Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

The Yangtze's role as a Chinese lifeline

The Yangtze is the longest river in Asia and flows entirely through China, from the Tibetan Plateau to the East China Sea near Shanghai. It has been a central trade and transport route for centuries and today supports roughly a third of China's population. The river basin is also home to the Three Gorges Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric projects in the world.

Nelson Mandela and a landmark election

Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first Black president in 1994, after spending 27 years in prison. That year's election was the first in which South Africans of all races could vote. Mandela's presidency marked the formal end of the apartheid era, and his focus on reconciliation helped steer the country through a deeply fragile transition.

James Chadwick and the missing particle

James Chadwick announced the discovery of the neutron in 1932, a breakthrough that explained why atomic nuclei could be heavier than the protons alone would suggest. Because neutrons carry no electric charge, they could penetrate atomic nuclei more easily, which later became crucial for nuclear fission research. Chadwick received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1935.

Baku below sea level

Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, sits on the Caspian Sea coast and is one of the lowest-lying national capitals in the world, with parts of the city below sea level. Its name is often linked to the Persian word for wind, a fitting description for a city known for strong gusts. Today Baku mixes a medieval walled old town with modern landmarks like the Flame Towers.

Fiji's inhabited islands

Fiji is made up of more than 300 islands, but only about a third of them are permanently inhabited. Many of the smaller islands remain untouched or are used only seasonally for fishing and agriculture. The two largest islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, are home to most of the population.