Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A final canvas that still divides opinion

Vincent van Gogh painted Wheatfield with Crows in July 1890, in the last weeks of his life, and it has often been described as his final work - though that claim is disputed by art historians. The painting's wide format, darkening sky and flock of crows rising from the wheat have invited all kinds of symbolic readings, which van Gogh's own letters do not clearly support. What is certain is the restless energy of the brushwork, typical of the intense pace at which he painted near Auvers-sur-Oise.

When a currency disappears almost overnight

Austria's pre-euro currency, the schilling, had been in use in various forms since 1925 and was closely tied to the country's post-war economic recovery. When euro notes and coins arrived in 2002, the schilling was retired after a fixed conversion rate was set. Many Austrians kept a few coins or notes as souvenirs, and the old currency can still be exchanged at the national bank.

The river that drains a continent

The Amazon carries more water than any other river on Earth and flows eastward from the Andes across Brazil before reaching the Atlantic. Its basin covers a vast share of South America and supports one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. The Andes themselves act as the source for countless tributaries, making the mountain range and the river system inseparable in both geography and ecology.

A border drawn by water

The Amur forms a long stretch of the boundary between Russia and China, winding through sparsely populated regions of the Russian Far East. Several major tributaries, including the Ussuri and the Argun, also feed into the same system, which is why the border here follows rivers rather than straight lines. The Amur is home to species such as the kaluga sturgeon and has long been important for trade and transport.

A sauce named after a place

Tabasco sauce takes its name from the Mexican state of Tabasco, though the recipe was actually developed in the United States in the 1860s by Edmund McIlhenny. The state itself sits in the southeast of Mexico along the Gulf coast, known for its humid lowlands, cacao and river systems. The brand and the region share a name but no formal production link, a detail that surprises many people.