Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A novel that gave us a vocabulary

George Orwell wrote "1984" on the island of Jura in Scotland, publishing it in 1949. The book introduced terms such as "Big Brother" and "doublethink" that are still used today when people talk about surveillance and political language. Orwell, whose real name was Eric Arthur Blair, drew on his experiences with totalitarian propaganda and his time fighting in the Spanish Civil War.

A director who stepped behind the camera

Robert Redford is best known as an actor, but he directed "Ordinary People" in 1980, his first film as a director. It won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Redford later founded the Sundance Film Festival, which became one of the most important showcases for independent cinema.

The city built on water

Venice is often called the City of Bridges because it is spread across more than 100 small islands in a lagoon, connected by hundreds of bridges. The Grand Canal is the main waterway, and instead of roads, the city relies on boats and ferries. Its unique layout has made it one of the most visited cities in Europe.

A river that crosses six countries

The Mekong River flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea. It is one of the longest rivers in Asia and supports fishing and farming for millions of people. The river's lower basin is particularly important for rice production in Southeast Asia.

What the Romans called the north

The Romans called Scotland Caledonia, a name still used in poetry and place names today. They never fully controlled the region, and the Antonine Wall, built in the second century, marked the northern edge of their empire in Britain. The name Caledonia likely comes from a Celtic tribe the Romans encountered there.