Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A capital that is not the biggest city

Ankara has served as the capital of Turkey since 1923, when the newly founded republic moved its seat of government there. Istanbul, the country's largest city and former Ottoman capital, sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. The shift was a deliberate political choice, placing the government in the heart of Anatolia rather than in a cosmopolitan port city.

A fairy tale that is darker than the film

Hans Christian Andersen published The Little Mermaid in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales. Unlike the cheerful animated adaptation most people know, Andersen's original ends in sorrow: the mermaid does not win the prince, and her fate hinges on earning an immortal soul. Andersen, a Danish writer, also gave the world The Ugly Duckling and The Emperor's New Clothes.

Russia's long list of neighbours

Russia shares land borders with more countries than any other nation, stretching from Norway and Finland in the west to China and North Korea in the east. Its sheer size across two continents explains the count. By contrast, India has several neighbours of its own, but fewer than Russia, and Morocco's borders are limited to a handful of North African states.

Handel's music for a king on the water

George Frideric Handel composed his Water Music suites for King George I, and the pieces were reportedly performed on a barge on the River Thames in 1717. The king was said to have enjoyed them so much that he requested repeated performances. Handel, born in Germany, spent most of his career in London, where he also wrote Messiah.

The river that crosses six countries

The Mekong begins on the Tibetan Plateau and flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea. It is one of Asia's great waterways, supporting fishing and farming for millions of people. Laos, a landlocked country, depends heavily on the river for both food and transport.