| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This desert's Liwa Oasis is part of a belt of oases arranged in an upside down Y- shape and is the home of the nomadic Bani Yas and Al Murrah. Administered largely by the Al-Ahsa governorate of the Eastern Province, this desert, that contains the world's largest oil field, Ghawar, is the world's largest erg, or sand desert. For the point, name this desert in southern Saudi Arabia, which takes its name from the Arabic for "Empty Quarter." | Rub' al Khali (accept Empty Quarter before mentioned; prompt on "Arabian desert") |
| In this practice, otter boards are often used to create turbid clouds to entice target species to enter the namesake device, and turtle excluder devices have been used in this practice to reduce by-catch. In 2010, Belize became the first country to ban this practice in its Exclusive Economic Zone, often used to target demersal fish, or ground fish. For the point, name this practice in which fish nets are dragged on the sea floor. | Bottom Trawling (accept clear-knowledge equivalents; accept Bottom Trawler; prompt on "Fishing") |
| A community of this ethnic group called Banyamulenge [[bahn-yah-moo-LEN-geh]] lives in South Kivu. This ethnic group's monarch, Kigeli V, enjoyed autonomy under Belgian leadership, and the persecution of these people resulted in the Great Lakes Refugee Crisis. Paul Kagame [[kah-GAH-meh]] is a member of this ethnic group, the second-largest in Burundi. For the point, name this ethnic group that was victimized in the Rwandan Genocide by Hutu extremists. | Abatutsi |
| This polity controls the exclaves of Khor Fakkan, Kalba, and the double enclave of Nahwa. This polity contains Al-Noor Mosque, home to the largest Zakat box in the world, and Ajman is surrounded on three sides by this polity ruled by the Al-Qasimi family. Air Arabia operates out of this emirate's airport. For the point, name this third-largest city of the UAE, located just north of Dubai. | Sharjah (prompt on "United Arab Emirates" or "UAE" before mentioned) |
| This lake, which is home to ports such as Sarnia, meets its northern end at Sault Ste. [[SOO-"SAINT"]] Marie's Soo Locks. This lake, which is separated by the Bruce Peninsula from Georgian Bay, also contains the world's largest lake island, Manitoulin. The St. Clair River drains this lake which, and automobiles are banned on this lake's Mackinac [[MAK-ih- naw]] Island. For the point, name this second-largest Great Lake, located on Michigan's eastern shore. | Lake Huron |
| A two-thousand year old date palm seed discovered at this structure was successfully germinated in the 1960s and named "Methuselah." Josephus is the source of most historical information about this site, ascended by the world's lowest cable car. The Sicarii Rebels allegedly committed a mass suicide at this structure built by Herod the Great. For the point, name this fortress overlooking the Dead Sea in the Judean Desert. | Masada (or Metsada) |
| One skyscraper in this city is nicknamed "Spring Bamboo," and this city contains the world's highest observation deck at the Ping An International Finance Centre. This city's Luohu [[LWOH-HOO]] and Fuitan [[FWEE-TAHN]] ports are two of the world's busiest border crossings, and this city, home to Huawei's headquarters, was the first Special Economic Zone of its country. For the point, name this city just north of Hong Kong, a major tech hub in China. | Shenzhen (accept Sham Chun) |
| This mountain is accessible from the town of Lone Pine in the Owens Valley. This mountain is located on the border between the counties Inyo and Tulare [[tuh-LAY-ree]], and it is the southern terminus of the John Muir Trail. This highest peak between the Saint Elias Mountains and Central Mexico is located only 84 miles from North America's lowest point at Death Valley. For the point, name this highest peak of the Sierra Nevadas in California as well as the Lower 48 states. | Mount Whitney (or Tumanguya) |
| This city houses Bugle Rock, a geological rock formation that is over 3 billion years old. This city, that sits on the Mysore Plateau, has several lakes, the largest being Bellandur Lake. Due to this city’s large information technology industry, it is often referred to as the “Silicon Valley of India.” For the point, name this city, the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka and the third-most populous city in India. | Bangalore (or Bengaluru) |
| A lake with this name stretches from Geneva to Watkins Glen, and a largely Black village of this name in Manhattan was razed during Central Park's construction. That lake with this name, situated west of Cayuga Lake, was named for the westernmost member of the Iroquois Confederation and is the largest of the Finger Lakes. For the point, what name goes with "falls" in the name of an Upstate New York city where the first women's rights convention was held? | Seneca (accept Seneca Lake; accept Seneca Village; accept Seneca Falls Convention; accept Seneca people) |
| The world's longest conga line occurred in 1988 during this neighborhood's Calle [[KAH-yeh]] Ocho Festival, which Mayor Francis Suarez cancelled in 2020. This non- California neighborhood's "Walk of Fame" honors artists like Celia Cruz, and José Martí Park is located in this neighborhood that has seen an influx of Nicaraguan immigrants. The destination of those flying on "Freedom Flights" across the Straits of Florida, for the point, what is this Miami neighborhood, an anchor of Cuban culture? | Little Havana (or Pequeña Habana; prompt on "Miami") |
| Protesters jumped into this city's Guaire [[GWY-reh]] River during the 2017 "Mother of All Marches" to avoid being tear gassed. This city's university is known for its Aula Magna auditorium that contains "floating clouds." Shortages of toilet paper and other goods have plagued this city in recent years, served by Simon Bolivar Airport. Located in a namesake valley of the Maritime Andes, for the point, what is this city, the capital of Venezuela? | Santiago de León de Caracas (or CCS; accept Caracas Valley)) |
| This gulf, bounded by the Leizhou [[LAY-ZHOH]] peninsula, contains the coastline of the Guangxi [[GWAHNG-SHEE]] Autonomous Region and gave its name to a French protectorate, also called Bắc Kỳ [[BAHK-kee]]. This gulf receives the Red River just south of Haiphong, and the karstic Hạ Long Bay is located in this gulf west of Hainan. For the point, name this gulf between China and Northern Vietnam, an "incident" at which led to Lyndon B. Johnson escalating the Vietnam War. | Gulf of Tonkin (accept Bắc Kỳ before mentioned; accept Gulf of Tonkin Incident) |
| One city of this name contains the Torres Obispado, Latin America's tallest building, which overlooks the Macroplaza, North America's largest plaza. Another city of this name contains a "bay aquarium" at the end of Cannery Row, made famous by John Steinbeck's writings. A bay that contains the city of Santa Cruz south of San Francisco bears, for the point, what name also held by the capital of Nuevo León that forms Mexico's second-largest metro area? | Monterey (accept Monterey Bay Aquarium; accept Monterey Bay) |
| The Paracas culture first created these formations in the southern Sechura Desert, which were permanently damaged by Dakar Rally racers after stopping at Arequipa [[ah- reh-KEE-pah]]. These formations, which include "The Monkey" and "The Condor," are alleged by some to have been made by aliens since they can be best seen from the air. These formations were created by a culture that also named the tectonic plate that caused the rise of the Andes. For the point, name these ancient geoglyphs in Peru. | Nazca Lines (accept Nazca culture; accept Nazca Plate) |
| This archipelago's Vagar Island contains an airport served by Atlantic Airways. A 2021 "Dolphin Hunt" in this archipelago resulted in the slaughter of almost 1,500 dolphins on Eysturoy [[ESS-troy]]. This archipelago's largest island Streymoy contains its capital, Tórshavn [[TOH-sha-ohn]]. The closest inhabited islands to this archipelago are the Shetland Islands, and it maintains the free trade Hoyvík [[HOY-ah-wik]] Agreement with Iceland. For the point, name this Danish archipelago in the North Sea | Faroe Islands (or Faeroes; or Føroyar; or Færøerne) |
| This city's Maitama District contains Millennium Park, where leaders such as Tony Blair and Olusegun Obasanjo have planted traveller's palms. This city's Zuma Rock is depicted on the 100 Naira note while its Aso Rock towers over a villa that has served as Muhammadu Buhari's residence. This fastest-growing city in Africa was made the capital of its country to balance power between Muslims and Christians, replacing Lagos. For the point, name this capital of Nigeria. | Abuja |
| This country's town Vieux [[VYOO]] Fort is home to Hewanorra International Airport. This country contains a series of volcanic plugs called the Pitons [[pit-OHNS]] which are depicted on this country's light blue flag. This country, which takes its name from a canonized figure from Syracuse, is the only independent nation named for a historical woman. For the point, name this country of the Lesser Antilles with its capital at Castries. | Saint Lucia |
| This territory's Ducie Island is one of the three closest points to Point Nemo, the point of the ocean furthest from land. This territory contains both Oneo Island and Henderson Island, one of the two undistributed, raised coral atolls in the world. This territory is the least-populous in the world with under 50 inhabitants who exclusively reside in Adamstown. For the point, name these British Islands in the Pacific, inhabited by descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian captives. | Pitcairn Islands (or Pitkern Ailen; or Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands) |
| A colony called New Iceland was formerly located on this lake which has the world's largest drainage basin-to-surface area ratio. This shallow lake's northern and southern basins are connected by a 118-foot deep channel, and it takes its name from the Cree word for "muddy waters." This largest remnant of the glacial Lake Agassiz is drained by the Nelson River and fed by the Saskatchewan River and Red River of the North. For the point, name this lake that shares its name with Manitoba's capital. | Lake Winnipeg (or Weenipagamiksaguygun) |
| This city's less common name, Finfinne, translates to "natural spring," and its more widely used name translates to "new flower." This city's Mexico Square is over-passed by its light rail system, the only one on mainland sub-Saharan Africa. This city's Holy Trinity Cathedral is the second-most important place of worship for the Orthodox Tewahedo Church and is called Kidist Selassie in Amharic. For the point, name this capital of Ethiopia. | Addis Ababa |
| Post-glacial rebound in this body of water continues to lift the Kvarken Archipelago. The Kaliningrad Oblast lies along the coast of this body of water, arms of which include the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Riga. Major islands in this body of water include the Ålands [[OH-ah-lahnds]] and Gotland [["GOAT"-lahnd]]. This body of water lends its name to a group of countries including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. For the point, name this European sea that separates Sweden from Finland. | Baltic Sea (accept Baltic states; accept Gulf of Bothnia before "Kaliningrad" is mentioned) |
| A coastal example of these regions is the site of the Apalachicola River and the Emerald Coast. Guymon [["GUY"-mun]] is the most populous city in a landlocked example of these regions that was once a Neutral Strip. One of these regions in Maryland is the site of Deep Creek Lake in the Appalachian Mountains. West Virginia has two of these regions, one extending to Harper's Ferry and another to Wheeling. For the point, name these elongated geographical features that extend a state's territory from its central region. | Panhandle (accept Salient in place of Panhandle; accept inclusions of "Maryland," "West Virginia," "Florida," or "Oklahoma" with Panhandle) |
| Along this body of water, Gagra serves as the primary port of a disputed territory. A northern arm of this body of water is the Sea of Azov, and important cities along the shores of this sea include Sevastopol and Istanbul. Separated from the Mediterranean by the Bosporus, for the point, what is this colorfully named sea located between Turkey and the Crimea? | Black Sea |
| This city's Peace Bridge is nicknamed the "Finger Trap," and this city's "Plus 15" skyway connects skyscrapers including Brookfield Place and Bankers Hall, home to gold and silver roofs said to resemble cowboy hats. This city, the home of WestJet, was the first in Canada to host the Winter Olympics. This city on the Bow River is often called "Cowtown" and forms an urban area with Edmonton. For the point, name this largest city in Alberta. | Calgary |
| This city, home to the Henry Vilas Zoo, takes its indigenous name, Dejope [[DEE- johp]], from Ho-Chunk for "four lakes." The American Girl brand is headquartered in this seat of Dane County, situated on an isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona. The state legislature that meets in this city's Capitol building passed a 2018 bill to limit the powers of incoming governor Tony Evers, who was replacing Scott Walker. For the point, name this capital of Wisconsin. | Madison |
| This country's Yala National Park contains one of the world's highest densities of leopards. This country contains Adam's Peak, which is said to be the footprint of the Buddha, and a chain of limestone shoals called Adam's Bridge connected this country to Tamil Nadu until a 1480 cyclone. This country is the westernmost with a Buddhist majority and is located in the southwestern Bay of Bengal. For the point, name this country, home to Colombo. | Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (or Shri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya; or Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu; accept Ceylon) |
| Twelve-angled stones can be found in this city along the Hatun Rumiyuq, and this city was found to have the world's highest average UV light level in 2006. A portrait in this city depicts Jesus and the Twelve Apostles feasting on a guinea pig. This city, at the center of the "royal road" system, includes the Sacsayhuamán [[sahk-say-hwah-MAHN]] citadel and is situated near the sacred Urubamba Valley. For the point, name this Peruvian city, the former capital of the Inca Empire. | Cusco (or Qusqu) |
| This city's central Piazza dei Miracoli includes the Camposanto Monument, built on a mound of holy soil brought from Jerusalem in the Third Crusade. This city was Lucca's historical rival and once ruled over a republic that stretched across islands from Elba to the Balearics. That republic was eventually superseded by Genoa and this city, located near the Arno River's mouth. For the point, name this Italian city, home to a famous leaning tower. | Pisa (accept Leaning Tower of Pisa) |
| This county is the most-densely populated in the United States outside of New York. This county designed one of its main public parks, named after a strait to its north, after Central Park's rectangle. Lake Merced Park is located near the Pacific Ocean in this county's west, and this county's Fort Mason is located within Great Meadow Park. This county's northernmost park is known as the Presidio. For the point, name this county and namesake city, home to Golden Gate Park. | City and County of San Francisco (accept San Francisco County) |
| This country's town Loma Plata is the main town of its Mennonite Menno Colony, part of its largest department of Boquerón. This country's namesake river has its source in Mato Grosso state. This country's second-largest city of Ciudad del Este is located near the former Guaíra Falls, the world's most-voluminous falls until the Itaipu Dam's construction. For the point, name this country between Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia. | Republic of Paraguay (accept Republica del Paraguay; accept Paraguay River or Rio Paraguay) |
| In this state, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the site of Summit, one of the world's most powerful supercomputers. That site in this state was also used to enrich uranium in the Manhattan Project. This state is home to Knoxville, a gateway to the most- visited National Park in the US, the Great Smoky Mountains. Known for its country music, for the point, what is this state which is home to Memphis and Nashville? | Tennessee |