Geography Trivia Quiz

Think you know Geography? Here are 50 Geography trivia questions with answers — then play them live against real players in the free Triviarena quiz app.

1. Which of the following metropolitan areas is the largest in terms of population?
   • London
   • New York City
   • Paris
   • Los Angeles
   Answer: New York City
2. What kind of agreement is the Schengen Agreement?
   • It is a visionary chapter about a further EU enlargement.
   • It allows EU citizens to travel without passports within the EU borders.
   • It regulates the relationships with non-EU countries, especially Russia.
   • It introduced a common currency - the Euro.
   Answer: It allows EU citizens to travel without passports within the EU borders.
3. In which country is the city of Porto located?
   • France
   • Columbia
   • Italy
   • Portugal
   Answer: Portugal
4. What island is shared by the nations of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea?
   • Bougainville
   • New Guinea
   • Timor
   • Borneo
   Answer: New Guinea
5. Which major ocean current is responsible for the Isle of Skye's mild and wet oceanic climate?
   • Gulf Stream
   • Labrador Current
   • Canary Current
   • Agulhas Current
   Answer: Gulf Stream
   The Gulf Stream brings warm water across the Atlantic, giving the Isle of Skye a surprisingly mild, oceanic climate.
6. Into which basin does the Jordan River flow into?
   • Caspian Sea
   • Salton Sea
   • Aral Sea
   • Dead Sea
   Answer: Dead Sea
7. During the ice ages, Australia and New Guinea were joined in a landmass known by what name?
   • Gondwana
   • Zealandia
   • Sundaland
   • Sahul
   Answer: Sahul
   Sahul is the name given to the single Pleistocene continent that combined Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania when sea levels were lower.
8. What is the fifth largest country by area?
   • Australia
   • United States
   • Brazil
   • India
   Answer: Brazil
9. South Carolina is the state whose shape most closely resembles a triangle.
   • False
   • True
   Answer: True
10. To which crown was Greenland transferred from Norway in 1814?
    • The Swedish crown
    • The British crown
    • The Portuguese crown
    • The Danish crown
    Answer: The Danish crown
    In 1814, when Denmark and Norway separated, Greenland was officially transferred from the Norwegian crown to the Danish crown.
11. Which Samoan island is the only one in the archipelago that remains volcanically active?
    • Savaiʻi
    • Upolu
    • Manono
    • Apolima
    Answer: Savaiʻi
    While all Samoan islands have volcanic origins, only the westernmost island of Savaiʻi is still volcanically active.
12. What type of climate does Lisbon experience, featuring mild, rainy winters and dry summers?
    • Mediterranean
    • Tropical monsoon
    • Subarctic
    • Arid desert
    Answer: Mediterranean
    Lisbon enjoys a Mediterranean climate, heavily influenced by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.
13. Gibraltar, located just south of the Iberian peninsula, is a territory of which West Europe country?
    • France
    • United Kingdom
    • Portugal
    • Spain
    Answer: United Kingdom
14. Which major European river flows directly out of Lake Geneva?
    • The Rhine
    • The Rhône
    • The Danube
    • The Seine
    Answer: The Rhône
    Geneva is situated in the southwest of Switzerland, exactly where the Rhône river exits Lake Geneva.
15. The land mass of modern day Turkey is called what?
    • Anatolia
    • Ismuth of Ottoma
    • Ottoma
    • Ismuth of Anatolia
    Answer: Anatolia
16. Amboseli National Park is globally renowned for protecting large herds of which mammal?
    • African elephant
    • Mountain gorilla
    • Bengal tiger
    • Red kangaroo
    Answer: African elephant
    Amboseli is famous for being one of the best places in Africa to view free-ranging herds of African bush elephants.
17. What was the African nation of Zimbabwe formerly known as?
    • Zambia
    • Bulawayo
    • Rhodesia
    • Mozambique
    Answer: Rhodesia
18. On the shore of which major body of water is the Estonian capital Tallinn located?
    • Black Sea
    • Baltic Sea
    • North Sea
    • Adriatic Sea
    Answer: Baltic Sea
    Tallinn is situated on the Gulf of Finland, which is an eastern arm of the Baltic Sea.
19. Colombia is the only South American nation with coasts on which two bodies of water?
    • Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean
    • Pacific Ocean and South Atlantic
    • Caribbean Sea and South Atlantic
    • Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean
    Answer: Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean
20. Which two Great Lakes are connected by the Welland Canal?
    • Lake Union and Lake Washington
    • Loch Crinan and Loch Gilp
    • Lake Ontario and Lake Erie
    • Puget Sound and Lake Union
    Answer: Lake Ontario and Lake Erie
21. Which ancient Greek astronomer divided a spherical Earth into 360 degrees?
    • Hipparchus
    • Plato
    • Socrates
    • Archimedes
    Answer: Hipparchus
    The text states that Hipparchus, a Greek astronomer from the 2nd century BC, used a coordinate system that divided a spherical Earth into 360°.
22. What type of underwater barrier is used at Bondi Beach to protect swimmers?
    • Shark net
    • Coral reef
    • Concrete seawall
    • Kelp forest
    Answer: Shark net
    Bondi Beach has an underwater shark net made of overlapping sections to protect beachgoers.
23. Where would you find the Tornio River Valley Euroregion?
    • Sweden / Finland
    • Italy / Slovenia
    • Italy / France
    • Austria / Italy
    Answer: Sweden / Finland
24. What famous optical illusion can sometimes be seen across the Strait of Messina?
    • Fata Morgana
    • Aurora Borealis
    • Brocken spectre
    • St. Elmo's fire
    Answer: Fata Morgana
    The Fata Morgana is a complex mirage that occasionally appears in the strait, making distant objects like the coastline of Sicily look distorted or floating.
25. Who is the 16th president of the United States?
    • Abraham Lincoln
    • Andrew Johnson
    • James Polk
    • Ulysses P. Grant
    Answer: Abraham Lincoln
26. Which of these country's capitals starts with the letter B?
    • Lebanon
    • Kuwait
    • Jordan
    • Qatar
    Answer: Lebanon
27. What record does the Jungfraujoch hold among Europe's transportation infrastructure?
    • Highest railway station
    • Longest road tunnel
    • Steepest funicular
    • Highest paved road
    Answer: Highest railway station
    The Jungfrau Railway travels to the Jungfraujoch, which remains the highest railway in Europe.
28. What is the name of the world's largest island?
    • Australia
    • Borneo
    • Greenland
    • Madagascar
    Answer: Greenland
29. What is the capital and largest city of the West African country of Ghana?
    • Accra
    • Kumasi
    • Lagos
    • Dakar
    Answer: Accra
    Accra is the capital and most populous city of Ghana, serving as its economic and administrative hub.
30. Which archipelago was controversially separated from Mauritius by the UK in 1965?
    • Chagos Archipelago
    • Galapagos Islands
    • Canary Islands
    • Andaman Islands
    Answer: Chagos Archipelago
    In 1965, the UK excised the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory, leading to a long-standing sovereignty dispute.
31. What is the famous Niagara boat called?
    • Niagara-on-the-Lake
    • Lady Horseshoe
    • Maid of the Mist
    • Lady of the Mist
    Answer: Maid of the Mist
32. What is the popular Norwegian delicacy called Smalahove made from?
    • Pork intestines
    • Fish liver
    • Chicken popes nose
    • Lamb head
    Answer: Lamb head
33. Which of these is one of the three main geographic regions that make up Hong Kong?
    • The New Territories
    • The Outer Banks
    • The Western Isles
    • The Southern District
    Answer: The New Territories
    Hong Kong is primarily composed of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories.
34. Which country's short coastline strip separates Dubrovnik from the rest of mainland Croatia?
    • Montenegro
    • Slovenia
    • Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Serbia
    Answer: Bosnia and Herzegovina
    Dubrovnik is an exclave separated from the rest of Croatia by a short coastal strip around Neum, which belongs to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
35. Which US state contains the longest section of the Appalachian Trail, spanning over 550 miles?
    • Virginia
    • Pennsylvania
    • Maine
    • North Carolina
    Answer: Virginia
    Virginia contains about one quarter of the entire Appalachian Trail, totaling 550.3 miles.
36. Tonlé Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, is located in which country?
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
    • Cambodia
    • Indonesia
    Answer: Cambodia
    Tonlé Sap is a massive freshwater lake and river system located in Cambodia, crucial to the country's geography and economy.
37. Which two countries share the territory of the vast Thar Desert?
    • India and Pakistan
    • China and Mongolia
    • Iran and Afghanistan
    • Egypt and Sudan
    Answer: India and Pakistan
    The Thar Desert stretches across the border between India and Pakistan, with the majority of its area lying in India.
38. Which of these European countries shares a land border with Sweden?
    • Switzerland
    • Denmark
    • Lithuania
    • Norway
    Answer: Norway
39. What is the capital of Illinois, the 21st US State?
    • Chicago
    • Lincoln
    • Springfield
    • Omaha
    Answer: Springfield
40. Due to its small size and topography, Malta completely lacks which natural features?
    • Permanent rivers and lakes
    • Natural coastal harbours
    • Limestone rock formations
    • Low terraced hills
    Answer: Permanent rivers and lakes
    While there are some temporary watercourses after heavy rainfall, Malta has no permanent rivers or lakes.
41. Which of the following states has an official motto In God we trust, which is also the official motto of the United States of America?
    • Georgia
    • Washington
    • South Dakota
    • Florida
    Answer: Florida
42. During which century did the Inuit people first arrive in Greenland?
    • 10th century
    • 13th century
    • 15th century
    • 17th century
    Answer: 13th century
    The text explicitly mentions the arrival of the Inuit people during the 13th century.
43. The Atlas Mountains are named after a Titan from which mythology?
    • Greek
    • Roman
    • Norse
    • Egyptian
    Answer: Greek
    The mountain range is named after Atlas, the Titan from Greek mythology who was condemned to hold up the celestial heavens.
44. What was the profession of Jimmie Angel, the namesake of Venezuela's Angel Falls?
    • Aviator
    • Botanist
    • River guide
    • Geologist
    Answer: Aviator
    Jimmie Angel was a U.S. aviator who became the first person to fly over the falls in 1933.
45. New Guinea is an island north of Australia. It is divided into 2 roughly equal halves. What are they?
    • The western portion is part of Australia. The eastern portion is the country called Sumatra.
    • The western portion is part of Indonesia. The eastern portion is the country called Papua New Guinea.
    • The western portion is part of Indonesia. The eastern portion is the country called Sumatra.
    • The western portion is part of Australia. The eastern portion is the country called Papua New Guinea.
    Answer: The western portion is part of Indonesia. The eastern portion is the country called Papua New Guinea.
46. Who was the first European to see The Bronx, NY?
    • Henry Hutchinson
    • Jonas Bronck
    • Henry Hudson
    • Jonas Valerian
    Answer: Henry Hudson
47. What is the capital of South Korea?
    • Seoul
    • Pyongyang
    • Kitakyushu
    • Taegu
    Answer: Seoul
48. What fault forms the Mojave Desert's northern border?
    • Garlock Fault
    • San Andreas Fault
    • Tehachapi Fault
    • Providence Fault
    Answer: Garlock Fault
    The text explicitly states that the Garlock fault is to the north, serving as a border for the Mojave Desert.
49. Which of the following language families is the most controversial amongst modern linguists?
    • Altaic
    • Dravidian
    • Sino-Tibetan
    • Indo-European
    Answer: Altaic
50. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a short 20-kilometre coastline on which sea?
    • Adriatic Sea
    • Black Sea
    • Mediterranean Sea
    • Aegean Sea
    Answer: Adriatic Sea
    Bosnia and Herzegovina has a very narrow corridor that meets the Adriatic Sea in the south.