Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

The fountain that almost wasn't

The Trevi Fountain is one of Rome's most visited monuments, but it very nearly never existed in its current form. Its history stretches back to an ancient Roman aqueduct, and the grand baroque design was only completed in the 18th century. The tradition of tossing a coin into the water is a modern ritual rather than an ancient one, and the coins are collected regularly and donated to charity.

Dan Brown and the lure of hidden symbols

Dan Brown built a career on thrillers that blend art, history and secret societies. The Lost Symbol followed that formula, sending its protagonist Robert Langdon through Washington, D.C. rather than the European cities of the earlier books. Brown's novels have drawn both huge readerships and criticism from historians, but they undeniably made readers curious about symbols, architecture and forgotten documents.

Capitals that are not the biggest city

Nigeria's capital is Abuja, a purpose-built city that replaced Lagos in 1991. This makes Nigeria part of a small club of countries where the capital is not the largest or most famous city. Poland offers a similar contrast: Warsaw is the capital, while Krakow served as the royal capital for centuries and remains a major cultural centre. Both cases show how political decisions can reshape a country's map.

Why water matters so much

Roughly 60 to 65 percent of an adult human body is water, though the figure shifts with age, body composition and other factors. Water carries nutrients, regulates temperature and cushions joints and organs. Because the body constantly loses water through breathing, sweating and digestion, replacing it regularly is one of the simplest things you can do for your health.

A lake at the top of the world

Lake Titicaca sits high in the Andes on the border between Peru and Bolivia, and it is widely recognised as the highest large navigable lake on Earth. Its altitude makes the air thin and the sunlight intense. The lake has long been central to Andean cultures, and its floating islands, built from woven reeds, remain one of the region's most distinctive sights.