Y in the World? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Albania

The name "Yugoslavia" means "Land of the South Slavs". The country was created at the end of WWI, uniting for the first time peoples and territories that had been part of the two largest casualties of the conflict - Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. 74 years later, the pressures of an economic and political crisis, together with the rise of nationalism and ethnic tensions, caused Yugoslavia to break up in the early 1990s.

Slovenia, the northernmost of the Yugoslavian republics, was also the first (together with Croatia) to declare its independence in June 1991. Bosnia and Herzegovina's split from Yugoslavia in March 1992 led to a war that ravaged the country for three years (1992-1995). Macedonia took the name of North Macedonia in 2019 as a result of lengthy negotiations with neighbouring Greece, one of whose regions is also named Macedonia. Albania, on the other hand, though also located in the Balkan Peninsula, has been an independent country since 1912, and has never been a part of Yugoslavia.

The other countries that were originally part of Yugoslavia are Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia: the latter two countries were in a union from 1992 to 2006. Kosovo, which has been recognized as a sovereign state by only a part of the members of the United Nations, was an autonomous province of Serbia before it declared its independence in 2008.

Answer: Leeds

Also known as County of York, Yorkshire is located in northeastern England. Its historical boundaries were the River Tees to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Humber Estuary to the south, and the Pennine Hills to the west. Because of its large extension, in the 1950s the county was divided into a number of administrative units that have been frequently reformed. At the time of writing, Yorkshire and the Humber is one of nine official regions of England, subdivided into East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, and North East Lincolnshire.

Yorkshire is renowned for the rugged beauty of its natural landscape - in particular its famous moors, celebrated in Emily Bronte's iconic novel "Wuthering Heights". James Herriot also wrote numerous best-selling books about his experiences as a veterinary surgeon in North Yorkshire. The county is also known for its beautiful stately homes and religious architecture - such as the magnificent York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe.

Leeds (West Yorkshire) is the largest city in Yorkshire, and one of the ten largest cities in the United Kingdom - though somewhat smaller than the three cities listed as wrong answers. Bristol is located in South West England, Manchester in North West England, and Newcastle in North East England (Tyne and Wear).

Answer: Red Sea

Located in the southeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen is roughly shaped like a rectangle. It has land borders with Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the north, and maritime borders with Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia across the Red Sea, which borders Yemen to the west. Most of the country falls into the hot-desert climate zone, except the western and eastern highlands, which are cooler and receive more precipitation.

Until May 1990, Yemen was divided into two sovereign states - the Yemen Arab Republic, or North Yemen (formerly part of the Ottoman Empire) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, or South Yemen (a former British protectorate). Since 2011, the country has been experiencing a state of serious political unrest that has had a devastating impact on its population.

The three bodies of water listed as wrong answer are all located well to the east of Yemen. The Persian Gulf lies between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran, while the Gulf of Oman lies directly south of the Persian Gulf, connecting the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz.

Answer: False

Located mostly in northwestern Wyoming, though extending into Montana and Idaho, Yellowstone National Park was established on 1 March 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant - impressed by the report of the expedition led by geologist Ferdinand V. Hayden in 1871. The park, which spans an area of 8,983 km² (3,468.4 sq mi), lies on a mountain plateau with an average elevation of 2,400 m (8,000 ft). Known for its geysers and abundant wildlife, Yellowstone is a volcanic hotspot: its caldera is the result of a supereruption that occurred over 600,000 years ago. Yellowstone is not only the oldest national park in the US, but is also believed to be the oldest in the world.

Yosemite National Park, located in the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California, was established on 1 October 1890 - thanks to the efforts of various citizens (such as naturalist John Muir) who were concerned about the commercial exploitation of the area. It is the third-oldest park in the US after Yellowstone and Sequoia National Park (which was established only a few days earlier, and is also located in the Sierra Nevada). The park covers an area of 3,074 km² (1,187 sq mi), and is famous for its pristine natural landscape, which includes three ancient giant sequoia groves, the granite monolith known as El Capitán, and a number of beautiful waterfalls.

Both these Y national parks are also inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list: Yellowstone was designated in 1978, and Yosemite in 1984.

Answer: Yalu

Yalu is the Chinese name of the river known in Korea as Amrok or Amnok. This watercourse flows for about 795 km (494 mi) from its source on the slopes of Paektu Mountain down to its mouth on Korea Bay, the northern extension of the Yellow Sea. Its name means "the boundary between two countries" in the Manchu language of Northeast China: indeed, the Yalu River flows along most of the border between China and North Korea. Because of its strategic location, the river has been the site of several battles - the most recent in 1950, during the Korean War. One of Asia's largest hydroelectric dams, the Sup'ung Dam (depicted on North Korea's national emblem), was built on the Yalu by the Japanese in 1937-1943.

The three rivers listed as incorrect choices are all considerably longer than the Yalu. The Yangtze River, the world's third-longest, flows entirely within China. The Yenisey, also one of the world's ten largest river systems, flows through Siberia to the Arctic Ocean. The Yamuna, the Ganges' second-longest tributary, flows through Northern India.

Answer: it is one of the world's coldest regions

With an area of 3,083,523 km² (1,190,555 sq mi), Sakha - also known as Yakutia, after one of the names for its indigenous population - is the largest of Russia's republics. Since 1999, when the territory of Nunavut was separated from Canada's Northwest Territories, it has been the world's largest subnational entity. If it were a sovereign state, Yakutia would rank immediately after India: it is so enormous that it spans three time zones.

About 40% of Yakutia's territory lies north of the Arctic Circle, and is covered by permafrost; the middle of the state is covered by Arctic and subarctic tundra, and the southern part by taiga forest. Some of the world's coldest places (such as the record-breaking settlements of Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon) are located in Yakutia, both north and south of the Arctic Circle, with average winter temperatures of about -45 ºC (-49 ºF). On the other hand, summer temperatures of over 35 ºC (95 ºF) have been occasionally recorded in various locations, including Verkhoyansk and the republic's capital, Yakutsk (which is the world's coldest major city).

With such a challenging climate, it is not surprising that Yakutia has a population of under one million, about one-third of which live in Yakutsk. The republic is very rich in natural resources - such as oil, gas, coal, gold, and diamonds - and mining is its primary industry. It is estimated that about 25% of the world's diamonds are mined in Yakutia.

Answer: Yap

The name "Yap" may refer to an island group in the west Pacific Ocean, one of the islands in this group, or one of the four states within the Federated States of Micronesia (the other three being Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae). Besides the Yap Main Islands, Yap State includes 14 atolls spread out to the east and south.

Encircled by a coral reef, the Yap Main Islands - Yap Proper, Gagil-Tamil, Maap, and Rumung - are situated very close to each other. Unlike the low-lying atolls, the islands are hilly, and covered by a dense vegetation. Yap's famed "rai" or "fei" stones are limestone discs with a hole in the middle that can be found all over the islands, as well as in various museums. Though commonly referred to as "stone money", they were (and still are) used as ceremonial gifts in special occasions rather than everyday currency. The largest of these stones, located on Rumung island, has a diameter of 3.6 m (12 ft), and weighs 4,000 kg (8,800 lb).

Yangon is the former capital and largest city of Myanmar, while Yuma is a city in Arizona (US), and Yunnan a province in southwestern China.

Answer: they are national capitals

Yaoundé is the capital of Cameroon, in west-central Africa, while Yamoussoukro is the capital of Ivory Coast, in West Africa. Yerevan, on the other hand, is the capital of Armenia, which lies in the South Caucasus, on the border between Europe and Asia.

Yaoundé (named after the local Ewondo, or Yaunde, people) has been a capital since 1922, when it was chosen as capital of French Cameroon. Yamoussoukro became Ivory Coast's legal capital in 1983, replacing Abidjan - where, however, most embassies and other government institutions are still located. Yerevan has been the capital of Armenia since 1918, the 14th capital in the country's history.

None of these cities are ports: Armenia is landlocked, and the other two cities are located in the interior of their respective countries. While Yaoundé was established in the late 19th century, and Yamoussoukro in the 1920s, Yerevan is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, having been founded in the 8th century BC.

Answer: mustard gas

Named Ieper in Dutch, Ypres - located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, near the border with France - is still known to most by its French name. During WWI, when it acquired notoriety as the site of five military engagements between German and Allied forces, it was known to British troops by the colloquial name of "Wipers".

In the Middle Ages, Ypres was one of Flanders' most prosperous cities, renowned for its textile industry. Almost completely destroyed by artillery fire during the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as Battle of Passchendaele (31 July - 10 November 1917), the city was rebuilt with the money paid by Germany in reparations. Its most impressive building, the 13th century Cloth Hall with its massive belfry, is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 1999; now it houses the Flanders Fields Museum. Various war memorials and graves are also found within the city and in the surrounding countryside.

Ypres was one of the first places where chemical warfare was used during WWI. Mustard gas (sulfur mustard), used for the first time in 1917 by the German army against British and Canadian soldiers, is also known as "yperite".

Answer: Crimea

A renowned seaside resort on the Black Sea, Yalta lies on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula, where it was probably founded by Greek settlers. Captured by the Ottomans in 1475, it became part of the Russian Empire in 1783. In the 19th century, thanks to its mild climate and beautiful surroundings, Yalta became a fashionable holiday resort for Russian aristocracy, who built summer homes there. Its popularity continued during the Soviet era, when Yalta was one of the few places where workers could spend their holidays.

Yalta's main claim to fame, however, is having hosted the conference (4-11 February 1945) in which Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill - representing the US, the USSR, and the UK - met to discuss the reorganization of Germany and Europe after WWII. The delegations of the three countries were housed in three luxurious palaces built by Russian royalty near Yalta.

Those who regularly follow global news will be aware of Crimea's disputed status. The peninsula in the Black Sea -part of Ukraine since 1992, but with a mostly Russian population - was occupied by Russia in 2014. Though Russia claims to have annexed it, Crimea is still considered part of Ukraine by most of the international community.

Of the three peninsulas listed as wrong answers, Kola is located in northern Russia, Jutland in Germany and Denmark, and Brittany in France.