Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A sea that shaped civilisations

The Mediterranean has bordered some of the world's oldest trading and cultural centres, which is why so many countries claim a piece of its coastline. Tunisia and Greece both sit directly on its shores, while Poland lies on the Baltic Sea, far to the north. The Mediterranean's geography has long influenced shipping routes, cuisine and even climate, giving its coastal nations a shared character that landlocked or northern countries simply do not have.

A painting that turned a tragedy into a symbol

Picasso painted Guernica in 1937, in direct response to the bombing of the Basque town of the same name during the Spanish Civil War. Rather than depicting the event literally, he used distorted figures and monochrome tones to convey chaos and suffering. The canvas became one of the most recognisable anti-war statements in modern art, and it still draws crowds wherever it is displayed.

Mozart's remarkable final years

Don Giovanni premiered in 1787, with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It blends comedy and tragedy in a way that was unusual for its time, following the downfall of a reckless nobleman. Mozart composed it while still in his early thirties, and the opera remains a staple of major houses around the world.

The mystery writer who defined a genre

Agatha Christie wrote Ten Little Indians, a novel celebrated for its ingenious structure and its high body count. Christie is best known for creating Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, and her books have sold in enormous numbers worldwide. Her plotting style influenced generations of crime writers, and adaptations of her work continue to appear on screen and stage.