Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

Why the Spanish flu was not actually Spanish

The influenza pandemic that swept the globe in 1918-1919 is commonly called the Spanish flu, but Spain was not its place of origin. The name stuck largely because Spain, as a neutral country during the First World War, reported freely on the outbreak while warring nations suppressed news to maintain morale. The pandemic infected roughly a third of the world's population and killed tens of millions, making it one of the deadliest events of the 20th century.

Bangkok's name is much longer than you think

Bangkok is the everyday name used by foreigners and many Thais, but the city's official Thai name is one of the longest place names in the world. It begins with Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and continues with a long ceremonial description. Bangkok became the capital of Siam, as Thailand was then known, in 1782 after the previous capital, Ayutthaya, was destroyed.

Dostoevsky wrote under extraordinary pressure

Fyodor Dostoevsky published Crime and Punishment in 1866, the same year he was also working on another novel, The Gambler, to meet a punishing deadline. The novel first appeared in serial form in a literary journal before being published as a book. It explores guilt, morality and redemption through the story of Rodion Raskolnikov, a poor former student in Saint Petersburg who commits a murder and then wrestles with the psychological consequences.

Switzerland has four national languages

Switzerland recognises German, French, Italian and Romansh as official languages. English is widely spoken, especially in business and tourism, but it has no official status. The linguistic regions are largely tied to geography: German dominates in the north and centre, French in the west, Italian in the south, and Romansh, a Romance language with ancient roots, survives in parts of the canton of Graubünden.