Ring-tailed lemurs are limited only to the island of Madascar off the east coast of mainland Africa.

Let's start cute... what nation is this little guy native to?

"Argentum" means silver in Latin, which evolved into the Spanish word "argentina" or "made of silver".

This flag represents a nation that takes its name from the Latin word for "silver".  What is it?

Four nations laid claim to North America during the Age of Exploration: England, Spain, France, and what other nation?

In 1868, the Japanese city of Edo changed its name to the one it bears today.  What is it?

Andorra is a Catalan-speaking nation with a very odd system of rule.  You should wiki it.

What small nation is nestled between France and Spain in the Pyrenees Mountains?

Also, Cuba became a protectorate of the US but became independent just 4 years later.

The map shows the Spanish Empire at the start of the war.

After the Spanish-American War, the United States gained control of Puerto Rico, the Philippines and which other Pacific island?

The ancient Chinese were first to many of the world's great inventions, paper and pottery just being two of them.

Which ancient civilization gave the world both paper and pottery?

Everyone talks about anyplace ridiculously remote as being "in Timbuktu".  Where is Timbuktu?

This little guy is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world, the Tasmanian devil... given an out-sized reputation by Looney Tunes.

The Latin name is "sarcophilus harrisii taranna".

Another critter question... where would you find this creature?

Alexander had no trouble with ego.  He named over 70 cities for himself, many renamed "Alexandria".

Alexander the Great conquered one of the greatest empires of the ancient world.  He began as king of which nation?

The complex holds the Guinness World Record as the largest religious structure in the world.

Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Stie in 1992, Angor Wat is a temple complex covering over 400 acres.  Where is it located?

One of the oldest structures in the world, Stonehenge is one of the most recognized landmarks in the world.  Where is it?

St Petersburg is another city that was renamed for political purposes, becoming Leningrad for 67 years before reverting to its original name.

Catherine the Great was a Prussian princess who married Tsar Peter III and ruled Russia after his death.  Where did she rule from?

India has had a long and occasionally turbulent history, but in 1947 gained independence as a democracy.  Who was its first prime minister?

William was Duke of Normandy, a region that was given to his ancestor Rollo as a bribe by the French king to keep Rollo's army out of the rest of France.

In 1066, England was invaded by an army led by William the Conqueror.  Where was William from?

Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan by Philippine locals, and the voyage was completed under the command of his seconds.

Magellan is famous for the first circumnavigation of the globe, but he personally died on the trip.  Where did he die?

Which of these nations is on the Tropic of Capricorn?

One of the most notorious queens of European history was central to the French Revolution in part because of her not being French.

Marie Antoinette was Queen of France, but she was born where?

This is the flag for which nation?

Russia borders on several major bodies of water.  Which city is the major Russian port on the Pacific Ocean?

Possibly the most recognized building ever (competing with the Eiffel Tower and Great Pyramid), the Taj Mahal is one of the Modern Wonders of the World.

Shah Jahan built the incredibly-famous Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.  What city in India is the Taj Mahal in?

Pericles is often considered one of the greatest leaders of ancient Greece, but the nation was made up of a number of smaller city-states.  Which city did Pericles lead?

No need to make a humorous comment about Luxemburg.  What has Luxemburg ever done to us?

This small European nation is nestled between Belgium, France and Germany.  Which nation is it?

China is so invested in the giant panda, it is a capital crime to kill one.  Okay... I can accept that.

This creature is native to which nation?

Yes, the nation the late Herman Cain called "Uzbeki-beki-stan-stan".

Tashkent in capital of which Asian nation?

The Nile was the center of the ancient Egyptian Empire.  During what is called "the Old Kingdom" (when the Great Pyramid was built), what was the capitol of Egypt?

Only 8 sq miles and around 10000 people, Nauru is small by both measures.

One of the smallest nations by both area and population, this is the flag of which nation?

You might assume Singapore is the smallest since it's largely thought of as a city, but the Maldive Islands are less than half the area.

Macao is smaller but doesn't count because it's again part of China, not an independent nation.

This independent nation is the smallest nation in Asia by area.  Which nation is it?

The Gambia is the smallest nation of mainland Africa, often looking more like a printer's error on maps that are not magnified.

This tiny African nation exists along the banks of a river surrounded by the nation of Senegal along its entire land border.  What nation is this?

Yes, King Tut the boy king was made famous by his tomb since his rule was unremarkable other than his dying young.

Back to ancient Egypt... In 1922, Howard Carter discovered one of the only unspoiled royal tombs of ancient pharaohs.  Who was this pharaoh?

The best way to suck up to a patron is to name a bunch of islands after them.  James Cook knew this, but was ironically killed in those same islands on a later trip.

These islands were once known as the Sandwich Islands, named for the same earl that gave his name to the food item.  What are they called now?

It's not a precise division, but "on or about" the 38th parallel is the accepted border between the two nations.

The Korean peninsula has been divided between north and south since the end of WWII.  What is the dividing line?

Calling it "East Pakistan" is about like calling California something like "West Louisiana" in spite of so much space between them.

Bangladesh was divided off politically by the British when they partitioned India in 1947.  What was it called for several decades before becoming Bangladesh?

"Gulag" is usually heard in horror stories about Russian political prisoners.

Where in the world are you most likely to find a "gulag"?

A bit of irony... being famous for finding the largest geographical feature on the planet.

Twenty years after Columbus reached the New World, another European explorer was the first to discover the Pacific Ocean.  Who was it?

Churchill isn't as far north as the others, but its position on Hudson Bay makes it a popular spot with polar bears.

What town is known as "the polar bear capital of the world"?

What nation is home to the opal mines of Coober Pedy, Andamooka, Lightning Ridge and others?

Valletta is unique among European capitals in that it is both the smallest capital in area and the first to be named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Which island nation has Valetta as its capital?

Which nation is known for the Petronas Towers, Genting SkyWorlds theme park, and the state of Sarawak?

It seems that Sri Lankan lions were more talented than their African counterparts... but it didn't stop them from going extinct thousands of years ago, long before Sri Lanka became a nation.

Which nation has a lion brandishing a sword on their flag?

What defines a place?  Here are some fun questions about what's where, why it's there, and who lived there.