# A For Fun Geography Game
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 8, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121 "2005-08-08T15:56:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/1 "2005-08-08T15:56:55Z")
Without referring to maps, atlases, websites or other aids, and using just your memory of where places are, see if you can give a word description, if need be by referring to other places more likely to be known to others, of these fairly well known (at least by name) places: (add to the list as you think of ones likely to stump others)
Malta
The Crimea
Timbuktu
The Halls of Montezuma
The Shores of Tripoli
Tasmania
Verrazano Narrows
Fire Island
Mandalay
Glocca Morra
Botany Bay
Cape Fear
Key Largo
The Slough of Despond
The Dismal Swamp
The Straits of Magellan
The Galapagos Islands
---
### Author:  [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/2 "2005-08-08T16:17:20Z")
I don’t understand what you’re asking for. Please clarify?
---
### Author:  [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/3 "2005-08-08T16:22:16Z")
Fire Island: off the south side of Long Island, NY, about 2/3 the way along the island, starting from the left.
Verazon-Narrows (Bridge): Uh, damn… around here somewhere. I think it links Staten Island and Brooklyn?
Timbuktu: Central Africa? The sub-Saharan boonies.
Tasmania: South-west of Australia. Looks like it broke off from the main continent.
I hereby disclaim the accuracy of any and all of these claims :o
---
### Author:  [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/4 "2005-08-08T16:23:19Z")
That’s “Verrazano” of course.
---
### Author:  [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/5 "2005-08-08T16:24:29Z")
Third post in this thread: apparently I can’t tell the difference between South-west and South-east. Okay, I’m done now.
---
### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/6 "2005-08-08T16:36:05Z")
My best estimates:
Malta: Mediterranean Island
The Crimea: Russian peninsula jutting into the Black Sea from the north, somewhat between Turkey and Greece
Timbuktu: Africa somewhere
The Halls of Montezuma: ?
The Shores of Tripoli: Mediterranean north coast of Lybia
Tasmania: Island just off the southern coast of mainland Australia on the eastern side
Verrazano Narrows
Fire Island
Mandalay
Glocca Morra
Botany Bay
Cape Fear
Key Largo
The Slough of Despond
The Dismal Swamp
The Straits of Magellan: A narrow sea passage through the extrteme southern tip of South America (Chile/Argentina)
The Galapagos Islands
[/QUOTE]
Good questions. I hear of these places a lot but never thought about where they actually are.
---
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/7 "2005-08-08T16:36:37Z")
> [@Spatial Rift 47](#):
>
> I don’t understand what you’re asking for. Please clarify?
Describe where these places are. Don’t look them up in outside sources, but go from memory. Use other well-known places (like continents, capitals, rivers, oceans) as a reference point for where the place is near or what direction it is from there.
Examples:
Tigris River – one of the rivers Mesopotamia is named for, runs through Iraq, near the Euphrates
Chicago – biggest city in Illinois, bottom left hand corner of Lake Michigan
Suez Canal – manmade waterway connecting Mediterranean with Red Sea, built to shorten the route to the Far East from Europe so as to avoid having to go around Africa
That any better?
---
### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/8 "2005-08-08T16:47:50Z")
Key Largo: One of a string of islands off the south-western coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico
---
### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/9 "2005-08-08T17:04:56Z")
Malta - Mediterranean island south of Italy
The Crimea - Peninsula off the Ukraine
Timbuktu - City in central Africa
The Halls of Montezuma - Reference to Mexico City from Marine Corps Anthem
The Shores of Tripoli - Another anthem reference. Coast of North Africa.
Tasmania - Island souteast of Australia
Verrazano Narrows - River crossing in New York City
Fire Island - Resort location near NYC
Mandalay - City in Burma?
Glocca Morra - Don’t know this one
Botany Bay - Landing area in Eastern Australia
Cape Fear - Landmark in the American South. South Carolina?
Key Largo - Island in the Florida Keys
The Slough of Despond - Metaphorical location from the Pilgrim’s Progress?
The Dismal Swamp - Familiar but I can’t place it
The Straits of Magellan - Maritime passage at southern end of South America
The Galapagos Islands - Islands off the west coast of South America
---
### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/10 "2005-08-08T17:06:22Z")
Here’s some more:
Folsom Prison
London Bridge
Bay of Biscay
Victoria Falls
Niagra Falls
Silicon Valley
The valley referred to in the term “Valley Girls”
Pike’s Peak
Mt. Rushmore
Geographic center of N. America
Geographic center of US
Transylvania
---
### Author:  [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/11 "2005-08-08T17:22:21Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#):
>
> The Dismal Swamp - Familiar but I can’t place it
Isn’t this from The Neverending Story?
London Bridge-One of the bridges over the Thames River in London.
Victoria Falls-one, if not the highest falls in the world. Somewhere in Africa
Niagra Falls-Falls near Buffalo New York between US and Canada
Silicon Valley-Seattle
Mt. Rushmore-US National Monument in southwest South Dakota, has four US presidents on it.
Geographic center of N. America-I believe Ruby North Dakota
Geographic center of US-contential or all of the US, because there are a couple of different ones.
Transylvania-Home of the Carpathian mountains in Romania, also home of Dracula.
---
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/12 "2005-08-08T17:24:08Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#):
>
> Here’s some more:
>
> Folsom Prison — California?
> London Bridge — Lake Havasu Arizona
> Bay of Biscay — Off the west of France in the Atlantic
> Victoria Falls — Africa? (If not, South America)
> Niagra Falls — If you mean Niagara, it’s near Buffalo NY at the easterm end of Lake Erie
> Silicon Valley – near San Francicso
> The valley referred to in the term “Valley Girls” — San Fernando or San Gabriel
> Pike’s Peak – Colorado
> Mt. Rushmore – one of the Dakotas, North I think
> Geographic center of N. America – Somewhere in Canada, I’ll say Saskatchewan
> Geographic center of US – Kansas unless you’re counting Alaska and Hawaii, in which case Way west and north of there
> Transylvania— Hungary or Romania?
Just guessing on most of them. Good list.
---
### Author:  [@Lathe\_of\_Heaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lathe_of_Heaven)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/13 "2005-08-08T17:39:59Z")
> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> The Shores of Tripoli
Northwest Africa
[quote]
Tasmania
Verrazano Narrows
> [@](#):
>
> Fire Island
Tiny little island off the coast of New York. Near Long Island, I believe.
> [@](#):
>
> Glocca Morra
Ireland
> [@](#):
>
> Botany Bay
Australia
> [@](#):
>
> Key Largo
Florida
> [@](#):
>
> The Straits of Magellan
The passage between Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego–the tip of South America.
> [@](#):
>
> The Galapagos Islands
A few hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador.
My suggestions:
The Sargasso Sea
Kerguelen
Ulaan Bataar
The Ural Mountains
The Pillars of Hercules
---
### Author:  [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/14 "2005-08-08T17:40:50Z")
> [@Edward The Head](#):
>
> Geographic center of N. America-I believe Ruby North Dakota
Actually, it’s Rugby – been there, seen the monument, didn’t buy a T-shirt (don’t even remember if any souvenir garments were available).
> [@](#):
>
> Geographic center of US-continental or all of the US, because there are a couple of different ones.
For the forty-eight contiguous states, it’s in the vicinity of the Kansas town of Lebanon, a plot point in the cinematic classic _The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes_. Whenf Alaska and Hawaii are added, the center is somewhere in South Dakota, as I recall.
From the first group: Timbuktu is in the country of Mali. The Galapagos Islands belong to Ecuador. Cape Fear is, I believe, in **North** Carolina.
---
### Author:  [@Lathe\_of\_Heaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lathe_of_Heaven)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/15 "2005-08-08T17:43:01Z")
> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> The Shores of Tripoli
Northwest Africa
> [@](#):
>
> Fire Island
Tiny little island off the coast of New York. Near Long Island, I believe.
> [@](#):
>
> Glocca Morra
Ireland
> [@](#):
>
> Botany Bay
Australia
> [@](#):
>
> Key Largo
Florida
> [@](#):
>
> The Straits of Magellan
The passage between Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego–the tip of South America.
> [@](#):
>
> The Galapagos Islands
A few hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador.
My suggestions:
The Sargasso Sea
Kerguelen
Ulaan Bataar
The Ural Mountains
The Pillars of Hercules
---
### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/16 "2005-08-08T17:46:55Z")
> [@Lathe of Heaven](#):
>
> The Ural Mountains
Mountain range running north-south in western-central Russia, considered to be the eastern boundary of Europe
---
### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/17 "2005-08-08T17:49:09Z")
I think that Timbuktu is a little Northwest of central Afrika. Not sure, but I think it’s in Niger. Or maybe Chad.
Checking a 'net source, I’m wrong. So what country do you think it’s in?
---
### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/18 "2005-08-08T17:50:42Z")
Just for more fun, name the Northernmost state in the US.
Easternmost?
Southernmost?
Westernmost?
---
### Author:  [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/19 "2005-08-08T17:51:25Z")
> [@Lathe of Heaven](#):
>
> My suggestions:
> The Sargasso Sea
> Kerguelen
> Ulaan Bataar
> The Ural Mountains
> The Pillars of Hercules
The Sargasso Sea is in the North Atlantic, although I’m hazy on just where. Roughly between Bermuda and the Azores, I think.
Kergulen is an island – in the Pacific, but beyond that I’m clueless.
Ulaan Bataar (formerly Ulan Bator) is the capital of Mongolia, that purple country surrounded by yellow China and the orange Soviet Union on my 1960’s-vintage globe (yes, I know the colors from memory).
The Ural Mountains are in Russia, run north-south, and are the traditional boundary between Europe and Asia.
The Pillars of Hercules are the promontories on the north (Gibraltar – Iberian Peninsula) and south (Morocco) sides of the Straits of Gibraltar. The straits link the Mediterranean with the open Atlantic.
---
### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/20 "2005-08-08T17:55:01Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> Just for more fun, name the Northernmost state in the US.
> Easternmost?
> Southernmost?
> Westernmost?
Northernmost: Alaska
Easternmost: Alaska
Southernmost: Hawaii
Westernmost: Alaska
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