About This Quiz
There are so many places in the world, admittedly this quiz skipped over a few big G places. So let's confess which ones were left off.
One big G place was the Great Wall of China, which was built along the northern border of China. These sets of walls are over a millennia old and were built starting in 7th century B.C. Altogether, these walls are close to 14,000 miles long.
And then there's where the pyramids are located in Egypt--Giza. These architectural marvels were called one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Another G geography location--the Ganges (or Ganga) river which flows through India and China. It is 1,569 miles long and one of the most sacred places for Hindus. Unfortunately, this river is very polluted, threatening humans and other animals alike.
For you Americans--there's no state of Georgia in this quiz, either. And that was actually on purpose--it's the only G state! But there are other American places that begin with the letter G.
What we hope is that this quiz will take you to some more far-flung places that aren't too obscure but are just under your nose. So get your compass, gather your growing sense of adventure and start this globe-trotting quiz.
Good luck!
Greece's unofficial name comes from the Latin word "Graecia," which means "home of the Greeks." Greece is considered to be the cradle of Western civilization, the Olympic games, democracy and many other scientific and humanities disciplines that still we use today.
The prime meridian is where the longitude is at 0 degrees, dividing Earth into two hemispheres, Eastern and Western. It was established at the Royal Observatory in the late 19th century. This is also where we get Greenwich Mean Time, so time zones are added or subtracted from it (e.g., Eastern Standard Time in the U.S. is GMT-5, meaning five hours behind).
Also known as Guinea, Guinea-Conakry gained independence from France in 1958, choosing not to be a part of the French Community--a loose association of former French colonies. Since gaining independence, Guinea-Conakry has struggled with political unrest, poverty and disease outbreaks with HIV/AIDS and the Ebola virus.
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The affluent Gangnam District in Seoul is considered to be comparable to Beverly Hills, California. It was also the name of the 2012 song, "Gangnam Style" by K-pop star Psy, which has over 3 billion views.
Guernsey is a part of the chain of islands called the Channel Islands. Guernsey is not a part of the European Union (although it does have a trading relationship with the EU) nor is it a part of the United Kingdom, but it does defer to the British government for international issues.
Governors Island used to be a U.S. Coast Guard outpost and historically was used in the American Revolutionary War as a defensive outpost. Now part of the island has a national park and is a tourist destination, with recreational spaces open during the months of May through September.
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The Grand Teton is a part of Grand Teton National Park in Northwest Wyoming. It's the highest peak in the Teton Range and the second-highest peak in Wyoming.
Before Guatemala was a country, it was the core of the ancient Mayan civilization. Guatemala has mountains, deserts and a Pacific coastline. The country also has rich biodiversity, with wetlands, mangrove forests and unique fauna.
Although Greenland ethnically and geographically has more connections to the Arctic region, it is considered to be a Nordic nation. Greenland is an independent, self-governing country and a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The population is just about 56,000 people on 836,330 square miles of land.
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Guinea-Bissau has experienced a lot of political instability since its declaration of independence, which preceded the overthrowing of the Estado Novo fascist regime of Portugal in the following year. Portuguese is the official language, but less than 16 percent of the population speaks it. A large of portion of the population speaks a Portuguese creole.
The country of Georgia was formerly a part of the U.S.S.R. until 1991, although Russia has claim to two Georgian territories which have declared independence, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It's been an ongoing issue of strife since the ceasefire in 2008.
The state of Goa is home to about 1.5 million residents. This tiny state is known for its places of worship and beaches, and is a destination for those who want to party on a budget. Goa was a part of Portuguese India until it was annexed by India in 1961, so it has an intriguing mix of Western and Eastern cultural influences.
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Formerly called Gold Coast and a former British colony, Ghana was the first African nation to gain independence in 1957. Ghana's name hearkens back to the Empire of Ghana in now parts of Senegal, Mali and Mauritania. The empire ruled those regions from the 8th to 13th centuries.
Grenada consists of one main island and six smaller islands situated north of the main island. It was first spotted by Christopher Columbus in 1498. Grenada has the nickname of "Island of Spice" because it is a large exporter of the spices nutmeg and mace.
The Chamorro people were the first inhabitants of the island. Ferdinand Magellan was the first European to visit the island in 1521. Now, Guam has several U.S. military outposts on the island.
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Guadeloupe has two main islands: Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre. This overseas region of France is also a territory of the European Union, so the Euro is the official currency.
The Gabonese Republic, better known as Gabon, was formerly a French colony and declared independence in 1960. Sitting on the west coast of Central Africa, Gabon has three geographical regions--the western coastal plains, the northern mountains and the eastern savannas.
Historically, around the time of the Industrial Revolution, Glasgow, Scotland was known for its innovations in manufacturing and shipbuilding. The River Clyde runs through this city of over 600,000 people. Glasgow is the largest shipping port of Scotland.
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Galway is considered to be the cultural heart of Ireland. If you want to hear and see people playing and dancing to traditional Irish music, Galway is the place to be.
Guyana may be a part of the continent of South America, but because it's located on the northern part of the continent, it's culturally considered to be a part of the Caribbean. This country gained its independence from Britain in 1966 and has a diverse culture influenced by West Indian, Indian and African cultures.
After World War II in 1945, Germany was divided into two parts through the city of Berlin, with East Germany as part of the Eastern Bloc of communist countries, and West Germany being a part of the Western Bloc. Reunification happened after a series of events and protests, culminating with the tearing down of the Berlin Wall in late 1989.
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Grand Cayman is a part of the Cayman Islands, which are a part of the Greater Antilles. George Town is the capital of the Cayman Islands and is located on Grand Cayman. This territory is popular for parking one's money and business revenue offshore.
Since the 18th century, this tip of the Iberian Peninsula has been a part of the United Kingdom, but in 2006, although it is still a British overseas territory, Gibraltar became a self-governing entity. Spain still wants the UK to give the territory back, but Gibraltarians have voted against this in twice, with the latest referendum in 2002. The Strait of Gibraltar is only about eight miles wide, and half of the world's trade by sea passes through there.
The Gambia, also known as The Republic of the Gambia, is the smallest country on the continent of Africa, mainly surrounded by the country of Senegal except for the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia River was integral to the transatlantic slave trade, and this country was first a colony of Portugal and then the United Kingdom for those reasons. The Gambia gained independence from the UK in 1965.
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The Glastonbury Festival has been around off and on since the early 20th century, but has become a destination music festival for people and musical artists from around the world. Glastonbury is also known to draw people with New Age beliefs. The town is also the source of many myths and legends including ones around King Arthur and the Holy Grail.
The Gulf Islands are situated in the Strait of Georgia (which is also known as the Gulf of Georgia or the Salish Sea). There are two sets of islands, the Northern Gulf Islands and the Southern Gulf Islands. Some of the islands have more of a Mediterranean climate, so olive trees and the rare Garry oak tree can grow on a few of the islands.
The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater lakes in the world. Here's a great mnemonic device to remember the five Great Lakes, located in northern U.S. and southern Canada--HOMES: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. And technically, Huron and Michigan are one lake.
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Geneva, Switzerland has a lot of international importance. It headquarters many international organizations, including the birthplace of the Red Cross. Geneva is the place where the Geneva Conventions were signed and is an important global financial center.
Derived from Sanskrit, Gujarati is the main language of the state of Gujarat. Gujarat is also the state that Indian activist Mahatma Gandhi is from. Where this state is situated, jutting out into the Arabian Sea, Gujarat has been known for centuries to trade and travel to neighboring regions such as the Middle East, Persian Gulf and Indonesia.
Technically, the Great Plains is more of an American term than a Canadian one. In Canada, this section of the country is called the Prairies. A lot of this area has been converted to pastureland, agriculture and for harnessing wind power.
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Regarding Genoa's flag, England (and the city of London) used to pay Genoa to use its flag (known to the English as St. George's Cross) in the 12th century as protection for their ships in the Mediterranean. Today, Genoa is Italy's busiest port and home to 1.5 million people in its metropolitan area. Genoa is also the birthplace of many famous Italians, including explorer Christopher Columbus.
Although the Grand Canyon, located in Arizona, is pretty deep at 6,093 feet (over a mile!), the deepest gorge in the world measures a depth of 17,567 feet, Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon in Tibet. And there are people who live in the Grand Canyon--Supai Village, which is located in the Havasupai Indian Reservation. As you can imagine, that is a pretty remote town, and it's actually the most remote town in the lower 48.
Galveston Island is a part of Galveston, Texas, which faces the Gulf of Mexico. Because Galveston is a touristy town, there's a distinction between tourists and non-tourists. You're either born on the island (BOI) or an islander by choice (IBC).
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The Galápagos Islands is made up of 18 main islands (including one named after Darwin) and are a part of the country of Ecuador. Close to 98 percent of the islands have become a national park. There are more introduced species than there are native ones on the islands, and development along with tourism continue to threaten the islands' wildlife.
Great Britain is often used interchangeably for the United Kingdom. But geographically, Great Britain refers to the island. It's the ninth largest island and it's the third most populous island with about 61 million residents.