Are You a Geography Guru?

By: Kale Havervold
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Are You a Geography Guru?
Image: franckreporter/E+/GettyImages

About This Quiz

Home to billions of people and around 200 countries, the earth is an incredibly vast place. There are barren tundras, large cities with millions of people and everything in between. The environments, land, people, culture and economies vary across the world from country to country. As you can see, there is a lot to know about the world and how humans interact with it.

The study of geography is devoted to learning more about the world, from the land to the country and even the people. While you live on the earth and surely have taken a couple of geography classes in your day, how much do you actually know about the planet and its geography?

Do you know which country is the largest by land area? How about what known point on earth is the lowest? If you can successfully answer these questions, or want to learn more about world geography, this might just be the quiz for you.

Without any further ado, get ready to travel around the world and put your geography knowledge to the test. Are you going to prove yourself to be a geography guru or get lost along the way? Keep reading to find out.

Russia
oxygen/Moment/GettyImages
What is the largest country on the planet by area?
Russia
USA
China
Mexico
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The largest country on the planet by area is Russia. It is over 17 million square kilometers, which equals about 11% of the total landmass of the entire planet. The next closest is Canada.

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Nile
Ratnakorn Piyasirisorost/Moment/GettyImages
How long is the Nile River?
10,750 km
2,460 km
6,650 km
4,475 km
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Nile River is the longest river on the planet with a length of 6,650 km. It is the primary water source for both Egypt and Sudan, and passes through 11 different African countries.

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Pangaea
Ian.CuiYi/Moment/GettyImages
Before the continents of the world split, what was the unbroken land mass of the continents called?
Hemispheria
Pangaea
Atlantis
New World
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Before the continents split and found themselves in the positions they are in now, the world looked very different. All the land was connected and formed Pangaea. It began to break apart around 175 million years ago.

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Philippines
John Seaton Callahan/Moment/GettyImages
How many islands are in the Philippines?
4,135
230
2,000
7,641
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

That's right, there are well over 7,000 different islands in the Philippines. However, only about 2,000 of them are actually inhabited, and over 5,000 of the islands have not even officially been named.

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Globe
Photographer is my life./Moment/GettyImages
What country is the newest on the planet?
Kosovo
South Sudan
Haiti
Zimbabwe
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There have been several countries that have been formed in recent decades, but none is newer than South Sudan. South Sudan was officially formed in 2011, after many years of civil war.

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Crowd
Ayhan Altun/Moment/GettyImages
This country has the largest population on the planet. What is it?
Indonesia
China
India
Pakistan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

China is the most populous country on the planet with a population of over 1.4 billion people. However, India is right on its tail with almost 1.4 billion, and growing much faster.

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Denali
Enn Li Photography/Moment/GettyImages
Which mountain is the tallest in North America?
Mount Logan
Denali
Mount Saint Elias
King Peak
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There is no larger mountain peak in North America than Denali. The peak of Denali stands at over 6,190 meters, which makes it one of the tallest peaks on the planet. It is located in Alaska.

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Water
Maurizio Siani/Moment/GettyImages
What percent of the world is covered by water?
Around 54%
Around 23%
Around 88%
Around 70%
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Approximately 71% of the surface of the planet is covered by water. Most of this is the oceans, as they hold over 95% of all the water in the world. When you think about how much land there is, this number seems almost unbelievable.

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Desert
Buena Vista Images/Stone/GettyImages
Which non-polar desert is the largest on the planet?
Arabian
Gobi
Sahara
Syrian
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Located in the northern part of Africa, the largest non-polar desert is the Sahara. It is around 9 million square kilometers and goes through numerous countries including Algeria, Chad and Egypt.

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Manila
xPACIFICA/Stone/GettyImages
Of all the cities in the world, which is the most densely populated?
Manila
Mumbai
Baghdad
Dhaka
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are many densely populated cities on the planet, but none more than Manila. Despite Manila only being around 38 square km in size, it is home to over 1.7 million residents. So about 40,000 people live in every square kilometer.

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Blarney Stone
Elizabeth W. Kearley/Moment Open/GettyImages
Where is the Blarney Stone located?
Croatia
Ireland
Canada
Hungary
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Blarney Stone is a block of limestone that is located in Ireland. It is famous, as kissing it is supposed to give a person "the gift of gab". It is a very popular tourist destination.

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Montpelier
Walter Bibikow/DigitalVision/GettyImages
Which American state capital has the lowest population?
Sacramento
Montpelier
Augusta
Helena
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

No state capital is home to fewer people than Montpelier. The capital of Vermont has less than 8,000 people who live there today. The population does grow a bit during the day as there are many jobs in the city.

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Caribbean
© Marco Bottigelli/Moment/GettyImages
The Caribbean is a large collection of countries, but which is the largest in terms of area?
Dominican Republic
Cuba
Haiti
The Bahamas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cuba is the largest country in the Caribbean, by quite a large margin. It is more than twice the size of the next largest, the Dominican Republic. Despite the size, the population of Cuba is only slightly larger than that of the DR.

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Volcano
Arctic-Images/Stone/GettyImages
Which city was obliterated by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD?
Atlantis
Old York
Pompeii
Rome
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Back in the day, Pompeii was a thriving city in Italy. Unfortunately, the city was buried under about 20 feet of volcanic ash after an eruption, which destroyed the city. The site of Pompeii is now a very popular tourist attraction in Italy.

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Machu Picchu
Oleksandra Korobova/Moment/GettyImages
Where is the legendary Machu Picchu?
Mexico
Peru
Brazil
Costa Rica
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Machu Picchu, an Inca citadel from the 15th century, is located in Peru. It is designated as a World Heritage site and about 1.5 million tourists from all over the planet visit it annually.

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NYC
Alexander Spatari/Moment/GettyImages
Which famous city is known as the Big Apple?
Cairo
Las Vegas
New York City
Melbourne
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Big Apple is none other than the nickname for New York City. The nickname was first coined by sportswriter John J. Fitzgerald in the 1920s and it has stuck for nearly a century now.

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Wall
Fei Yang/Moment/GettyImages
Of the following, which is not one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient world?
Great Pyramid of Giza
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Temple of Artemis
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

All of the mentioned locations are part of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, except for the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The tower, which is a popular tourist attraction, was actually only completed in 1372.

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Waterfall
joSon/Stone/GettyImages
What is the name of the highest non-underwater waterfall on earth?
Browne Falls
James Bruce Falls
Angel Falls
Tugela Falls
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Angel Falls are the tallest non-underwater waterfall on the planet. They are located in Venezuela and stand at 979 meters tall, or over 3,200 feet. They first became known to the outside world in 1933 when aviator Jimmie Angel flew over them.

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Amazon
by Kim Schandorff/Moment/GettyImages
How many different species of mammals live in the Amazon Forest?
427
1,345
247
86
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Amazon Rainforest is currently home to 427 different species of mammals. They come in all different shapes and sizes. As far as total species of animals, that number is well into the tens of thousands or higher.

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China
Xia Yang/Moment/GettyImages
China is home to several large cities, but which is the capital city?
Shanghai
Beijing
Shenzhen
Tianjin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The capital city of China is Beijing. It is also home to around 21 million people, second only to the 24 million who live in Shanghai. In total, China has more than 100 cities with more than 1 million people.

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Alaska
Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Moment/GettyImages
What is the tallest mountain range in North America?
Rocky Mountains
Cascade Range
Sierra Nevada
Alaska Range
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Alaska Range is the tallest mountain range in North America. While it is relatively short and narrow compared to other ranges, the mountains in the range are incredibly tall, including Denali.

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Ottawa
naibank/Moment/GettyImages
Which province is the Canadian capital of Ottawa located in?
Ontario
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ottawa is located in the province of Ontario. It is the most populous province in the country, and is home to several other large cities such as Toronto, Hamilton and London, to name a few.

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Dominican Republic
Stanley Chen Xi, landscape and architecture photographer/Moment/GettyImages
This country shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. What is it?
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Argentina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The island is shared between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet, and is among the strongest economies in Latin America.

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Germany
teekid/E+/GettyImages
How many countries border Germany?
Nine
14
Six
Eight
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Germany shares a border with many different countries, nine to be exact. This includes the likes of Denmark, Poland, Austria, France Belgium and several others. This position has often put it at a disadvantage when it comes to wars.

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Canada
Suriyapong Thongsawang/Moment/GettyImages
Which country has the longest coastline on the planet?
USA
Canada
Norway
Russia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Canada, which is among the largest countries on the planet, has the longest coastline by a wide margin. With the Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean all represented, Canada has over 200,000 km of total coastline.

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Undersea
nudiblue/Moment/GettyImages
What is the lowest point on earth that has been discovered so far?
Death Valley
Grand Canyon
Dead Sea
Challenger Deep
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The bottom of the Marianas Trench, known as Challenger Deep, is the deepest discovered place on the planet. It is around 11,000 meters below sea level, and has only been reached by six humans.

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Population
Busà Photography/Moment/GettyImages
Which country has the smallest population?
Vatican City
Angola
Kosovo
Luxembourg
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

No country or sovereign state has less people than Vatican City. Located within the confines of Rome, Vatican City is home to well under 1,000 people, which makes it smaller than most cities, let alone countries.

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Caspian Sea
Sergio Formoso/Moment/GettyImages
Based on the area, which lake is the largest in the world?
Victoria
Huron
Michigan
Caspian Sea
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite being called the Caspian Sea, it is regarded as the largest lake on the planet. Its area is 371,000 square km, which is around four times that of Lake Superior, which comes in as the second largest.

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South America
coolbiere photograph/Moment/GettyImages
Of the languages spoken in South America, which is the most common?
Spanish
French
Portuguese
English
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While it is close, more people speak Spanish in South America than any other language, narrowly beating out Portuguese. About 210 million people speak Spanish there, while another 205 million or so speak Portuguese.

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Pan American Highway
Igor Alecsander/Moment/GettyImages
What is the longest highway on the planet?
Trans-Canad Highway
Highway 1
Trans-Siberian Highway
Pan American Highway
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The longest highway and road on the planet by a wide margin is the Pan American Highway. It is around 30,000 km and begins in the north of Alaska and goes to Argentina, passing through many different countries on the way.

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Fuji
DoctorEgg/Moment/GettyImages
Of the following countries, which is home to Mount Fuji?
Japan
Madagascar
South Korea
Italy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mount Fuji resides in Japan, and is the highest volcano in the country at 3,776 meters tall. Because of its aesthetic snow-capped cone, and the fact it is visible from Tokyo on a clear day, it is very commonly depicted in photos.

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Oslo
Jorg Greuel/Stone/Jorg Greuel/Stone/GettyImages
Which city is the capital of Norway?
Bergen
Oslo
Sandnes
Trondheim
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The capital and largest city in Norway is Oslo. It has a population of around 690,000 people, and has been the capital city of Norway for a very long time. It is a global city and known for offering a high quality of life.

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UN
Doug Armand/Stone/GettyImages
Where is the headquarters for the United Nations located?
Paris
London
New York City
Zurich
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The United Nations has offices and representation across the planet, but the headquarters is located in New York City. The building was completed in 1952 for $65 million and features 39 floors.

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Religion
Paper Boat Creative/DigitalVision/GettyImages
What is the most popular religion on the planet?
Islam
Hinduism
Christianity
Buddhism
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are many different religions that people can follow, but the most popular on the planet is Christianity. It is believed that there are around 2.4 billion Christians on the planet.

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Ocean
shunli zhao/Moment/GettyImages
Which of the oceans is the largest?
Atlantic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The largest ocean in the world is the Pacific. It measures 165,250,000 square kilometers in terms of area, and it covers about one-third of the planet. That means that the Pacific Ocean is about as large, or larger, than all of the land on earth.

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