Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

Why Lima keeps its colonial centre alive

Lima sits on the Pacific coast, making it one of the few South American capitals with direct ocean access. Its historic centre, originally laid out by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is also known for a coastal fog called garúa, which keeps temperatures mild for much of the year despite its tropical latitude.

The metal that is liquid at room temperature

Mercury is the only metallic element that remains liquid under standard conditions. Its chemical symbol Hg comes from hydrargyrum, a Latinised Greek word meaning liquid silver. Historically used in thermometers and barometers, mercury is now handled with far more care because of its toxicity.

A championship defined by grass and silence

Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, first held in 1877. It remains the only Grand Slam event played on grass, and its strict all-white dress code for players is unique among the majors. The event is also famous for its strawberries and cream tradition, with tens of thousands of portions served each year.

Verdi and the opera that nearly did not happen

Giuseppe Verdi wrote La Traviata in 1853, adapting Alexandre Dumas fils' play La Dame aux Camélias. Its first performance in Venice was poorly received, partly due to casting problems. Verdi revised the opera, and it soon became one of the most performed works in the repertoire.

A panther with a surprising role

In Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, Bagheera is described as a black panther - technically a melanistic leopard. He is one of Mowgli's main protectors and mentors, alongside Baloo the bear. Kipling chose the name from Hindi, where bagh means tiger, a nod to the animal's feline nature.