Hungry in Hungary Trivia Quiz

Answer: Botswana Swan

Botswana gained independence on 30 September 1966. On achieving freedom, it adopted the name - Republic of Botswana. The name is derived from the Tswana tribe which is the main ethnic group in the country. Prior to independence, Botswana was a protectorate of Great Britain from 1885 and was known as Bechuanaland. Botswana is one of the few African countries that did not get mired in tribal wars and oppressive dictatorships after freedom from colonial rule.

Hans Christian Anderson was a famous Danish storyteller. In "The Ugly Duckling", a little duckling finds himself the butt of jokes as he is different from his other siblings and their mother. Eventually unable to take the teasing, he goes away by himself only to find later that his different appearance was because he was a swan, not a duck like the others.

Answer: Bahrain Brain

Bahrain is the only island nation in the Middle East. It derives its name from the Arabic word for 'two seas' though the identity of the two seas to which it refers is debated. Like most of the other Middle Eastern countries, Bahrain has been ruled by a monarchy since it ceased to be a protectorate of Britain in the 1970s. The country is famed for pearl diving leading to sometimes being known as the "Island of Pearls".

The human brain is often compared to a computer for its ability to process significant amounts of information and also retain much of it as memory.

Answer: Denmark Mark

The countries of Denmark, Sweden and Norway are collectively referred to as Scandinavia. Denmark spans across the Jutland peninsula and also covers other nearby islands apart from the autonomous regions of Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

Answer: Spain Pain

Bullfighting is regarded as the national sport of Spain. The Spanish dance Paso doble is based on the bullfighting tradition with one partner assuming the role of the matador and the other, that of the bull. There is also an annual Running with the Bulls festival in the city of Pamplona in Spain. Bulls are left loose to run through the narrow streets with men running ahead of the animals attempting to outrace them while protecting themselves from injury. This festival was covered by Ernest Hemingway in his book "The Sun Also Rises".

Other synonyms for pain are suffering, agony, affliction and torture.

Answer: France Race

French fries are also called chips. Though named after France, there is an ongoing disagreement on whether they were first created in France or neighbouring Belgium.

The Tour de France is an annual cycling race held in France, though occasional legs cross over into neighbouring countries. The first race was held in 1903. The event has multiple stages and is raced over a period of almost three weeks.

Answer: Cuba Cub

Cuba is an island nation located in the Caribbean. It is an archipelago comprising multiple small islands in addition to the main large island. The US had a trade embargo on Cuba in 1962 due to differences with Fidel Castro who was the President of the country until his death. This led to the Cuban cigars, much appreciated around the world, being a sought after commodity in the US.

The young ones of many animal groups are referred to as cubs. These include large felines like the lions, tigers and leopards as also others like bears.

Answer: Nepal Pal

Nepal was the only officially Hindu kingdom in the world until the beginning of the 21st century. The massacre of eleven members of the royal family by Crown Prince Dipendra effectively ended the monarchy. The country went through a Civil War and eventually led to the country becoming a republic. The Communist Party won the General Elections held in 2008 and Nepal adopted a secular constitution.

Pal is a synonym for friend. In the pre-Internet era, it was common for school children to exchange letters with penpals - friends generally known only through letters and mostly living in different parts of the world. Some of these friendships survived into adulthood and a few lasted for entire lifetimes.

Answer: Australia Austria

Australia is nicknamed the "Land Down Under" due to its antipodal position relative to North America and Europe. Early geographers expected to find a mass similar in size to Eurasia or North America in the southern hemisphere which was believed to provide balance to the planet. When Australia was first discovered by the Europeans, it was thought to be this landmass. It was only later explorations that showed it was smaller than initially believed but the name Australia, after the Latin term Terra Australis, meaning 'southern continent', had stuck by then.

Austria is located in central Europe. Once part of the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire, it lost much of its territory and power after World War 1. One of the best known cinematic representations of the country is in the film "The Sound of Music" which is set in Salzburg, Austria and follows the life of the Von Trapp family at the onset of World War 2. The title song talks of the hills of Salzburg being alive with the sound of music.

Answer: Romania Mania

The legend of the vampire Dracula has its roots in Transylvania, Romania. Some sources claim it was inspired by Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler, a particularly bloodthirsty ruler.

Any sudden, extreme craze is often called a mania. In the mid 17th century, the prices for tulips reached dizzying levels in the Netherlands creating a huge asset bubble. When the prices corrected sharply in the following years, it rendered many investors penniless.

Answer: Croatia Coat

The country of Croatia is located on the Balkan peninsula in eastern Europe. The historic region of Dalmatia covers the eastern region along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The Dalmatian breed of dog is named after this region to which its roots can be traced.

It is characterized by its white coat that is covered with black dots. The best known depiction of this breed in popular culture is the film "101 Dalmatians" which was based on a book by Dodie Smith.