Special Sub-Topic: Benelux Trivia Mix Click Here To Play: Benelux Trivia Mix

2003 is Van Gogh's Year. On the occasion of which anniversary of this great Dutch painter's birth does 2003 fall?

150th. Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in Zundert. The year 2003 marks the 150th anniversary of his birth. Numerous exhibitions and events are planned in the Netherlands, Belgium and France on this occasion. The largest collections of Van Gogh's works can be found in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and in the Kröller-Műller Museum in Otterlo.

Luxembourg prides itself on being statistically the richest country in the world. What is its GDP per capita (by PPP) in U.S. dollars according to the 2001 estimate?

43,400. GDP is Gross Domestic Product (the total market value of goods and services produced in a country over a specified period). PPP stands for purchasing power parity.

The Flemish city of Antwerp is the greatest international center of trade in which precious stone?

diamond & diamonds. Antwerp (Flemish Antwerpen, Fench Anvers) is a busy port and one of the largest cities in Belgium with 1,500 diamond offices. Around 85% of the total rough diamond trade takes place there. The turnover in rough, polished, and industrial diamonds is more than $20 billion dollars a year.

In Brussels, the capital of Belgium, the names of all streets are given, obligatorily, in two languages. One of them is French. What is the other one?

Dutch. Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands and one of three official languages of Belgium. It is spoken in the northern part of the country called Flanders, hence its popular name: Flemish. Bilingualism in Brussels is compulsory in official situations.

Luxembourg's name in the 10th century was Lucilinburhuc. What does this ancient name mean?

Little Fortress. In 963 AD, a castle on the remains of the Roman site called Lucilinburhuc was built. This castle, called "Gibraltar of the North", became synonymous with Luxembourg and was one of strongest fortresses in Europe until it was dismantled under the Treaty of London (1867).

The family of Peter Paul Rubens, the famous 17th century painter, was from which Flemish city?

Antwerp. Peter Paul Rubens was born in Siegen, Germany in 1577. His parents had left the country (under the Spanish rule at that time) because of their Calvinist confession. After the death of the father, the family moved back to Antwerp. Peter Paul Rubens died at the age of 64 in his house in Antwerp. The Rubens' House is a museum now.

Brussels, home to numerous European Union institutions, is also the seat of another important international organisation. Which one?

NATO. NATO, which stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, was created in 1949. Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, former Soviet Union satellite states, joined NATO in 1999. The organisation has 19 member countries at present (as of April 2003).

Two presidents of the European Commission were of Luxembourgian origin. The first of them was Gaston Thorn. What is the name of the other one?

Jacques Santer. Jacques Santer, former prime minister of Luxembourg, was the European Commission's president from 1995 to 1999. Santer's Commission resigned in 1999 amid corruption allegations. The current (as of 2003) president of the EC is Romano Prodi, Italy's former prime minister.

The Dutch town of Alkmaar is famous for its ____ market.

cheese. Alkmaar is referred to as "the cheese city". You can find the biggest cheese auction in the world there. It dates back to the 17th century. The cheese market, which is a very colorful display, takes place on Fridays.

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert (Saint-Hubert Royal Galleries), Europe's first covered shopping mall, is located in which city?

Brussels. The gallery was designed by architect Cluysenaer in 1846. It consists of three parts: Galerie du Roi (the King's Gallery), Galerie de la Reine (the Queen's Gallery), and Galerie du Prince (the Prince's Gallery). The famous chocolatier Neuhaus, who invented pralines, can be found there.