Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A capital on a divided island

Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus, and it has a distinction no other European capital shares: the city itself is divided. A buffer zone known as the Green Line runs through it, separating the Greek Cypriot south from the Turkish Cypriot north. Nicosia has served as the island's capital for centuries, and today it functions as the seat of government for the Republic of Cyprus.

Roman numerals and the art of reading them

Roman numerals still turn up on clock faces, film credits and monuments. The system uses seven letters - I, V, X, L, C, D and M - and works by adding or subtracting values depending on order. A smaller numeral before a larger one is subtracted, which is why MCL equals 1,150, while MDXXX comes to 1,530. Sizes aside, they are a neat reminder of how long this numbering system has survived.

The Alamo and the making of Texas

The siege of the Alamo took place in San Antonio, Texas, in 1836, during the Texas Revolution against Mexican rule. A small garrison held the former mission for around thirteen days before it fell. Though the defenders were defeated, the battle became a rallying cry for Texan forces, who went on to win independence later that year at San Jacinto.

Jupiter, the giant of the Solar System

Jupiter is the largest planet orbiting our Sun, so massive that every other planet could fit inside it combined. It is a gas giant with a turbulent atmosphere, home to the Great Red Spot, a storm larger than Earth that has raged for centuries. Its strong gravity also shapes the paths of many smaller bodies in the Solar System.

Tanzania and the Swahili coast

Tanzania sits in East Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean and home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the continent's highest peak. The country was formed in 1964 through the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, and its name reflects that merger. Swahili, a language shaped by centuries of trade along the coast, serves as its national language.