Category: Brain Teasers

Trivia: Which river starts in the Black Forest of Germany?

Rhine
Thames
Danube
Volga

The correct answer is Danube

So why is this answer correct? : Rising in the Black Forest Mountains of Germany and traveling through nine countries — Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany — the Danube collects water from more than 300 tributaries along the way and empties into the Black Sea. The 1,700-mile Danube flows through more national capitals than any other river, including Belgrade, Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest.

Trivia: The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is located in which country?

Nepal
Uzbekistan
Costa Rica
Peru

The correct answer is Costa Rica

So why is this answer correct? : Cloud forests are similar to rainforests, but are located in mountainous regions and have areas of high elevation roughly 3,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level. First established in 1972, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve stretches across a vast 35,000 acres in Costa Rica. The damp air and lack of sunshine slow down the rate of moisture evaporation, which results in incredible biodiversity.

Trivia: Which fact is true of California’s Inyo National Forest?

America’s first national forest
Only rainforest on the West Coast
Most tree species in the world
Home to oldest single tree in U.S.

The correct answer is Home to oldest single tree in U.S.

So why is this answer correct? : In 2013, scientists announced that an unnamed Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, located in Inyo National Forest near Yosemite National Park, had been verified as 5,062 years old. Other trees on Earth are reportedly older than these two in California, but they are colony trees that clone and reproduce — in other words, large groups of trees that are connected by a single root system.

Trivia: Which of these islands has no forests?

Greenland
Fiji
Iceland
Cuba

The correct answer is Greenland

So why is this answer correct? : The Danish territory of Greenland is one of only four countries or territories without any forest area, along with Qatar, Nauru, and San Marino. Wondering what technically qualifies as a “forest”? That includes natural or planted tree systems with trees that are at least 5 meters (16 feet) tall — and trees in gardens, urban park areas, or agricultural production systems don’t qualify.

Trivia: What stage persona did David Bowie create in 1972?

Ziggy Stardust
Chris Gaines
Sgt. Pepper
Sasha Fierce

The correct answer is Ziggy Stardust

So why is this answer correct? : Conceived in conjunction with Bowie’s 1972 album, “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars,” the character Ziggy Stardust was an omnisexual alien rock star sent to Earth as a messenger. Ziggy’s look was highlighted by a striking orange mullet and glam rock-inspired outfits, and the name “Ziggy” was taken from a local tailor shop that Bowie passed while riding the train.

Trivia: What country in Europe is the most forested?

Romania
Poland
Ireland
Sweden

The correct answer is Sweden

So why is this answer correct? : You might want to bring some breadcrumbs with you if you’re trying to find your way across Sweden, the most forested country in Europe with 28 million hectares of forest. The next most forested countries in Europe are Finland, Spain, and France. Sweden and Finland have some of the strongest protections against deforestation on the continent, with tree coverage at nearly 70% of each country’s surface area.

Trivia: What Scandinavian pop group won 1974’s Eurovision?

a-ha
Björk
ABBA
Sigur Rós

The correct answer is ABBA

So why is this answer correct? : One year after previously entering the competition in 1973 and finishing in fifth place with the song “Ring Ring,” ABBA topped the rest of the field with their performance of “Waterloo” at the 1974 Eurovision competition. The group reworked the song’s lyrics from Swedish to English in an effort to broaden its appeal, and it worked. “Waterloo” topped charts all across Europe and reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S.

Trivia: Which state is home to Petrified Forest National Park?

Arizona
Alabama
Nevada
North Dakota

The correct answer is Arizona

So why is this answer correct? : Petrified Forest National Park, located in the Apache and Navajo counties, contains swaths of petrified wood deposits across a shrub-steppe semi-desert badlands. The 225 million-year-old fossilized fallen trees were once part of an ancient conifer forest. It was made a national monument in 1906 and has been a national park since 1962.

Trivia: Which movie’s soundtrack primarily included songs by the Bee Gees?

Super Fly
Grease
Foxy Brown
Saturday Night Fever

The correct answer is Saturday Night Fever

So why is this answer correct? : The year 1977 saw the release of the disco movie “Saturday Night Fever.” The soundtrack contains some of the Bee Gees’ most legendary tracks, including “Stayin’ Alive,” “How Deep Is Your Love,” and “Night Fever.” The album went on to sell 15 million copies, setting a record for soundtrack sales at the time. (The record was overtaken by “The Bodyguard” soundtrack in the ’90s.) It remains the only disco record to win the Grammy for Album of the Year.

Trivia: Canada is home to a temperate rainforest named after which animal?

Orca
Beaver
Bear
Wolf

The correct answer is Bear

So why is this answer correct? : Stretching nearly 250 miles along the north and central coast of British Columbia, the Great Bear Rainforest encompasses about 21 million acres. It’s one of the largest remaining coastal temperate rainforests in the world, sometimes referred to as “the Amazon of the North.” Its name comes from the Kermode bear, or spirit bear, a very rare subspecies of the black bear found only in this rainforest.