Which Country Are We in, Kids? (3) Quiz

Answer: Mongolia

The world's 19th-largest country, about twice the size of Turkey, Mongolia has a population of around 3,000,000 (2015 official estimate), compared with Turkey's 78 million. With less than five people for every square mile, Mongolia is less densely populated than any other independent country in the world. Even Australia, with its vast empty expanses once you move inland from the coastal cities, has more than eight people per square mile.

Completed in 2008, the Genghis Khan Statue Complex is located on the bank of the Tuul River in Erdene, some 30 miles east of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. For a spectacular panoramic view, visitors can gain access to the head of the majestic steel horse by walking up through its chest and neck.

Answer: Romania

The seat of the Romanian government, also known as the "People's Palace", is located on 'Dealul Spirii' ("Spirit Hill") in the heart of the capital city, Bucharest. Constructed between 1984 and 1997, this 1,100-room edifice is the world's most expensive parliament building. In addition to the twelve stories you can see, there are a further eight underground levels, going down almost 100 metres. In addition to the Romanian Senate and Chamber of Deputies, the complex also houses a major conference centre and three museums.

Bran Castle, located in the commune of the same name in central Romania on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia, is commonly known as "Dracula's Castle". Whether the Irish writer Bram Stoker knew anything about Bran Castle, or even knew it existed, is doubtful, but the castle that dates back to the 13th century has become a popular tourist destination anyway.

Answer: Tunisia

Like its Rome counterpart, the El Djem Amphitheatre in eastern-central Tunisia was used for chariot-racing and gladiatorial contests. It was built some time in the early 230s A.D. under the direction of future Roman Emperor Gordian whilst he was proconsul in North Africa. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, it was badly damaged in the 17th century when locals used many stones from the amphitheatre to build the nearby village.

Much of "The Life of Brian" was shot in Tunisia, mostly in the fishing port of Monastir, on the coast just a few miles east of El Djem. The famous scene in the amphitheatre has John Cleese as a not-very-bright Roman centurion correcting the Latin grammar of those daubing graffiti on the walls.

The other major tourist attraction in the region is the Mosque of Uqba, also called the Great Mosque of Kairouan. Established in 670, it is one of the oldest holy sites in the Islamic world. It remains today one of the largest mosques in North Africa.

You can easily visit both sites in a single day trip from either Tunis or the vacation resort of Sousse (as I did when I was there).

Answer: Peru

Manú National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1977, is the largest national park in Peru. Particularly popular with ornithologists, it is home to more than 1,000 species of bird (more than are found in the entire USA and Canada combined). It is also the last refuge for many mammals and reptiles, due in part to its relative inaccessibility to humans.

The tayra is a member of the weasel family that is native to central and northwestern South America. The extremely rare yellow-tailed woolly monkey, a cousin to the howler monkey and spider monkey, is found naturally only in the Peruvian Andes. The spectacled bear is the only surviving species of "short-faced bears", and the only species of bear native to South America. Technically, this species is the largest South American carnivore, although that title is usually given to the jaguar since meat represents only about 5% of the spectacled bear's diet.

Answer: Sri Lanka

The remains of the royal ancient capital city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa is located on the outskirts of the modern-day city of the same name in central Sri Lanka. The kingdom founded by Vijayabahu I in 1070 survived less than 150 years, until 1214, when it was invaded and taken over by King Kalinga Magha, who founded the Jaffna Kingdom which would last into the 17th century. The remains of its capital city, though, still attract many tourists today.

A reddish-brown Old World monkey that is endemic to Sri Lanka, the toque macaque has an average lifespan of less than five years in the wild. This is not in small part because it is, unfortunately, a popular snack for leopards, fishing cats and Indian rock pythons, all of which can be found in the wild in the region. During the recent civil war in Sri Lanka, the soldiers of both sides also regularly used toque macaques for target practise, something that has now been outlawed.

Answer: Wales

The Afon Seoint (River Seoint in English) flows into the Menai Strait, forming a natural harbour around the royal town of Caernarfon in northwest Wales. The Romans built a fort here and named it Segontium. King Edward I began replacing the old motte-and-bailey fort in 1284, although it would be almost fifty years later before the stone Caernafon Castle that we see today was completed.

In 1911, Prince Edward, the eldest son of the newly-crowned King George V, was invested as Prince of Wales here. He would later become King Edward VIII briefly, before abdicating the throne to his younger brother. In 1969, Caernarfon Castle was the setting for the investiture of Charles, eldest son of Elizabeth II, as Prince of Wales.

Answer: Saint Kitts & Nevis

Located in the Leeward Isles in the Lesser Antilles, the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is a two-island state in the Caribbean Sea. Separated by a two-mile wide channel called "The Narrows", the islands of Saint Christopher and Nevis were home to the first French and English settlements in the West Indies.

With a combined area of just 104 square miles (about half the size of the Isle of Man), St Kitts Nevis is the smallest of all independent countries in the Americas. It is also the smallest in terms of population, with just an estimated 55,000 residents in 2015, although that is up 20% from the last census (in 2001).

The complex of fortifications on Brimstone Hill over look the Caribbean Sea on the west coast of Saint Kitts. Visitor attractions include the Fort George Citadel (including the Fort George Museum) as well as ruins of various quarters and barracks.

Answer: Jordan

Located in the Zarqa Governorate in northern Jordan, Qasr Amra lies to the north of the country's major east-west highway (Route 40), about 50 miles east of Amman, the national capital. A popular tourist destination, most visitors are attracted by the frescoes that cover the inside walls rather than the ancient limestone and basalt building itself. The frescoes depict numerous scenes -- hunting, animals, naked women, plants and trees. The most fascinating, though, is an image of the night sky painted on the domed roof of the main chamber.

Other major tourist attractions in Jordan include the southern city of Petra, famous for its architecture carved from rose-coloured stone. Some of the buildings here date back to at least the 4th century B.C. and perhaps beyond that.

Answer: Togo

These remarkable mud tower-houses known as 'Takienta' have become one of the national symbols of Togo (officially called the Togolese Republic), a former French colony in West Africa. The semi-mountainous Koutammako region covers most of north-eastern Togo and also extends into neighbouring Benin. The region is bordered by the Atakora mountains to the north and the Keran River to the south.

The tower-houses can be either one- or two-stories high. Some are used as living quarters, others as granaries and other communal uses. Whilst mud buildings are relatively common throughout west Africa, in Koutammouko each building is joined to the surrounding mud wall of the village or settlement, emphasizing the sense of community of the Batammariba people.

Answer: Sweden

With a population of 140,000 in 2010, Uppsala in the fourth-largest city in Sweden (after Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo). Some 45 miles north of the national capital, Stockholm, Uppsala has been the seat of the Archbishop of the Church of Sweden since 1164. Construction of the cathedral began in 1270 but took more than 150 years to complete. Nearby Uppsala University, which was founded in 1477, is Scandinavia's oldest higher education centre.

The Fyris River today divides Uppsala into two very different parts, with the modern, commercial city centre on the east side and the historic quarter, with its medieval streets, parks and river views dominated by the cathedral, to the west.