| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This river flows past the city of Rundu, turning south and crossing into two other countries. In ancient times, this river flowed into Lake Makgadikgadi, whose surrounding area is the consensus candidate for the origin of Homo sapiens. During the (+) rainy season, this river drains into the Boteti and Thamalakane Rivers, ultimately linking its drainage basin to the (*) Zambezi. Located at the center of the endorheic basin in the Kalahari, this is, for the points, what river that forms an inland delta in Botswana? | Okavango River (or Cubango River) |
| This peninsula is bounded by the Khawr Abd Allah estuary between the ports of Umm Qasr and Abadan. This peninsula includes the Khor Al Amaya (+) Oil Terminal, which is part of a complex that processes 80 percent of its country's GDP. This peninsula to the north of Bubiyan Island and south of Khuzestan province provides shipping facilities for (*) Basra. For the points, name this peninsula on the Persian Gulf's northern end, which forms Iraq's easternmost and only coastal area as part of the Shatt al-Arab delta. | Al-Faw peninsula |
| The southernmost portion of this island is formed by the Sõrve peninsula north of the Irbe Strait. The village of Kaali on this island is home to nine meteor craters that formed a sacred lake and were created by the last major meteorite strike over a populated area. This island’s museum is contained within the (+) Teutonic Knight-built Kuressaare Episcopal Castle, and this island is linked by ferries to the nearby islands of Mohu and (*) Hiiumaa. For the points, name this largest island of Estonia. | Saaremaa |
| This plateau was the site of 2023 attacks at Barkin Ladi, which were perpetrated by Fulani militias. This plateau's most populous ethnic group is the Berom people, and this plateau is the namesake of Plateau (+) State, which was formerly joined with Benue State and lies east of Kaduna State. This plateau, which reaches its apex at the Shere Hills, was also inhabited by the ancient (*) Nok culture. For the points, name this plateau in central Nigeria, which is situated northeast of Abuja. | Jos Plateau |
| This city’s Large and Small Onofrio Fountains are linked by its main road, the Stradun. During its independence, this city was governed from the baroque-style Rector's Palace. This city’s Summer Festival kicks off from the Luža Square outside the Sponza Palace. The Pile and Ploče [[PLUH-chuh]] Gates in this city are located along its famed walls that provided a film location for (+) King’s Landing in the TV show Game of Thrones. Historically known as Ragusa, (*) this is, for the points, what popular tourist destination and on the Adriatic Sea, a city at the southern tip of Croatia? | Dubrovnik (accept Ragusa before mentioned) |
| Riobamba is the capital of a province named for this mountain, where merchants called Hieleros sell harvested ice. This mountain was believed to be Earth's highest in the 1700s, and this mountain provides meltwater to (+) Bolívar Province. This mountain is the highest in the Americas situated north of (*) Peru, and, on clear days, this mountain can be seen as far away as Guayaquil. For the points, name this furthest mountain from the center of the Earth, a peak located in Ecuador. | Mount Chimborazo |
| The Burning Man-inspired Midburn is hosted in this desert around the holiday of Shavuot, near a self-sufficient community (+) called Sde Boker. This desert, which hosted the Edomite Kingdom and the Tribe of (*) Simeon, houses the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research in its namesake university system named for David Ben-Gurion, and this desert extends south the Gulf of Aqaba. Sandwiched between Jordan and Egypt, this is, for the points, what desert of southern Israel? | Negev Desert (accept Negeb Desert) |
| The Yoro Code was established by a court based in this city, from which Emperor Shōmu ruled. Heijō Palace served as an imperial residence in this city for much of the 700s, after which (+) the capital was moved to present-day Kyoto. This city was joined with Tsuge and Tsukigase, and this city names a basin that is also known as the Yamato Basin. (*) For the points, identify this Japanese city, which names a prefecture that contains Mount Miwa, the city where Shinzo Abe was assassinated in 2022. | Nara (accept Heijō-kyō before mentioned) |
| Portuguese colonizers of this island named a fort Gereza, meaning "prison." This island is located in the Lindi Region and is home to the Mavuji River. This island’s landmarks include the Palace of Husuni Kubwa and its (+) stone Great Mosque, which once possessed a dome with pillars of carved coral, and this island is home to the ruins of Songo Mnara, a historical (*) Swahili settlement. For the points, name this Tanzanian island that, like nearby Zanzibar, was once home to a namesake Sultanate. | Kilwa Kisiwani |
| A base on this island was named for the HMS Alert, which had sheltered at Cape Sheridan. In 1963, the Defense Research Board ran "Operation Tanquary" on this island to study oceanography, while a research station on this island is based in its settlement of Eureka. This island contains (+) Barbeau Peak and is home to the "top of the (*) world" park. Edward Augustus Inglefield named, for the points, what tenth-largest island in the world, part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in Canada's Arctic regions? | Ellesmere island (or Umingmak Nuna) |
| This national park contains the former gold mining center of Kiandra and feral horses called "brumbies." This national park houses Cabramurra, the (+) highest town on its continent, as well as ski resorts such as Charlotte Pass. This national park was named in honor of a (*) mountain summited by Edmund Strzelecki. This national park's Tantangara Dam dams the Murrumbidgee River, and this park contains the source of the Murray River. For the points, name this national park that protects Australia's highest mountain. | Kosciuszko National Park |
| This county has the largest elevation differential of any county or subdivision in the contiguous U.S. This county includes a site that claims the hottest air and ground surface temperatures on record at (+) Furnace Creek. This county includes the second-lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, as well as the lowest point in North America at (*) Badwater Basin. For the points, name this California county that borders Nevada and contains both Mount Whitney and Death Valley. | Inyo County |
| This subnational region is home to the Antalo Limestone, a massive deposit of marine microfossils. This subnational region’s highest point is Ferrah Imba, located at the peak of the Tsibit Massif in the Endamekoni woreda. Locals claim that this region’s (+) rock-cut churches in the Aigrat Sandstone were built by the Nine Saints, and this region's town of (*) Aksum claims to house the original Ark of the Covenant. Governed from Mekelle, this is, for the points, what northernmost regional state of Ethiopia? | Tigray Region |
| This city's densely populated Stolipinovo is known as the largest Roma neighborhood in the Balkan Peninsula, and this city is situated on the Marista River. This city was known as Philippopolis when it was the capital of the Roman province of (+) Thracia, and this city is a gateway to the Rhodope Mountains to its south. Lying 50 miles north from the (*) Greek border, this is, for the points, what second-most populated city of Bulgaria, located in the country's southern center? | Plovdiv |
| Two river goddesses whose tears caused spots on plants were thought to have lived in a grotto beneath this body of water, where a cultural activity began with the search for a poet. A poetry wall lies in Changde along this lake, which is fed by the (+) Xiang and Yuan Rivers. Dragon boat racing originated on this lake, which contains an endangered finless porpoise, possibly its country's only remaining freshwater cetacean. (*) Hunan contains, for the points, what Chinese lake in the floodplain of the Yangtze River? | Dongting Lake |
| This state includes the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, which is the main spaceport of the country in which it is contained. This state, which is home to the mouth of the (+) Krishna River, has its largest city at Visakhapatnam, and this state is the largest state that is situated on its (*) country's eastern coastline, which extends from Tamil Nadu to Odisha. For the points, name this Indian state from which Telangana split in 2014, which is also home to speakers of Telugu. | Andhra Pradesh |
| A valley with this name is crossed by a river that was originally called St. Mary's River by Father De Smet. Frederick Pursh named a plant with this name for Meriwether Lewis, and that plant is the state flower of (+) Montana. A (*) range with this name spans Monida Pass to Pend [["POND"]] Oreille [[uh-"RAY"]] Lake and can be crossed by the Chief Joseph and Lolo Passes. For the points, identify this name that is borne by a mountain range that runs along the Montana and Idaho border. | Bitterroot (accept Bitterroot River; accept Bitterroot Valley; accept Bitterroot Range; accept Lewisia rediviva) |
| This city is the largest on the Yitong River, and, as this city contains the headquarters of First Automobile Works, it is often referred to as the "Detroit of China." This city's Unit 100 was used to research the development of the plague as a biological weapon, and this city was known as Hsinking when it contained the headquarters of the Kwantung Army as (+) Manchukuo's capital. Serving as the capital of (*) Jilin Province, this is, for the points, what city of northeastern China between Shenyang and Harbin? | Changchun (accept Xinjing or Hsinking until mentioned) |
| Two-word answer required! These features are exemplified by a location in Italy named Tagliamento. South Island's Canterbury Plain contains many examples of thee features, such as Rakaia and Waimakariri. The components of these features are often separated by aits, and (+) Platte-type examples of these features are known for their tongue-like deposits. Common along (*) alluvial fans and the Brahmaputra, these are, for the points, what waterways known for their many interwoven channels separated by sediment-formed islands? | Braided Rivers (accept clear-knowledge equivalents; prompt on "Rivers") |
| During the winter, this archipelago is only accessible by wind sleds from Bayfield. Sea caves on this archipelago include Devils Island and Sand Island, and a Chippewa legend claims the Great Spirit Gitche Manitou gave instructions to travel to the largest of these islands, (+) Chequamegon Bay. Aside from Madeline Island, all 22 of this archipelago’s islands are part of a national lakeshore in the town of La Pointe. (*) For the points, identify this religiously named Wisconsin archipelago in Lake Superior. | Apostle Islands |
| This river is fed by the Ouham River and Bahr Salamat. The Atlantropa project proposed diverting water into this river in the Transaqua scheme to irrigate the Sahara Desert. This river, which flows past the city of Sarh, lent its name to a French colony near the (+) Ubangi River, and this river is the main river of Africa's largest endorheic basin. The Logone is the chief tributary of this river, which forms the border between (*) N'Djamena and Cameroon. For the points, name this river that empties into Lake Chad. | Chari River (or Shari River) |
| Many visitors travelling to this national park arrive at Namche Bazaar, and Makalu Barun National Park was established as this park's eastern extension. This national park's Dudh Koshi River has its source near the Gokyo Lakes, and that river in this park is the (+) highest navigable whitewater river in the world. Home to features like Cho Oyu, Khumbu Glacier and (*) Lhotse, this is, for the points, what national park of Nepal, which is home to 3,500 Sherpas and protects Mount Everest? | Sagarmāthā National Park (do NOT accept or prompt on answers mentioning "Mount Everest") |
| This river defines the northern boundaries of Selonia and Semigallia and passes by the city of Jēkabpils. This river is the namesake of a city formerly called Dyneburg, which was the capital of Polish (+) Livonia, and this river is crossed by the Vanšu Bridge, which was formerly named the Gorky Bridge. This river, which is also known as the Western Dvina, lies north of the Neman River and drains the (*) northernmost part of Belarus. The Gulf of Riga received, for the points, what main river of Latvia? | Daugava River (accept Western Dvina until mentioned) |
| A dispute over this region was formally ended with the 1966 adoption of the British-brokered Geneva Agreement. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Dutch relinquished a colony with this name to the British who then merged it with Demerara. In an eleven-point declaration, Mohamed Irfaan Ali asserted that force would not be used in an (+) ongoing dispute over this region, along with his counterpart, (*) Nicholas Maduro. For the points, name this oil-rich region of Guyana, the subject of a 2023 referendum in Venezuela which seeks to control it. | Essequibo; or Guayana Esequiba; prompt on "Venezuela" or "Guyana" alone before read) |
| This river includes tributaries such as the Carrabassett River and Sandy River. This river empties at Merrymeeting Bay, where it flows by a shipyard at (+) Bath. Moosehead Lake is the sour of this river, which was claimed as Acadia's western border, and this river's drainage basin is bounded on the east by the (*) Penobscot River's watershed. The Androscoggin River is a tributary of, for the points, what river that passes by Colby College at Waterville and flows past central Maine and the city of Augusta? | Kennebec River |
| A tunnel over this strait's narrowest "Nevelskoy" portion is the site of an incomplete tunnel between Cape Lazarev and Cape Pogibi. This strait's Moneron Island was the site of the (+) Korean Air Flight 007 shoot-down, and this strait was named for its sea lion population by the (*) Ainu people. This strait, which receives the Amur River, connects the Sea of Okhotsk to the Sea of Japan. For the points, name this strait between mainland Russia and Sakhalin, which is named for a Turkic ethnic group. | Strait of Tartary |
| This place is the larger one of the only two landmasses on the UTC minus 12 hours time zone. This place is thus used for reference in the Anywhere on Earth calendar designation, meaning that when the calendar day ends here, it’s ended everywhere. (+) This island contained three runways collectively known as Kamakaiwi Field, and this island was a planned refueling station for a Works Progress Administration-led expedition that led to the world's then-largest (*) search and rescue effort. For the points, what island that forms the Phoenix Islands along with Baker Island, the last planned stop for Amelia Earhart? | Howland Island |
| The town of Butembo is located at the edge of this national park, which the Mbuti people have been pushed out of due to increased anti-poaching activity. This park contains a lava lake at (+) Nyiragongo, which, with Nyamuragira, is responsible for 40 percent of Africa's volcanic activity, and this park on Lake Edward was home to thousands of (*) Tutsi refugees in 1994. For the points, name this Congolese national park in the southern Rwenzori Mountains, which is known for its mountain gorillas. | Virunga National Park |
| It's not in Turkey, but this gulf includes the port of Gallipoli, which is known for its Griko community, and this gulf is bounded to the east by Santa Maria di Leuca. The eastern coastline of the region of (+) Basilicata is situated on this gulf, which is enclosed on its northeast by the Salento portion of Apulia. This gulf is the (*) Ionian Sea's northernmost inlet and forms the northeastern coast of Calabria. For the points, name this Mediterranean gulf that indents the eastern end of the Italian Peninsula between its "heel" and "toe." | Gulf of Taranto (or Gurfe de Tarde; or Gulfu di Tàrantu) |
| The Boardman River and Elk River feed this bay, which is a major hub of cherry production. The Leelanau Peninsula bounds this bay, which contains the (+) Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and this bay's "little" counterpart is guarded by Beaver Island. This bay was named by voyageurs for its long (*) crossing, and this bay lies parallel to Green Bay in Lake Michigan. For the points, name this bay, which indents the northwestern part of the Lower Peninsula and is home to the largest city of northern Michigan. | Grand Traverse Bay (prompt on "Traverse Bay" alone) |
| In 2018, Kertajati International Airport opened in this city just in time for the eighteenth Asian Games. Gedung Sate, a prominent building located in this city, was constructed by the (+) Dutch East Indies, but is occupied today by the governor of West Java. In 1955, this city (*) hosted the inaugural Afro–Asian Conference, which was led by Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia. For the points, name this Indonesian city, which is located approximately 87 miles southeast of Jakarta. | Bandung (accept Bandung Conference) |
| A national park in this desert contains the Sam Sand Dunes and a large coalfield, which is mined by the Engro Corporation and Hubco. This desert is surrounded by the Northwestern thorn scrub forests, and its southern part is called Rohi, where the (+) Derawar Fort once protected caravans. Kharif crops are grown in this desert, which includes the endpoints of a canal that begins at the Harike Barrage. The (*) Indira Gandhi Canal ends in, for the points, what Indian desert near the Rann of Kutch? | Thar Desert (or Great Indian Desert) |
| This peninsula is home to the Hengill mountain, and its Álfagjá valley, although only 60 feet wide, is spanned by the "Bridge Between the Continents." This peninsula, the site of volcanic activity at (+) Fagradalsfjall and Sundhnúkur, contains the Svartsengi (*) geothermal power station. This peninsula formerly contained the main hub of Wow Air at Keflavík International Airport. For the points, name this Icelandic peninsula that forms the southwestern-most part of the island. | Reykjanes Peninsula (or Reykjanesskagi; or Suðurnes; or Southern Peninsula) |
| This city's urban center is situated in Gadong, a former rubber estate. This city includes a ceremonial hall called Lapau, the site where the world's longest-reigning monarch was coronated, as well as the water village of Kampong Ayer. This city, which includes structures such as the Istana (+) Darussalam and Istana Nurul Iman palaces, is the (*) smallest national capital among ASEAN member states. For the points, name this national capital, the only major non-Malaysian city on northern Borneo. | Bandar Seri Begawan (or BSB) |
| This archipelago is the host of the shortest flight in the U.S. between Wrangell and Petersburg. This archipelago hosts the world's largest (+) temperate rain forest, which is traversed by the Inside Passage, and this archipelago includes Revillagigedo Island and Prince of Wales Island. This archipelago's "ABC" islands refer to Admiralty, Chichagof, and Baranof islands, the last of which contains (*) Sitka. For the points, name this archipelago, which forms the southeastern panhandle of Alaska. | Alexander Archipelago |
| This city’s Museum of Industrial History is located on the former site of Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works. The borough of Woodland Park contains Lambert Castle, which was originally built within this city’s borders. This city’s historic district is anchored around the (+) Great Falls of the Passaic River, which once powered its many (*) mills. The Watchung Mountains lie adjacent to, for the points, what city, the third-most populous metro area of New Jersey after Newark and Jersey City? | Paterson |
| This province's capital of Middelburg is situated on a peninsula that is connected to islands such as Noord-Beveland and Walcheren. This province contains the southern part of the "Delta Works" project. Two parts of this province are separated by the mouth of the (+) Scheldt River, which is connected to Ghent via canal, and this province is the southwestern-most of the (*) Netherlands. For the points, name this Dutch province, the origin for the name of a country that contains Wellington. | Zeeland |
| This city is the only one to close schools for Malcolm X Day, and this city's Elmwood neighborhood is thought to be the origin of single-family zoning policies. This city's César E. Chávez Park is part of its Eastshore State Park, and this city's Solano Avenue Stroll has been called (+) "the world's largest block party." This city, which is overlooked by the Sather Tower, is situated between the cities of (*) Richmond and Oakland. For the points, name this Bay Area city that is home to the oldest UC campus. | Berkeley (accept UC Berkeley) |