| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| It is believed that a river that flows to this sea was the site of a battle between Mstislav of Kiev and Subotai. Near this sea, Mamai was defeated by Tokhtamysh at (+) Kalka. Otto Dietrich used the phrase “absolute victory” to describe the Nazi capture of (*) Mariupol on this sea. Cornelis Cruys was first head of a naval fortress on this sea at Taganrog. The Treaty of Kuchuk Kaynarca transfered control of Kerch on, for the point, what arm of the Black Sea? | Sea of Azov |
| This banner was designed by John Eisemann for the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. The proper method of folding this flag includes repeating a two inch fold 14 times, bringing the total number of steps to 17. This flag also has 17 (+) stars alluding to the fact that the state it represents was the 17th admitted to the Union. Blue triangles represent this state’s hills and valley while its red stripes represent the waterways and roads. The red (*) circle inside of a larger white circle represents the state bird, the Buckeye Swallowtail. For the point, what is this state “burgee”, the only state flag that is not a rectangle. | burgee of Ohio (or flag of Ohio) |
| This river is home to the catfish and carp fishing center of Caspe. This river saw a battle in which General Juan Modesto’s forces failed to capture the city of Gandesa. That battle inspired a version of the song “Ay Carmela!” titled “El Ej´rcito” [EL ay-HAIR-SEE-toh] of this river. The region that names La (+) Rioja wine is in this river’s valley. This river is navigable up to Tortosa in Tarragona at the southernmost tip of Catalonia. This river’s namesake battle was the largest in the (*) Spanish Civil War. For the point, name this longest river in Spain. | The Ebro River (or Ebre) |
| This school was created in the wake of a “town and gown” conflict that caused members to flee a nearby university. Jesus Green, named for this University’s Jesus College, holds the city’s annual beer festival. In addition to its (+) 800th anniversary, in 2009, this University hosted the Darwin Festival. (*) Silicon Fen is a region of technology businesses near this university, and Venice’s Bridge of Sighs inspired its Science Park Bridge which crosses the Mathematical Bridge of Queens’ College. For the point, name this English university, the second-oldest in the English-speaking world which rivals Oxford. | Cambridge University |
| This island’s Lake Taupo has geothermal pools used as spas where wet massages use local beeswax. Kauri Trees used to dominate the northern part of this land. Its Firth of (+) Thames is major migratory nesting spot for birds, like the dotterel. Rotuora is a great place to learn about (*) Maori culture, where “hangi” feasts and haka dances occur. For the point, name this geographically smaller but more populous island of New Zealand. | North Island |
| In this city, Pegaso and Krysaor were the first satellites launched from the Civilian Space Agency. Another location in this city, Parque Seminario, is home to so many (+) iguanas it is referred to as Park of the Iguanas by locals and tourists. Las Penas is a historical neighborhood in this city, with ties to many of the (*) Bolivarian revolutions. Avenida 9 de Octubre is major artery of this city. For the point, what is this port city in Ecuador, the country’s most populous city? | Guayaquil |
| In this region, the Baron of Munchhausen, perhaps the most famous character of Rudolf Erich Raspe, rode a cannonball into the sky to escape captivity. Kvint brewery, a cognac producer, is featured on the backs of some bills produced here. (+) Bogdanovka, a concentration camp in this region, killed many inmates to stop a typhus outbreak and bears a Soviet flag with a green line through the middle. This region’s capitol is (*) Tiraspol and its secret service is the KGB. For the point, name this breakaway region of Moldova. | Transnistria [or Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic or transdniestria] |
| This site contains the largest collection of ancient wooden structures in the world with 980 buildings. This location’s newly rebuilt Yellow Crane Tower is on Snake Hill and the Hall of Union is situated in between separate halls for the (+) Emperor and Empress Museum. A civil war divided this site with the National Palace Museum, and its Outer Court contains the (*) Halls of Preserving, Central, and Supreme Harmony. This location can be accessed using via the Meridian or Tiananmen Gates. For the point, name this imperial palace in Beijing, home to the Chinese emperors for nearly 500 years. | Forbidden City |
| Savage Islands are in this autonomous region, home to rapidly decreasing Cory’s shearwater bird. Its largest island is a shield volcano that is part of the Tore underwater mountain range. (+) Levadas are the elevated water channels specific to this region, where Laurisilva is a laurel forest here notable for being a UNESCO world heritage site. This region is also the southernmost of the two (*) Portuguese archipelagos in Macronesia. For the point, name this archipelago, an autonomous community of Portugal with capital at Funchal. | Madeira |
| Zimbabwe’s Harare International Airport impounded a plane attempting to bring mercenaries from South Africa to overthrow this country. This country has dubbed the “Kuwait of Africa” for its massive oil and natural gas fields, Alba and Zafiro. Simon Mann is housed in its notorious Black (+) Beach prison. Severo Moto, the opposition party leader, is exiled in Spain and was suspected of instigating the Wonga coup. The city of Oyala is will replace this country’s current capital, which lies 20 miles offshore on the island of (*) Bioko, according to plans by its longtime president Teodoro Obiang. For the point, name this Spanish-speaking country on the west coast of Africa with capital at Malabo. | Equatorial Guinea END OF TIEBREAKERS |
| In Hawaii, this type of object replaced the earlier kapa moe, which had been made from tree bark, but retained the radially symmetric patterns. Lakota women created these things to commemorate important life events and often used a star pattern, while the Seminole often used a (+) patchwork design. The African-American tradition of making this object combined traditions from central and west Africa and often produced the (*) “story” variety of this textile. For the point, name this type of textile, which consists of multiple layers of fabric and is often used to cover beds. | quilt (prompt on blanket) |
| Moonmilk Gallery is among this group of structures. Completed during the Magdalenian period, the Great Sorceror is located in the Apse. Henri Breuil created the “sympathetic magic” argument for the creation of them, while (+) Leroi-Gourhan helped create the prevailing theory that they weree for some sort of initiation. The footprints here are largely of adolescents, which are located in the Great Hall of (*) Bulls. For the point, name this set of artworks rediscovered in 1940 in a French cave. | Lascaux cave paintings |
| From Washburn Point, this feature appears to resemble an Arete. The local Ahwanee people called it the “face of a young woman stained with tears” because of the brown-black lichens growing on it. This formation is located near the (+) Happy Isles, and the northern trailhead of Mist Trail passes near this rock, which, like El (*) Capitan, overlooks the Merced River. Featured on the California state quarter, this monolith was admired by John Muir. For the point, name this hemispherical granite landform in Yosemite National Park. | Half Dome |
| Bronze bollards called the “No-Go” were built to protect buildings along this street from vehicular bombings. A building where this street bisects Broad Street is called The Federal Hall and was built on site where George (+) Washington was inaugurated as first president. The Buttonwood Agreement established eliminated auctioneers in this location. A charging (*) Bull was originally placed on this lower Manhattan street, now has its home at nearby Bowling Green Park. For the point, what is this New York City street, seen as the heart of the American financial sector? | Wall Street |
| An airlift from Monarto aims to sidestep this process, and Pembient is using a 3D printer to indirectly reduce the incidence of this process. This practice is opposed by the MIKE, whose efforts have been most successful in (+) Samburu-Laikipia. CITES is also opposed to this practice, which has progressed largely unabated in Kruger National Park. “Killer” is a dog in South (*) Africa that has helped arrest over 100 people engaged in this activity, which is prevalent due in part to demand for traditional medicines in Asia. For the point, name this illegal activity that threatens endangered animals? | poaching |
| Lappeenranta is famous for its mineral baths for use as a health spa in this region. This region is home to the Vottovaara mountain, which is strewn with large boulders that are revered as sacred stones called Seida. In this region, (+) Valaam Monastery is famous for its chant tradition. Residents of this area use Arabic numerals, which is odd given that the rest of the surrounding regions tend to use (*) Cyrillic. The capital of this area is Petrozavodsk. For the point, what is this area divided between Russia and Finland? | Karelia |
| Colombia minted special money for sufferers of this disease who were housed in places like Agua de Dios. Inhumane conditions were observed on D’Arcy Island which housed Chinese sufferers of this disease in British Columbia. Promin was used to treat this disease which was first tested at Carville, Louisiana. Saint (+) Lazarus lends his name to a military order which formed a hospital to treat this disease. A settlement at Kalaupapa on (*) Molokai was founded by Father Damien to isolate those inflicted with this disease caused by Mycobacterium. For the point, name this disfiguring skin condition, whose sufferers were placed in colonies. | leprosy (accept Hansen’s Disease) |
| This sea is home to a namesake type of algae also known as gulfweed. This sea formed by an ocean gyre is bordered to the east by the Canary Current. This sea’s most famous effect is actually caused by the (+) horse latitudes and their lack of wind. This sea is the only one with no coastline, though it borders (*) Bermuda to the west. For the point, name this sea in the North Atlantic whose trapping of ships was caused by ocean currents rather than its namesake seaweed. | Sargasso Sea |
| John Day chronicled this man’s voyages in letters to a “Lord Grand Admiral” who may have been Christopher Columbus. His son founded the Muscovy Company to find the Northeast Passage. He is believed to have perished at sea while trying to reach (+) Japan, and he may have landed at Cape (*) Bonavista. This sailor’s home base was Bristol, and he used a ship called the Matthew to reach Cape Breton Island. For the point, name this French-born sailor who sailed with the patronage of Henry VII under the English flag. | John Cabot (or Giovanni Caboto) |
| The scenic winding Transfagarasan road crosses this mountain range. This range’s Mala Fatra subrange is named for the views obtained from its peaks. The Rodna Mountains are a subrange of this range in the (+) Maramures region. This range’s tallest peak, Gerlach Peak, was once called Stalin Peak. Devin Castle is located in this mountain range near Bratislava, which shares its name with the Antichrist from the Left Behind series, and the (*) Beskid and Tatra Mountains are part of this range. For the point, name this long mountain range in Eastern Europe. | Carpathian Mountains |
| A giant bullet-riddled urn gives one of this city’s locations its name because of rumors it was filled with treasure instead of actually being made of solid stone; that location is “Al Khazneh,” or “The Treasury.” (+) Siq al-Barid is a site nearby known as the “little” one of this city home to a giant church carved out of a rock face called Al-Deir, or “The Monastery.” This city’s main entrance is the Siq, a narrow passageway with walls up to 650 feet tall. The (*) Nabataeans built this city out of sandstone. For the point, name this “Rose-Red City” in Jordan. | Petra (or Raqmu) |
| The Alcaldia became an exact replica of Madrid’s in the 1840s in this city, while the Caparra Ruins are of the fort that later grew into this city. La Princesa is the old prison La (+) Ciudad Amurallada, giving this city the nickname of the walled city. Its Plaza de San Jose has a bronze statute of Ponce de Leon, and this city could be the next (*) U.S. state capital. For the point, what is this capital of Puerto Rico? | San Juan |
| In this region, the Laurel Wilt Fungus carried by the invasive Ambrosia beetle is a threat to swamp bay trees. Other invasive species in this area include the Old World Climbing Fern and the flammable Melaleuca, known as the punk tree, which is combated by regional CISMAs. Pet (+) Burmese pythons that were released into the wild have negatively affected (*) marsh rabbits in this area. For the point, name this Florida wetlands region west of Miami home to a namesake national park? | Everglades |
| In this mountain range, a pair of calderas were named Los Huellos in a naming contest. Kermadec Arc in this range contains Brothers Volcano. Specific subranges in this mountain range include Gakkel Ridge, Reykjanes Ridge, and Sheba Ridge. This mountain range has the Bouvet and Rodrigues (+) Triple Points, where three subranges meet. Humans have only explored (*) 0.1% of this mountain range, mostly using submersibles such as the Alvin. For the point, name this continuous underwater mountain range that is the longest on Earth. | Mid-Ocean Ridge |
| This region’s dish of “man and wife lung slices,” made of ox tongue and tripe, is named after the happy matrimony of its supposed inventors. In this province, rabbits are being imported from France to fulfill its population’s appetite for rabbit heads. Pickled mustard tuber is so popular in this province that the (+) Chinese government tracks its sales to monitor immigration within the country. During the Cultural Revolution, this province’s dish of (*) kung pao chicken was renamed to “spicy chicken cubes.” For the point, name this province of China, famous for its spicy cuisine. | Sichuan (accept Szechuan) |
| This city is invaded by the title creatures in a made for TV movie called The Rats. A 1933 film named Deluge may be the first time this city is destroyed on film. A Charlton Heston played character screams “You (+) Maniacs! You Blew It Up!” in the last scene of one film after seeing a landmark from this city. The (*) Stay Puft marshmallow man in Ghostbusters attacks this city. For the point, name this East Coast city where movies often destroy the Statue of Liberty. | New York City |
| Remla is the the capital of an island group in this body of water, the Kerkennah Islands, home to the Borj el-Hissar. A resort on the Cap Bon Peninsula called Hammamet sits on the coast of this body of water. Bouri (+) Field is a major oil-producing region in it, while the fishing town of Sfax lies on one arm of it, the Gulf of Gabes [GAH bez]. Iron from the (*) Rif is exported at its port city of Melilla. The Gulf of Sidra is a part of this body on the northern coast of Libya. For the point, what is this sea that borders the northern coast of Africa? | Mediterranean Sea |
| Tourists to this island can fish at Martin’s Bay near Bath Beach or relax in the Bathsheba Pools. Its western coast is nicknamed the “Platinum” Coast and extends from Holetown to (+) Speightstown. Nightlife is found in Saint Lawrence Gap, a suburb of this island’s capital city. This island’s drinking water is provided by Harrison’s Cave in the (*) “Heart” of the island. For the point, name this island nation with capital at Bridgetown. | Barbados |
| Lake Chad, Lake Chenghai, and this lake are the only places where the edible algae spirulina grows naturally. The NAICM airport is to be built on this lake, and In˜aki Echeverria aims to build the world’s largest urban park on this lake. The archaeological site of (+) Cuicuilco lies on its southern shore in Tlalpan. In the middle of this “Lake of the Moon” is an island where, according to (*) myth, an eagle grasped a rattlesnake on a cactus. For the point, name this lake where Tenochtitlan was founded. | Lake Texcoco (prompt on “Lake of the Moon” before mentioned) |
| The first southern hemisphere fire temples were built in this territory. In 1964, Jamshid bin Abdullah was deposed as leader of a sultante of this place, which had earlier controlled Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. The aforementioned sultanate had its capital in (+) Stone Town. In 1964, the Kingdom of [this territory] and Pemba, one of its principle islands, merged with (*) Tanganyika. For the point, name this semi-autonomous island group of Tanzania. | Zanzibar |
| This region’s town of San Fernando is home to a dish made from crabs that can regenerate their claws; that dish is “bocas de la isla.” Sherry wine comes from Palomino white grapes grown near this region’s town of Jerez de la (+) Frontera [HAIR-ez day la from-TAIR-ah]. This region is the origin of a cold soup made of raw vegetables with a tomato base that is often served with stale bread; that soup named (*) gazpacho comes from this area home to the former Moorish capital of Cordoba. For the point, name this large autonomous community of southern Spain whose capital is Seville. | Andalusia (Pedraza) |
| Most Honda and Nissan cars enter the US through this city’s National City Marine Terminal. This city’s Maritime Museum is home to the world’s oldest frequently sailing ship, the Star of (+) India. Charles Lindbergh built the Spirit of St. Louis in this city home to the naval headquarters of the region covered by the Third and Seventh Fleets. The US (*) Pacific Fleet is based in this city across the border from Tijuana. For the point, name this second largest city in California, a coastal city on the border with Mexico. | San Diego |
| A place with this type of region in its name is the location of Hound Tor. That place with this type of region in its name became the namesake of a black puma nicknamed its “Beast” spotted in 2011. (+) Ling is a type of heather that grows in this type of region. Heather grows in this type of region whose largest expanse is in North York. This type of landscape is the setting of the novels (*) Wuthering Heights as well as The Hound of the Baskervilles. For 10 points, name these bleak, barren highland English landscapes. | Moors [prompt on “hills”] |
| One end of the Star Mountains in this country reaches the Hindenburg Range. The Strickland River contributes to this country’s second largest river, the Fly River. Its Highland Highway runs through the Markham Valley and the (+) Owen Stanley Range in southeast portion of this country which peaks at Mount Victoria. New Britain is the largest part of Bismarck Archipelago, which lies just east of this country’s (*) Bird’s Tail Peninsula and houses Port Moresby Giveaway. For the point, name this country that shares the world’s second largest island with Indonesia. | Papua New Guinea |
| The lower portion of this mountain is made up of Graafwater formations. A notable geologic uncomformity occurs at bottom of the nearby Chapman’s Peak. The Hottentots- Holland mountains are made up of a form of sandstone either called “Peninsula Formation” or named (+) for this mountain. It is a syncline mountain because it was once the bottom of a valley, and it now overlooks (*) Cape Flats. For the point, name this mesa landform that overlooks, and is featured on the flag of, Cape Town, South Africa. | Table Mountain |
| This country’s Ichilo River had a massive decrease in fish population in 2010 due to uncharacteristically cold temperatures. This country contains the Llanos de Moxos, a protected wetland. This country’s (+) Laguna Colorado is home to a large population of James’ Flamingos. This country was home to Lake (*) Poopo, which has been officially ruled as evaporated. This country shares Lake Titicaca with its northern neighbor, Peru. For the point, name this nation with capitals at La Paz and Sucre. | Bolivia |
| A bacteria found in this body of water was once thought to be naturally occurring here, but it’s now expected that the bacteria fed on the scientist’s polluted kerosene instead. This body of water is roughly 50 times as oligotrophic as the average freshwater (+) lake, and is therefore compared to Europa in terms of its ability to support life. The PLOS ONE study may have found evidence of (*) fish in, for the point, what largest subglacial lake in Antarctica, named for the Russian word for East? | Lake Vostok |
| A furnace hut found at this site was relatively inefficient for its time, as it is believed only 20% of ore could become workable iron. Archaeologists found Jasper firestarters and butternut (+) squash seeds at this site, revealing that its residents had explored its south. Skraeling attacks led to the (*) abandonment of this settlement, which was founded in Newfoundland around the year 1000. For the point, what is this Viking settlement in Canada? | L’anse aux Meadows |
| A culinary attraction in this city is its Gawalmandi Food Street. The name of this city’s red light district translates as “Diamond Market”. Over four hundred fountains can be found in its Shalimar Gardens. Festivals in this city often take place at (+) BRB Canal, including Jashn-E-Baharan at the beginning of spring. Cricket is played in this city’s Muammar (*) Gaddafi Stadium. This walled city is the capital of Punjab Province. For the point, what is this Pakistani city, which saw a deadly bombing of Christians on Easter Sunday? | Lahore (or Lavapura) |
| This polity’s West Valley includes the cities of Buckeye and Surprise. This county’s cities of Litchfield Park and Goodyear honor the fact that Goodyear used cotton from here in its tire cords. The only authentic stagecoach stop still existing from the (+) Apache Trail is in this county’s ghost town of Tortilla Flat. The Oakland A’s spring training site, Hohokam Stadium, sits in its city of (*) Mesa. Since 1993, this county’s Sheriff has been the controversial Joe Arpaio. For the point, name this Arizona county home to Phoenix. | Maricopa County |
| The Maitree Express is the only railway to cross this region. This region contains the world’s largest barbed wire fence, generically named the “Wall of Death” The world’s only counter-counter-enclave, Dahala (+) Khagrabari, was formed due to this boundary. This region is patrolled by a Border Security Force whose “shoot-to-kill” policy resulted in the death of (*) Shyamol Karmokar. For the point, name this border between countries with capitals at Dhaka and New Delhi? | border between India and Bangladesh (or Bharat Ganarajya and Bangladesh) |
| New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark apologized to natives of this country in 2002 for New Zealand’s role in 1929’s anticolonial protester shootings and a 1918 flu epidemic. Each administrative division in this country is called an itumalo. In 2009, it was the first country in the 21st century to switch (+) driving orientation to the left hand side. The 1984 expansion to this country’s Faleolo Airport allowed for international passenger travel and formerly used nearby (*) Pago Pago Airport. It dropped “Western” from its name in 1997, an act protested by an “American” counterpart. For the point, name this Polynesian country with capital at Apia. | Samoa |
| A investigative piece by this city’s largest newspaper uncovering corruption in Coari led to a driveby shooting on the newspaper’s headquarters. The constant shifting of the Napo River makes construction in a corridor from this city to Manta almost impossible. The pink Belle Epoque (+) Opera House in this city was restored by the Odebrecht company. This team’s biggest soccer club, Nacional, only draws a few thousand fans to its large Arena (*) Amazonia. For the point, name this city built at the confluence of the Rio Solimoes and Rio Negro in the heart of the Amazon basin. | Manaus |
| The lack of schistosomes in this country’s Lake Bunyonyi make it unusually good for swimming. A large elephant population used to live around this country’s Murchison Falls. Busoga and (+) Toro are two of the four kingdoms that are recognized by law inside this country. This country is home to over half of Africa’s bird species, and its national bird, depicted on the flag, is the Gray-Crowned Crane. Its (*) Bwindi Impenetrable Forest holds about half the world’s population of mountain gorillas. For the point, what is this African country with capital at Kampala? | Uganda |
| The present day crest of Saxony contains a crancelin of this color which bisects a field of yellow and black stripes. A stylized version of the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge appears under a lotus on a flag of this color which flies over (+) Macau. This color surrounds the lower half of Ontario’s coat of arms with three golden maple leafs. The only U.S. state flag with this color background is Washington. From 1977 to 2011, the world’s only (*) monochromatic flag was this color. For the point, name this color, accompanied by white and a red dragon on the Welsh flag. | green END OF PACKET |
| Three cathedrals surround this building complex celebrate the Dormition, the Archangel, and The Annunciation. This fortress was built on Borovitsky Hill which is one of hills of its city. Nearby metro stops to this World Heritage Site are (+) Biblioteka Imeni Lenina and Okhotny Ryad. The tallest tower in this complex belongs to the (*) Ivan the Great Bell Tower and this location is said to be the exact center of the capital city. For the point, name this fortified complex in Moscow which houses the government of the Russian Federation. | The Kremlin |
| Part of this river’s tributaries of the Niobrara River and Verdigre Creek are included in its National Recreation River area. A hill with no vegetation known as “Old Baldy” is visible from this river. Karl E. Mundt National Wildlife Refuge, which lies on its banks, has the highest concentration of (+) bald eagles in the lower 48 states. This river starts at confluence of the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin Rivers. This river, also known as “Big (*) Muddy”, was largely explored by Lewis and Clark. For the point, what is this river that flows into the Mississippi near St. Louis? | Missouri River (prompt on “Big Muddy” before said) |
| Francisco Montan˜o was the first European to summit this peak while trying to find sulfur deposits. The northwest side of this mountain is modified by Ventorillo, a sharp outcropping remaining from an earlier peak, (+) Nexpayantla. The top of the Tepanepa Pyramid offers terrific views of this peak, which is connected to the smaller Itza by 10 miles of highlands called the (*) Paso des Cortes. This peak in Zoquipan National Park in second in size to Pico de Orizaba among those in Mexico. For the point, what is this Mexican volcano just south of Iztacc´ıhuatl and visible from Mexico City? | Popocatepetl (prompt on El Popo) |
| ”The Air Up There” is a hip-hop showcase founded by Sheefy McFly for up-and-coming artists in this city. This city’s high tempo club music scene is known as Ghettotech. Saint Andrew’s Hall is a concert venue in this city, but The Shelter is located below it. “Cartier” is about the trend of stealing (+) designer sunglasses in this city and Jack White, a native of this city, saved its Masonic Temple music venue. (*) 8 Mile featured Eminem’s semibiographical story in this city which was also home to Diana Ross and the Supremes. For the point, name this city where Motown Records was founded. | Detroit, Michigan |
| One statue of this man is located at Ballybunion golf course in County Kerry, Ireland. Another statue of this man, depicting him holding a microphone and delivering a speech, is located in the Rapid City, South Dakota “City of Presidents”. He attended the dedication ceremony of a third statue, located on a namesake avenue in (+) Pristina, Kosovo. More recently, the artist of an official portrait of this man revealed that he secretly included the shadow of a (*) blue dress without this president’s knowledge. For the point, name this man, the namesake of a presidential library in Little Rock, Arkansas. | William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton (accept William Jefferson Blythe) |
| In this country, the only village on Rum Cay is Port Nelson. Its Exuma Archipelago is home to the swimming pigs of Pig Beach, and its Hog Island was renamed to Paradise Island in 1959, a few decades before Merv Griffin purchased it. (+) Junkanoo happens on Boxing Day, and New Years Day is known for a nationally renowned festival. (*) New Providence is the most populated island here. The resort Atlantis is in, for the point, what country with capital at Nassau? | The Bahamas |
| Praia de Iracema is a highly renowned tourist location in this city, while Praio do Futuro is its best-known beach. The popular Meireles Beach is essentially the safest part of this city, the 7th most dangerous city in the world with about 77 homicides per 100,000 people. (+) Fernando de Noronha is off the coast of this city, which serves as its region’s capital. This city’s name is derived from its use as a (*) fortress by the Dutch. For the point, what is this 5th-most populous city in Brazil, located on the northern coast? | Fortaleza |
| [Note:descriptionacceptable]RecentscholarshiphassuggestedthatGermanbusinessman Augusto Berns may have done this in the late 1860s. Another person who may have undertaken this action, Agustin Lizarraga, reportedly wrote his name and the year 1902 inside the Torreon, or “Temple of the (+) Sun”. The person most closely associated with this action, a professor of Latin American history at (*) Yale, was actually looking for Vilacabamba, which was eventually discovered about 40 miles away. For the point, name this action, which occurred in 1911 when Hiram Bingham “discovered” an ancient Incan city in Peru. | discovering Machu Picchu (accept clear knowledge equivalents) |
| There are two Massacre Islands on this lake, both purporting to be the resting site of Pierre de la Verendrye. The Rainy River is a major source for water in this lake. The town of Kenora lies on this lake whose Northwest (+) Angle contains a small part of Minnesota separated by this lake from the rest; that part is the northernmost part of the (*) contiguous US. For the point, name this large lake that encompasses parts of Manitoba, Ontario, and Minnesota. | Lake of the Woods (or Lac des Bois) |
| Whiskey Island is a peninsula near the mouth of this river, whose headwaters are in Geauga [gee AW guh] County. This river was part of the Greenville Treaty Line, and some of its surroundings, including the former Richfield Coliseum and a (+) Superfund cleanup site, were established as a national park in 2000. It passes under Interstates 77 and 90 and drains the cities of Kent and (*) Akron on its way to Lake Erie. For the point, name this once-flammable river that flows through Cleveland. | Cuyahoga River |
| A September 11 Garden in New York City’s Hanover Square is named for this person. A road named in honor of this person’s 1961 visit to Tehran was renamed Keshavarz Boulevard in 1979. The most-visited national park in (+) Uganda is named for this monarch. This leader is depicted on an equestrian statue in Ottawa, and London’s Underground (*) Jubilee Line was name in her honor. For the point, name this monarch of the United Kingdom, the queen since 1952. | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Female vendors in this city sell foutas and wear wide-brimmed straw hats in this city’s Grand Socco marketplace. Its Grand Mosque sits on the former site of a Portuguese cathedral which stood on the on the former site of a Roman temple. This city was an international zone from 1923 to 1956, making it a safe haven for (+) spies. Cape Spartel lies just west of this city; Spartel Bank is believed by some to be the location of (*) Atlantis. For the point, name this city in Northern Morocco, located at the Western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. | Tangier |
| This island’s town of Oak Bluffs, famous for “gingerbread” houses, was a summer home to wealthy Blacks in the early 20th century, and is included in Smithsonian’s Museum of African American History and Culture. Settlers from (+) England’s Weald region may have brought a pattern of deafness that inspired a sign language named for this island. Mary Jo (*) Kopechine died on Chappaquiddick, part of this island, in 1969 while riding in Ted Kennedy’s car. For the point, name this island off the coast of Massachussetts. | Martha’s Vineyard |
| Aelius Gallus tried to explore what is now this country’s Asir province. Its northern border contains the allegedly drunken handiwork of a British Prime Minister, Winston’s Hiccup. Its capital is in the central (+) Najd district, which experiences tension with the cosmopolitan Hejaz district to the west. It’s certainly a top-15 country in (*) area, largely due to the Empty Quarter, but its official size is unknown due to border disputes with Oman and the United Arab Emirates. For the point, name this Islamic country that dominates a Middle Eastern peninsula. | Saudi Arabia |
| The Indian state of Karnataka has completely banned this substance in food service industry. Ghana is banning thin versions of this material, and the 1998 Bangladeshi Floods were partially caused by the accumulation of this material in drainage systems. (+) Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6 is a bacterium that breaks down PET types of this material while waxworms can eat polyethylene, a form of this material. The (*) Great Pacific Garbage Patch is largely composed of this material. For the point, what is this slow to decay material, which is often used to make bags, bottles, and other containers? | plastic |
| The Samandepe Field, a natural gas reservoir in the Bagtyyarlyk Contract area, is on the banks of this river. The construction of the Altyn Asyr has created concern over the usage of this river’s water. The (+) Rogun Dam is being constructed on the Vaksh, a tributary of this river. This river, which is formed from the confluence of the Vakhsh and (*) Panj rivers, was originally going to be attached to the Main Turkmen Canal but that plan was replaced by the Karkakum Canal. For the point, what is this river that, along with the Syr Darya, used to empty into the Aral Sea. | Amu Darya [or Oxus] |
| The Guia T is a guide for this city’s bus system. Manuel Dorrego is buried in this city’s Recoleta Cemetery. The Teatro Colon Opera House is located in this city, which is also home to the (+) La Boca neighborhood, so named because it lies on the Matanza River. The mothers of children who disappeared during the Dirty War met in this city’s (*) Plaza de Mayo. This city is home to the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve. For the point, name this city which lies on the River de la Plata, the capital of Argentina. | Buenos Aires |
| Skiing locales in this range include Oukaimeden, a town in the Ourika Valley. The Tizi N’ Test road through this range is a highly technical drive. A USC study observed an unusual isostasy for this range, arguing that it floats on (+) molten rock rather than reach down into the crust. Subranges of this range include the Aures mountains, but not the Rif, as that’s instead part of a (*) Spanish range. For the point, name this mountain range, topped by Jebel Toubkal in Morocco, which dominates northern Africa? | Atlas Mountains |
| This city is home to the Jagalchi Fish Market, the largest in its country, in its Nam district. The Shinsegae Centum City in this city overtook the Herald’s Square Macy’s in 2009 to become the world’s largest department store. (+) Seomyeom, this city’s busiest area, is home to three underground shopping malls and is served by Bujeon subway station. The cities of Gimhae and (*) Yangsan are adjacent to this largest city in the “Southeast Economic Zone.” For the point, name this port, the second largest city in South Korea, which was defended by a namesake “perimeter” during the Korean War. | Busan Metropolitan City (or Pusan) |
| In 2013, this southern city voted to rename its Government Plaza after Sam Jones, its first African-American mayor. Tourist sites in this city include Bellingrath Gardens, and a historical replica of (+) Fort Conde. It’s not New Orleans, but this city has one of the largest Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States, and was the first capital of the (*) French Louisiana territory. A tunnel named for George Wallace crosses under this city’s namesake river. For the point, name this third-largest city in Alabama, located on an eponymous bay on the Gulf of Mexico. | Mobile |
| An agreement named for this region and Jericho outlines a plan limited self-rule. People attempting to enter this region through must go through the Rafah border (+) crossing, while goods going into this region are required to go through the Kerem Shalom crossing.In 2014, hundreds of homes in this region were destroyed in order to create a buzzer zone along the (*) Sinai Peninsula. The Oslo Accords established authority over the West Bank and this region. For the point, name this strip of land on the Death Sea which comprises the current extent of autonomous Palestinian territory. | Gaza Strip |
| This body of water’s Kreamer Island flooded due to the raising of the Herbert Hoover dike. Pollution from sugar plantations centralized in this body of water, which caused problems for the Treasure Coast and (+) Indian River Lagoon. This lake covers 730 square miles, but at an average depth of only 9 feet. Manmade waterways connecting to this body of water include canals to the (*) St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers. This lake is fed by Fisheating Creek, Lake Istokpoga, and the Kissimmee River. For the point, name this large, shallow lake in southern Florida. | Lake Okeechobee |
| A shut down smelting plant in this country has inflicted lead poisoning on massive amounts of children in Shymkent. This nation became the world’s largest uranium producer in part due to the use of the in situ (+) leach method, which is banned in US and Australia, which irradiates ground water. A massive amount of plutonium was buried at Degelen Mountain at Semipalatinsk testing area in this country. This nation has disputes with its neighbor over spilled toxic fuel polluting this country near the (*) Baikonur Cosmodrome. For the point, what is this former Soviet Republic with capital at Astana? | Kazakhstan |
| The last known sighting of a Barbary lion was in one of these places called Tizi n’Tichka in Morocco. The highest one of these things accessible to vehicles is Mana between India and Tibet. Saddle points are the highest points of (+) these things and the lowest points of ridges. One of these things connects Sterzing and (*) Innsbruck on either side of the Alps. For the point, name these routes, like the Brenner, Saint Bernard, and Khyber, that allow one to travel around high peaks. | mountain pass |
| The vineyard Chateau Hansen lies on the western end of this region.The first dinosaur eggs discovered were found at this regions’ Dinosaurs-Flaming Cliffs. The Mazaalai is a species of endangered (+) bear which lives in this region. The northern edge of this region contains the Khongoryn Els, also known as the (*) singing sands.In order to combat the expansion of this desert, one nation has designed a “Green Great Wall.” For the point, name this Asian desert located within Mongolia and China. | Gobi Desert |
| A pass with this name was developed as an alternative to Howse Pass for Canadian fur traders in the Columbia District. The North Glacier Route is a climbing route on a mountain of this name which is located on the edge of the (+) Columbian Icefield in the Rockies. A glacier with this name is believed to be the most visited in North America. Peace River flows into a lake with this name which is drained by the Slave River. Muskeg River and (*) Jackpine are mines for the bitumen in a region with this name, which loosely translates as “where the reeds are”. For the point, what is this word, which refers to an oil sands and a large lake in Alberta and Saskatchewan? | Athabasca |
| This country is home to the ruined city of Khami whose “Hill Complex” was formerly known as The Acropolis. Cave paintings of kudu are found in the the Nswatugi Cave, part of the (+) Matobo Hills, which is located in this country. Cecil Rhodes was given five carved birds, one of which is depicted as this country’s (*) national symbol, taken from one city in this country, and that city contained an area known as the Great Enclosure. For the point, name this African country home to an ancient city known as Great [this country.] | Republic of Zimbabwe |
| This city honored the first African-American woman to have her own radio station with the re-naming of Xernona Clayton Way. This city’s Benjamin Mays Drive (+) is named for a former president of Morehouse College, and a section of Interstate 20 in this city is named for Ralph Abernathy. (*) The Ebenezer Baptist Church is in this city, where Martin Luther King, Jr’s childhood home can be found and where the Center for Civil and Human Rights is in Centennial Olympic Park. For the point, name this Georgia metropolis. | Atlanta, Georgia |
| One of these structures found in Himachal Pradesh, India is named Lady of Keylong. The largest of these structures in the United States which can be accessed by car is Matanuska. (+) The Democractic Republic of the Congo’s Rwenzori range houses some a large portion of Africa’s examples of them, while European examples include Franz Josef and (*) Aletsch, the latter of which creates the Massa River. These structures form geological features including paternoster lakes, seracs, and moraines. For the point, name these large, constantly moving bodies of ice. | glaciers |
| The northern end of this region is the Elk River Isthmus and its southern boundary is at Cape Charles. This region’s western city of Crisfield lies on the Tangier Sound. (+) A ferry route to Cape May, New Jersey from this region’s city of Lewes forms part of U.S. Route 9. Maryland legislator Richard (*) Colburn suggested statehood for this region in 1998. Its southern tip lies on the inner rim of the Chesapeake Bay impact crater. For the point, name this peninsula whose name is an abbreviation of its three states: Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. | Delmarva peninsula |
| The cathedral which holds the relics of the Three Kings is located in a town on this river. Vineyards located on the banks of this river are commonly found where it meets the Nahe and (+) Ahr rivers. The Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, which once held the holy tunic, is located on this river. The meeting which condemned Martin (*) Luther was held near this river. Worms and Cologne are located on, for the point, name this river which rises in Switzerland and flows through Germany before emptying into the North Sea | Rhine River |
| This city is home to the Ca d’oro, a palace created for the Contarini family. In honor of the anniversary of Margherita of Savoy, this city established the Biennale Foundation in 1893. This city contains the (+) Peggy Guggenheim Museum. This city includes Murano Island, which holds the Glass Museum, in its (*) lagoon. A member of this city’s art school, Francesco Guardi, created a painting depicting this city’s Doge. For the point, name this Italian city whose Grand Canal is often depicted in art. | Venice [or Venezia] |
| The Cambodian version of this holiday involves preparation for Tevada Chhnam Thmey, a spirit who visits Earth. On this holiday, the Buddha Statues at Sonkran shoot water at people in parades in Thailand, while a special table with 7 objects all beginning with “S” (+) are used in Nowruz, the Persian celebration of this holiday. Men dance Bhangra while women dance Gidda on Vaisakhi (*) , a Punjabi version of this holiday which is also a harvest festival. The color red scares away evil spirits in the Chinese version of this holiday, and its Vietnamese name is Tet. For the point, what is this celebration that celebrates the beginning of an orbit around the Sun? | New Years (accept equivalents, prompt on specific names) |
| This territory is home to the 5-star Ninawa Hotel. Geography textbooks in this polity do not put names on the continents. Some houses in this region are marked for Nasrani (+) with a symbol looking like a one-eyed smiley face. The creation of this region led to the creation of Rojava. This government took control of the Libyan city of (*) Derna, and while it plans to expand into India through Wilayat, its geographic extent is currently Samarra. For the point, what is this territory with capital Raqqa centered in Syria and Iraq controlled by a terrorist group? | Islamic State (accept ISIS or ISIL, prompt on “The Caliphate”) |
| Patung Pemuda Statue is known as the Pizza Man to locals in this city, where the Sunda Kelapa Harbor used to be main port of entry. Expats in this city congregated in the (+) Kemang Area due to historical ties with Europe. The Ciliwung River is heavily polluted as a result of poor industrialization efforts and political turmoil. Part of the massive (*) Jabodetabek metropolitan area, it is located on Java. For the point, what is this capital of Indonesia? | Jakarta END OF PACKET |
| A relatively wild and trailless subrange in this state is the Crazy Mountains. This state’s Giant Springs State Park is famed for its fishing. Its Bob Marshall Wilderness is (+) home to a giant escarpment called the Chinese Wall. This state shares the Absaroka Mountains (*) with its southern neighbors, and their Beartooth Subrange contains this state’s highest point, Granite Peak. This state is home to the Bozeman Pass, and its Bighorn Mountains lie north of Billings. For the point, what is this state with capital at Helena? | Montana |
| Along with bananas, this plant is the main product of the huehuetenango hills. The full ripening of this crop was celebrated with the sacrifice of the red and yellow painted Dancer in the Xalaquia (+) . Chicha Fuerte, a food made from this plant, is consumed during Holy Week in Honduras. Pupusa is (*) a food made of this crop stuffed with chicharron, cheese, and beans, and it evolved from the teosinte planet. For the point, name this food often used instead of flour in tortillas. | Maize (or Corn or Maiz) |
| This body of water is home to a squads of “jumping squirrels” who make use of “pancung” to rob ships at night. Port Dickinson and Port Kelang (+) lie on this body of water whose narrowest point, Phillips Channel, is referred to as lanun due to its (*) pirate population. A canal through the Isthmus of Kra has been proposed as an alternative to this body of water. Along with the Strait of Lombok, China transports most of its oil through this body of water. For the point, what is this Southeast Asian waterway between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula? | Strait of Malacca (or Selat Malaka) |
| An island in this body of water, notable for its olive-growing, has a name meaning “island of small beans”, Shodo. On the eastern end of this body of water sits the (+) Keihanshin metropolitan area. A strait that produces namesake whirlpools in this body is called Naruto. The Yosan Line (*) runs along the southern edge of this body of water and connects Takamatsu and Matsuyama. This body of water contains Hiroshima Bay. For the point, name this body of water bounded by the Japanese islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. | Seto Inland Sea |
| In this city, the Tower of the Reformer, which looks an awful lot like the Eiffel Tower, was constructed in honor of Justo Rufino Barrios. Antoni Gaudi is rumored to have designed the bloodred tower of this city’s Iglesia Yurrita. During Jorge (+) Ubico’s reign, a multi-influenced “frankenbuilding” was designed for the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura. This city became its nation’s capital after a series of earthquakes devastated Antigua. The (*) Motagua Fault presents a constant danger for, for the point, what Central American capital city whose poor sewer system contributes to a noticeable sinkhole problem? | Guatemala City (or Ciudad de Guatemala) |
| The Gbedu, one of these instruments, is played in the presence of royalty in Yoruban culture. Songban, Dundumba, and Kekeni are three types of one of these instruments, the (+) dunun. Another of these instruments is built with the spirits of the carver as well as the hardwood tree and animal that provided the log and (*) skin for it; that example, the djembe, is traditionally only played by men in Mali. For the point, name this musical instrument whose other examples include the tabla and timpani. | drums (accept percussion and other equivalents) |
| The creator of this landmark was reportedly attracted to its location due to the remains of construction activity at a nearby National Historic Site. The creation of this work was documented in a namesake 32-minute film. (+) Located near Rozel Point, this landmark is often submerged due to fluctuations in (*) lake levels. Though composed primarily of black basalt rock, this structure is now almost entirely white due to the salinity of the surrounding water. For the point, name this large earthwork sculpture extending into the Great Salt Lake in Utah, a work of Robert Smithson. | Spiral Jetty |
| In 2008, NATO built its Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in this city. This city is also the seat of eu-LISA, an EU agency devoted to maintaining information security of the Schengen area. In March 2007, this city held the world’s first elections through the (+) internet, where state taxes also paid on the web. This is the sister city to Silicon Valley’s (*) Los Gatos. Nearly half of the employees of Skype work in this city where it was founded; many of the rest work in nearby Tartu. For the point, name this capital of Estonia. | Tallinn |
| Ruth Robertson gained fame in the 1940s for her photographic expedition to this location. The airplace El Rio Caroni crashed near this landmark in 1937 before being taken to Maracay for restoration. Based on suggestions from J.R. (+) McCracken, an American aviator searching for gold discovered this natural wonder. This location on Auy´an-tepui on the (*) Gauja River was set to be renamed Kerapakupai Meru´ by Hugo Ch´avez. For the point, what is this Venezuelan waterfall, the tallest in the world? | Angel Falls (or Salto A´ngel) |
| In 2005, a sample of this river showed staggering amounts of benzoylecgonine, excreted in the urine of cocaine users. This river’s length varies based on the length of the Maira River, which has confused some geologists. Flooding in (+) Ravenna prompted a diversion of its course, creating a “Fossil/Delta” river delta at Comacchio. This river is notable for its species of European (*) eel. The Navigli designed by Leonardo da Vinci connects this river to Milan. For the point, what is this longest river in Italy? | Po River |