Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

Liszt, the Hungarian Rhapsodies and a question of identity

Franz Liszt was born in the Kingdom of Hungary, in what is now Austria, and spent much of his life travelling across Europe. His Hungarian Rhapsodies, written mainly in the 1840s and 1850s, drew on Romani and Hungarian musical traditions, although scholars still debate how directly they reflect authentic folk material. The second rhapsody became especially famous through its use in cartoons and films.

Bern is the capital, but many people think otherwise

Switzerland's federal city is Bern, yet Zurich and Geneva are more internationally prominent and are sometimes mistaken for the capital. Switzerland has no official capital in its constitution; Bern was chosen as the seat of the federal government in 1848. The country's political structure, with strong cantonal autonomy, helps explain why the capital remains relatively small and low-key.

Antarctica is not owned by any country

The Antarctic continent has no countries and no permanent native population. Seven states maintain territorial claims, but these are not universally recognised, and the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 set the continent aside for peaceful scientific research. That legal framework is one reason the question of how many countries exist there has a simple but surprising answer: zero.

Melville's Moby-Dick found fame only after his death

Herman Melville published Moby-Dick in 1851, but the novel was a commercial failure during his lifetime and damaged his literary reputation. It was rediscovered in the early twentieth century, partly through the work of critics who saw its experimental structure and philosophical depth as ahead of its time. Today it is widely regarded as one of the major American novels.

Athens returned as Olympic host after more than a century

Athens hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and did not host them again until 2004. The return was symbolically important, but it also placed considerable strain on the city's infrastructure and finances. The 2004 Games were praised for their atmosphere and organisation, while later economic debates in Greece sometimes pointed to the event's long-term costs.