Precious Places Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ireland

The first reference to Ireland by this nickname in print was the William Drennan poem "When Erin first rose". The poem was written as a memorial to the Irish Rebellion of 1798 against British rule in Ireland. The nickname seems befitting given the country's green hills and valleys.

Answer: Myanmar

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, produces almost 80% of the world's rubies. It is therefore no surprise that the country is sometimes known as the "land of rubies". The more precise location of the ruby production is the valley of Mogok, found north of Mandalay. The rubies mined here are famous for their pigeon-blood colour, a hue unique to this location.

Answer: West Africa

Officially known as the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, this former French colony was so named due to its status as a major trade centre for ivory. This is also why it was sometimes known as Côte de Dents which meant 'coast of teeth'. It attained independence from French rule in 1960.

Answer: California, USA

The state of California is located on the west coast of the United States of America and borders the country of Mexico to the south. California is nicknamed "The Golden State". This was officially adopted in 1968. A key reason for the nickname is the famous gold rush of the mid-18th century which led to an economic boom in the region. Gold is also the official state mineral and one of the state colours!

Answer: New South Wales, Australia

The Sapphire Coast is a stretch of coastline along the south-eastern part of New South Wales in Australia. The area lies roughly halfway between the major Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne and is also close to the capital of Canberra. The name Sapphire Coast was given to drive tourism to the area and is also reminiscent of the popular tourist region of the Gold Coast, further north in the state of Queensland.

The sapphire alludes to the bright blue colour of the water and sky.

Answer: Argentina

Argentina is located in the southern part of the continent of South America. It is believed that the country was named by Venetian and Genoese explorers in the 16th century after the silver deposits found in the country. The Latin name for silver is argentum.

Answer: Hawaii, USA

Diamond Head is one of the most popular state parks in Hawaii. It is named after a volcanic cone called Diamond Head on the island of O'ahu. The name was given by British sailors in the 19th century with the calcite crystals of the cone appearing to the sailors as diamonds from a distance. The local name is Lē'ahi, possibly alluding to its shape which resembles a tuna fin.

Answer: Tanzania

Tanzanite is a blue-violet variety of the mineral zoisite. The mineral is quite rare and found only in modern day Tanzania after which it gets its name. The mineral deposits are believed to have formed around 585 million years ago due to plate tectonic activity which also resulted in the formation of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Answer: Istanbul, Turkey

The Golden Horn connects the Bosphorus Strait with the Sea of Marmara, near Istanbul, Turkey. It has been a major waterway since ancient times as it provided an inlet to Istanbul. The origin of the name is not clearly known though the horn part of it is due to the shape made by the estuary when viewed from above. In modern day Turkey, the waterway is known as Halic which means estuary.

Answer: Philippines

The Philippines is an island country in south east Asia, comprising over seven thousand islands. The nickname of "Pearl of the Orient Seas" was first used by a Spanish Jesuit missionary, Fr. Juan J. Delgado in 1751. The term referred to the islands' pristine natural beauty and location in the orient. Filipino writer and nationalist, Dr. Jose Rizal, used this nickname to refer to the Philippines in his last poem, "Mi ultimo adios", that he wrote before he was executed on 30 December 1896.