A Handy Guide to Spain Trivia Quiz

Answer: Balearic Sea

The Balearic Sea is the region of the Mediterranean between the north-eastern coastline of Spain and the Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza (depicted in the photo clue), Formentera and other assorted smaller isles. The section of the Spanish coastline that lies on the Balearic Sea runs from Cape San Antonio in the province of Alicante to the south-west to Cape San Sebastian near the town of Palafrugell in the province of Girona to the north-east.

The incorrect options are all minor seas of the Mediterranean around the coast of Italy.

Answer: Pyrénées-Orientales

Llívia is separated from the rest of mainland Spain by a strip of the French Department of Pyrénées-Orientales that is approximately 1.6 kilometres (1 mile) wide. The history of this small geographic anomaly dates back to the mid-17th century when Spain ceded the surrounding territory to France under the terms of the Treaty of the Pyrenees that ended the Franco-Spanish War of 1635 to 1659. Llívia remained Spanish territory simply because the treaty didn't cover it because it was classed as a town rather than a village.

The photo clue shows a nice scenic view of the Pyrenees mountain range that runs along the border between France and Spain. The incorrect options are all French Departments, but are not located near the Spanish border.

Answer: Madrid

The Loyoza River flows down from Spain's Sistema Central mountain range to join the Jarama River, which then continues south past Spain's capital city, Madrid. The El Atazar Reservoir (pictured) is one of many built on this relatively short stretch of river to supply water to Spain's largest city and population centre.

The dam is around 135 metres (440 feet) high and the reservoir behind it can hold up to 426 million cubic metres of water.

Answer: Cartagena

Cartagena is located in the Murcia region of south-eastern Spain and has been a home base for the Spanish Navy since the 16th century, thanks to its natural harbour and strong strategic position on the Mediterranean. However, the city itself has been around for much longer than the navy and visitors to Cartagena can view numerous Roman remains, most notably its Roman theatre (pictured). As well as being an active naval base, Cartagena has also had a long association with industry and shipbuilding. This is a bit of a contrast to the wider Murcia area, which has a largely agricultural economy.

Spain's other main naval bases are located in San Fernando, Ferrol, Rota and Las Palmas.

Answer: Alicante

The Costa Blanca is the name given to the Mediterranean coastline of Spain's Alicante province. Popular tourist resorts along this coast include Alicante itself, Benidorm and Torrevieja and as you would expect, the area is noted for its lengthy expanses of sandy beaches and warm Mediterranean climate. However, there is also plenty to do in Alicante for non-beach loving tourists - Santa Barbara Castle, which is perched above the city on Mount Benacantil, dates back to the 9th century.

Malaga is where you find the Costa del Sol, Murcia's coastline is known as the Costa Calida and Girona is home to the Costa Brava.

Answer: In the Atlantic Ocean, west of Morocco

The Canary Islands are located approximately 100 kilometres (62 miles) off the coast of southern Morocco in the Atlantic Ocean. The archipelago is geologically considered to be part of a wider region called Macaronesia, which also includes the Portuguese territories of the Azores and Madeira along with the African island nation of Cabo Verde. There are eight main islands in the Canaries, the largest being Tenerife although Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are also well known.

The picture clue shows a fez, a hat named after the Moroccan city of the same name.

Answer: Sierra Nevada

Mulhacén is, a mountain in the Sierra Nevada range that stretches up to nearly 3,500 metres (11,500 feet) above sea level and is the highest point on the Spanish mainland (Mount Teide, a volcano in the Canary Islands, is Spain's overall highest point). It is also the highest point on western Europe outside of the Alps. It is a relatively easy mountain to climb, characterised by long, gentle slopes on both its southern and western sides. The mountain is named after a 15th century Muslim king of Granada.

The picture clue shows a desert scene from the American state of Nevada.

Answer: Tenerife blue chaffinch

The bird in question is the Tenerife blue chaffinch, which is found (somewhat unsurprisingly) on the island of Tenerife. The vast majority of creatures that are endemic to Spain are found specifically in the country's offshore island groups and many of those are native to the Canary Islands. The Tenerife blue chaffinch (Fringilla teydea) is a well-known symbol of Tenerife and are most commonly found perching in another endemic species to the Canaries - the Canary Island pine.

There is no such thing as a Lanzarote blue warbler, Fuerteventura blue sparrow or blue canary. While some canaries that have been bred in captivity have what is known as "blue factor" colouration, they are generally just a slightly blueish-grey.

Answer: Galicia

The autonomous communities of Spain are a level of regional administration set up under the Spanish constitution of 1978 and largely relate to historic regions and kingdoms. Galicia contains mainland Spain's northern and westernmost points (Punta de Estaca de Bares and Cape Touriñán respectively) and is bordered by Portugal to the south and the regions of Asturias and Castile and León to the east. Historically, from the 8th century and throughout the Middle Ages, Galicia was generally under the control of one of those neighbouring (then) kingdoms.

Extremadura and Andalusia are both located on Portugal's eastern border with Spain, while Aragon is located in the north-east of the country.

Answer: Christchurch, New Zealand

Antipodes are locations on opposite sides of the globe. In theory if you were to dig a tunnel straight down through the centre of the Earth then where you would come out at the other end is the antipode of your starting point. A Coruña in Galicia is literally on the opposite side of the world from the city of Christchurch on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. A Coruña is the largest city in Galicia and capital of the province of the same name. It was also the ancient capital of the former Kingdom of Galicia.

The picture clue shows ChristChurch Cathedral in Christchurch, prior to the devastating earthquake of 2011 that destroyed the tower and severely damaged the remainder of the building.