# World Knowledge Trivia (money, meet mouth) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 12, 2004, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-knowledge-trivia-money-meet-mouth/233870 "2004-03-12T08:12:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-knowledge-trivia-money-meet-mouth/233870/1 "2004-03-12T08:12:18Z")
Seems like everybody’s getting into the geography spirit on the SDMB since [**yet another** thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=244095&page=1&pp=50) popped up about how little Americans seem to know about it compared to people in the rest of the world. [Some people](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=4627503#post4627503) have been testing their map identification skills and reporting their scores, but it seems to me there’s a lot more to know about the world than identifying blobs on a map. So I’ve picked a few areas of good, rich trivia from the [CIA factbook](http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/) and here is the result. I came up with questions about land area, population, GDP, currency, capitals, and length of coastline. There are **no** questions about US states or Canadian provinces or English counties. (The CIA isn’t known for assassinating rivers or funding _coup d’état_s on mountain ranges, so my questions are a socio-geopolitical thing.) I also broke up the questions into areas _that I felt_ were easy, harder, mega-hard, and super-biggo-difficult based upon my own limited knowledge. The categorization of “easy” and “hard” national capitals is especially arbitrary. Don’t snicker if your country’s capital pops up in the “very hard” category because I realize most of 'em are going to be pretty easy anyway, especially if you happen to live there. 🙂 The standard rules apply. Don’t look up the answers on the Internet until after you’ve already finished the quiz, don’t read the other posts before you answer, and so on. Oh, and I had to look up the answers to my own questions, so I don’t know how well I’d do on this thing. Not too well, I suspect. Questions in next post. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-knowledge-trivia-money-meet-mouth/233870/2 "2004-03-12T08:19:45Z")
All references come from the CIA factbook at [www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/](http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/) Coastline refers to oceanic coastline and does not include the coasts of lakes or inland seas. References to GDP and purchasing power parity based on CIA factbook, 2002 estimates. **EASY PICKINGS** 1. Which country has more kilometers of coastline, the UK or Russia? 2. Which country has more kilometers of coastline, Vietnam or Mexico? 3. Which country has a greater GDP, India or Romania? 4. Which country has a greater GDP, Iran or Germany? 5. Which country has a greater indigenous population, Russia or Egypt? 6. Which country has a greater indigenous population, Greece or Iran? 7. What is the national currency of Japan? 8. What is the national currency of France? 9. What is the national currency of Sweden? 10. What are the capitals of the following countries: Rome, Brazil, Egypt, South Korea, Japan and Greece? Extra credit. Which country has more kilometers of coastline, Greece or New Zealand? Extra credit. Which country has a greater indigenous population, Japan or China? **HARDER** 1. Which country has more kilometers of coastline, Madagascar or Cuba? 2. Which country has more kilometers of coastline, Italy or the Solomon Islands? 3. Which country has a greater GDP, France or Japan? 4. Which country has a greater GDP, Austria or Greece? 5. Which country has a greater indigenous population, the United Kingdom or Vietnam? 6. Which country has a greater indigenous population, Germany or Turkey? 7. What is the national currency of Israel? 8. What is the national currency of India? 9. What is the national currency of Thailand? 10. What are the capitals of the following countries: Sweden, Iceland, New Zealand, Israel, India, Vietnam? Extra credit. Which country has more kilometers of coastline, Argentina or Iceland? Extra credit. Which country has a greater indigenous population, Ireland or Norway? **GRAND DOPER** 1. Arrange the following four countries from the most kilometers of coastline to the least: the United States, Australia, the Philippines, Norway. 2. Arrange the following four countries from the most kilometers of coastline to the least: South Africa, Tunisia, Ecuador, Panama. 3. Arrange the following four countries from the greatest GDP to the least: Peru, Sweden, New Zealand, Kazakhstan. 4. Arrange the following four countries from the greatest GDP to the least: Thailand, Switzerland, South Korea, Austria. 5. Arrange the following five countries from the greatest population to the least: Mexico, Japan, Pakistan, the Philippines, Argentina. 6. Arrange the following five countries from the greatest population to the least: France, South Africa, Australia, Cuba, Syria. 7. What is the currency of South Korea? 8. What is the currency of Libya? 9. Which of the following countries does not officially use the euro as its national currency: Germany, Sweden, Greece, Austria, or France? 10. What are the capitals of the following countries: South Africa, Panama, Syria, Tunisia, Peru, Madagascar? Extra credit. Arrange the following four countries from the most kilometers of coastline to the least: Brazil, Turkey, Denmark, Italy. Extra credit. What are the two names for the national currency of China? **WOW, YOU MUST BE CHEATING** 🙂 1. Arrange the following fifteen countries from the most kilometers of coastline to the least: Norway, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico, Australia, Chile, Denmark, Argentina, Canada, Turkey, Tunisia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Panama, Russia. 2. Arrange the following twelve countries from the greatest GDP to the least: Germany, Iceland, Canada, Israel, Qatar, Iran, China, Belize, Libya, Chad, Switzerland, Japan. 3. What are the capitals of the following countries: Paraguay, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Laos, Belarus, Latvia? ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-knowledge-trivia-money-meet-mouth/233870/3 "2004-03-12T22:26:05Z")
Rome isn’t a country ---
**Author:** ![Kingspades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecae2f/32.png) [@Kingspades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kingspades)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-knowledge-trivia-money-meet-mouth/233870/4 "2004-03-12T22:32:10Z")
Well, let’s see how badly I can do… E1. United Kingdom E2. Mexico E3. India E4. Germany E5. Russia E6. Iran E7. The yen E8. The franc E9. The krone E10. Um, Italy? Brasilia, Cairo, Seoul, Tokyo, Athens EX1. Greece EX2. China H1. Madagascar H2. Solomon Islands H3. Japan H4. Austria H5. Vietnam H6. Turkey H7. The pound H8. The rupee H9. The bhat H10. Stockholm, Reykjavik, Wellington, Tel Aviv, Delhi, Ho Chi Minh City HX1. Iceland HX2. Norway G9. Greece G10. Johannesburg, Panama, Damascus, Lima GX1. The yuan and the yen? W3. Asuncion, Paraguay and Riga, Latvia ---
**Author:** ![tsarina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-knowledge-trivia-money-meet-mouth/233870/5 "2004-03-13T01:30:12Z")
I can’t help you with many of the others, but here’s your capitals: - Rome, Brazil, Egypt, South Korea, Japan and Greece? Rome’s the capital of Italy, Brasilia, Cairo, Seoul, Tokyo, Athens. - Sweden, Iceland, New Zealand, Israel, India, Vietnam? Stockholm, Reykjavik, Wellington, Tel Aviv, New Delhi, Hanoi. - South Africa, Panama, Syria, Tunisia, Peru, Madagascar? Johannesburg/Pretoria, Panama City, Damascus, Tunis, Lima, Antananarivo. - Paraguay, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Laos, Belarus, Latvia? Asuncion, Islamabad, Kinshasa, Vientiane, Minsk, Riga. Do I win anything? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TheJackOfHearts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheJackOfHearts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheJackOfHearts)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-knowledge-trivia-money-meet-mouth/233870/6 "2004-03-13T02:46:37Z")
As close as I can figure… 1. Russia 2. Mexico 3. India 4. Germany 5. Russia 6. Iran 7. Yen 8. Franc 9. Kroner 10. (I guess everyone’s picked up on Rome/Italy by now) Brasilia, Cairo, Seoul, Tokyo, Athens Extra Credit 1: Greece Extra Credit 2: China 1. Madagascar 2. Italy 3. France 4. Austria 5. United Kingdom 6. Turkey 7. Shekel 8. Rupee 9. ? 10. Stockholm, Reyjavik, Wellington, Tel Aviv, New Delhi, Ho Chi Minh City Extra credit 1: Argentina Extra credit 2: Ireland GRAND DOPER 1. United States, Australia, Norway, Phillipines 2. South Africa, Panama, Tunisia, Ecuador 3. Sweden, New Zealand, Peru, Kazakhstan. 4. South Korea, Switzerland, Austria, Thailand 5. Pakistan, Mexico, Japan, Argentina, the Phillipines 6. France, Australia, South Africa, Cuba, Syria. 7. ? 8. ? 9. Sweden 10. Johannesburg, Capetown, & Pretoria; Panama City; Damascus; Tunis; Lima; Antanadavario Extra credit 1: Brazil, Turkey, Denmark, Italy. Extra credit. ? Wow, you must be Cheating: 1. Canada, Russia, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Norway, Turkey, the Phillipines, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Panama, Tunisia, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2. Arrange the following twelve countries from the greatest GDP to the least: Germany, China, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Israel, Iceland, Qatar, Belize, Libya, Iran, Chad, 3. Asuncion, Islamabad, Kinshasha, ? , Minsk, Riga ---
**Author:** ![Barks\_dog\_food](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@Barks\_dog\_food](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barks_dog_food)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-knowledge-trivia-money-meet-mouth/233870/7 "2004-03-13T06:29:31Z")
E1 Russia E2 Mexico E3 India E4 Germany E5 Russia E6 Iran E7 Yen E8 Euro E9 Svenske Kronor E10 Italy 😉 , Brazilia, Kairo, Seoul, Tokyo, Athen Greece China H1 Cuba H2 Solomon Islands H3 Japan H4 Austria H5 UK H6 Germany H7 H8 Rupi H9 Dong H10 Stockholm, Reykjavik, Auckland, Tel Aviv, New Delhi, Hanoi Argentina Norway G1 Phillipines, US, Australia, Norway G2 South Africa, Panama, Tunisia, Ecuador G3 Sweden, New Zealand, Peru, Kazakhstan G4 Switzerland, south Korea, Austria, Thaniland G5 Japan, Argentina, Pakistan, Phillipines, Mexico G6 France, South Africa, Australia, Cuba, Syria G7 G8 G9 Sweden G10 Pretoria, Panama City, Damaskus, Tunis, , Antananarivo Italy, Turkey, Brazil, Denmark Peking, Beijing W1 Canada, Russia, the Philippines, Norway, Australia, Turkey, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Panama, Tunisia, Democratic Republic of Congo W2 Japan, Germany, China, Canada, Switzerland, Iran, Qatar, Israel, Iceland, Libya, Belize, Chad, W3 (…), Lahore, Kinshasa, (…), Minsk, Riga ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-knowledge-trivia-money-meet-mouth/233870/8 "2004-03-13T06:43:54Z")
EASY PICKINGS 1. Russia 2. Mexico 3. India 4. Germany 5. Russia 6. Greece? 7. Yen 8. Franc 9. Euro? 10. Rome, Brasilia, Cairo, Seoul, Tokyo and Athens Extra credit. Greece Extra credit. China HARDER 1. Madagascar 2. Solomon Islands 3. Japan 4. Austria 5. Vietnam 6. Turkey 7. I should know this but don’t. 8. Rupee? 9. Don’t Know. 10. Don’t know, Rekjavik (I know it’s spelled wrong), Auckland?, Tel Aviv, Delhi?, Don’t know Extra credit. Argentina Extra credit. Ireland GRAND DOPER 1. Norway, Australia, the Philippines, the United States. 2. South Africa, Panama, Ecuador, Tunisia. 3. Sweden, Peru, New Zealand, Kazakhstan. 4. Thailand, South Korea, Switzerland, Austria. 5. Pakistan, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Argentina. 6. South Africa, France, Cuba, Australia, Syria. 7. Don’t know 8. Don’t know 9. Sweden? 10. Don’t know, Panama City, Don’t know, Tunis, Lima, Don’t know Extra credit. Turkey, Denmark, Brazil, Italy. Extra credit. Don’t know WOW, YOU MUST BE CHEATING Not even going to try to guess.