Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A goddess born from sea foam

Sandro Botticelli painted "The Birth of Venus" in the mid-1480s, most likely for the Medici family in Florence. The canvas shows Venus arriving on a shell, blown toward shore by the winds, a scene drawn from classical myth rather than Christian tradition. It is one of the earliest large-scale depictions of a pagan goddess in Western art, and it now hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Why the equator crosses Kenya

The equator passes through only a handful of countries in Africa, and Kenya is one of them. Near the town of Nanyuki, a sign marks the exact line, and tour guides demonstrate how water appears to drain in opposite directions on either side. The effect is a popular roadside trick rather than strict physics, but it draws visitors all the same. Kenya's position on the equator gives it a warm climate year-round, moderated by altitude in the highlands.

The canal that split two continents

The Suez Canal opened in 1869, linking the Mediterranean with the Red Sea and allowing ships to sail between Europe and Asia without going around Africa. It runs through Egypt and separates the African mainland from the Sinai Peninsula. The canal remains one of the world's busiest shipping routes, and when it is blocked, as happened in 2021, global trade feels the effects within days.

A carmaker with wings

SAAB began as a Swedish aircraft manufacturer before turning to cars after the Second World War. Its engineering background showed in unusual details, such as placing the ignition between the seats and fitting turbocharged engines to family saloons. The car division struggled financially and ceased production in the early 2010s, though the name survives in defence and aerospace.

The planet that looks red for a reason

Mars owes its rusty colour to iron oxide, essentially rust, in its soil and dust. The planet is smaller than Earth and has a thin atmosphere, which is why its surface is visible from telescopes on clear nights. Its reddish hue has been noted since ancient times, and many cultures linked the planet to war and bloodshed.