Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A capital that shares its country's name

São Tomé and Príncipe is one of the few countries whose capital, São Tomé, shares its name with the nation itself. The country consists of two main islands in the Gulf of Guinea, off the west coast of Central Africa, along with several smaller islets. Portuguese explorers settled the uninhabited islands in the fifteenth century, and Portuguese remains the official language today. It is one of Africa's smallest countries by population.

The father of English literature

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote "The Canterbury Tales" in Middle English, mostly during the late fourteenth century. The work is a collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims travelling from London to Canterbury Cathedral. Chaucer's decision to write in English rather than French or Latin helped establish the language as a serious literary medium. He is often called the father of English literature, and the tales remain one of the most studied works in the English canon.

Malaysia and the ringgit

Malaysia's currency, the ringgit, is divided into 100 sen and is issued by Bank Negara Malaysia, the country's central bank. The word "ringgit" means "jagged" in Malay, a reference to the serrated edges of the silver Spanish dollars that once circulated widely in the region. Malaysia is a federation of thirteen states and three federal territories, with Kuala Lumpur as its capital and Putrajaya as its administrative centre.

Why Canberra, not Sydney

Australia's capital is Canberra, a purpose-built city located inland between Sydney and Melbourne. When the colonies federated in 1901, the two largest cities both wanted to host the national capital. A compromise placed the new city in New South Wales, but at a safe distance from Sydney, and an international design competition was held to plan it. American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin won, and construction began in 1913.

The Golden Bear and the Berlinale

The Berlin International Film Festival, known as the Berlinale, awards the Golden Bear as its top prize. It is one of Europe's three major film festivals, alongside Cannes and Venice, and was first held in 1951. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin and appears on the city's coat of arms. The festival is open to the public, and tickets for its screenings are sold to ordinary cinemagoers, not just industry professionals.