Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

The chemist who made matches less alarming

János Irinyi is remembered for creating the noiseless match in 1836. Before his improvement, early friction matches often ignited with a startling crack and produced unpleasant fumes. Irinyi replaced a common component with lead dioxide, which allowed the match to light more quietly and evenly. His work was a practical step in making fire-starting safer and more predictable in everyday life.

Why Madame Bovary shook French society

Gustave Flaubert spent years refining Madame Bovary, a novel about Emma Bovary's restless life in provincial France. When it first appeared in serial form in the 1850s, the French government put Flaubert on trial, accusing the book of offending public morals. He was acquitted, and the controversy helped turn the novel into a landmark of literary realism. Flaubert's meticulous search for the right word, le mot juste, became famous among writers.

The Caribbean capital that is not what many expect

Roseau is the capital of Dominica, a small island nation in the Lesser Antilles. Because the name looks similar to the Dominican Republic, travellers sometimes confuse the two places. Dominica is not a Spanish-speaking country; English is its official language, and Roseau sits on the island's southwestern coast. The capital is known for its compact size, nearby rainforest, and access to the island's volcanic landscapes.

Malabo and the geography of Equatorial Guinea

Malabo is located on Bioko Island, even though most of Equatorial Guinea's land area lies on the African mainland. This unusual arrangement means the capital is physically separated from the continental part of the country. Equatorial Guinea is one of the few African nations where Spanish is an official language, a legacy of its colonial history. The capital's island location surprises many people who expect it to sit on the mainland.