From Z to Shining Z Trivia Game | Alphabetical Places

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Beginning in my home in the center of Canada, I head nearly directly south for 3,015 kilometers to a city in the center of Mexico. What city have I arrived at that begins with Z and shares it name with the state it is the capital of?

Answer: Zacatecas

Zabiateno can be found in the Estado de Chihuahua, Zalcualpan in the Estado de Guerrero, while Zayulilla is in the Estado de Nayarit.

Zacatecas (in the Estado de Zacatecas) is nearly straight south of my home in Brandon, Manitoba. Brandon lies at 99 degrees 57 minutes West, while the city of Zacatecas is just a couple of hundred kilometers further west at 102 degrees 34 minutes West.

The name 'Zacatecas' comes from the Zacateco people and it translates as 'people of the grasslands'. When the Spanish came to the region in the 1500s, they established a mining camp there, and it became an important city in New Spain. In 1914 during the Mexican Revolution the city was the last stronghold of President Huerta's forces. Francisco (Pancho) Villa captured Zacatecas, attacking from four directions, in the space of seven hours. The anniversary of the Battle of Zacatecas is still commemorated annually on June 23rd.

2. I continue my journey south through Central America and into South America. Before too long I come to an extinct volcano called Cerro Zapaleri. Its peak marks the tripoint of the borders of three different countries. Which of these is not one of the countries that meet at Zapaleri?

Answer: Venezuela

Cerro Zapaleri is 5,653 meters high. The Bolivian part of the peak is part of the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, making it a protected area. Bolivia also has a lake that carries the same name (Laguna Zapaleri), at an elevation of 4,608 meters.

Venezuela doesn't actually share a border with any of the other three countries.

3. Even further south, things start to get very cold as I encounter the frozen Antarctic continent. A few inquiries lead me to discover that there are three mountain peaks that begin with the letter 'Z'. Which of these is NOT one of them?

Answer: Zanzibar Peak

Zanzibar Peak is a figment of my imagination.

Mount Zinkovich is part of the Churchill Range near the Ross Ice Shelf. At 2,280 meters high, Mount Zinkovich is the 9th highest of the 13 peaks in the range. It was named for Lieutenant Colonel Michael Zinkovich, United States Air Force, who commanded the squadron that provided air service from New Zealand to Antarctica in 1962 for a US Navy operation.

Mount Zirzow is part of the Forrestal Range on the east end of the Lexington Table. At 1,615 meters, it is the smallest peak in the range. It was named for Commander Charles F. Zirzow of the US Navy for his service as part of US Naval Support Force for Antarctica in 1966 and 1967.

Zograf Peak is part of the Tangra Mountains on Livingston Island, part of the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It is 1,011 meters tall and named for the Zograf Monastery on Mount Athos in Bulgaria.

4. Turning back north (is there any other way to go from Antarctica?), I hop across the Southern Ocean and head for the modern-day country that contains what used to be the Zulu Kingdom. In what country do I find myself?

Answer: South Africa

The Zulu Kingdom was located in the present-day South African province of Natal, extending along the Indian Ocean coast from the Tugela River north to the Pongola River. It became a kingdom under the leadership of Shaka Zulu in 1816, and dissolved after the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. The region became part of the Colony of Natal, which later joined the Union of South Africa in 1910.

5. Travelling north, I come to another geographical feature at the conjunction of multiple countries; this time it's a river. What river, the fourth longest in Africa, travels through the junction of Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana?

Answer: Zambezi

The Zambezi River begins its travels through Africa in Zambia, and meanders through Angola, along the borders of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia (again) and Zimbabwe before passing through Mozambique and joining the Indian Ocean at the city of Chinde. Altogether, the Zambezi's basin is a bit under half that of the Nile River, at 1,390,000 square kilometers.

The most well-known feature of its 3,540 km length is Victoria Falls, located between the borders of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

6. Leaving Africa, I continue north into Europe, until I reach a city in a mountainous country known for chocolate, clocks, and neutrality. Which city, the largest in the country and famous for its banks, have I arrived at?

Answer: Z�rich

Z�rich is the capital of the Canton of Z�rich, and can be found at the northwestern corner of Lake Z�rich. Archaeological records show that the region has been settled for 7,000 years, but the founding of Z�rich as a city began with the Romans in 15 BCE, who named their town Turicum.

7. Once I hit the North Sea I turn right and head east into Russia. With a long list of 'Z' cities to visit, I decide to choose one close to Moscow. Which of these cities is only 20 kilometers east of Moscow?

Answer: Zheleznodorozhny

Zheleznodorozhny was founded in 1861 as a rail-servicing settlement. It falls within the Moscow Oblast. The city's biggest claim to fame is as the location of the death of Leo Tolstoy's literary character Anna Karenina.

Zaozyorsk can be found in the Murmansk Oblast (next to Finland), while Zainsk is in the Republic of Tatarstan (approximately 1,000 km east of Moscow). There are two different Znamensks, one in the Astrakhan Oblast (southeast of Moscow, near the Caspian Sea), and the other in the Kaliningrad Oblast (near the Baltic Sea, by Lithuania).

8. Continuing in my generally eastward direction, I veer south to China, ending up in the capital city of the Henan province, close to the famed Shaolin Temple built in the year 495. Recognized as one of the 'Eight Great Ancient Capitals of China', where have I arrived?

Answer: Zhengzhou

Zhengzhou has a rich history dating back 10,000 years that I could not begin to do justice in a snippet of follow-up information. I will mention a couple of interesting things about the city and region though. It has one of the oldest Confucius temples in China, built during the Eastern Han Dynasty (which lasted from 25 to 220 CE), as well as the Shaolin Temple mentioned in the question, the center of kung-fu in China.

The Henan Museum can also be found in Zhengzhou, and it is recognized as one of the most important museums in China, with a wealth of artifacts extending back to prehistoric times.

9. I leave mainland Asia and head south over the water and myriad islands until I come to Zamboanga City, located on the island of Mindanao on the Zamboanga Peninsula. To which country have I come?

Answer: Philippines

The island of Mindanao is the second largest island of the Philippines, and Zamboanga City is the largest center on Mindanao. First settled by the Subanen people in the 12th century, the Spanish arrived in the early 16th century as a conquering power. Over the next two centuries, the Spaniards maintained a rule over the region, while contesting the Chinese as well as Moro pirates for possession of the Zamboanga Fortress.

In the 1890s, the Spanish surrendered the Philippines to the Americans. After more turbulence during the First and Second World Wars and Japanese incursions, the Americans (along with Filipino forces) reclaimed the region in 1945.

10. A long flight over the Pacific Ocean brings me back home to Canada. Sadly, my home province of Manitoba has only one town that begins with the letter 'Z'.

Answer: False

There are two: Zhoda and Zbaraz.

The town of Zhoda, Manitoba is located approximately 30 kilometers north of the United States border (at the northwest corner of Minnesota). Originally a Ukrainian immigrant settlement, the town has become more diverse, although Ukrainian heritage sites are still evident there.

Zbaraz can be found midway between Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba (the interlake region).

Source: Author reedy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Tizzabelle before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

From Z to Shining Z Trivia Quiz

Join me on a zany trip to find a few of the 'Z' places out there in the world.

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