Geography for grades 11–12: questions with answers
The Geography questions for grades 11–12 from the game, with the correct answers and an explanation for each.
The San Andreas Fault in California is which type of plate boundary?
- Transform
- Divergent
- Hotspot
- Convergent
Correct answer: Transform — Along a transform boundary plates slide past each other; here the Pacific plate moves north-west relative to North America.
The Himalayas formed when the Indian plate collided with which plate?
- Pacific plate
- Eurasian plate
- African plate
- Arabian plate
Correct answer: Eurasian plate — The collision began about 50 million years ago and continues today: the Himalayas still rise by a few millimetres a year.
One hour of time difference corresponds to how many degrees of longitude?
- 5°
- 10°
- 15°
- 30°
Correct answer: 15° — Earth turns 360° in 24 hours, so each hour corresponds to 15° of longitude — the basis of the 24 standard time zones.
Crossing which line changes the calendar date by one day?
- International Date Line
- Equator
- Tropic of Capricorn
- Prime Meridian
Correct answer: International Date Line — The line zigzags near 180° longitude to avoid splitting countries; travelling west across it you skip a day forward.
Ulaanbaatar is the capital of which country?
- Mongolia
- Nepal
- Kyrgyzstan
- Kazakhstan
Correct answer: Mongolia — Ulaanbaatar is one of the coldest capitals in the world, with average January temperatures below −20 °C.
Which is the deepest lake in Africa?
- Lake Victoria
- Lake Tanganyika
- Lake Malawi
- Lake Turkana
Correct answer: Lake Tanganyika — Tanganyika is about 1,470 m deep, second only to Baikal, and at about 670 km is the longest freshwater lake in the world.
Which is the second-largest country in South America by area?
- Peru
- Argentina
- Colombia
- Bolivia
Correct answer: Argentina — Argentina is about 2.8 million square kilometres, stretching from the subtropics to Tierra del Fuego.
Which desert lies along the Atlantic coast of Namibia?
- Kalahari
- Sahara
- Atacama
- Namib
Correct answer: Namib — The Namib is thought to be the oldest desert in the world, arid for tens of millions of years; its dunes at Sossusvlei are among the tallest anywhere.
What is the capital of Uzbekistan?
- Bishkek
- Dushanbe
- Tashkent
- Ashgabat
Correct answer: Tashkent — Tashkent was a major stop on the Silk Road; it was largely rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 1966.
The historic city of Timbuktu is in which country?
- Mali
- Chad
- Niger
- Mauritania
Correct answer: Mali — Timbuktu, on the edge of the Sahara near the Niger River, was a centre of trade and Islamic scholarship from the 14th to the 16th century.
Which line at about 23.5° N marks the northern limit of the overhead sun?
- Arctic Circle
- Tropic of Cancer
- Tropic of Capricorn
- Equator
Correct answer: Tropic of Cancer — On the June solstice the sun is directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer; the Tropic of Capricorn plays the same role in December.
Which two countries share the island of Hispaniola?
- Jamaica and the Dominican Republic
- Haiti and Cuba
- Haiti and Puerto Rico
- Haiti and the Dominican Republic
Correct answer: Haiti and the Dominican Republic — Haiti occupies the western third of the island and the Dominican Republic the east; Columbus landed there in 1492.
Which ocean current keeps north-western Europe milder than its latitude suggests?
- Kuroshio Current
- Humboldt Current
- Gulf Stream
- Benguela Current
Correct answer: Gulf Stream — The Gulf Stream and its extension, the North Atlantic Drift, carry warm water from the Gulf of Mexico towards Europe.
Which is the largest island in Europe?
- Sicily
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Iceland
Correct answer: Great Britain — Great Britain is about 209,000 square kilometres, the ninth-largest island in the world.
The Danube empties into which sea?
- Aegean Sea
- Baltic Sea
- Black Sea
- Adriatic Sea
Correct answer: Black Sea — The Danube ends in a large delta shared by Romania and Ukraine, a UNESCO World Heritage site rich in birdlife.
The Ganges empties into which body of water?
- Gulf of Oman
- Arabian Sea
- Bay of Bengal
- Andaman Sea
Correct answer: Bay of Bengal — The Ganges joins the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh to form the largest delta in the world before reaching the Bay of Bengal.
Which country occupies the tip of the Horn of Africa?
- Sudan
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
- Somalia
Correct answer: Somalia — Somalia has the longest coastline on the African mainland, along the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
What is the semi-arid belt along the southern edge of the Sahara called?
- Sahel
- Maghreb
- Savanna
- Kalahari
Correct answer: Sahel — The Sahel stretches from Senegal to Sudan; its name comes from the Arabic for "shore" — the edge of the desert "sea".
Which is the largest lake in Europe?
- Lake Geneva
- Lake Vänern
- Lake Balaton
- Lake Ladoga
Correct answer: Lake Ladoga — Ladoga, near St Petersburg in Russia, is about 17,700 square kilometres; nearby Lake Onega is the second-largest.
In which country does the Rhine flow into the North Sea?
- Germany
- Belgium
- France
- Netherlands
Correct answer: Netherlands — The Rhine rises in the Swiss Alps and reaches the sea through a delta near Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe.