Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A capital that keeps changing its name

Astana, the answer to our first question, is one of the few capitals in the world to have been renamed several times. Known as Akmola when it became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997, it was renamed Astana a year later, then Nur-Sultan from 2019 to 2022, before reverting to Astana. The city lies on the Ishim River in the country's north, and its skyline is dominated by futuristic architecture, including the tent-shaped Khan Shatyr entertainment centre.

Sodium's symbol hides a Latin secret

Na, the symbol for sodium, comes from the Latin word natrium, which is also the source of the element's name in several European languages. Many chemical symbols follow this pattern: the symbol does not match the English name but the older Latin or German one. Iron is Fe (ferrum), lead is Pb (plumbum) and potassium is K (kalium). It is a reminder that chemistry's vocabulary was built long before English became the language of science.

Caledonia: Scotland's Roman name

Before Scotland was Scotland, Roman writers called the land north of Hadrian's Wall Caledonia, after the Caledonii, a tribe the Romans encountered there. The name survives today in poetic and romantic usage, and in place names around the world. The Romans never fully controlled the region, and Hadrian's Wall, begun in AD 122, marked the northern edge of their empire in Britain.

Verdi and the making of La Traviata

Giuseppe Verdi wrote La Traviata in 1853, with a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave based on Alexandre Dumas fils's play La Dame aux Camelias. Its premiere at La Fenice in Venice was a failure, partly because the singers were poorly suited to their roles. A revised version won over audiences, and today it is one of the most performed operas in the world, famous for Violetta's aria "Sempre libera" and the drinking song "Brindisi".

A match that made no noise

Janos Irinyi, a Hungarian chemist, invented the noiseless match in 1836. Earlier matches were prone to loud popping and even small explosions when struck. Irinyi replaced the antimony sulphide in the match head with lead dioxide, producing a quieter and safer flame. His invention helped make matches a practical household item, and he is remembered as a pioneer of Hungarian chemistry.