Zero Latitudes Stories Trivia Quiz

Answer: Floreana

The Galapagos are home to some very unusual fauna, but they have also attracted some highly eccentric humans. In the 1930s, three different sets of people arrived, all looking for a pristine paradise. First a couple, then the Wittner family, all German, and finally an Austrian Baroness, Eloise Wagner-Bousquet, who carried a whip and a pistol, and came with two male companions.

She styled herself the Empress of Floreana. Soon conflicts arose in the small island (250 square km.) among the groups, until the Baroness and one of her friends mysteriously disappeared.

There were other suspicious deaths worthy of an Agatha Christie story. The riddles have never been solved. To this day some members of the Wittner family still live on the island.

Answer: Papillon

Henri Charrière (1906-1973) aka "Papillon", from the tattoo of a butterfly on his chest escaped the infamous penal colony in 1945, after several attempts. He wrote his memoirs in 1969, but probably only 10% of it is true. A movie was made in 1973, with Steve McQueen in the title role, and Dustin Hoffman as his friend.
Another famous prisoner of the island was Captain Alfred Dreyfus who had been falsely convicted of espionage in 1894 and sent to Devil's Island. The writer Emile Zola wrote the famous letter "J'accuse" in his defense. Eventually he was freed and ultimately rehabilitated.

Answer: Henry Ford

In 1928 Ford bought 6,000 square miles of land in the Amazon jungle close to Belem, and founded a town called Fordlandia. His intent was to start a rubber plantation to furnish rubber for his auto industry. He also wanted to provide better living conditions for the natives.

The experiment went awry, mainly because he failed to understand the local culture - but also because of pests and diseases. After WWII and the discovery of synthetic rubber, Fordlandia was abandoned and now is a collection of rusty buildings, a failed visionary experiment.

Answer: Albert Schweitzer

Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), the German born missionary, theologian and medical doctor, built a hospital in the town of Lambarene, Gabon, which he ran from 1913 to 1965, when he died. He won the Nobel Prize in 1952. The hospital is still in operation.

Answer: Leopold II

Leopold II was the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State. He enriched himself by exploiting its resources of ivory and rubber by ruthlessly abusing the natives. In 1908 he was forced to relinquish control of what ultimately became the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Joseph Conrad described his cruel colonial exploitation in "The Heart of Darkness".

Answer: Israel

Israeli commandos landed at Entebbe airport on July 4th, 1976 and freed the hostages taken by Palestinians, who had hijacked an Air France plane and were demanding the release of some of their imprisoned countrymen. The hijackers were killed and the only Israeli casualty was Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, older brother of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin.

Answer: Out of Africa

The movie was made in 1985 and won five Oscars. It is the autobiography of Danish writer Karen Blixen who wrote under the pseudonym of Isak Dinesen. In Nairobi you can visit the Karen Blixen Museum.

Answer: Maldives

The Maldives have an elevation of only 4 feet 11 inches and are also the smallest Asian country in area. They are a group of 26 atolls that were a British protectorate from 1887 to 1965, when they became an independent republic. In 2004 the islands were devastated by a tsunami and the government is concerned about possible future inundations.
Tourism is the principal source of revenue and they are a popular destination for honeymooners.

Answer: Krakatoa

The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 was one of the worst in modern history. Krakatoa is in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra. According to estimates more than 36,000 people died, some from the blast, others from the tsunami that followed.
Because of the effect of the eruption on the atmosphere, spectacular sunsets were observed both in Europe and America.

Answer: R.L. Stevenson

Stevenson, already famous for "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and "Treasure Island", was suffering from tuberculosis and decided to visit the South Seas, a long held desire of his. In 1889 he spent two months in the island of Abemama in the country of Kiribati in the Gilbert Islands.

There, surprisingly, he was befriended by the local king, an eccentric tyrant named Tem Binoka. Stevenson immortalized the king in the account of his voyage on the Equator. Later on, he moved to Samoa, where he died in 1894.

He was buried there. The Samoans had given him the name of Tusitala, which means teller of tales.