Geo Quiz
Rio’s Sports Stadium Closed for Urgent Repairs
The sports stadium in Rio de Janeiro that is to host track and field events at the 2016 Olympic Games was abruptly closed down Thursday due to potentially dangerous structural design flaws in its roof. The BBC’s South American soccer expert Tim Vickery says it’s a huge embarrassment for Brazil as it looks forward to hosting the next World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.
The Most Welcoming, and Least Welcoming Countries Around the World
Our Geo Quiz: Which countries most welcome foreign visitors? Which don’t? Washington Post blogger Max Fisher shares his take on a global tourism survey by the World Economic Forum that reveals a curious geographic pattern when it comes to cultural attitudes toward welcoming foreign visitors.
Iraq’s Ancient Mesopotamian Capital
For the Geo Quiz, we are looking for a two-letter city from ancient Mesopotamia that flourished 4,000 years ago.
The Tale of Juan Mendoza, Bolivian Hero and Aviator
Our Geo Quiz today involves the conflict that broke out in 1879, involving Bolivia, Chile, and Peru, known as the War of the Pacific. This war that redrew the map of South America also goes by two other unlikely names.
Iran Native and Oregon Ducks Power Forward Arsalan Kazemi
A 6-foot-7 power forward on the University of Oregon’s basketball team is from Iran. For the Geo Quiz Friday, name Arsalan Kazemi’s native city.
International Cuisine in Louisiana
The Geo Quiz has an American culinary twist this time. This city on the Mississippi was named after a French city, located on the banks of the Loire River. It’s a melting pot of foods and flavors.
Daredevil Flies Into Rio de Janeiro Wearing a Wingsuit
Norwegian Jokke Sommer recently made a spectacular video of his flight over Rio de Janeiro. The daredevil flyer who wears a special aerodynamic wingsuit landed safely in the center of Rio after jumping off an ultralight plane, and flying in over the city skyline narrowly missing skyscrapers, and cathedrals.
13 Skeletons Unearthed in London Could Shed Light on the Plague
Archaeologists in London have found 13 skeletons that date back 700 years. They were dug up during a tunnel building project for a new railway. Historians say as many as 50,000 people died around the year 1348. Name the phenomenon that spread across Europe and re-shaped the human landscape of London.
Proxy Marriage: International Couples Getting Hitched Online
A growing number of couples especially in immigrant communities are getting hitched over the Internet. New York Times reporter Sarah Maslin Nir tells The World about a recent online proxy marriage of a Bangladeshi couple she attended.
Russian Skaters Going for Gold in Canada
We’re looking for the city hosting the 2013 World Figure Skating Championships for Wednesday’s Geo Quiz. This year, the Russian skaters are hoping improve their standings ahead of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
Greenland’s Future At Stake in Elections
The Geo Quiz visits the northernmost capital in the world this time. This tiny city on the south west coast of Greenland has just 15,000 residents and a couple of traffic lights.
CT Scans Reveal Ancient Mummies with Heart Disease
A new medical study of the vascular health of more than 100 mummies, some as old as 4,000-years-old, and from different geographies, has been published in the medical journal Lancet. The mummies all underwent CT scans and surprisingly, many showed signs of serious heart disease.
Locusts: Agricultural Menace and Kosher Snack
For the Geo Quiz, we are looking for Israel’s southern desert that lies east of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and is battling swarms of locusts.
2013 Gaza Marathon Canceled After Hamas Bans Women
Geo Quiz: Name the starting point and finish line of the Gaza Marathon. UN organizers have pulled the plug on the race because Gaza’s Hamas authorities banned women from taking part.
London’s Highgate Cemetery: Why the Grave of President Lincoln’s Chiropodist has Become a Tourist Destination
The film “Lincoln” has created an odd, new tourist destination in London’s Highgate Cemetery. It’s the grave site of Dr. Isacher Zacharie who tended to Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.
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