Jedda Rides Again! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Senegal

Located in West Africa, the territory of modern Senegal has been inhabited since prehistory. Most of the country lies within the Sahel, the semi-arid transition zone between the Sahara Desert and the Sudanian savanna, and consists of rolling, sandy plains. The country has a tropical climate, with milder temperatures on the coast than in the interior areas, and rainfall more abundant in the south, where the vegetation becomes lusher. Senegal's capital and largest city, Dakar, is situated on the peninsula of Cap-Vert, in the Atlantic Ocean. Senegal became independent from France on 20 June, 1960; its first president, Léopold Sedar Senghor, was also a renowned poet and philosopher.

Mozambique and Angola are in southern Africa; Ethiopia is in the Horn.

Answer: Luxembourg

The small, landlocked country of Luxembourg, bordered by France, Belgium and Germany, is the world's only remaining Grand Duchy. Formerly part of The Netherlands, it became independent in 1890, and in 1957 was one of the founders of what is now the European Union.

Its capital is also called Luxembourg, or sometimes Luxembourg City for clarification. The city is one of the four EU official capitals (together with Brussels, Strasbourg and Frankfurt), and the seat of a number of EU institutions and agencies -- the most important of which is the European Court of Justice. Luxembourg ranks among the richest countries in the world in terms of per capita GDP, though it is also known as a tax haven.

Answer: Montenegro

Montenegro (Venetian for "Black Mountain", translation of the native name "Crna Gora") is the smallest country in the Balkan Peninsula, in southeastern Europe. As its name implies, it is a rugged, mountainous country, with a short coastline on the Adriatic Sea.

After the breakup of communist Yugoslavia, Montenegro joined with Serbia to form the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (later Serbia and Montenegro); it became an independent nation in 2006, following a referendum won by a rather narrow margin by independence supporters. Montenegro's capital, Podgorica, is located in the central part of the country.

As of 2020, Montenegro, together with Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia, is a candidate for EU membership.

Answer: Somalia

An ancient but troubled country, Somalia has been inhabited since the Stone Age; it has also been identified as the likely location of the fabled Land of Punt. Located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia boasts the longest coastline on the African mainland, as well as one of the continent's hottest climates - due to its proximity to the Equator - though highland areas can get rather cold in winter.

Independent since 1960, Somalia has been torn apart by civil wars and other struggles for the past 60 years, and for a time had no functional government. Though the situation has become somewhat more stable in recent years, the country is still considered a "fragile state", and plagued by terrorism, piracy and many other issues. Somalia's capital is the city of Mogadishu on the Somali Sea.

Answer: Madagascar

Located in the Indian Ocean, separated by mainland East Africa by the Mozambique Channel, Madagascar is the world's fourth-largest island, and the second-largest island nation. Its earliest settlers came from the Malay Archipelago (Sunda Islands) between 350 BC and 550 AD; the island's language, Malagasy, is related to Malay, Indonesian and Tagalog. Madagascar is known for its unique fauna, which includes lemurs, the cat-like carnivore fossa, about 300 bird species, and chameleons. Unfortunately, Madagascar's environment is under threat by human activity, especially deforestation.

The nation's capital, Antananarivo, is located in the centre of the island, at an elevation of 1,280 m (4,199 ft).

Answer: Macedonia

The Republic of North Macedonia is one of the many nations on the Balkan peninsula that formed from the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. The term The Pinus peuce trees are known as Macedonian pines. Macedonia refers to an ancient kingdom (from which came Alexander the Great), to a region that includes portions of several modern Balkan countries (including Bulgaria and Albania), and to several provinces in modern Greece. In fact, Greece and the Republic of Macedonia were in dispute over the name "Macedonia", and in 2018 the latter changed its name to "North Macedonia" in accordance with the Treaty of Prespa.

Mt. Korab is the highest peak in North Macedonia and in the whole Korab mountain range, and the fourth highest on the entire Balkan peninsula. Matka Canyon lies to the west of the capital city Skopje.

Answer: Chad

By area, Chad is the world's 21st-largest country, and the fifth-largest country in Africa. Despite ample reserves of gold and uranium, and revenue from crude oil, Chad is one of the world's poorest countries. Around 87% of Chad's rural population lives below the poverty line. Chad is named for Lake Chad, the second largest wetland in Africa, though it is shrinking steadily, from 25,000 square kilometers in the 1960s to 1350 kilometers by the 21st century. Because of its closeness to deserts, Chad is called "The Dead Heart of Africa".

Answer: Vatican City

Enclaved within Rome, Italy (that is, completely surrounded by it), is Vatican City, a theocratic monarchy ruled by the Pope since it came into existence following the Lateran Treaty (1929) after the demise of the Papal States. The Pope traditionally resides in the Apostolic Palace. Dominating Vatican City is St. Peter's Basilica, which was built between 1506 and 1626. (It replaced an older church commissioned by Constantine the Great in the 320s).

In front of the basilica is St. Peter's Square, designed by Bernini, in the middle of which stands the famous obelisk.

At about 110 acres, half of which are devoted to gardens, it is the world's smallest independent state. The population is usually around 1000, with 30 or fewer women, and while internationally recognized, it is not part of the United Nations.

Answer: Suriname

Sitting in northeastern South America on the Atlantic Ocean, Suriname is a former British colony ceded to the Netherlands in 1667. The Republic of Suriname became fully independent in 1975, but it remains a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Although Dutch is the official language, Suriname is a culturally Caribbean country, and many people speak a creole language called Sranan (in addition to Dutch). Suriname is the smallest country in South America not only in area but also in population. About half the population lives in the capital city Paramaribo. Forests cover 90.2% of Suriname, the highest percentage of any nation on Earth.

Answer: Uganda

There may be as few as 750 mountain gorillas left in the wild, and many of them you can find in both Bwindi and Mhahinga national parks in Uganda, in eastern Africa. Winston Churchill called Uganda the pearl of Africa for its exceptional beauty, which Ugandans take pride in.

The custom in Uganda is, if you cut down one tree, you must plant three more. The tourism industry is well-developed, but the gross domestic product (GDP) is low; in fact, Uganda is one of the world's poorest countries, even though it produces bananas, pineapples, and avocados for export.