Great Globe Sites (all in eight letters) Quiz

Answer: Helsinki

On the shores of the Gulf of Finland, in the Baltic Sea, are the capitals of Estonia and Finland, which are Tallinn and Helsinki respectively. Helsinki is the most northerly capital in continental Europe. It is often called "the daughter of the Baltic Sea" or "white city of the north" because of its buildings constructed using light-colored granite.

Helsinki was founded in 1550 by the Swedish King Gustav I Vasa. The city suffered from plague, fires and was dominated by the Russians who made it the capital of the grand duchy of Finland. In December 1917, Finland declared independence from Russia. Helsinki's main industries include food, metal and chemical processing, electrical equipment, etc. It is a city with intense cultural life and its main buildings bear the mark of famous architects, among them the German Carl Ludwig Engel, and the Finns Eliel Saarinen, Alvar Aalto and Timo Pentillä.

Answer: Tunguska

The "Tunguska event" is the name given to a massive explosion that occurred on June 30, 1908, near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Siberia.

The probable cause was an air burst of a stony meteoroid. The fact was classified as an impact event, although no crater was found. It is likely that the object disintegrated in the atmosphere and the destruction was caused by the subsequent displacement of air. Luckily the event took place in a sparsely populated area; it cut down about 80 million trees in an area of ​​2,150 km2.

Answer: Quilotoa

The Quilotoa volcano, 3,914 meters high, is about 180 km from Quito; it is the most western volcano in Ecuadorian Andes. It is considered an inactive volcano and its main characteristic is a huge lagoon formed in its crater.

In the crater of this volcano there is a lake about 3 km wide and 250 meters deep. Due to the presence of minerals dissolved in the water, the lake has a greenish color. Numerous fumaroles are observed on its surface and on the volcano's flank there are many hot springs.

Answer: Zanzibar

Farrokh Bulsara (1946-1991), known as Freddie Mercury, was a singer, pianist, composer and vocalist of the famous band Queen. He was born in Zanzibar in Tanzania.

Zanzibar is an autonomous region of Tanzania. It is an archipelago consisting of two islands, Unguja or Zanzibar and Pemba, located on the northeast coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean, separated from the mainland by the Zanzibar canal. Its economy is based on the exploration of spices (cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and black pepper), raffia and tourism. These islands together, with Tanzania's Mafia Island are referred to as the "Spice Islands". The beaches with crystal clear and warm waters, turquoise color, attract tourists from all over the world.

Answer: Kiribati

Kiribati, officially Republic of Kiribati, was called the Gilbert Islands before its independence, in 1979, from the United Kingdom. The country consists of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean. Its capital is South Tarawa, and the official language is English and Gilbertese. It is the only country in the world to be located in the four hemispheres: Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western.

Until 1979 the country's economy was based on phosphate exports. The deposits of this mineral are already depleted and the reserve income accumulated over the years of exploration now contributes as government revenue. The exploitation of copra (dried kernel of the coconut) and other subsistence crops are other sources of income. The country has a very vulnerable situation due to ocean levels since most of the atoll is no more than 8 meters above sea level. The highest point reaches 87 meters.

Answer: Rushmore

Mount Rushmore is located in Keystone, South Dakota. In 1923, historian Doane Robinson conceived the idea of ​​carving the likeness of the notable figures that resulted in the "Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hill", with the aim of promoting tourism in the area. In 1924, Robinson invited the American sculptor Gutzon Borglum to visit the area, on which occasion the definitive site for the work was chosen.

The work received the approval of Congress and from President Calvin Coolidge in 1925 and was carried out in the period 1927-1941, by the sculptor Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln Borglum. The sculpture features 18 meter-high heads of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, in order to represent the nation's birth, growth, development and preservation, respectively.

Answer: Chișinău

Chișinău, also known as Kishinev is the capital, largest city, main commercial and industrial center of the Republic of Moldova. It is located on the banks of the Bīc River, a tributary of the Dniester River.

Chișinău was founded in 1436 as a monastery village and was part of the Principality of Moldavia until 1812. Later, numerous political changes took place in the region and the city came under the control of Russia, Romania, the Soviet Union, being subject to pogroms, invasions and also earthquakes. Since 1991, Chișinău has been the capital of the Republic of Moldova.

Answer: Cotopaxi

Ecuador has about a hundred volcanoes and in the vicinity of its capital, Quito, there are nine volcanoes, some of which are still active. Among these volcanoes the most famous is the Cotopaxi, one of the highest in the world, 5,897 meters high, located in the Cotopaxi National Park, nestled in the Andes.

Its snow-capped summit and perfect size and shape attract many visitors. Cotopaxi is an active volcano and is Ecuador's postcard. It is estimated that it erupts every 100 years; the last time was in 1877, which is why it is expected to happen again in the near future. Going up to Cotopaxi is an incredible experience; along the way are shelters where visitors sip coca tea, which serves both to warm up and combat the effects of altitude. The climb, which must always be accompanied by a qualified guide, is very tiring because in addition to the rarefied air, the hiker has to face the intense cold and winds.

Answer: McKinley

The name of the highest mountain in North America, with a summit elevation of 6,190m above sea level, became the subject of contention when, in 1975, the state of Alaska asked the Federal Government to change the name of the mountain from McKinley to Denali. The McKinley name has been official since 1917, in honor of President William McKinley.

Denali is the name by which the mountain was called by the natives and other residents of the region. This name has roots in the Koyukon language, used in the area where the mountain is located. After 40 years of controversy, in September 2015, President Barack Obama announced the renaming of the mountain.

Answer: Tirupati

Tirupati is a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, that lies at the foot of Seshachalam Hills, and home to many historical temples. The most important place in this area is the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple.

The temple is considered the richest temple in the world due to donations received. About 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims visit the temple daily; on special days the number of pilgrims can reach the number of 500,000, which makes the temple the most visited holy place in the world. There are countless curiosities about this temple but one of them stands out. Thousands of devotees go there to have their heads tonsured, a way of showing that they can give to the gods something that serves as an ornament. The daily amount of hair collected is over a ton; hair is collected and sold internationally generating a substantial profit for the temple.