Dire Straits Trivia Quiz

Answer: Palk

...pen PAL Kept...

The Palk Strait separates mainland India from the island of Sri Lanka. It was named after Sir Robert Palk who was the Governor of the Indian state of Madras during the British Raj. Madras, now known as the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is found at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent.

Answer: Bering

Be + Ring

The Bering Strait lies between Russia and the United States. Most anthropologists believe that at one point in time, this area was shallow enough to allow people from Asia to cross on foot and settle in the Americas. The strait was named after Vitus Bering. While being of Dutch nationality, he explored the area under commission of the Russian Empire.

Answer: Gibraltar

The Strait of Gibraltar is an important waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. It separates the continents of Europe and Africa. The strait was named after the Rock of Gibraltar which is found on the southwestern tip of Europe.

This rock along with the Jebel Musa, a mountain on the African side of the strait, were together called the Pillars of Hercules. The ancient Greeks and Phoenicians regarded these pillars as marking the end of the world.

Answer: Torres

Store + R

The Torres Strait is found between the continent of Australia and the island of New Guinea. The strait gives its name to a number of small islands found within it called the Torres Strait Islands. These islands belong to Australia and only a small number of them are inhabited.

Answer: Tiran

The Straits of Tiran are found between the Arabian and Sinai peninsulas. It connects the Gulf of Aqaba to the Red Sea. The strait is named after the island of Tiran which was first under Egyptian rule and then ceded to Saudi Arabia.

Answer: Bali

The Bali Strait separates the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. While Java is one of the most densely populated islands in the world, Bali is unique in that it has a mostly Hindu population despite being part of Indonesia, which is the largest Muslim country in the world. The strait connects the Indian Ocean to the Bali Sea.

Answer: Sunda

...SUN, DAy...

The Sunda Strait is found between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. It derives its name from the indigenous Sundanese people who live in the western part of the island of Java. The strait is famous for being the site of the Battle of Sunda Strait during World War 2 when two Allied cruisers were sunk here by the Japanese.

Answer: Bass

B + Ass

The Bass Strait separates the Australian island state of Tasmania from mainland Australia. It is named after George Bass, a British explorer who circumnavigated Tasmania (then known as Van Damien's Island) along with fellow explorer Matthew Flinders in the late 18th century.

Answer: Dover

The Strait of Dover separates the island of Great Britain from the rest of continental Europe. It is named after the town of Dover which is located in the English county of Kent. The White Cliffs of Dover are a series of limestone cliffs overlooking the strait and have been immortalized in song.

Answer: Malacca

The Strait of Malacca lies between the Malay peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The strait is an important shipping route that connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is used extensively by major Asian countries ranging from Singapore and Malaysia to Japan and India.