From Dec. 19, 2010

So You Think You Know Geography?

The 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Geography Quiz, from www.sfgate.com
The answers are in the comments section below.

If they awarded the Medal of Honor for maintaining a straight face despite almost unbearable provocation, Navy Adm. Robert Willard, head of the Pacific Command, would be a lock.

Earlier this year, during a congressional hearing about a planned military buildup on Guam, Willard managed to maintain his composure as Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., brought up an unusual concern.

"My fear," said Johnson, "is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize."

"Uh," replied the admiral in a heroically even tone, "we don't anticipate that."

Johnson later claimed he was joking.(Right-sounds like your standard know-nothing Southern Republican.-Jon)

 The exchange is on YouTube. Judge for yourself. (Georgia voters apparently don't mind the occasional geographic blunder: In the recent midterm elections, Johnson won easily.)

Still, we're glad to report that there is nothing about capsizing islands on this year's Geography Quiz, merely 50 questions we hope will illuminate some fun facts about the crazy, mixed-up planet we call home.

It's less a serious test of knowledge than a way to convince you that our world is a captivating and wonderfully eccentric place, and well worth getting to know better.

There are no prizes for getting all, or most, of these questions right, merely the quiet satisfaction that you're less of a geographic dunce than at least one member of Congress.

Tune in next week for the inevitable clarifications and corrections. There's nothing like having an army of a million fact-checkers on Sunday morning.

THE QUESTIONS

1. Approximately how many countries are there in the world? Count yourself correct if you guess within 20.

2. True or false: Two countries with at least one McDonald's franchise apiece have never gone to war with each other.

3. If you felt like having your toe bitten off by a Komodo dragon on its home turf, to which country would you book your flight?

4. Which western European nation's name originally meant "land of the rabbits"?

5. Where would you find the Spanish Steps? Hint: It's not Spain.

6. Where would you find the Swiss Guard? Hint: It's not Switzerland.

7. What animal are the Canary Islands named for? Hint: It's not a bird.

8. Where would you find the Luxembourg Gardens? Hint: It's not Luxembourg.

9. Where is Tabasco Sauce made? Hint: It's not Tabasco, Mexico.

10. Where would you find Harry's New York Bar? Hint: It's not New York.

11. Where would you find Waterloo Station? Hint: It's not in Waterloo, Belgium.

12. If you were being pompous in the pampas, where would you be?

13. Lake Tahoe is considered to be the second-largest alpine lake in the world. What's the largest?

14. It's the home of Queen Maud Land and Vinson Massif, and the entire continent is covered by a single international dialing code: 672. What continent are we talking about?

15. This Ecuadoran island chain's official name is the Archipiélago de Colón, but nobody calls it that. What do we know it as?

16. The family of Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen must have been proud as punch when one of the world's largest objects was named for the British explorer. But, pretty much from the start, the public has refused to call it that, preferring a surveyor's original alpha-numeric designation. What is it?

17. "Providence Plantations" is part of the official name of one U.S. state, although virtually no one calls it that. Which one?

18. Nobody seems to agree on the name for this large body of water, although of its three most common names, the Vermilion Sea is the, well, least common. What are the other two?

19. What independent nation's name derives from "White Russia?"

20. Where do Panama hats come from? Hint: It's not Panama.

21. Mexico's capital is Mexico City. Three other world capitals are similarly named (the name of the country plus "city"), and a fourth sort of qualifies. How many can you name?

22. What name did Europeans give to the smallish oranges shipped from the Moroccan port of Tangiers?

23. What state celebrates the California gull as its official state bird? Hint: It's not California.

24. Rank these three places in size, from smallest to largest: the island of Manhattan, Orlando's Disney World, and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

25. What is the only continent without an active volcano?

26. If a Parisian described you as gauche, on which side of the River Seine would you presumably be?

27. In the names of the 50 states you can find every letter in the alphabet - except one. Which one?

28. Bernardo O'Higgins was one of the founding fathers of what nation? Hint: It's nowhere near Ireland.

29. What's further north? Venice or Vladivostok, Siberia?

30. Every planet in out solar system is named for a figure from Roman or Greek mythology - except one. Which?

31. In Venice, all gondolas - except those belonging to high-ranking officials - are legally required to be painted a certain color. Which one?

32. If you wanted to travel between the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul by river boat, what river would you use?

33. In what city would you find the neighborhood known as Elephant and Castle?

34. In what national park would you find Fairy Falls, Hellroaring Creek and the Firehole River?

35. If you desired to donate blood in Transylvania, to what country would you travel?

36. Place these capitals in order of altitude, from lowest to highest: Guatemala City, Nairobi, Kathmandu.

37. Which part of New York City was originally given a name by the Dutch that means broken land?

38. The nations of East Timor, El Salvador and Ecuador all use the same currency. Which one?

39. One country occupies almost half of South America. Which one?

40. What, exactly, is a Hoosier?

41. Into which sea does the Crimean Peninsula jut?

42. One end of the Hoover Dam is in Nevada. In which state is the other end?

43. At Khartoum, in Sudan, the white and blue versions of this geographic feature meet. What are we talking about?

44. If you wanted to mellow out in the Most Serene Republic of San Marino, where would you find it?

45. Nigeria, Niger: Which one is landlocked?

46. The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, a Portuguese-speaking island nation, is just off the coast of what continent?

47. What mountain range separates China from Pakistan?

48. North Korea shares borders with South Korea, China - and one other country. Which one?

49. Is New Zealand's capital, Wellington, at the north end of the South Island or the south end of the North Island?

50. The Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador didn't join Canada until 1949; previously it belonged to Great Britain. Which part is an island, and which part is on the mainland?