Gardz Around the World Trivia Quiz

Answer: A Stone Age settlement

The settlement of "Skara Brae" as it is called is the best-preserved Stone Age settlement in Western Europe. It was occupied during the Neolithic Period (3100-2500BC). The discovery was made in 1850 after a tremendous storm had battered the island leaving the structure exposed. It was granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1999.

Question by navaho56.

Answer: Emily Pauline Johnson

E. Pauline Johnson (1861-1913) was born at "Chiefswood" on the Six Nations Indian Reserve in Ontario, Canada. She was the youngest of four children born to Mohawk Chief G.H.M. Johnson and his English wife Emily S. Howells. A writer of both prose and poetry from a very early age, Pauline began her stage career in 1898, intending to tour and recite her poetry just long enough to become financially stable, before retiring to write literature for which she hoped to be remembered.

She settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1910. It was there that she died from cancer on March 7, 1913. Three days later, on her fifty-second birthday, a "state funeral" was held. Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake) was the first and only person buried in Vancouver's Stanley Park (by government/ military permission) and the first woman (other than royalty) and the first Native person to be depicted on a Canadian postage stamp (1961, her centennial year).

Of her four published books, her book of poetry, "Flint and Feather" still holds the title of having outsold any other Canadian poet of her time. Her childhood home, "Chiefswood" has been named a National Historic Site.

Question by DustyRosie.

Answer: Newfoundland

This is known as a "screeching in" ceremony. People complete the ritual to be considered honourary Newfoundlanders. To be considered "official", the ceremony must be led by a person born in Newfoundland and must be witnessed by at least one other person. The person being screeched in is required to kiss a codfish on the mouth, take a shot of Screech rum and, when asked "Is ye an honourary Newfoundlander?", reply "Indeed I is", with the sentence given in the question.

Question by guitargoddess.

Answer: All Blacks

All Blacks - There are several theories with regards to the origin of our team's name. By far the most popular was a quote from a London journalist, who reported that the New Zealanders played as if they were all backs (in rugby you field a team which consists of 8 forwards, 1 halfback and 6 backs. The forwards were traditionally the hard sloggers of the team, playing for position and ball possession and the backs are traditionally the fast paced scorers of a rugby team, although forwards are much more mobile these days). This 'all backs' quote was apparently reported during the Originals tour of Britain in 1905. Of course the originals uniform at the time consisted of shirts, shorts and socks entirely in black.

Kiwis - New Zealand national men's rugby league team.

Silver ferns - New Zealand national women's netball team.

Black Sox - New Zealand national men's softball team; not to be confused with the baseball team from the United States of America.

Question by venusaam.

Answer: 1865

1865 - This is the year Wellington officially became the capital city of New Zealand. This was in response to a resolution before parliament to be transferred to a suitable location near the Cook Strait or a more central location within the country.

1840 - Okiato (formerly Russell, now known as Old Russell which is located 7 kilometres south of the present location for Russell) was the original capital ciy of New Zealand following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

1841 - The Governor of New Zealand, William Hobson chose Auckland to be the new capital city of New Zealand. Auckland was and is the major seaport and the most popluated city.

1893 - An important year in New Zealand history; this was the year that women gained the right to vote in New Zealand.

Question by venusaam.

Answer: Colorado

The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 included the purchase of France's claim to land that comprised all or part of what would be 14 US States. Colorado being one of them. However, an early map of the Lousiana Purchase had not included a 1500 sq. mile area which included the town of Breckenridge. The founders declared the area to have sovereign status as an independent Kingdom. Years later, in the early 1930s, a second map was located which did include the area in question. It did officially become part of the USA in 1936 and contained one special stipulation. Breckenridge was to be returned to its status as an independent kingdom for three consecutive days each year. Since 1963, this special status is celebrated during the annual Uhler Fest.

Question by DustyRosie (not USA but a neighbour) :)

Answer: Borneo

Gunung (Malay word for mountain) Mulu National Park is located in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. This national park was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The rock formation in Gua Rusa (Deer Cave) resembles the profile of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. Malaysia is divided into West Malaysia and East Malaysia. East Malaysia is located on Borneo island.

Question by Matthew_07.

Answer: Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories. Two states, namely Sarawak and Sabah (collectively known as East Malaysia) are located on Borneo island while the remaining eleven states (known as West Malaysia) are Perlis, Pulau Pinang (Penang), Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka (Malacca), Johor, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu.

The three Federal Territories are Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan. Kuala Lumpur is also the capital of Malaysia.

The Petronas Twin Towers, or its Malay name, Menara Berkembar Petronas, were designed by the famous Argentine architect, César Pelli.

Question by Matthew_07.

Answer: JRR Tolkien lived close to Sarehole Mill as a young boy and it provided inspiration for settings in "The Lord of The Rings"

Although born in South Africa, Tolkien spent four years of his childhood (when aged between 4 - 8 years old) living in a house just a stone's throw from Sarehole Mill in what is now the south Birmingham suburb of Hall Green. In Tolkien's day the area was still largely rural and Tolkien and his brother spent much time exploring sites close to their home including Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog which he used as inspiration for Hobbiton and The Shire in "The Lord of The Rings" and "The Hobbit".

Tolkien said of Sarehole Mill "It was a kind of lost paradise ... There was an old mill that really did grind corn with two millers, a great big pond with swans on it, a sandpit, a wonderful dell with flowers, a few old-fashioned village houses and, further away, a stream with another mill."

By the 1960s the mill had fallen into disrepair and needed substantial funds to instigate a restoration project. Tolkien gladly contributed and these days it is a valuable asset to the city and is managed by the Birmingham Museums and Art Galleries.

Neville Chamberlain was part of a dynasty of wealthy Birmingham businessmen and politicians. He became Prime Minister in 1937 and is famous (or infamous) for his policy of appeasement with Hitler before the second world war. He was born in Edgbaston, Birmingham in 1869 but is probably not one of the city's best remembered sons.

The first major battle of The English Civil War was fought at Edge Hill in Warwickshire in 1642. Birmingham was staunchly behind the parliamentarian forces and was a major centre for weapons manufacture. Some manufactures refused to supply the Royalist side and King Charles was not best pleased. Birmingham suffered greatly in April 1643 when Prince Rupert's men attacked a small parliamentarian garrison in the town and in a drunken orgy after the victory, pillaged and torched many houses. This became known as The Battle of Camp Hill (Camp Hill is around five miles away from Sarehole Mill).

Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi both lived in Aston which is a suburb in northern Birmingham some ten miles or so away from Sarehole Mill, as far as I know neither of played the wag from school to hide out at the mill.

Question by mutchisman.

Answer: BeaverTail

A BeaverTail is a flat, oval-ish (meant to look like a beaver's tail, of course) dough that is deep fried and then topped with various toppings. The cinnamon sugar flavour was the BeaverTail company's original flavour. The company was founded in Ottawa and there has been a stand selling the treats on the Rideau Canal skateway for years.

The Rideau Canal is a waterway that connect Ottawa and Kingston, Ontario. In the summer, the way is used recreationally for boating and other water fun, and in the winter, a large portion of the canal becomes a skating rink. At 7.8 km, it was the longest rink in the world until 2008, when Winnipeg, Manitoba opened a rink that was over 8 km long. The rink in Winnipeg is long but not wide, however, and even after the opening of that rink, the Rideau Canal remained the largest rink in the world in terms of surface area. The Canal has been a National Historic Site of Canada since 1925, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

Question by guitargoddess.