Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

The Andes do not belong to just one country

The Andes form the longest continental mountain range in the world, stretching roughly 7,000 kilometres along the western edge of South America. Colombia is one of seven countries the range passes through, alongside Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Because the mountains are so long, they create radically different climates, from tropical highlands near the equator to cold Patagonian peaks in the south.

Henri Becquerel and an accidental discovery

Radioactivity was first identified by the French physicist Henri Becquerel in 1896, while he was investigating whether certain materials emitted rays similar to the recently discovered X-rays. He found that uranium salts fogged photographic plates even without exposure to sunlight. Marie and Pierre Curie later built on this work, but the initial discovery is credited to Becquerel, who shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics with the Curies.

The lira was more than pocket change

Before Italy adopted the euro in 2002, the Italian lira had been the country's currency since the nineteenth century. Its name comes from the Latin word for pound, and the currency was historically linked to a specific weight of silver. By the time it disappeared, the lira's value had fallen so much that everyday purchases often required thousands of lire, which made the changeover to a simpler euro system feel practical for many Italians.

Laughing gas is no joke in medicine

Nitrous oxide earned its nickname because inhaling it can produce a sense of euphoria and spontaneous laughter. It was first used recreationally in the late eighteenth century, but its medical value became clear when dentists began using it as a mild anaesthetic. Today it is still widely used in dentistry and during childbirth, usually mixed with oxygen to keep the patient safe.

Port-au-Prince sits on a dramatic bay

The capital of Haiti owes its name to a French ship, Le Prince, which is said to have anchored in the bay in the early eighteenth century. The city grew rapidly after Haiti became the first independent Black republic in 1804, following a successful revolution against French colonial rule. Port-au-Prince remains the political and economic heart of the country, though it has also faced devastating earthquakes and hurricanes.