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What About Alphabets? Trivia Quiz

Alphabets can play a funny and sometimes law-breaking role in geographic place names. I'll talk mainly about the funny side. This includes two of my best friends in one question, Bonnie Scotland and Eire Ireland! Have fun!

A multiple-choice quiz by Tevez259. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
Tevez259

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
337,510

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
695

Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. These countries are in North Africa. Their capitals sound similar to their names! Choose the correct pair. Hint

Libya and Tunisia

Libya and Egypt

Algeria and Tunisia

Algeria and Egypt

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which of the following is NOT the name of a real town in Maine, USA? Hint

Waldo

Cornville

Derry

Industry

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Question 3 of 10

3. There is a strange place name in Texas, USA. In my opinion, it's really ugly. Which of these is in Texas? Hint

Who'd Thought It

Where Is It

Why On Earth

Plutonium

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Question 4 of 10

4. There's an even crazier place name in store for a community in Arizona. Which one of these can be found in Pima County? Hint

What

Why

When

Who

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Question 5 of 10

5. Here's a strange town name for you. Which place name is simply one letter in the alphabet? One is found in Alaska, USA, and another one is in France. Hint

6. Scotland: "Ye people must've 'eard abaat an ol' isle right in the midst of me sea".

Ireland: "You mean in the middle of us, Bonnie"?

Scotland: "Aye, Eire".

Which island are Bonnie and Eire talking about? Hint

Isle of Man

New Hebrides

Orkney Islands

Isle of Lewis

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Question 7 of 10

7. By what old name did Europeans once refer to China? Hint

Ch'in

Huang

Mingmin

Cathay

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Question 8 of 10

8. What was the British colony name of Sri Lanka? Hint

Tornad

Vulkanu

Flod

Ceylon

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Question 9 of 10

9. What is the name of the city that is Sri Lanka's parliament capital? Hint

Kandy

Sri Mahabali Shiva

Esala Perahera

Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which US state shares a name with a country bordering it? It lies to the east of Arizona. Hint

Colorado

New Mexico

Wyoming

Idaho

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. These countries are in North Africa. Their capitals sound similar to their names! Choose the correct pair.

Answer: Algeria and Tunisia

Algeria's capital is Algiers. Tunisia's capital is Tunis.

2. Which of the following is NOT the name of a real town in Maine, USA?

Answer: Derry

Derry, the fictional location that Stephen King chose for his book 'It', is supposed to be located about ten miles from Bangor (a real city in Maine). It's also the setting for Stephen King's novel 'Dreamcatcher'. The other choices are real towns in Maine.

3. There is a strange place name in Texas, USA. In my opinion, it's really ugly. Which of these is in Texas?

Answer: Who'd Thought It

It's located in Hopkins County, Texas, and was formed in about 1900. It was proclaimed a ghost town by the 1990s. So strange. The townspeople must have been lazy. Did they call their children "Oops-Couldn't-Think-Of-One"?

4. There's an even crazier place name in store for a community in Arizona. Which one of these can be found in Pima County?

Answer: Why

The community of Why is unincorporated. Pima County was found on November 9, 1864.

5. Here's a strange town name for you. Which place name is simply one letter in the alphabet? One is found in Alaska, USA, and another one is in France.

Answer: Y

One town called Y is located in Alaska, USA, while the other Y is located in the Somme Region of France. Somme was the site of a major WWI battle.

6. Scotland: "Ye people must've 'eard abaat an ol' isle right in the midst of me sea". Ireland: "You mean in the middle of us, Bonnie"? Scotland: "Aye, Eire". Which island are Bonnie and Eire talking about?

Answer: Isle of Man

Orkney Islands is NORTH of Scotland, not between Scotland and Ireland. New Hebrides is the old name of Vanuatu, which is a modern Pacific island group. Isle of Lewis is an almost completely uninhabited island off the coast of west Scotland.

7. By what old name did Europeans once refer to China?

Answer: Cathay

The name Cathay was another way of saying "Catai" for China, and was commonly used by medieval Europeans.

Ch'in was an ancient Chinese dynasty. Huang was another famous Chinese dynasty. Mingmin is just a name I made up.

8. What was the British colony name of Sri Lanka?

Answer: Ceylon

The British called the colony Ceylon (or British Ceylon). The name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972.

9. What is the name of the city that is Sri Lanka's parliament capital?

Answer: Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte

Colombo is often thought to be Sri Lanka's capital, but Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte holds that distinction.

Kandy's a city in Sri Lanka, Esala Perahera is a Sri Lankan Buddhist festival and Sri Mahabali Shiva is just a Hindu name.

10. Which US state shares a name with a country bordering it? It lies to the east of Arizona.

Answer: New Mexico

Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Mexico all border New Mexico. New Mexico joined the union on January 6, 1912.

Source: Author Tevez259

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