Shared quiz
Europe Past the Capitals
Ten questions on European geography that skip the capital cities and go for the rivers, borders and edges instead.
- Questions
- 10
- Time to play
- about 6 min
- Category
- Geography
- Language
- English
- geography
- europe
- maps
- classroom
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The questions
Correct answers are shown below, so you can check the quiz before you use it.
Which river passes through or along more countries than any other in the world?
- The Danubecorrect
- The Rhine
- The Volga
- The Nile
Why
The Danube flows through or along ten countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine, before reaching the Black Sea.
20 seconds to answer
Istanbul sits on two continents.
- Truecorrect
- False
Why
The Bosphorus strait runs through Istanbul, so part of the city lies in Europe and part in Asia.
15 seconds to answer
Name a country entirely surrounded by Italy.
Accepted answers
San Marino · Vatican · Vatican City · Holy See
Why
San Marino and Vatican City are both enclaves, entirely surrounded by Italy. Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the world.
30 seconds to answer
Order these cities from north to south.
Correct order
- Oslo
- Berlin
- Rome
- Athens
Why
Oslo lies at about 60° north, Berlin at 52°, Rome at 42° and Athens at 38°.
45 seconds to answer
Setting Russia aside, which is the largest country lying entirely within Europe?
- Ukrainecorrect
- France
- Spain
- Germany
Why
Ukraine covers about 600,000 km², all of it in Europe. France is larger only if its overseas territories are counted; mainland France is about 550,000 km².
20 seconds to answer
Spain and Portugal are the only two countries on the Iberian Peninsula.
- True
- Falsecorrect
Why
Andorra also sits on the Iberian Peninsula, between Spain and France, and so do Gibraltar, a British territory, and a small part of France.
15 seconds to answer
Which sea lies between Sweden, Finland and Estonia?
Accepted answers
Baltic · Baltic Sea
Why
The Baltic Sea separates Sweden from Finland and Estonia; its Gulf of Finland runs between Finland and Estonia.
30 seconds to answer
Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, stands on the border between which two countries?
- France and Italycorrect
- France and Switzerland
- Italy and Switzerland
- Italy and Austria
Why
Mont Blanc, about 4,800 metres high, sits on the French–Italian border. The exact line near the summit is still disputed between the two countries.
20 seconds to answer
Where would you rather wake up tomorrow?
Poll — no right answer, players just vote.
- A Norwegian fjord
- A Tuscan hillside
- The Scottish Highlands
- A Greek island
20 seconds to answer
Which of these capital cities lies furthest north?
- Reykjavíkcorrect
- Helsinki
- Oslo
- Stockholm
Why
Reykjavík, at about 64° north, is the northernmost capital of an independent country. Helsinki and Oslo are both around 60°.
20 seconds to answer