Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A currency named after a liberator

Venezuela's currency, the bolívar, takes its name from Simón Bolívar, the military and political leader who played a central role in Latin America's independence from Spanish rule in the early 19th century. The bolívar has been redenominated several times, and in recent years the country has issued notes under names such as the bolívar fuerte and the bolívar soberano. Few currencies in the world have been renamed and restructured so often.

The vast, contested depths of the Mariana Trench

The Mariana Trench lies in the western Pacific Ocean, east of the Mariana Islands, and contains Challenger Deep, the deepest known point in the world's oceans. Its depth is so extreme that Mount Everest could be dropped inside and still leave more than a mile of water above it. Only a handful of people have ever descended to the bottom, and each dive has revealed species adapted to crushing pressure and total darkness.

The short life of the Vermont Republic

Before Vermont became the 14th US state in 1791, it existed as an independent republic for 14 years, with its own constitution, currency and postal service. It declared independence in 1777, partly because both New York and New Hampshire claimed its territory. The republic's founders hoped to join the United States but were blocked for years by those competing land claims, which is why statehood only arrived in 1791.

A small country with a very old parliament

Andorra la Vella is the capital of Andorra, a tiny principality tucked into the Pyrenees between France and Spain. Andorra is unusual in having two co-princes as heads of state: the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell in Spain, an arrangement that dates back centuries. Its parliament, the General Council, is one of the oldest in Europe, and tourism and skiing dominate the economy of this mountainous microstate.