Geography Quiz: Capitals, Rivers and Borders in 18 Questions

Geography rewards the kind of knowledge you pick up without trying: a map on a wall, a football tournament, a news bulletin. It also punishes assumptions, because the largest country is rarely the one people name and the longest river depends on who is measuring. Eighteen questions, grouped by difficulty.

Easy geography questions

1. What is the capital of Japan? — Tokyo
2. Which is the largest ocean on Earth? — The Pacific Ocean
3. On which continent is the Sahara Desert? — Africa
4. Which country has the most people? — India
5. What is the capital of Egypt? — Cairo
6. Which mountain is the highest above sea level? — Mount Everest

Medium geography questions

1. Which river flows through Baghdad? — The Tigris
2. Which country has the longest coastline in the world? — Canada
3. What is the smallest country by land area? — Vatican City
4. Which strait separates Europe from Asia at Istanbul? — The Bosphorus
5. Which sea lies between Saudi Arabia and Africa? — The Red Sea
6. What is the capital of Australia? — Canberra

Hard geography questions

1. Which country borders the most other countries? — China (tied with Russia at 14)
2. What is the deepest point in any ocean? — The Mariana Trench
3. Which African country was never formally colonised? — Ethiopia
4. Which lake holds the most fresh water by volume? — Lake Baikal
5. Through how many countries does the Danube flow? — Ten
6. What is the capital of Kazakhstan? — Astana

Capitals are the quickest geography win there is: thirty of them learned properly will carry you through most quiz nights.