Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

Two ranges, one vast country

The Rocky Mountains stretch roughly 4,800 kilometres from northern British Columbia down to New Mexico, while the Appalachians run about 2,400 kilometres along the eastern side of North America. Both ranges lie largely within the United States, though each extends into Canada as well. They differ enormously in age: the Appalachians are among the oldest mountain chains on Earth, while the Rockies are geologically much younger and still rising.

A capital chosen to settle a rivalry

Ottawa became the capital of the Province of Canada in 1857 and kept that role when the country confederated in 1867. The choice was partly a compromise between English-speaking Toronto and French-speaking Montreal, and Queen Victoria is said to have favoured the town partly for its position on the Ottawa River. Today it remains a relatively modest-sized capital compared with Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver.

The river that touches ten countries

At roughly 2,850 kilometres, the Danube is Europe's second-longest river after the Volga. It rises in Germany's Black Forest and flows through or along the borders of ten countries before emptying into the Black Sea. No other river in the world passes through so many nations, which has made it a historic trade route and a recurring symbol in music, from Strauss's famous waltz to folk songs across the Balkans.

Gatsby and the Jazz Age

F. Scott Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby in 1925, and it is now regarded as one of the defining novels of the Jazz Age. The story follows the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his obsession with Daisy Buchanan, set against the glitter of Long Island's wealthy circles. Fitzgerald drew on his own experiences among the wealthy and on the mood of the 1920s, though the book sold poorly during his lifetime.

When fear has a name

Agoraphobia is often misunderstood as simply a fear of open spaces, but it more broadly involves anxiety about situations that feel difficult to escape, such as crowds, public transport or wide-open places. The term comes from Greek roots meaning "fear of the marketplace". It is distinct from claustrophobia, the fear of enclosed spaces, and arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, both of which focus on specific triggers.