The BBC's Top 50 Places to See Before You Die Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. How many places in the top 50 were in the United Kingdom?

Answer: none

Amazingly, London's many landmarks, Scotland's Highlands, the Giant's Causeway and Mount Snowdon all failed to make the cut.

2. Two mountains made it into the top 50 sights worth seeing before you die. One was Everest, but what was the other?

Answer: Matterhorn

The Matterhorn, near Zermatt in Switzerland, is a stunning sight. I was surprised that none of the others made it into the BBC list of fifty.

3. How many waterfalls were in the top 50?

Answer: 4

They were: at 47 the Angel Falls in Venezuela, at 26 was the Iguacu Falls on the Brazil-Argentina border, and at 21 was the Victoria Falls on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border. The highest placed waterfalls were unsurprisingly Niagara Falls, which were at number 15 in the BBC list.

4. The highest ranked place of worship on the BBC chart (at number 6) is situated in India. It is the holiest place for the Sikh religion, and is a beautiful sight. It is the Golden Temple of Amritsar.

Answer: True

The Golden Temple of Amritsar is a stunning golden temple in the centre of a lake. It is situated in the heart of the Punjab region, and was the site of a major terrorist attack in 1984.
The Golden Temple is also the highest placed individual building in the BBC's list.

5. How many of the top 50 sites are wholly or partially in the USA?

Answer: 9

There were eight places wholly within the USA, plus Niagara Falls on the US-Canada border.

6. New York City was the highest ranked city in the top 50 places to see.

Answer: False

Fantastic though it is, New York was only placed at number 9 on the BBC list. Cape Town (5), Las Vegas (7) and Sydney (8) were above NYC in the BBC list.

7. Which of these places did NOT make the top 50 places to see before you die?

Answer: none of these three were included

There are many wonderful places in the survey's top 50, but also many more that were missed out.

8. This natural geographical feature is the one of the world's largest single pieces of rock. It reaches 340 metres above the surrounding land, and is dark red in colour. It reached number 12 on the top 50 list. Formerly known as Ayers Rock, its name is ______ .

Answer: Uluru

Uluru is the sacred Aboriginal name for the rock. It is situated in the Northern Territory of Australia, and was named Ayers Rock in 1872, in honour of the Governer of South Australia. The name reverted to Uluru in 1995.

9. This beautiful city was placed at number 37 in the BBC list. It was the site of the 1992 Olympic Games, and is famous for its Gaudi architecture. What is it called?

Answer: Barcelona

Fans of "Fawlty Towers" will remember poor old Manuel, the foolish waiter and assistant, who had to be constantly excused as "he's from Barcelona."

10. Which city was placed higher in the chart, Rome or Paris?

Answer: Paris

Rome was at a lowly 35, Paris at 27. Both are beautiful cities.

11. The Pyramids, near Cairo in Egypt, were in the BBC list. Roughly when were they built?

Answer: 2600 years BC

The mystery of how the Pyramids were constructed has never been fully explained. It is generally accepted that they were built to entomb the bodies of Pharaohs. The Great Pyramid of Cheops contains approximately 2.3 million blocks of stone, and until the construction of the Eiffel Tower in 1898, it was the tallest structure on Earth.

The Pyramids ranked at number 17 in the chart.

12. This man-made structure was completed in 214 BC, and was intended as a defensive measure. It is a hugely popular tourist attraction, and was placed at number 20 on the list. Situated in Asia, it is the ______ .

Answer: Great Wall of China

The exact length of the wall is unclear, as many sections have fallen into disrepair, or have been dismantled to allow roads to be built. Apparently the wall's defensive power was not that strong - Genghis Khan allegedly bribed guards to allow him to pass, and thereby enter China. Nevertheless, the Great Wall of China is seen as one of the world's most intriguing and interesting sights.

13. This ruined ancient city is surrounded by tropical rainforest, and is situated on the Yucatan Peninsula. It covers an area of four square miles, and was abandoned by original Mayan population. It was voted to be number 13 on the list. Where is it?

Answer: Chichen Itza, Mexico

Chichen Itza means "Opening of the wells of the river Itza." You can see the staggered pyramid, known as El Castillo, which is a stone-built Mayan calendar.

Machu Picchu is also an abandoned city in South America, and was also on the list, at number 14. However, it was built much later than Chichen Itza, probably around the fifteenth or sixteenth century. It was an Incan city, built on a mountain-top, and is a stunning sight.

14. At number 16 on the BBC list was this ancient city, known as the Rose City. It is more than 2000 years old, and is carved out of the sandstone cliffs. It can be seen in the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989). What is its name?

Answer: Petra

The Rose City of Petra was abandoned around 500 AD, and lay hidden until its rediscovery in 1812. Visitors must approach via a narrow path along the bottom of the gorge, known as the 'Siq'.

15. This building was placed as number ten on the BBC list. It is located in India, was built as a token of devoted love, and its white marble is gradually being eroded by acid rain. What is its name?

Answer: Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was built in the 17th century, as a tomb for the Shah Jahan's beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth in 1631. It is a few miles from Delhi, in the town of Agra.

16. Which was the highest placed city in the BBC list of Top 50 places to see?

Answer: Cape Town, South Africa

Venice came in at number 18, the highest ranked place in Europe. NYC was number 9, Sydney, home of the 2000 Olympic Games was at number 8, and South Africa's Cape Town was at number 5. Cape Town is famous for Table Mountain, and the cable car ride to its summit. From here there are stunning views of the Cape of Good Hope, the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and penguins on the beaches.

17. This place was ranked at number 4 in the BBC's list. Its highest point is Mount Cook, one of the main cities is Queenstown, and the glaciers, mountains and scenery are awe-inspiring. Where is it?

Answer: South Island, New Zealand

New Zealand's South Island lies about one and a half thousand miles south-east of the Australian coast. The North Island was also in the top 50, at number 25. Here you can visit the city of Auckland, and see the spectacular Rotorua, a volcanic hotspot, where mud geysers bubble away day and night.
New Zealand was also the location for the filming of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies, which have done much to increase the popularity of New Zealand as a tourist destination.

18. The BBC list had the highest ranked destination in the USA as Disneyworld, Florida.

Answer: False

It was ranked at number three. While I am sure it is a great place for a vacation with the kids, I am amazed that it came so high up the list. Better than New York? Better than Venice, the Pyramids, and the Galapagos Islands?
However it was beaten by the top-ranked spot ... the Grand Canyon.

19. Australia's Great Barrier Reef was placed at number two on the BBC's must-see list. It lies off the east coast of Queensland, and is made up of 2900 separate coral reefs. Approximately how long is it?

Answer: 2000 km

The Great Barrier Reef is home to many different species of coral, fish and other aquatic life, and is extremely popular with divers. It stretches for more than 1200 miles.

20. Which place was voted as the one most people thought you should see during your life, and came in at number one on the BBC list?

Answer: Grand Canyon, USA

Stretching for 277 miles along the length of the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon is an unforgettable sight. The rocks on the canyon floor are two billion years old.

Source: Author Elanor

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

In 2002 the BBC conducted a survey among viewers, in order to find the top 50 places that everyone should see before they die. Cities, buildings, natural features - what would be on your list?

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