2015 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE
Preliminary Competition
ROUND 1: United States Geography
Questions in Round 1 are about the United States.
1. Tornadoes occur more frequently in which state – Iowa or Vermont?
2. Which state is made up of eight main islands – Hawaii or New Hampshire?
3. The Black Hills and Badlands National Park are located in which state – Missouri
or South Dakota?
4. A hurricane is more likely to make landfall in which state – Georgia or Michigan?
5. Which state was one of the original 13 colonies – Rhode Island or Arkansas?
6. The Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon in which state – Arizona or
New Jersey?
7. The St. Lawrence River forms part of the border between Canada and which state
– New York or Indiana?
ROUND 2: Team Turf
Questions in Round 2 will test your knowledge of U.S. cities and their professional teams.
8. Soldier Field, home to the Chicago Bears football team, is located on Lake
Michigan in which state – Illinois or Missouri?
9. The Rapids play soccer near Denver in which state that includes part of the Rocky
Mountains – Oklahoma or Colorado?
10. Eleven-time World Series Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals, play baseball near
the Gateway Arch in which state – Missouri or Kansas?
11. The Memphis Grizzlies play basketball at an arena near the Mississippi River in
which state – Delaware or Tennessee?
12. The Anaheim Ducks play ice hockey at an arena named the Duck Pond, located
near the Pacific Ocean in which state – South Dakota or California?
13. The Green Bay Packers, one of the oldest teams in the National Football League,
play home games near the mouth of the Fox River in which state – Wisconsin or
Nebraska?
14. The Fever is a women’s basketball team that plays in Indianapolis near the White
River in which state – Kentucky or Indiana?
ROUND 3: U.S. Odd One Out
In Round 3, you will be asked about characteristics of the United State. You will be given a
choice of 3 answers, and you must choose the one answer that does not belong.
15. The Ohio River does not border which of these states – West Virginia, Indiana, or
Florida?
16. Which present-day state was not part of territory annexed as a result of the
Mexican War – Nevada, Utah, or Connecticut?
17. In which state would you not find native desert plants – Arkansas, California, or
Nevada?
18. Which state does not have any cities with more than 300,000 residents – North
Dakota, New York, or Pennsylvania?
19. Which state does not have an active volcano – Maryland, Alaska, or Washington?
20. Which state is not one of the three smallest in the United States in terms of area –
Delaware, Rhode Island, or New Mexico?
21. River barges are not a major means of transportation in which state – Iowa,
Illinois, or Nevada?
ROUND 4: Weird But True!
Round 4 features fascinating facts about the world taken from the popular National
Geographic Kids book series called Weird But True. You will answer a geographic question
related to the fact. The answer to each question in this round is one of the 7 continents.
22. A rock python can live for a year without a meal. It’s Weird, but it’s true! One
species of rock python lives south of the Sahara, a desert located on which
continent?
23. A tiger’s skin is striped like its fur. The Bengal tiger lives in India and Bangladesh
on which continent?
24. Penguins swim up to 3,100 miles in a year. Emperor penguins live in colonies
along the Ross Sea on which continent?
25. Alpaca moms hum to comfort their babies. This animal is native to the Andes
Mountains on which continent?
26. A platypus swims with its ears and nostrils shut. It’s Weird, but it’s true! This
egg-laying mammal can be found on Tasmania, an island that is part of which
continent?
27. A volcano in Italy has been erupting for 2,000 years. This volcano, called
Stromboli, is located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of which continent?
28. The oldest known pine tree is more than 4,700 years old. It’s Weird, but it’s true!
The bristlecone pine grows in the Rocky Mountains on which continent?
ROUND 5: World Comparisons
In Round 5, you will have a choice of two countries, and you must choose which one is the
correct answer.
29. Which country is located on the Arabian Peninsula – Thailand or Yemen?
30. Which country is crossed by the Alps – Indonesia or Italy?
31. Which country grows more rice – China or Croatia?
32. Which country borders the Mediterranean Sea – Egypt or Eritrea?
33. Which country has French as an official language – Canada or Singapore?
34. Which country has a larger Buddhist population – Iran or Laos?
35. Which country grows more bananas – Namibia or Guatemala?
ROUND 6: Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
In Round 6, you will be asked questions about animals featured in the Nat Geo Wild Animal
Atlas.
36. The Iberian lynx, the most endangered member of the cat family, lives on the
Iberian Peninsula in which country – Spain or Gabon?
37. The pink-toed tarantula has weak venom that is harmless to humans and lives in
which country that borders Suriname – Jamaica or Guyana?
38. The chamois [SHA-mee] is a goatlike animal that lives in the Carpathian
Mountains in which country – Iceland or Slovakia?
39. The spiny-tailed lizard basks in the sun in the rocky terrain of the Atlas Mountains
in which country – Morocco or Zambia?
40. The bactrian camel relies on fat stored in two humps on its back and lives in the
Gobi, a desert located in which country – Papua New Guinea or Mongolia?
41. Lions spend as much as 20 hours a day sleeping and can be found in grassland
regions of which country that borders the Indian Ocean – Mozambique or
Croatia?
42. Monarch butterflies, known for their mass migration thousands of miles each
year, can be found near the Orinoco River in which country – Angola or
Venezuela?
.
ROUND 7: Pop Artists on Tour
Round 7 will test your knowledge of major world cities. You will be asked to name a
country and you will not receive a choice of answers.
43. Eleven-time Grammy nominee Katy Perry recently played a concert in London,
located on the Thames River in which European country?
44. The boy band Big Time Rush performed several concerts in South America,
including one in Santiago, a capital city located near the Andes Mountains in
which country?
45. Hilary Duff, known for her role in the television series Lizzie McGuire, played a
concert in the city of New Delhi, located near the Yamuna River in which Asian
country?
46. Known for her flamboyant fashion, Lady Gaga performed in Seoul, a capital city
located on the Han River in which Asian Country?
47. The Band Perry, composed of siblings Kimberly, Reid, and Neil, gave a concert
in Oslo, a capital city located near a strait called the Skagerrak [SKAG-uh-rak] in
which European country?
48. Alicia Keys, who won five Grammys in one night, played a concert in Tel Aviv, a
city located on the Mediterranean coast of which southwest Asian country?
49. The singer known as Pink sang her hit single “Just Give Me a Reason” during a
concert in Prague, located on the Vltava [VUHL-tuh-vuh] River in which
European country?
FINAL QUESTION (taken from the Preliminary Competition Tiebreaker Questions)
50. Gondolas are a type of boat used for transportation on the Grand Canal in which
Italian city?