I Know It, But Spelling It? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu sits on a pointed mountain ridge at 2,430 m (7,970 ft) above sea level. It is believed to have been founded in 1450 and abandoned in 1572 around the time of the Spanish conquest. It was brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian and explorer, Hirham Bingham.

It is believed that in the Quechua language, the word "machu" means "old" and "pikchu" has various meanings, including "pyramid" or "cone". It can basically be understood to be "old mountain".

Answer: Reykjavik

Reykjavik is believed to have been the first settlement by Norsemen in Iceland in AD 874. It was founded as a city in 1786. Today it has a population of just over 130,000, with Iceland having a population in excess of 360,000. The word Reykjavik can translate into "Smoke Cove", as there are steamy hot springs in the area. The city is sometimes known as Bay of Smoke or Smoky Bay. In Icelandic it is pronounced as "rei: ca,vi:k".

Answer: Philippines

The Philippines consists of over 7,000 islands and a population in excess of 100 million. The capital city is Manila and the official languages are Filipino and English. In 1543 the archipelago was named "Las Islas Filipinas" in honour of Philip II of Spain. In Filipino the country is known as "Republika ng Pilipinas" which translates into English as the "Republic of the Philippines".

Answer: Ljubljana

Ljubljana was founded during the 12th Century and currently has a population of 295,000 with Slovenia having a population of just over 2 million. The origin of the name is unclear; the area has been occupied by a number of people since prehistoric times and had a number of names. Believed to be a mixture of Slavic and German, the name Ljubljana first appeared sometime around 1112-1125.

Answer: Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein is a landlocked country bordered by Switzerland and Austria and is 160 sq.km (62 sq.ml) in size with a population of just over 38,000 inhabitants. The capital city is Vaduz with a population of under 6,000 and is located along the Rhine River.

The full name of the country in English is the "Principality of Liechtenstein" , however, in German it is "Furstentum Liechtenstein". The name of the country is derived from the German "licht," or "light", and "stein", or "stone." Unlike the English mnemonic rule "I before E, except after C" , the letters ei and ie represent consistent sounds in German.

Answer: Kathmandu

Kathmandu is also known as the "City of Temples" and was established as a settlement in 723 BCE. It is the centre of Nepal's history, art, culture and economy. In Nepali the name comes from the Kasthamandap Temple, which stood in Durbar Square. "Kastha" means wood and "Mandapa" means pavalion. The pronunciation of the city is "Kat" not as "Kath" as in "Katharine" or "Katherine".

Answer: Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country and is bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China. The population is approximately 6.5 million and Bishkek is the largest and capital city with a population just over 1 million inhabitants. The ethnic people of the country are "Kyrgyz" which is derived from Turkish and the "stan" comes from Persian meaning "country".

Answer: Edinburgh

Edinburgh gained city status in 1633, however, it has been recognised as the capital of Scotland from at least the 15th century with the University of Edinburgh being founded in 1582. It is the second most populous city in Scotland after Glasgow. The city was first named "Castle Rock", however, in the 7th century, King Edwin ruled and it is believed it then became "Edwin's fort".

The "burgh" means "fortress", hence the name later became Edinburgh. The pronunciation of the city can be confusing to foreigners, however, the Scots pronounce it as "Edin-bra", with the "bra" being said faster and softer than the "Edin".

Answer: Colombia

Colombia is the fourth largest country in South America with the capital city being Bogotá. The country has been inhabited by indigenous people since 12,000 BCE with the Spanish arriving in 1499. Although he never set foot on Colombian soil the country is named after Christopher Columbus and named by Alonso de Ojeda who had previously been a companion of CC on a previous voyage. Colombia has a population in excess of 50 million, with Bogota having a population of nearly 7.5 million.

Many people, even governments have spelt the country incorrectly as many are used to British Columbia, Columbia Pictures, Columbia University.

Answer: Connecticut

Connecticut was the 5th US State admitted to the Union on January 9, 1788. The largest city is Bridgeport but the capital is Hartford. It is one of the Thirteen Colonies that rejected British rule in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Connecticut is not an English word but comes from a Mohegan word, Quinetucket, which has been Anglicized.