Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A river that crosses borders

The Nile is one of the most international rivers in the world. Its waters pass through or border several countries, including Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia and Congo, which is why disputes over how its flow should be shared have involved so many governments. For Egypt in particular, the river has long been treated as a lifeline, since almost all of the country's population lives along its valley and delta.

The desert that is smaller than you think

The Mojave Desert is often described as the smallest of North America's four major deserts. It covers parts of California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, and it is drier and higher than the neighbouring Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. Its most famous resident is the Joshua tree, a plant that has become a symbol of the American Southwest.

Switzerland's careful linguistic balance

Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. That arrangement is not just symbolic. The country is divided into language regions, and federal documents, schooling and public services are organised around them. English, despite being widely spoken in business and tourism, has no official status, which is why it is the odd one out in this quiz.

When a wild dog looks like a cat

The dingo is often mistaken for a kind of wild cat or a stray domestic dog, but it belongs to its own branch of the canid family. Pumas, by contrast, are true cats, and the lion - listed here as "Leo" - is the classic member of the family Felidae. The dingo's lean build and pointed ears can make it look feline at a glance, but its ancestry is firmly canine.

A capital with a complicated neighbourhood

Havana is the capital of Cuba and the country's largest city, known for its colonial architecture, seafront promenade and music scene. Its location just across the Florida Straits from the United States has shaped its history for more than a century. Nassau and Port-au-Prince, the other options in the question, are capitals of the Bahamas and Haiti respectively, which is why they can feel confusingly close in a multiple-choice list.