The questions below were used in the school, state, or national levels of the National Geographic Bee and
reflect the range of difficulty and subject matter that can be expected in new questions at these various levels.
For information about the Bee, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee.
1. The Mojave National Preserve is located in a desert
region in which state—California or Mississippi?
California
2. Which state includes Rocky Mountain National Park—
Kansas or Colorado? Colorado
3. Which state, known as the Lone Star State, has a single
star on its flag and was once an independent republic—
Texas or Virginia? Texas
4. Which state produces more automobiles—Vermont or
Michigan? Michigan
5. Which state is larger in area—West Virginia or
Florida? Florida
15. People in the most populous Scandinavian country
celebrate a festival of light called St. Lucia Day to
mark the start of the Christmas season. Name this
country. Sweden
16. In 1971, the British government ended its protectorate
in the Trucial States. These states form what presentday country on the Persian Gulf? United Arab
Emirates
17. Which capital city, located about 20 miles from the
Adriatic Sea, is a major industrial center for Albania?
Tirana
18. Iqaluit, which means “place of fish,” is the biggest
community on the largest island in the Arctic
Archipelago. Name this island. Baffin Island
6. Which continent includes the Jutland and Iberian
Peninsulas? Europe
7. Brisbane and Perth are port cities on which continent?
Australia
8. Which is the term for the treeless biome in high
latitudes that has permafrost—tundra or isotherm?
tundra
9. To visit writer Ernest Hemingway’s home near Havana
and to hike to the top of El Yunque, you would travel
to what country? Cuba
10. The Sea of Azov borders Ukraine and what other
country? Russia
11. Sikkim, a region between Nepal and Bhutan, is part of
what country? India
19. Pashto and Dari are major languages in a landlocked
Asian country that borders Pakistan. Name this
country. Afghanistan
20. In January 2013, a terrorist group destroyed mosques
and libraries containing historic manuscripts in
an attack on the city of Timbuktu in what African
country? Mali
21. Hiva Oa, one of the main islands in the Marquesas
Islands, belongs to what European country? France
22. Cenotes, or sinkholes such as those found on the
Yucatán Peninsula, are associated with which rock—
basalt or limestone? limestone
12. Greenwich Park overlooks the River Thames in which
capital city? London
23. Caribbean Hindustani, a dialect of Hindi, is commonly
spoken in an island country off the coast of Venezuela.
Name this country. Trinidad and Tobago
13. Which country has a population with a longer life
expectancy—Spain or Laos? Spain
24. What country is bordered by Thailand and Cambodia?
Laos
14. Which country does not have a predominantly
Christian population—Spain, Tunisia, or Norway?
Tunisia
25. Because Earth bulges at the Equator, the point that is
farthest from Earth’s center is the summit of a peak in
Ecuador. Name this peak. Chimborazo
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