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Quiz about A Scandinavia Quiz
Quiz about A Scandinavia Quiz

A Scandinavia Quiz


I am from Norway, and I have made a quiz to set everybody straight on all things Scandinavian, with a Norwegian bias.

A multiple-choice quiz by einhardno. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
einhardno
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
368,268
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
704
Last 3 plays: Guest 92 (5/10), Guest 171 (7/10), Guest 89 (2/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Opinions differ as to which countries make up Scandinavia, but most seem to agree on at least three. Which three? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The North Germanic, or Nordic, branch of the Germanic languages today has five living members. Which of these is NOT a Nordic language? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In a Scandinavia quiz, there should be Vikings. Which of these was a common term for Vikings in the British Isles? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. 66 degrees North. What's there? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. In Scandinavia, the governments take care of their people. What do these countries have? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. In terms of population, which Scandinavian country was the largest in 2016?

Answer: (One word (country name))
Question 7 of 10
7. We do sports in Scandinavia. Which of our countries has been an all-time leader in Olympic medals? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Denmark, Norway and Sweden share a flag carrier airline.


Question 9 of 10
9. The monarchs of Denmark and Norway during WWII were related. How? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Iceland was part of the Kingdom of Norway until 1944.



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 28 2024 : Guest 92: 5/10
Mar 28 2024 : Guest 171: 7/10
Mar 25 2024 : Guest 89: 2/10
Mar 21 2024 : Guest 73: 6/10
Mar 19 2024 : Guest 174: 4/10
Mar 18 2024 : Guest 194: 10/10
Mar 15 2024 : Guest 108: 7/10
Mar 14 2024 : Guest 78: 3/10
Mar 13 2024 : Guest 188: 5/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Opinions differ as to which countries make up Scandinavia, but most seem to agree on at least three. Which three?

Answer: Denmark, Norway, Sweden

For us Norwegians, Scandinavia is definitely Denmark, Norway and Sweden, although Denmark is not on the Scandinavian peninsula, unlike the other two. These three belong to a larger region which we call "Norden" ("the North", "the Northlands" or something similar).

This also includes Finland, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Several of the Nordic countries also have, or claim, territories or possessions overseas. Thus, the Faroes and Greenland belong to Denmark, but have autonomy in many fields. Norway claims sovereignty over the Svalbard Islands and some other islands in the north, as well as over a sizeable portion of Antarctica (and a couple of islands down there).

The Åland Islands in the Bay of Bothnia are legally part of Finland, but have close cultural ties to both Sweden and Finland, and a fair bit of autonomy.
2. The North Germanic, or Nordic, branch of the Germanic languages today has five living members. Which of these is NOT a Nordic language?

Answer: Finnish

Danish, Norwegian and Swedish are closely related, and together with Faroese and Icelandic, they make up the group of Nordic languages. These all share an ancestor; Old Norse. Finnish, like the Sami languages, belongs to the Finno-Ugric Family, and Greenlandic to the Eskimo-Aleut (Eskaleut) family. So if you happen to know Dutch or German, or even English, you will recognize quite a few words in, say, Norwegian, but it won't help you much when faced with Greenlandic.

There are also some varieties which may be called distinct languages, or possibly blends or dialects, such as Kvääni or Meänkieli (Tornedalsfinsk) and some others.

Not least, various immigrant communities have made linguistic contributions to the languages in the Nordic countries, with loanwords and in other ways.
3. In a Scandinavia quiz, there should be Vikings. Which of these was a common term for Vikings in the British Isles?

Answer: Danes

In present day Britain and Ireland, Vikings from what is today Denmark dominated, hence the term "Danes", and derived words like "Danelagen" (the "Danelaw", a region of England where the Viking conquerors kept their own laws). A number of Norwegians also travelled and settled in the West, but they tended to concentrate on the islands, such as Iceland, the Shetlands, the Orkneys, and the Hebrides. On the mainland, Norwegians could be found in Western Scotland, and there were quite a few of them in the Dublin area and other places along the Irish coast, too. Swedish Vikings are more famous for travelling in the East, although some Norwegians and Danes went there as well.

For example, the Norwegian queen Ellisiv (Elisaveta Yaroslavna; 1025 - c. 1067) came from Russia (Kiev).

She was the daughter of a Swedish princess and a Grand Prince of Rus. Berserkers were Norse warriors who worked themselves into a frenzy before entering a battle. According to myth, they did this by eating "funny" mushrooms, but that is doubtful. Geats were a people in what is present-day Sweden.
4. 66 degrees North. What's there?

Answer: The Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle actually moves about a bit. According to Wikipedia, this is due to the shifts in Earth's axial tilt, and over a cycle of some 40,000 years, the Circle will shift around two degrees, before starting a new cycle. In January 2016, it was at 66 degrees 34 minutes North (plus a little bit).

It is the northernmost point where the sun can be seen over the horizon every day of the year. To the north of the Circle, there is a period during the winter when it never gets over the horizon, and a period in the summer when it never dips under the horizon. How long these periods last, depends on how far north you are.

It is not a limit for the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), which can sometimes be seen quite a bit south of the Circle. It is more frequently visible up north, though, and that's mostly where it gets spectacular at times.

There are no wild polar bears on the mainland in any of the Nordic countries, except in eastern Greenland. The Yngling kings are mythical.
5. In Scandinavia, the governments take care of their people. What do these countries have?

Answer: The Welfare State

Talk to enough people up here in our region, and you are likely to find some who might prefer any of these as the best answer. Very roughly, key benefits of the Scandinavian systems include free or heavily subsidised medical care, sick pay, benefits for the unemployed and disabled, childcare benefits, paid holidays (vacations) and a number of others. Obviously, this all costs a lot, and the sustainability of it is much debated. I myself spent four days in hospital in early 2014, for an appendectomy.

This cost me around USD $300. The hospital stay was free, however, and the cost was for two visits to my doctor before and after, as well as prescription painkillers. Also, I stupidly drove my own car to the hospital and left it in the parking garage for the duration. That alone cost nigh on 150 dollars. Silly boy!
6. In terms of population, which Scandinavian country was the largest in 2016?

Answer: Sweden

Sweden has long been the largest by far (in terms of population), while Denmark, Finland and Norway are fairly close to each other. All three Scandinavian countries have strong traditions for population statistics, and the figures in early 2016 were (to the nearest 50,000):

Sweden: 9.85 million
Denmark: 5.70 million
Finland: 5.48 million
Norway: 5.20 million

This is taken from the official statistical agencies of the countries, whose names in English are: "Statistics Denmark", "Statistics Norway", and (you'll never guess) "Statistics Sweden".
7. We do sports in Scandinavia. Which of our countries has been an all-time leader in Olympic medals?

Answer: Norway, for the winter games

Please note that I said "an all time leader", not "the". Throughout the first 22 winter games, Norway accumulated 329 medals, and led over all, as well as for each of the three categories (gold, silver, bronze). In the summer games, however, Norway has been less strong.
8. Denmark, Norway and Sweden share a flag carrier airline.

Answer: True

This is Scandinavian Airlines, also known as SAS. The abbreviation used to stand for Scandinavian Airlines System, which still is part of the company's legal name. The airline has over the years been in financial difficulties on several occasions, and there have been speculations about takeovers, fissions or other strong measures. SAS is a founding member of the global network Star Alliance.
9. The monarchs of Denmark and Norway during WWII were related. How?

Answer: Brothers

Christian X of Denmark was king from 1912 until 1947, while his younger brother came on the Norwegian throne as Haakon VII in 1905 shortly before his and Christian's father, Frederik VIII, became king of Denmark. Norway and Denmark were both attacked by the Germans in April of 1940, and were occupied until the end of the war.

The Germans wanted king Haakon to appoint a new collaborator cabinet, which he flatly refused to do. In June of 1940, he left the country, and remained in exile in Britain until the end of the war.

He was a strong symbol of resistance, and especially his radio speeches from London are famous. Christian, too, was seen as a national rallying point, not least for his daily unaccompanied horseback rides through the streets of Copenhagen, where he would meet and greet the people.
10. Iceland was part of the Kingdom of Norway until 1944.

Answer: False

Iceland and Denmark agreed in 1918 to enter into a union for the next 25 years. At the end of 1943, this expired, and Iceland (at the time under American occupation) held a plebiscite in 1944. This gave a majority of 97% for ending the union with Denmark, and 95% voted in favour of a republic.

The republic was formally established in June 1944. Incidentally, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was given an Icelandic name at her birth as heiress presumptive in 1940. Her full name is Margrethe Alexandrine Žorhildur Ingrid. That third one is Icelandic.
Source: Author einhardno

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
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