Rippling Rutabaga - it's the "R" Quiz

Answer: Maryland

Rwanda is a bit smaller than Maryland. Its land area is 26,338 square kilometres. Landlocked, it is somewhat mountainous and less than half of the land is arable. Life expectancy is low, with AIDS and fighting between the two major tribes, the Hutus and the Tutsis, taking many lives at early ages.

The economy is based largely on subsistence farming, with tea and coffee being its major exports.

Answer: R is for Ricochet

The first pages of "R is for Ricochet" start gently - Kinsey gets a commission to escort the daughter of a rich man home from prison and essentially babysit her to keep her out of further trouble. But the daughter has other ideas, and when the man she went to prison to protect turns out to be cheating on her (as well as his wife), she decides to get her own back in a manner which puts everyone in danger. Meanwhile, Kinsey becomes involved with a police officer - and how that, and all the other shenanigans, turn out... well, you should know by now I won't tell!

Answer: Charles Reade

Charles Reade was born in 1814 in Oxfordshire, England. He wrote comedies for the stage and later turned to more serious prose. His best-known work, "The Cloister and the Hearth", is an historical novel about the father of Erasmus. Many of his other works exposed abuses or questionable practices found in Victorian England. He died in 1884.

Arthur B. Reeve was born in 1880 in New York State, US. He attended Princeton University, and following graduation studied law at the New York Law School. He never practiced law, however, instead becoming a journalist and author of pulp fiction detective novels - lots of them. He died in 1936.

William MacLeod Raine was born in 1871 in London, England, and emigrated to Arkansas, USA, during his childhood. He wrote a number of novels based on cowboys and the West. He died in 1954.

G. Harvey Ralphson was born in 1879 and was heavily involved with the American Boy Scouting movement. His written works feature either boy scouts or the military. He died in 1940.

Answer: Odilon Redon

Odilon Redon was born in 1840 in Bordeaux, France. He served in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-71, and was virtually unknown until an 1884 novel based its plot on a person who collected Redon's works. His early works were often bizarre, always in black and white. His later works were quite the opposite, colourful and joyful. He died in 1916.

Jan Raes II was Flemish, born in either the late 1500s or early 1600s, and he lived and worked in Brussels, in what is now Belgium. He was a weaver of tapestries, and that's just about all I can find on him.

Bernardino Radi was born in 1581 in Cortona, now part of Italy. He was an engraver, whose only remaining known work is a set of architectural ornamental drawings. He died in 1643.

Jean Rabel was born around 1545 in France and died in 1603. He was considered a highly skilled engraver and painter of portraits, and probably an excellent draughtsman. One of his pen and ink works, "Femme au bain entourée de deux hommes", was sold at auction in 1997. It appears to be done in a classical style, with just a bit of whimsy in the fountain.

Answer: Tsvetnaya Bolonka

The Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka is about 8-10 inches in height and a bit over 3 pounds in weight. It has a thick curly coat in a wide range of colours. The breed originated in the St Petersburg area of Russia.

The Rafeiro do Alentejo is at the opposite end of the spectrum: it's about 28 inches tall and between 100 and 130 pounds in weight. Also known as the Portuguese Mastiff, it is believed that the breed's ancestors were Tibetan Mastiffs. This big fellow is a great guard dog, and will guard (but not herd) livestock.

The Rajapalayam is a hunting dog, a sighthound, originating in India. It's about 30 inches tall but slight in build. Colours range from white to black, although white is the preferred colour. The breed is under threat of extinction, but efforts are ongoing to popularise the breed and ensure its continuity.

The Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz is a ratter - the name means "Andalusian Wine Cellars' Ratting Dog". It was bred to get rid of rats in the sherry cellars of Jerez, Spain. It's medium in height at 15-17 inches, and 15-18 pounds in weight. Its short coat is mostly white but may have black and brown markings on head, legs and tail.

Answer: Battle of Rich Mountain

The Battle of Rich Mountain was fought in what was, at the time, Virginia, and is now part of West Virginia. Union General McClellan essentially surprised Confederate General John Pegram, while Union General William Rosecrans brought his troops up to attack from the rear. The Confederate troops were split into two separate groups, one of which escaped and the other one surrendered.

The Battle of Roanoke Island on 7-8 February 1862 was also known as the Battle of Fort Huger. It was an amphibious attack by Union troops on a fort at the narrow point of Roanoke Island, and allowed the blockage of the Chesapeake area to be strengthened.

The Battle of Roan's Tan Yard, also known as Silver Creek, was fought on 8 January 1962 in Missouri. The Confederates were camped out, and despite heavy fog the Union troops eventually found them and destroyed the camp.

The Battle of Ringgold Gap, on 27 November 1863, was fought when Union General Joseph Hooker basically blundered into the defended mountain pass, held by Confederate General Patrick Cleburne. Cleburne held the pass long enough to allow the wagons and Confederate troops through, then abandoned it. It was a bit of a bloodbath for the Union troops, who had 507 casualties compared to the Confederate's 221.

Answer: Restormel Castle

Restormel Castle, near Lostwithiel in Cornwall, was built in 1100. It is a motte and bailey castle, and still has standing walls. It is currently managed by English Heritage (which is a source of irritation to some Cornish nationalists!).

Rugemont Castle no longer exists. It appears it was a timber fortification located with Brogborough Manor in Rugemont, Bedfordshire, England. The only remains of it is a medieval earthwork, largely destroyed.

Risinghoe Castle also no longer exists. It was a motte and bailey structure on the river Ouse, in Bedforshire. It was probably built early after the Norman invasion, and likely was the property of Hugh de Beauchamp. It later became the possession of a monastery, then passed to the Duke of Bedford. The only remains are the earthwork mound.

Renhold Castle is again just some earthworks and a memory. It was probably built around the same time as Risinghoe, but there is little information readily available.

Answer: Rutul

Rutul is found in southern Dagestan and Azerbaijan. While it is used in the home, literary works are written in another language, Lezgin.

Rawo is used by only about 650 people in the Sandaun Province of Papua New Guinea.

Ririo is another language with a small number of users: 79. They are found on Choiseul Island in the Solomon Islands.

Ron is found in Nigeria, used in daily life by about 115,000 people. It is sometimes also called "Challa".

Answer: Ruthenium

Ruthenium is silvery white, normally found with platinum. It is often used as an alloy with platinum or palladium, which it hardens, to make electrical connectors. It is also used to make titanium much more resistant to corrosion, is found in jet engines and even in fountain pen nibs. It was discovered in 1844 by Karl Klaus in Kazan, and was named after his homeland, Rus, now part of Russia, Belarus and Estonia.

Rutherfordium is a synthetic element, atomic number 104, atomic weight 261. It was discovered during nuclear fusion experiments, and while it exists, it has not been seen as not enough of it has been made in a short enough time to amass it - it has a half-life of around an hour. It has no known use.

Rhodium is another platinum-group metal, with an atomic number of 45 and an atomic weight of 102.90550. It is found in platinum and gold ores. Probably the most expensive metal, it is used to strengthen and prevent corrosion in platinum and palladium, on sterling silver and to provide a shiny finish on some jewelry. It is also used in mammography and catalytic converters.

Rubidium is atomic number 37, atomic weight 85.4678. It is an alkali metal, with a melting point around 102 degrees F, can self-ignite in warm air and is somewhat explosive in water.

Answer: Raimon de Miraval

Raimon de Miraval was a troubador, born probably between 1135 and 1160 in Carcassonne in France, near the Spanish border. At one point during the Albigensian Crusade, Miravel Castle was captured by Simon de Montfort, and de Miraval sought refuge in Spain. His wife, Gaudairenca, may have been unfaithful, for he separated from her and one of his works states that a woman who "takes a great lord as her lover should be regarded as dead". He appears to have been very strict in his interpretation of courtly behaviour, as his works are less about love and more about manners and faithfulness. He died between 1220 and 1229.

Georg Rhau, born in 1488, was better known as a printer of music than for his own compositions. Living in Wittenberg, Germany, at the same time as Martin Luther, he was a supporter of Luther. Rhau died in 1548.

Philip Rosseter was born around 1567 in England. He was lutenist for James I of England, having failed in an earlier career in the theatre. He favoured simple music, and his published works, "A Book of Aires" had a forward by his friend Thomas Campion which indicated his dislike of complex musical forms. He died in 1623.

Alberto da Ripa was born in Italy somewhere around 1480. He was a lutenist and writer of music for the lute. Much of his music has not survived, but an order for its printing has: 1500 copies. He died in 1551.