Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A monument that has outlived most empires

The Great Sphinx of Giza sits on the west bank of the Nile near Cairo, carved from a single limestone outcrop and paired with the pyramids nearby. It depicts a reclining lion with a human head, and while its exact age and original purpose are still debated, it is one of the oldest monumental sculptures in the world. Egypt's tourism and archaeology sectors treat it as a national symbol, which is why it turns up so often in geography quizzes.

An element named after a mythological punishment

Tantalum takes its name from Tantalus, a figure in Greek mythology condemned to stand in water that receded whenever he tried to drink. The element, symbol Ta, is a hard, corrosion-resistant metal used in electronics, particularly in capacitors found in phones and laptops. Its name is a nod to the difficulty chemists had dissolving it in acid, a problem that echoed Tantalus's endless frustration.

Luxembourg is not what many people assume

Luxembourg is often mistaken for a principality or a republic, but it is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, with a Grand Duke as head of state rather than a king or prince regent. It is the world's only sovereign grand duchy, a status that dates back to the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Despite its small size, it is a founding member of the European Union and hosts several EU institutions.

Two capitals, one country

Bolivia is one of the few countries with more than one capital city. Sucre is the constitutional capital and the seat of the judiciary, while La Paz serves as the seat of government and the administrative capital. The arrangement reflects a long political compromise, and it regularly trips up quiz takers who expect a single answer.

The bee hummingbird and the limits of small

The bee hummingbird, native to Cuba, is generally recognised as the smallest bird in the world, weighing less than a two-pence coin and measuring around 5 to 6 centimetres. It beats its wings so rapidly that they produce a humming sound, and it feeds almost constantly to sustain its high metabolism. The goldcrest and weebill are small, but neither comes close to the bee hummingbird's size.