Quiz about Europe (for Americans)

[Haltickling]

Inspired by the quiz on the capitals of several US states, I decided to develop a geography quiz about Europe. There are no special trick questions hidden, the knowledge should be manageable for all European high school students. Have fun, don’t cheat, just test your own knowledge of an area which is smaller than North America.

1) What’s Scotland’s capital?

a) Glasgow
b) Edinburgh
c) Inverness

2) What’s Europe’s highest mountain (4207 m = 13800 ft)?

a) Grossglockner
b) Matterhorn
c) Mont Blanc

3) What’s the capital of Spain?

a) Barcelona
b) Madrid
c) Lisbon

4) Which river flows through Paris?

a) Seine
b) Rhone
c) Loire

5) Which country does the island Sardinia belong to?

a) France
b) Spain
c) Italy

6) What’s the capital of Slovenia?

a) Zagreb
b) Ljubljana
c) Bratislava

7) Which is Europe’s longest river (ca. 3700 km = ca. 2300 miles)?

a) Volga
b) Danube
c) Rhine

8) In 1871, the German archeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the remnants of the ancient city Troja (you know, the trick with the wooden horse and all those old stories of Homer). To which country would you have to travel today if you wanted to visit the historic site?

a) Greece
b) Syria
c) Turkey

9) What’s the capital of Malta?

a) Malta
b) La Valetta
c) Gibraltar

10) Which country does not belong to the Baltic republics?

a) Latvia
b) Lithuania
c) Finland

11) Which is the currency of Turkey?

a) Euro
b) Lira
c) Dinar

12) What is the capital of Switzerland?

a) Geneva
b) Zurich
c) Berne

13) In which country do you find the northernmost tip of Europe?

a) Norway
b) Russia
c) Iceland

14) Where was the first democratic state founded?

a) London
b) Rome
c) Athens

15) Which European country does not belong to the European Union (EU)?

a) Austria
b) Switzerland
c) Sweden

16) Where do the people annually celebrate the world’s biggest beer festival?

a) Munich (Germany)
b) Brussels (Belgium)
c) Amsterdam (Netherlands)


That’s it, folks. Scribble down your answers first, THEN scroll down to see the solutions.















































1 b, 2 c, 3 b, 4 a, 5 c, 6 b, 7 a, 8 c, 9 b, 10 c, 11 b, 12 c, 13 a, 14 c, 15 b, 16 a

Results (each correct answer scores 1 point):

15 or 16 points: Either you’ve got a university degree in geography, or your general education is brilliant, or you are a European yourself. Or you cheated… 😛

12 – 14 points: Very good knowledge about Europe. Congratulations!

8 – 11 points: That’s what the average non-European would score in this test.

4 – 7 points: You don’t know much about Europe at all. I recommend an extended trip through Europe (at least 2 weeks), I promise you won’t regret it!

0 –3 points: Either you really don’t know anything about Europe, or you even hate us. Please, please, please: Don’t ever travel to Europe, you won’t have any fun here! Only exception: Eurodisney. 😀

 

[milagros317]

Well, I got 13 of them correct, missing #2, #7, and #11. Nice variety of questions about different countries.

 

[mykal]

I got nine right. I guess I'm just an average non-European. *sigh* 😀

 

[venray]

hmm looks like I am neither European OR non-European, though my 11 on this test puts me at a better score than on the other....🙄
Ray

 

[Dave2112]

I guess I cheated, got 'em all. 🙄 Of course, being born in Inverness and then having a job for four years as an International Mail agent gave me a pretty good grasp of European geography. Neat quiz, though Hal. None of the stuff is TOO obscure that anyone couldn't get it. You'd be amazed how many Americans wouldn't pass an Immigration exam... 😀

 

[Moses25]

but...but...I was born there!!

6/16. Shame.🙁

Guess I'll be going on that trip after all, Hal.

Know of any good places to eat in Budapest?

Cheers.😀

 

[red indian]

Fuck me!!......

.....I only got 9!!!....I,m anti E.U. anway, so maybe thats the reason.

 

[red indian]

So.........

.....anyone up for doing U.S. version? maybe I will do a little better!

 

[Haltickling]

Most impressive, milagros! And Dave: I always knew you are a genius! But you are a born European, that heightens your natural interest in this area.

I tested this quiz on a few German friends, and most of them got 11 or 12 out of 16. That's not too good, as we learn this stuff at school (we don't learn the different state capitals of the US). So venray is very good, and mykal too.

Moses, I think you'll like Hungary. The quality of eating places changes ever so often, as everywhere else in this world. So just a few useful hints:

Look for the word "Étterem" on the housefront. It means Restaurant, but it's more authentically Hungarian and less expensive than those places called "Restaurant". You may also go to a "Borozò" or "Sörözö" (bor=wine, sör=beer), they offer traditional food and snacks as well, and they often have a very nice atmosphere. If you've got a sweet tooth, you shouldn't miss a "Kávéház" (Cafe, the best is Gerbeaud in Váci utca, the pedestrian precinct); the range of cakes is usually breathtaking! Almost no non-Hungarian speaks the native language (it's forbiddingly difficult), so they usually speak two or three foreign languages. And eat a "Pörkölt" (delicious meat stew) for me, will you?

Oh, and red indian: The test says you're certainly not an average non-European, nothing else... 😛 (As if I could ever have expected otherwise!)

 

[wishiswish]

HEY!

Hey, hal.
you didn't have to learn the american states and capitals at school??? lucky you... sigh. we had this very fierce and old-fashioned geography teacher. but hey, just 10 years afterwards i already mananged to eradicate most of this stuff from my memory.

what about a literature quiz? but i'm just too lazy to create one...

nik

 

[sushi854]

I missed four. I did not know that the Volga was the longest river in Europe or that the northernmost tip was in Norway. For some reason I thought that Turkey had already gone to the euro, but I had no clue as to what is the capital of Malta.

 

[Prime]

I got 9 right...egads..i know more about europe than the united states. whodathunkit.

 

[Oddjob0226]

Well, I'm average. It's those East European countries that did me in! It Bernes me up. I feel like a Turkey, know what I'm Seine'?

But a trip through Europe does sound pretty good.

 

[ticklebutton]

heheh, Oddjob...

Just relax with a Glasgow of single-Malta Scotch and quit Rhine-ing.

Button 😛

 

[Oddjob0226]

You mean Rhine whine, don't you? I'll Sweden it with Sweet and Low.

Anyway, all this talk is making me Hungary. I'm late for Dinar and need to Rome to the kitchen - I'm having Turkey and Brussels sprouts. But in my Russian' I hope I don't Berne it - EU!

 

[Knox The Hatter]

I didn't do as well as I thought I would, Hal, I got only 13. But then these questions weren't puff balls either!
I'll come up with an American one, and it's gonna be goooood. How much you wanna bet a European wins it?

 

[ticklebutton]

lol Oddman, EU!

Even though you're rushin' you can still serve a meal with charm & Greece - no need to be Slovenia-ly!
Invite a few friends to join you, but don't Buda-Pest-er 'em; just Polish up the silver, set out the good Dresden China, and enjoy the evening until it's Finnish.
Czech to make sure everyone has enough, or you're gonna have some 'Spain-ing to do, Lucy!

 

[Oddjob0226]

Re: lol Oddman, EU!

Blah blah blah, yammer yammer on and on..... - or you're gonna have some 'Spain-ing to do, Lucy!

I'm laughing without even being tickled!

(although that would be an added plus....)

 

[qjakal]

Hmmm....

Got 12, but I thought the one about Switzerland not being in the EU was a gimme, not to mention the one about beer and Germany...lol. As always I'm appalled at my ignorance. Thank god for MapQuest if you're traveling.... Q

 

[Morning Angel]

Apparently I'm an average non-European. There are worse fates one could suffer. Hopefully I'll be enlightened if I move to the UK next year. Thanks for the fun and informative quiz, Hal.

Morning Angel

 

[Strelnikov]

14/16. Good quiz. Is Iceland really considered part of Europe?

Strelnikov

 

[desdemona]

12/16...

But I lived in Switzerland for a year. And whenever the Swiss found out I was American, they were amazed I knew the difference between the confederation helvetica and Sweden. Damn snobs...

Interesting that you put Sweden down as one of the choices for not being in the EU considering the Swedish voted to keep the Krona over the Euro.

And I'm curious about Iceland, too...we never studied it as part of Europe. Care to enlighten the ignorant?

 

[Haltickling]

Iceland

Geographically and historically, Iceland is considered Europe's second-largest Island. Geologically, one half of Iceland is on the European continental shelf, the other half belongs to the American shelf. That island is located directly on the mid-Atlantic ridge where enough lava is produced to press the continents about one inch per year apart. That's why there are so many volcanoes and geysirs in Iceland.

The division line is clearly visible at the Thingvellir, a small canyon where the world's first parliament was founded. Actually, at the bottom of that canyon, you can stand with one foot in America, and the other one in Europe. Fascinating!

Good results, desdemona, Strelnikov, and Q! 🙂

 

[desdemona]

Thanks, Hal. Nice quiz. And I have no idea if life here is considered intelligent when compared to what else might be out there 😉

 

[Deleted member 2452]

i scored 14 ,and am disappointed!

are you sure about the turkish currancy being called a "lira"?

steve