Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A capital below sea level

Baku, the answer to our first question, sits on the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea and is the capital of Azerbaijan. It is the largest city in the Caucasus region and lies about 28 metres below sea level, making it the lowest-lying national capital in the world. The city's old walled core, Icherisheher, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its skyline mixes medieval stone with modern towers funded by oil wealth.

Rice, saffron and a wide pan

Paella takes its name from the wide, shallow pan it is cooked in, and rice is its undisputed foundation. The dish comes from the Valencia region, where it was originally a rural workers' meal cooked over an open fire. Traditional Valencian versions often include rabbit, chicken and sometimes snails, while seafood versions became popular later, especially in coastal areas. Saffron gives the rice its characteristic golden colour.

The war that kept its dates in the name

The American Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865, a span so closely tied to the conflict that many US history books use the years almost as a title. It began after decades of tension over slavery and states' rights, and ended with the Confederacy's defeat. The war remains the deadliest in American history in terms of military casualties, and its aftermath reshaped the country's constitution and society.

The country that circles the clock

Russia spans more time zones than any other country, a consequence of its enormous east-west reach across Europe and Asia. It officially uses eleven time zones, from the Kaliningrad region in the west to Kamchatka in the far east. China, by contrast, is almost as wide but uses just one official time zone, which makes for some striking sunrise times in its western regions.

Music for the solar system

Gustav Holst composed "The Planets", a seven-movement orchestral suite written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement is named after a planet and its astrological character, from the thundering "Mars" to the serene "Venus" and the sweeping "Jupiter". Holst, an English composer and teacher, later worried that the suite overshadowed his other work, yet it remains one of the most performed orchestral pieces in the repertoire.