Wilderness. For the points, name this mountain at the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. | Mount Katahdin |
| One dish from this archipelago is pitaroudia, a type of fried chickpea fritter. During World War Two, every island in this archipelago except for Kastellorizo was occupied. During its occupation by (+) Mussolini’s troops, this archipelago was renamed the “Italian Islands of the Aegean.” This archipelago contains Kos and Patmos, and its most historically important island is (*) Rhodes. Despite its name, this archipelago actually consists of fifteen major islands. For the points, name this Greek archipelago off the coast of Turkey, whose name refers to twelve islands. | Dodecanese Islands (prompt on “Southern Sporades”; prompt on "Twelve Islands" before mentioned) |
| This desert hosts the longest highway on shifting sands in the world, with bushes and vegetation being planted alongside the road to prevent it from being covered in debris. Emperor (+) Yuan of Han sent the Wuji colonels to conquer the 36 kingdoms of this desert, centered on oasis cities like Kashgar and Khotan. This desert, which is a part of the larger Tarim (*) Basin, is the site of the city of Urumqi [[ooh-ROOM- chee]]. For the points, name this Chinese desert in Xinjiang to the west of the Gobi. | Taklamakan Desert (or Tǎkèlāmǎgān Shāmò) |
| This region contains the western end of the Sinjar Mountains, including its highest point, Sharat Kovakab. This region’s democratic confederalism, or Apoism, has been cited by scholars as a model for successful libertarian socialism. This region’s de facto capital is (+) Ayn Issa and its largest city is Raqqa. This region is governed by the Syrian Democratic Forces and the ethnically (*) Kurdish People's Protection Units. For the points, name this autonomous region of northeast Syria. | Rojava (accept Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria or AANES; prompt on “Kurdistan”; prompt on “northern” or “northeastern Syria”) |
| Major mountain ranges in this state include Mount Lofty and the Musgrave Ranges. This state is home to a natural amphitheater called Wilpena Pound, located in the Flinders Range. The Head of the (+) Bight is located in this state and is a common spot for southern right whales to calve. Shoreline features in this state include the Limestone Coast and (*) Kangaroo Island. This state was colonized as a home for free British settlers, unlike the states that have their origins in convict settlements to its east and west. For the points, name this southern hemisphere state governed from Adelaide. | South Australia |
| The main stem of this river system's only bridge crossing is the Deh Cho Bridge near Fort Providence, and its largest tributary, the Liard River, joins it near Fort Simpson. This river system, whose delta is home to a high concentration of pingos, is partially located within Wood (+) Buffalo National Park. The Finlay, Peace, and Slave rivers, the last of which connects Lake (*) Athabasca [[ah-thah-BAH-skah]] to Great Slave Lake, form a system with this river that is the longest in Canada. For the points, a Scottish explorer names what river of northwestern Canada? | Mackenzie River (or Mackenzie River system) |
| Nine yellow stars appear on the flag of this country, where Nukulaelae [[noo- koo-LEH-leh]] was among the atolls affected by "blackbirding." An agreement with Verisign earns this country an annual $5 million for ownership of a (+) country code in high demand by streaming services. This country was once named after an MP whose ships visited it, Edward (*) Ellice. Once part of a British protectorate with what became Kiribati [[KEE-ree-bahs]], for the points, what is this island country where Samoans may have originally inhabited Funafuti? | Tuvalu (prompt on "Ellice Islands") |
| The ancient Dai Temple is located on this province's tallest mountain, Mount Tai. A major port in this province contains distinctive German architecture, dating to its time as Germany’s primary Chinese (+) colony. This province’s largest city is the major port of Qingdao [[CHING-DOW]] and its capital is Jinan. The Bohai sea separates this province’s namesake feature from the mainland and (*) Liaodong. For the points, give this Chinese province that shares its name with a peninsula opposite the Yellow Sea from Korea. | Shandong |
| Water from this river is diverted away from major cities by the Old River Control Structure and Morganza Floodway. One tributary of this river, the Prairie Dog Town Fork, flows through the Palo (+) Duro Canyon, the second largest canyon in the United States. A golden ten-gallon hat is given to the winner of a college football rivalry game named for this river. This river currently empties into the (*) Atchafalaya [[ah- chah-ah-fah-LAH-yah]] River but it once drained into the Mississippi in Louisiana. For the points, name this river that makes up most of the border of Texas and Oklahoma. | Red River of the South (accept Red River Rivalry/Showdown/Shootout) |
| This region is linked to a similarly named place to the north through the Roki Tunnel in the Transkam Mountains, which also contains this region’s highest point, Mount Khalatsa. This region is de facto (+) governed by a breakaway state that seeks to join the Russian federation and is governed from Tskhinvali [[tskeen-VAH-lee]]. Along with Abkhazia, (*) this region was at the center of a 2008 Russian invasion. For the points, name this partially recognized state in northern Georgia. | South Ossetia [[oh-SET-yuh]] (or Republic of South Ossetia - the State of Alania; prompt on "Tskhinvali (Region)" before mentioned) |
| Jessie Beazley Reef is a popular diving location in this body of water. Extensive marine biodiversity can be found in the Tubbataha Reef system of this sea where, in 2005, the Rainbow Warrior ran aground. Separated from the (+) Celebes [[seh-LEH- behs]] Sea by its namesake archipelago, this body of water is bordered to its northwest by the province of Palawan. The (*) Panay Gulf can be found in, for the points, what sea southwest of the Philippines? | Sulu Sea (accept Dagat Sulu; or Dagat sin Sūg; or Mar de Sulu; or Dagat sa Sulu; or Dagat sang Sulu; or Dagat kang Sulu; or Dagat i'ang Sulu; or Laut Sulu) |
| The island of Salawati is narrowly separated from this peninsula by the Revengers Strait. The Raja Ampat archipelago island of Waigeo [[way-JEE-oh]] is separated from this peninsula by the Dampier Strait. This peninsula is separated from the Bomberai Peninsula by the Bintuni Bay. This peninsula is separated from the (+) main body of the island it is on by the Cenderawasih Bay. Located at the northwest end of (*) New Guinea, for the points, what is this peninsula named for its unique animal-like shape? | Bird's Head Peninsula (or Doberai Peninsula) |
| This city is home to the Kejetia market, the largest open air market in West Africa. This city’s name is derived from the Twi [[TCHWEE]] dialect of the (+) Akan language. This city is located 100 miles north of the Gulf of Guinea and is the closest city to Lake Bosomtwe [[BOH-sum-tway]]. Following the Battle of Ordashu, this city was partially burned down by Garnet Wolseley’s British forces. (*) For the points, name this city that served as the cultural capital of the Ashanti empire and is today the second largest city in Ghana. | Kumasi |
| This lake is overlooked by Monte Baldo, whose eruptions have historically rocked communities such as Salo and Toscolano Maderno. This lake contains the "Island of Rabbits," or San Biago, which is located off the shore of the commune San Felice del Benaco. This lake is divided between the provinces of (+) Brescia [[BREH- shuh]], Verona, and Trentino. The Isola Borghese [[bor-GEH-seh]] is the largest island in this lake (*) east of Lake Como. For the points, name this largest Italian lake, split between Lombardy and Veneto. | Lake Garda (or Lago di Garda; accept Benacus or Lago Benaco before “Benaco”) |
| This city is today branded as the “Third Home of Saints” in an attempt to drive tourists to its Shahcheragh [[SHAH-cheh-RAHG]] Shrine. The Qajar Dynasty built the Nasir-ol-Molk, or Pink Mosque, in this city. This city is sacred to the (+) Baha’i faith, as it is the birthplace of the Bab. The tombs of the poets Hafez and Saadi [[SAH-dee]] are located in this city, the historic capital of the (*) Zand Dynasty. For the points, name this historic Persian artistic and cultural center, the capital of Fars Province. | Shiraz |
| The Bay of Kotor sits between this country's cities of Tivat and Bijela [[bee-YEH- lah]]. The Durmitor Mountains are located in this country, whose second-most populous city is (+) Nikšić [[NIK-shitch]]. This country's Zia Kolata is its highest peak, and that peak in this country is situated in the Accursed Mountains. This country shares part of Lake (*) Skadar with its southeastern neighbor, Albania. For the points, identify this Adriatic country that split from Serbia in 2006. | Montenegro (or Crna Gora; prompt on “Black Mountain”) |
| In Islamic sources, this river is associated with the Gihon River in the Garden of Eden. European travelers historically referred to this river as the Gozan, a word borrowed from Arabic, Jewish, and Chinese historians. This river once flowed into the (+) Caspian Sea through a now dried up distributary called the Uzboy. The ancient Greeks referred to this river as the Oxus and considered it the eastern edge of (*) Persia. For the points, name this Central Asian river that flows from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan into the remnants of the Aral Sea. | Amu Darya (accept Oxus before mentioned) |
| A pair of small peaks in this park are known as the Mule Ears and can be seen from the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. Visitors to this park may utilize the Chimneys Trail and several trails crossing the Chisos Mountains, home to the only breeding population of Colima Warblers in the (+) USA. This park is adjacent to the Cañón [[kah- NYOHN]] de Santa Elena and Maderas del Carmen. This park in the (*) Chihuahuan [[chee-WAH-wahn]] Desert is contained entirely within Brewster County in the Trans-Pecos Region. For the points, name this national park located along the Rio Grande in West Texas. | Big Bend National Park |
| This country's largest province is Moxico [[moh-SHEE-koh]], and the longest rivers in this country include the Cuanza, which hosts the Capanda Dam. A city in this country is the namesake of a cold-water current in the South (+) Atlantic that contrasts with the Agulhas Current. This country's modernization efforts include the Chinese- funded neighborhood of (*) Quilamba [[kee-LAHM-bah]], and the capital of this country is the world's most expensive city for expatriates. For the points, identify this country of West Central Africa, home to Huambo, the exclave of Cabinda, and its capital, Luanda. | Republic of Angola (or Republica de Angola) |
| The El Quimbo [[KEEM-boh]] dam sits on this river at its confluence with the Páez [[PAH-ehs]], and this river was known as the Yuma by the native Muisca people. This river begins at the Bocas de Ceniza, or (+) Ash Mouths. An ecologically destructive hippo population roams this river which flows into the (*) Caribbean thanks to notorious drug dealer Pablo Escobar, who released them near Medellin [[meh-deh-YEEN]]. For the points, identify this longest river contained entirely within Colombia, named for a woman who traveled with Jesus. | Magdalena River (or Río Magdalena; or Río Grande de Magdalena) |
| This lake separates the cities of Cyangugu and Bukavu This lake receives dissolved gasses from vents on Mount (+) Nyiragongo, which is located north of Goma. The city of Gisenyi draws power from methane extracted from this lake, which is removed to prevent Mazuku winds. This lake is drained by the Ruzizi River, which drains into Lake (*) Tanganyika. This is the largest lake to be at risk of undergoing a limnic eruption. For the points, name this volcanically active African Great Lake on the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. | Lake Kivu |
| This city contains a stadium next to an artificial lake in the shape of its country that is covered in large white gondola shapes. The home of the poet Badr Shakir (+) al- Sayyab is located in this city, which also displays a statue of him near a mountain road. A river in this city contains the tourist attraction Sinbad Island. The Grand Far Port is under construction to serve this city, which is the largest along the Shatt al-Arab. (*) This city names a governorate that briefly included Kuwait during Saddam Hussein’s invasion. For the points, name this largest Iraqi port city. | Basra (or al-Baṣrah) |
| A popular beach in this country is named for its resemblance to a whale's tail and is called Bahía Ballena [[bah-YEH-nah]]. An unusually large concentration of citizens over the age of 100 reside in this country's district of Nicoya, and the (+) Irazu volcano is in this country, which attracts tourists through its “pura vida” (*) marketing campaign and whose residents refer to themselves as "Ticos." This country abolished its army, and its stability has led it to be called the Switzerland of its region. Containing five percent of the Earth's biodiversity, this is, for the points, what Central American country governed from San José? | Republic of Costa Rica (accept República de Costa Rica) |
| According to the Samguk Yusa, King Dangun was born to a woman who was once a bear on this mountain. This mountain is claimed by the Manchu (+) people to be their ancestral homeland and they once gave it the title “the King Who Makes the Nation Prosperous and Answers with Miracles.” After a dictator passed away in 2011, the ice on this mountain’s Heaven (*) Lake allegedly split in two. This mountain’s so-called bloodline is used as a metonym for the Kim Family. For the points, name this sacred mountain of North Korea. | Paektu Mountain (or Baekdu; or Mount Changbai) |
| This body of water can be crossed by the Drogden Tunnel, which connects the artificial island of Peberholm to Amager, as well as by the longest rail-road (+) bridge in Europe. The HH Ferry crosses this body of water at its narrowest points, linking Helsingør [[hel-SING-uhr]] and Helsingborg. This strait is overlooked by Kronborg Castle, which was adapted into Elsinore in Shakespeare’s (*) Hamlet. This strait names an international metropolis that spans Scania and Zealand. For the points, name this strait that separates Malmo, Sweden from Copenhagen, Denmark. | Øresund [[UHR-reh-sund]] Strait (accept The Sound) |
| This river names an international “Transfrontier Park” made from combining the Gaza, Kruger, and Gonarezhou [[goh-NAR-uh-joe]] Parks. This river is formed from the confluence of the Crocodile River with the Marico. This river’s high silt content led to it being dubbed “Great (+) Grey-Green-Greasy” by Rudyard Kipling. This river names a province whose capitals are Polokwane [[poh-loh-KWAH-neh]] and Lebowakgomo [[leh-boh-WAH-kgoh-moh]] and which is the northernmost one in South Africa. (*) For the points, name this river that forms South Africa’s border with Botswana and Zambia, and discharges into the Indian Ocean in southern Mozambique. | Limpopo River |
| It’s not Hollywood or L.A., but this city contains a neighborhood called the Movie Colony, which housed the estates of Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, and other stars. The Forever Marilyn statue served as the site of many same-sex weddings in this city, whose (+) Agua Caliente Indian Reservation houses petroglyphs in the Tahquitz, Chino, and Indian Canyons. This city lies east of the San Jacinto Mountains, northwest of the (*) Salton Sea, and west of Joshua Tree National Park. The Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley includes, for the points, what desert resort city in southern California? | Palm Springs, California |
| The company behind the second portion of this system, which has never operated, filed for bankruptcy in March 2022. The region of Yamalia was the source for most of the resources in the earliest part of this system, which is connected to the (+) Northern Lights network of Belarus. One part of this system starts in Ust-Luga and runs to Lubmin, while the other starts in (*) Vyborg. Seymour Hersh and Sergei Lavrov have both accused the U.S. of sabotaging this industrial system. For the points, an explosion near Bornholm led to the shutdown of what set of gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea? | Nord Stream Pipelines (accept Nord Stream 1; or Nord Stream 2; accept NS for "Nord Stream") |
| These landforms were found to have outer ramparts when formed by jökulhlaups, a type of outburst flood that carries significant amounts of sediment. (+) Puslinch is the largest example of these features in Canada, and many of them, including Elkhart and Geneva, formed on a namesake moraine in Wisconsin. These landforms, which often occur in (*) sandurs, or outwash plains, can be formed when blocks of calved ice are surrounded by deposited sediment. For the points, name these depressions formed by retreating glaciers, which often become shallow lakes. | kettles (or kettle lakes) |
| Twenty-one French explorers and missionaries were killed on this lake’s Massacre Island. This lake names a county governed from Baudette, and this lake surrounds the Aulneau [[AWL-noh]] Peninsula, which itself contains over eighty lakes, including Arrow Lake. (+) Boating tourists on this lake often camp at Zippel Bay State Park. This lake is fed by the Rainy River and a series of interconnected lakes that starts with Kakagi. This lake separates the (*) Northwest Angle from the rest of the United States. For the points, name this lake occupied by Ontario, Manitoba, and Minnesota. | Lake of the Woods (or Lac des Bois; or Pikwedina Sagainan) |
| This is the largest inflow of Lake Alexandrina, a coastal lake adjacent to towns like Clayton Bay and Milang. The mouth of this river is bounded by the Younghusband (+) and Sir Richard Peninsulas. This is the largest river to have its course affected by the Cadell Fault, which it straddles. This river flows into the Southern Ocean near Goolwa South, and it flows through cities like Albury and (*) Wodonga. For the points, name this river that makes up the border between the states of Victoria and New South Wales. | Murray River (accept Murray-Darling River; do not accept or prompt on "Darling" alone) |
| This body of water contains the Holmöarna Islands as well as the coastal islands of the Österbotten region. Although it is mostly brackish, the portion of this body of water north of (+) Kvarken is so hyposaline that it supports freshwater ecosystems. This body of water likely takes its name from the Old Norse word for “bay” or “gulf.” This body of water is separated from the Gulf of (*) Finland by the Archipelago Sea and is found on the northern shore of the Åland [[OH-land]] Islands. For the points, name this northern arm of the Baltic Sea, a gulf separating Finland and Sweden. | Gulf of Bothnia (or Pohjanlahti; or Bottniska viken; prompt on “Baltic Sea” before mentioned) |
| Visitors to this park can hike around the Paunsaugunt Plateau on trails such as Riggs Spring Loop and Under-the-Rim Trail. This park contains the northern end of the (+) Grand Staircase and includes rock formations such as Thor’s Hammer. This park contains the most famous and extensive hoodoo rock formations. This park in Garfield and (*) Kane Counties is located 60 miles northeast of Zion National Park. For the points, name this national park in Utah home to distinctive rock columns. | Bryce Canyon National Park |
| Remnants of this city’s Communist past include its Memento Park, which includes a replica of the boots from the Stalin Monument, and the abandoned buildings of its Jewish Quarter, now revitalized into “ruin bars.” (+) A set of 60 pairs of scattered iron shoes along this city’s riverfront memorializes Jews murdered by the Arrow Cross Party during the Holocaust. A funicular railway connects (*) Castle Hill to the Széchenyi [[seh-CHEN-yee]] Chain Bridge elsewhere along the Danube waterfront of, for the points, what Hungarian city? | Budapest (accept pronunciations like [[BOO-dah-PESHT]]) |
| This body of water contains the Ao Manao, or Lime Bay. This body of water is the smaller of the two bodies that were historically associated with the Magnus Sinus. This body of water contains the (+) Chumphon Archipelago, which includes islands such as Ko Samui. This body of water is bounded by lines between Cape Bai Bung and Kelantan. The Tapi and (*) Tha Chin Rivers empty into this body of water, which also receives the Chao Phraya [[PRY-uh]] River. For the points, identify this Southeast Asian gulf that shares its name with a country. | Gulf of Thailand (or Gulf of Siam; prompt on partial answers) |
| Hikers on this island can use trails to climb its highest point, Mount Asahi, before taking a scenic “ropeway,” or cable car system, back to the bottom. This island is bound to the north by the La (+) Pérouse Strait and in the south by the Tsuguru Strait. Prior to being annexed by the Meiji government, this island was known as Ezo-chi. The vast majority of the surviving (*) Ainu people live on this island, whose capital and largest city is Sapporo. For the points, name this northernmost major island of Japan. | Hokkaido (accept Ezo or Ezo-chi before mentioned; accept Aynumosir; or Yaunmosir; or Akormosir) |
| This country’s Outer Islands are governed from Coëtivy and are sometimes known as the Coraline [this country]. Plant biodiversity in this country’s Aldabra Group has been dramatically reduced by the introduction of goats. This country’s endemic black (+) paradise-flycatcher has been reintroduced to Denis Island after a successful rat eradication campaign by the Island Conservation Society. The vast majority of this country’s population lives on its largest island, (*) Mahé. For the points, name this Indian Ocean island nation, governed from Victoria. | Seychelles |