Geography of Greece Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mt. Olympus

Mt. Olympus, the tallest and best-known mountain in Greece, is the traditional home of the Greek gods of mythological fame. Mt. Olympus is 9,570 ft (2,917 m) high.

Answer: Thessaloniki

Sparta, Kalamata and Patra are all other cities in Greece. To get you thinking, I threw in Messina, even though it's not in Greece at all, but rather in Sicily. Thessaloniki is also known in English as Salonica, and had a 2006 city population of 450,000 (the greater metropolitan area had a population of 750,000). For the record, Athens had a 2006 city population if 930,000, but a total greater metropolitan population of 3.5 million.

Answer: Patrai

Brindisi isn't in Greece at {all;} geographically, it's located on the 'heel' of Italy. The others are large cities in Greece. Patra (or Patras) has a population of 140,000.

Answer: The Pindos Mountains

The Taygetos Mountains don't exist--at least not as a mountain range. There is a mountain named Taygetos in southern Greece. The Urals are in Russia. The Appenines are located in Italy. Many of the mountains in the Pindos Range range from about 6500 to 8600 ft.

Answer: Santorini

Santorini is also called Thera, although it is more commonly known as Santorini. It's a well-visited and much-frequented tourist spot. Plenty of sun and sea await anyone who visits!

Answer: 80

That's a lot of hills and mountains! Much of this type of terrain consists of lower-lying hills and small mountains, many of them dry of any vegetation, but others contain beautiful conifer forests of spruce and pine.

Answer: Mars Hill

Mars Hill was also known in Greek as Pnyka Hill. The Apostle Paul gave his speech on that hill at the Areopagos--a type of central public place in ancient Athens where philosophers, teachers, affluent citizens and orators would converge to give speeches, offer their opinions, discuss issues of the day and debate. For those of you familiar with Roman history, this would be similar to the Forum in ancient Rome.

Answer: Ithaca

He did eventually return to Ithaca (on Greece's western coast)--after years of wild adventures (including being almost seduced by a wily sorceress). His wife Penelope was still waiting for him--as faithful as ever. As for the choices, Crete and Mytilene are islands in Greece, but can't lay their claim to fame as Odysseus' home. Corsica is a French island in the Mediterranean, and Malta is just south of Sicily.

Answer: Athena

Athena, as her name suggests, was the patron goddess of Athens, and was the goddess of war, wisdom and knowledge. According to Greek mythology, Athena was born in a rather unique way: she sprang fully-formed and already-grown from her father Zeus' head. Ouch!

Answer: Kerkyra

Corfu (Kerkyra) has been a travel hot spot for a long time, and this island has been documented in poetry and literature, as it has been a favorite destination of European travelers. The Greeks call this island Kerkyra.

Answer: over 1400

That's a lot of islands! Out of that number, only 169 of Greece's islands are inhabited.

Answer: The Isthmus of Corinth

The other choices are all my inventions, although the place names do exist. The plans to cut through the narrow neck of land connecting Peloponnesus with the rest of Greece were formulated in ancient times, but did not become a reality until the 1890s.

This allows ships to cross from the Aegean on through to the Ionian Seas (the two bodies of water on either side of Greece) without them having to go the long circuitous route of around Peloponnesus. Think of a smaller version of the Panama Canal!

Answer: Crete

Crete is the largest island in Greece and the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean. Pantelleria and Elba (home of Napoleon's exile) are little islands elsewhere in the Mediterranean. Mytelini, also known as Lesvos or Lebvos, and Samothraki are Greek islands, but nowhere as large as Crete.

Answer: 776 B.C.

The first Olympic Games occurred in Olympia in 776 B.C. Many of the ancient ruins still stand, and you can walk the length of the ancient stadium and almost picture the crowds seated in the tiered seats (no longer visible) along the sides. Athletes competed in various skills and contests to display their endurance, stamina and overall physical prowess. Men ran in footraces naked (!) and participated in other contests of athletic skill.

As for the other choices, A.D. 460 B.C. is in the midst of Greece's Golden Age, and 1896 is the year in which the Olympic Games were resurrected in the form of the modern Olympics.

Answer: laurel wreaths

Laurel wreaths (bay leaves) were considered a true prize -- a symbol of champions awarded to the very best. How times have changed!