| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This mountain range's western anchor of Nanga Parbat has a name that translates to "naked mountain," located in the region of Gilgit-Baltistan. This mountain range's second- highest peak of Kanchenjunga is visible from the tea-producing resort of Darjeeling, and this mountain range spans the disputed region of Arunachal Pradesh. For ten points, name this highest mountain range in the world, south of Tibet and north of India. | Himalayan Mountains (accept Himalayas) |
| This river's adjoining Grand Island and Navy Island were planned to be the site of a "World Peace Capital." This river, which formerly covered the Cave of the Winds on Goat Island, is crossed by the Rainbow Bridge. The Welland Canal was built to bypass this river's falls, including Horseshoe Falls and American Falls. For ten points, name this river which flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, forming the New York-Canada border. | Niagara River |
| This country, home to Niksic, is the largest non-Eurozone country to use the Euro as its currency, and this country is also the smallest NATO member by population on the European continent. This country's gold-rimmed flag contains a double-headed eagle. This country's UNESCO World Heritage Sites include the Bay of Kotor, and its name derives from Venetian for "black mountain." For ten points, name this country governed from Podgorica, which separated from Serbia in 2006. | Montenegro (or Crna Gora) |
| This country’s Dhofar coast contains monsoon-fed forests, and this country’s largest island, Masirah, is located along this country’s Arabian Sea coast. This country’s northernmost point is the Musandam Governorate exclave, and this country’s exclave of Madha surrounds the UAE’s territory of Nahwa. This Ibadi-majority country’s population is concentrated along the Batinah plains near the southern Persian Gulf. For ten points, name this sultanate that has its capital at Muscat. | Sultanate of Oman (or Saltanat Uman) |
| An example of this phenomenon, named Benguela, is responsible for heavy fog on the Skeleton Coast that causes shipwrecks, and another example of these phenomena, named for Alexander von Humboldt, is known for its upwelling events off South America's coast that are vulnerable to El Niño. One example of this phenomenon, part of the North Atlantic Drift, causes mild winter temperatures in Europe. For ten points, name these phenomena which include the Gulf Stream. | Ocean Currents (accept Benguela current; accept Humboldt current; accept Peru current; accept North Atlantic current) |
| Minibus share-taxis called "dala dala" are often found in this city's bus terminals of Makumbusho. This city's port, which processes 90 percent of its country's cargo, may be joined by one in Bagamoyo. Many original Tingatinga artworks are found in this city, whose administrative regions include Kinondoni and Ubungo. This city's Ilalal district contains Julius Nyerere International Airport. Located on the Swahili coast, for ten points, what large African city is the financial hub of Tanzania? | Dar es Salaam (accept Dar) |
| This polity's Loyalty Islands were discovered by William Raven en route from Norfolk Island to Batavia. This territory takes its name from a Latin word for "Scotland" and is fittingly located southwest of an archipelago formerly called the New Hebrides. An independence referendum in this territory, which is inhabited by Kanaks, was rejected in 2018. Governed from Nouema is, for ten points, what French Melanesian territory north of New Zealand? | New Caledonia (or Nouvelle-Calédonie) |
| This city was laid out by Alexander the Great as Alexandria Arachosia and was the site at which a rock displaying the edicts of Ashoka in Greek and Aramaic was discovered. The Kirka Sharif shrine in this city houses the cloak Mohammed wore on his Night Journey as well as the tomb of Ahmad Shah Durrani. This city, near the junction of the Arghandab and Helmand Rivers, is dominated by Pashtuns. The de facto headquarters of the Taliban is, for ten points, what second-largest city of Afghanistan? | Kandahar |
| This city in the Cayo District is the northern terminus of the Hummingbird Highway, which connects the George Price Highway to the Southern Highway. This third-largest city in its country, behind San Ignacio, is the smallest national capital in the Americas. Founded in 1970 after Hurricane Hattie devastated its country's largest city, for ten points, what is this capital of Belize? | Belmopan |
| The larger of the two Pribilof Islands bears this name, as does a river which empties into the Atlantic Ocean north of Monrovia. A city of this name in Ramsey County is known for its Summit Avenue neighborhood and for being the center of the largest Hmong-American community, and a cathedral of this name is the seat of the Bishop of London. São Paulo translates to, for ten points, what name which is also borne by the smaller of the "Twin Cities," Minnesota's capital? | St. Paul (accept St. Paul's Cathedral; accept Saint Paul River; accept Saint Paul Island; prompt on "Paul") |
| This non-U.S. country's Florida department is separated by the Yí River from the larger Durazno department. The hill range of Cuchilla Grande in this country contains its highest point of Cerro Catedral. This country's capital includes the Theatre Solis and the Pocitos neighborhood and was supposedly named when explorers shouted, "I see a mountain." For ten points, name this country which is led from Montevideo. | Oriental Republic of Uruguay (or República Oriental del Uruguay) |
| One of the major destinations in Montevideo is a structure of this kind celebrating the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution. Taking its name from the Greek for "pointed pillar," another of these structures in Buenos Aires is a monument to the 400th anniversary of the city's founding. | Obelisk (accept Obelisk of Montevideo; accept Obelisk of Buenos Aires) |
| This country, once part of the Dilmun civilization, was named Tylos by the Greeks who noted that the region that is now this country was covered by cotton trees. This country’s name comes from the Arabic for “two seas," and this country’s highest point is the Mountain of Smoke. This archipelagic country is connected to Saudi Arabia by the King Fahd Causeway. For ten points, name this third-smallest country of Asia whose largest city and capital is Manama. | Kingdom of Bahrain (or Mamlakat al Bahrayn) |
| This second-largest island in Bahrain is the site of a namesake city, which served as the national capital until 1932, as well as the Bahrain International Airport. | Muharraq Island (accept Muharraq City) |
| This city is home to D-Chowk, or Democracy Square, and the Blue Area is this city's Central Business District. This city's relatively lush climate is influenced by the Khanpur Dam on the Haro River. This city's Srinagar Highway passes an airport built to replace Benazir Bhutto International Airport, and this city's Saudi-funded Faisal Mosque is the largest by capacity outside of the Middle East. This planned city forms an urban area with Rawalpindi. For ten points, name this Pakistani capital. | Islamabad |
| Islamabad lies on the edge of this disputed region that is claimed by India and China, which includes K2, the world's second-highest mountain. | Kashmir (accept Kashmir and Jammu) |
| A homeland of these people is centered around a city that hosts the annual Ofala Festivals and is named Onitsha. These people, who are referred to as Anioma in the Delta State, are the majority ethnic group in Rivers State. These people were fragmented by the chiefdoms of Nri, Agbor, and the Aro Confederacy. A "land" of these people corresponds to states including Ebonyi and Enugu and is split into two unequal sections by the Niger [[nee- ZHEHR]] River. For ten points, name this Nigerian ethnic group, smaller than the Yoruba and Hausa. | Igbo [[EE-boh]] (accept Igboland; accept phonetic pronunciations) |
| During the Nigerian Civil War, Igbo territories seceded and formed this short-lived republic led by Odumegwu Ojukwu. | Republic of Biafra |
| This city, home to the D'Albertis Castle, houses Laterna, which was the world's tallest lighthouse from 1543 to 1902. This city contains the Bank of Saint George, the world's oldest state deposit bank, and is also the origin of pesto sauce. This city in Liguria was the birthplace of the Grimaldi family that currently rules Monaco and was formerly a maritime republic that ruled over Corsica. For ten points, name this port in Northwestern Italy, Christopher Columbus's birthplace. | Genoa (or Genova; or Zêna; accept Republic of Genoa) |
| The Ligurian portion of this mountain range follows the Gulf of Genoa and separates it from the Po Valley. | Ligurian Apennine Mountains (accept Apennines) |
| The world's highest example of these features is called Umling La in the Indian territory of Ladakh, and another, called Loveland in Colorado, can be diverted around using the Eisenhower Tunnel. One of these features, called Brenner, connects Italy and Austria, and Daniel Boone used another of these features, called the Cumberland Gap, to settle Kentucky. Khyber, allowing travel from Pakistan to Afghanistan, exemplifies, for ten points, what kind of route through a high elevation area? | Mountain Passes (accept clear-knowledge equivalents such as Mountain Saddle, Mountain Notch, or Mountain Col; accept Mountain Gap before mentioned; prompt on partial answers; prompt on "Loveland Pass," "Brenner Pass," or "Khyber Pass") |
| One of the best-known mountain passes is this ancient pass through the Western Alps, used by Napoleon to cross into Italy in 1800 as painted by Jacques-Louis David. This pass gave its name to a type of dog which was bred for rescue work at a hospice serving this pass. | Great Saint Bernard Pass (or Col du Grand St-Bernard; prompt on "Napoleon at the Saint Bernard Pass"; prompt on partial answers) |
| This country's port of Hentiesbaai is named for an explorer who was pursuing a rhinoceros near its highest mountain, Brandberg. This country's Baster community is centered on the town of Rehoboth, consisting of descendants of European settlers and Khoisan women. The Tropic of Capricorn first encounters the African continent in this country, bordering Angola and South Africa. The desolate Skeleton Coast is located in, for ten points, what country, governed from Windhoek [[WIND-"hook"]]? | Republic of Namibia |
| This river, with the Cunene River, forms much of Namibia's northern border, rising in the Angolan highlands before flowing past the Caprivi Strip into Botswana where it empties into a massive inland delta. | Okavango River (accept Cubango River or Rio Cubango)) |
| This river traverses monadnocks such as Petit Jean Mountain and Mount Nebo as well as the Boston Mountains. This river's mouth is at the port of Napoleon, which was abandoned following the Civil War. West of Cañon [["Canyon"]] City, Colorado, this river passes through the Royal Gorge before making its way to the Ouachita Mountains. The cities of Wichita and Tulsa are located on this river, which also passes through the capital of its namesake state. For ten points, name this tributary of the Mississippi River which passes through Little Rock. | Arkansas River |
| The headwaters of the Arkansas River are located near this Colorado city in Lake County which has the highest elevation of any U.S. city. | Leadville |
| Home to luxury shops on Rodeo [[roh-DAY-oh]] Drive, located between LA and West Hollywood. | Beverly Hills |
| Second-busiest container port in the US where the Queen Mary is docked. | Long Beach |
| Largest city in Orange County, home to the Honda Center and the Los Angeles Angels. | Anaheim |
| City on the Pacific Coast Highway that was the western terminus of Route 66. | Santa Monica |
| Home to Caltech and host of the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl. | Pasadena |
| "Media Capital of the World,' home to Warner Brothers and Cartoon Network. | Burbank |
| City at the southern tip of Orange County known as the "Spanish Village by the Sea." | San Clemente |
| Incorporated city in the San Gabriel Valley with a population of 219, even though nearly 70 thousand people work there. | City of Industry German States The Federal Republic of Germany is made up of 16 states. Which state... |
| Is the largest by area and is known for its checkered blue and white flag? | Free State of Bavaria (or Freistaat Bayern) |
| Has the largest population and cities including Cologne and Düsseldorf? | North Rhine-Westphalia (or Nordrhein-Westfalen; or NRW) |
| Completely surrounds the city-state of Berlin? | Brandenburg |
| Is the smallest city to have its own state and is surrounded by Lower Saxony? | Free Hanseatic City of Bremen |
| Is the third-most populous and has its capital at Stuttgart? | Baden-Württemberg (or BW; or BaWü) |
| Contains the financial capital of Frankfurt and has its capital at Wiesbaden? | State of Hessen (or Hessia; or Land Hessen) |
| Is the westernmost state and has its capital at Erfurt? | Free State of Thuringia |
| Is the smallest non-city state by area and population and was a protectorate, separate from West Germany until 1957? | The Saarland Northern Canada |
| Territory that experienced an 1890s gold rush in its Klondike region. | Yukon Territory |
| Newest, largest, and northernmost Canadian territory with a capital at Iqaluit [[ee- KAL-oo-it]]. | Nunavut |
| Largest island, the fifth largest by area in the world. | Baffin Island |
| City at the center of the Klondike Gold Rush, named for a geologist. | Dawson City (or City of Dawson) |
| Largest lake entirely within Canada, through which the Arctic Circle passes. | Great Bear Lake (or Sahtú) |
| Deepest lake in North America, located in the Northwest Territories. | Great Slave Lake (or Tıdeè) |
| Second-largest island in Canada, also known as Kitlineq. | Victoria Island |
| Northernmost island in Canada with only three settlements at Alert, Eureka, and Grise Fiord and a population of less than 200. | Ellesmere Island (or Umingmak Nuna) |
| In this territory, the quarters of Scharloo and Pietermaai Smal are situated across from one another on Waaigat Harbor. The Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, which has a sand floor and dates to the 1650s, is located in this territory. Christoffelberg is the highest (+) point in this territory, which includes Fort Nassau and Waterfort dating back to Dutch colonization. Sint Anna Bay is located near this territory's capital of (*) Willemstad. For ten points, name this constituent country of the Netherlands, which forms a trio with Bonaire and Aruba. | Country of Curaçao (or Land Curaçao; or Pais Korsou) |
| This river originates from the Angsi Glacier in Burang near Mount Kailash. This river’s largest distributary is the Jamuna, which discharges into the Padma and Meghna. This river flows through the world’s deepest canyon, providing its nickname “The Everest of Rivers.” (+) This river originates as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet before turning 90 degrees south to flow into India. This is the only major South Asian river to be named for a (*) male god. For ten points, name this South Asian river that merges with the Ganges to form a massive river delta in Bangladesh. | Brahmaputra (accept Yarlung Tsangpo before mentioned) |
| This province's western Llullaillaco [[yoo-yai-YAH-koh]] volcano is the world's highest archeological site where mummies were found at its summit. Tourist sites in this province include the Tren a las Nubes, or "Train to the Clouds," and the wine town of Cafayate. (+) This province, which encases Jujuy Province, is protruded by Tarija Province of a neighboring country, and the Pilcomayo River forms the northeastern boundary of this province that borders Antofagasta Province and (*) Paraguay. For ten points, name this far Northern Argentine province, bearing a homonymic resemblance to a substance also called sodium chloride. | Salta Province (or Provincia de Salta) |
| Just over a dozen people live on this country's Ilhéu Bom Bom. Ferries take passengers from Ponta Baleia to this country's southernmost point, Ilhéu das Rolas, which houses a resort called the Pestana Equador that passes through the equator and lies in two hemispheres. (+) This country's needle-shaped Pico Cão Grande in Obo Natural Park is a destination for rock climbing. Directly south of this country are the islands of Annobón and Bioko. (*) For ten points, name this Portuguese-speaking nation composed of two islands in the Gulf of Guinea. | Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe [[sow-tuh-MEH and PRIN-sip- eh]] (or República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe; be very lenient on pronunciation, including accepting [[prin-SEEP]]) |
| This state's town of Rawlins is scheduled to be the site of the largest wind farm in the U.S. by 2026, and this state has the largest uranium reserves in the U.S. This U.S. state's North Antelope Rochelle Mine is part of the Powder River Basin and is the world's largest (+) coal mine. The Green River Basin also produces coal in this U.S. state where population loss due to North Dakota's oil boom has been offset by tourist growth in Teton County. (*) For ten points, name this state, home to Yellowstone National Park. | Wyoming |
| This country's Caño Cristales River is known for its vibrant colors, often nicknamed the "Liquid Rainbow." This country's city of Pasto is overlooked by the Galeras volcano, the most active in the Americas, and this country, which administers the San Andrés and Providencia (+) archipelago, disputes Bajo Nuevo Bank with the U.S. and Nicaragua. This country's city of Cúcuta has received an influx of refugees fleeing Nicolás Maduro, and this country administers the southern (*) Darien Gap. For ten points, name this South American country between Panama, Ecuador, and Venezuela. | Republic of Colombia (or Republica de Colombia) |
| At more than 400 feet tall, the tower of this city's St. Peter’s Church offers visitors a panoramic view of the Daugava [[DOW-gah-vah]] River and this city’s Old Town, in its Vecpilseta neighborhood, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once a member of the Hanseatic League, (+) this city has one of the largest collections of Art Nouveau buildings in the world, centered on Alberta Iela, or Albert Street. With more than 620 thousand residents, this city is the largest in the three (*) Baltic states. For ten points, name this capital city of Latvia. | Riga |
| One song about a train named for this city states, "I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done" and was written by Steve Goodman. That train named for this city was first run by the Illinois Central in 1947 and is now run by Amtrak. One novel set in this city (+) starts with an argument with police outside of the D. H. Holmes Department Store, where a statue of that novel’s protagonist now stands overlooking (*) Canal Street. For ten points, name this U.S. Southern city, the setting of John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces. | New Orleans (accept City of New Orleans) |
| This city’s Damen Silos are a famous spot for urban explorers. A 2,891-square foot sign reading “TRUMP” marks this city’s second-tallest building. This city was raised several feet to build its sewage system, which was further enhanced by the reversal of this city’s (+) namesake river. This city’s Lake Shore Drive is home to Navy Pier, which lies on Lake Michigan. This city’s Sears (*) Tower was renamed the Willis Tower in 2009. For ten points, name this birthplace of the skyscraper, the largest city in Illinois. | Chicago (accept Chicago River) |
| This plant, grown in the Caribbean and used to make rum in New England, was part of the Triangular Trade between the West Indies, West Africa, and the British American colonies. | Sugarcane (prompt on "Sugar") |