Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A country that changed its name

Zambia was known as Northern Rhodesia until 1964, when it gained independence from Britain and took its new name from the Zambezi River. The colonial name honoured Cecil Rhodes, whose British South Africa Company administered the territory. Neighbouring Zimbabwe followed a similar path, shedding the name Southern Rhodesia. Both names still appear in older atlases and history books, which is why they make such reliable trivia.

The Pacific and its misleading name

The Pacific is not only the largest ocean, it is also the deepest, containing the Mariana Trench. Ferdinand Magellan named it "Mar Pacífico", meaning peaceful sea, after his expedition enjoyed calm conditions during part of its crossing. The name stuck, even though the ocean is frequently battered by typhoons and earthquakes. Its size is hard to picture: it covers roughly a third of the planet's surface.

Boron and the trouble with B

Boron's symbol is simply B, which makes it an easy answer to remember. The confusion comes from its neighbours on the periodic table: Br is bromine and Be is beryllium. Boron itself is a metalloid used in everything from fibreglass and detergents to heat-resistant glassware. It rarely appears in pure form in nature, which is one reason it took chemists a long time to isolate.

Biryani and the flavours of South Asia

Biryani is a fragrant rice dish popular across South Asia, built on layers of rice, spices and meat or vegetables. Regional versions differ widely: Hyderabad, Lucknow and Sindhi styles each claim their own character and loyal following. Arepas belong to Venezuela and Colombia, while empanadas are found throughout Latin America and Spain, so the other two options sit firmly on the wrong continent.

The world's deepest canyon

Cotahuasi Canyon in Peru is often cited as the deepest canyon on Earth, cutting through the Andes in the Arequipa region. Depth figures vary depending on how they are measured, and some sources give the title to neighbouring Colca Canyon. Buckskin Gulch in Utah is famous for being among the longest slot canyons, while Mexico's Copper Canyon is a network of canyons rather than a single one.