More Color Me Purple: Purple Mountain Majesties Quiz

Answer: Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak is one of the most prominent mountains of the Rockies, with an elevation of around 4300 m (14,000 ft), about 2400m (8000 ft) higher than Colorado Springs, located about 20 km (12 mi) to its east. It is made of a type of granite which contains a large amount of potassium feldspar, giving it a distinctive pink color. Although Native Americans had their own names for the mountain, its English name is in tribute to the explorer Zebulon Pike, who tried unsuccessfully to climb it, and designated it as 'Highest Peak'. Subsequent names have included Pike's Highest Peak, James Peak (in honor of the first person to climb it, in 1820), Pike's Peak and, finally, Pikes Peak - designated in 1890 by the US Board on Geographic Names. The mountain's prominence led to it being made famous during the Colorado Gold Rush, which followed the discovery of gold near Denver in 1858. Although the gold at that time was not near Pikes Peak, those travelling west across the plains used Pikes Peak as a focal point for their destination, and the phrase 'Pike's Peak or Bust' became familiar.

It was the view from Pikes Peak that inspired Kathy Lee Bates to write the poem 'America' in 1893, which was later set to music by Samuel A. Ward to become 'America the Beautiful', the song whose lyrics inspired the title of this quiz.

Answer: Kirkjufell

Although Kirkjufell (a name meaning Church Mountain in Icelandic) is only 463 m (1,520 ft) tall, placing it well behind other Icelandic peaks in the height department, its location on the west coast, with dramatic waterfalls nearby and an excellent view of the Aurora Borealis (when they are on display) has made it a popular destination for photographers.

This has increased since it was used for filming during the sixth and seventh seasons of the television show 'Game of Thrones' - it was the 'arrowhead mountain', north of the Wall, which appears to have been the origin of the White Walkers. (If you've seen the show, this is meaningful; if not, you can still enjoy the beauty of this spot!)

Answer: Mont Blanc

This is not the only settlement you can use to access this mountain on the border between France and Italy - nearby Saint-Gervais-les-Bains and the Italian town of Courmayeur are both possibilities, but Chamonix may be more familiar to many, having been the location of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. Between 1946 and 1965, a tunnel was constructed through the mountain, connecting Chamonix and Courmayeur, which has become a major route for trans-Alpine travel and transport of goods. The actual administration of the mountain is shared between Saint-Gervais-les-Bains and Courmayeur.

Mont Blanc, with a height of around 4,810 m (15,780 ft), is the tallest peak in the Alps. Because its peak is always covered with snow and ice, it is difficult to determine an exact value for its height.

Answer: Vesuvius

Although Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in 79 CE, which buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum (among others), it has erupted many times since then, and is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted since the start of the 20th century. Between 1913 and 1944, the crater steadily filled with lava, and there were periodic lava flows, reaching a climax in 1944, when the lava flows were accompanied by explosions, with the largest one on 18 March destroying a number of villages on its slopes.

As Vesuvius is only 9 km east of Naples, and has over three million people living in the area where an explosive eruption (the type for which it is known) would impact, it is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world at the present time.

Answer: Mount Olympus

Thessaloniki is the nearest international airport, but it is about 80 km (50 mi) from the mountain. Tourists usually travel to the coastal town of Litochoro, which has plenty of accommodation, and from which most of the popular climbing routes originate. Mount Olympus is notable from Greek mythology, as the group of gods known as the Olympians lived on the highest of its 52 peaks, Mytikas.

This peak is the highest point in Greece, rising to nearly 3,000 m (10,000 ft). In 1938 the mountain became Greece's first National Park, and it is also a World Biosphere Reserve, designated to help preserve its flora and fauna.

There are more than 20 known plants which are found only on this mountain, as well as a number that are only known in the local region.

Answer: Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro International Airport is located between the cities of Moshi and Arusha, but Moshi, located on the lower slopes of the mountain, is the capital of the Kilimanjaro region, and a popular spot from which to start a trek up the mountain. The highest peak in Africa is a stratovolcano with three separate cones: Kibo (the highest of the three, and the only one considered dormant rather than extinct), Mawenzi and Shira.

The highest point of Kibo's crater rim is called Uhuru Peak, and has a height of around 5,900 m (19,300 ft).

The snowfields that cover the upper slopes of Kilimanjaro have receded dramatically in recent years, which does not seem to be a unique event in its history over the ages - we seem to be reaching the end of its fifth period of glaciation. Still, it is sad to think that Hemingway's 'The Snows of Kilimanjaro' will probably not have an actual physical referent by sometime later this century.

Answer: Table Mountain

Its name suggests the distinctive shape of this flat-topped mountain that looms over Cape Town. The plateau is nearly 3 km (2 mi) long, with steep cliffs forming its sides. To the east is Devil's Peak, and to the west Lion's Head. The top of Table Mountain is often covered by clouds, caused by warm winds being swept up the mountain and condensing when the cooler air of the plateau is reached.

This cloud formation is called the 'table cloth' by locals. The constellation Mensa was so named by the French astronomer Nicholas de Lacaille (responsible for assigning the current names to 15 of the currently-recognised 88 constellations) in honor of Table Mountain, while he was visiting Cape Town in the 1750s.

Answer: Mount Fuji

While the smaller settlements of Gotemba, Fujiyoshida, Fujinomiya, and Fuji are on the actual flanks of the mountain, and there is an international airport shared by the cities of in Makinohara and Shimada, which is a bit closer, Tokyo is a good place from which to make a day tour of Mount Fuji, and on most days the mountain can be seen from downtown Tokyo. Fuji is considered to be a dormant stratovolcano, which last erupted in 1707-8.

Not only is it Japan's highest peak, but its snow-capped symmetrical cone has become identified worldwide with Japan. Along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku, it is one of Japan's Three Holy Mountains, and has significant Shinto and Buddhist shrines located nearby.

Answer: Popocatépetl

The Nahuatl words from which this mountain gets its name mean Smoking Mountain in English - and that is exactly what it does a lot of the time. The second-highest peak in Mexico (after Citlaltépetl) is located around 70 km (43 mi) from Mexico City. It is one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico, with major eruptions occurring on average every 30-40 years.

In between, smoke and ash are emitted almost constantly, and minor eruptions frequently cause the evacuation of nearby villages. Until recently, the top of Popocatépetl had glaciers; by the year 2000 the glaciers had disappeared, although there were still snowfields on the peak.

Answer: Sugarloaf Mountain

Pão de Açúcar, to use its Portuguese name, is so called because of its resemblance to the shape of a loaf of refined sugar, from the days before the advent or granulated sugar and sugar cubes - a tall thin cone with a rounded top. Since sugar was one of the main exports being loaded onto ships, the resemblance was noteworthy. (Personally, when I look at the peninsula I see a strong resemblance to the Sphinx, but that probably wasn't an obvious reference for 16th century sailors.) Sugarloaf is a granite and quartz monolith that forms a peninsula extending into Guanabara Bay. It isn't all that high (about 400m, or 1300 ft), but it is dramatic, and going to the top by cable car is a popular tourist activity.

There are hundreds of mountains around the world that share this name (Wikipedia says 450). As a child, I accompanied my family on skiing trips to the one in Maine. Now that I live near Melbourne, the one in Kinglake National Park is a lot closer.