2003 National Geographic Bee.

Here are the answers to some of the questions asked of nearly 5 million students who took part in the preliminary round of the 2003 National Geographic Bee.
United States Geography

• The Mississippi River separates Tennessee from which state—Arkansas or Oklahoma? Arkansas Which state is north of the Ohio River—Virginia or Indiana? Indiana

• Which state, known as the Centennial State, joined the Union in 1876—Colorado or Vermont? Colorado

• Which river forms most of the border between Georgia and South Carolina—the Potomac River or the Savannah River? Savannah River

• Which city lies near the junction of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers—Memphis or St. Louis? St. Louis

• Which agricultural state is the geographical center of North America—New Jersey or North Dakota? North Dakota

• Farmers in which state use water from the Ogallala Aquifer for irrigation—Nebraska or Maine? Nebraska

• Which city is located at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers—Minneapolis or Pittsburgh? Pittsburgh

• Which city is Oregon's largest city—Portland or Helena? Portland

• The Sea Island chain, including Hilton Head and Cumberland Island, runs along the coast of which state—Michigan or South Carolina? South Carolina

U.S. Cities

• Which city is located on the Cumberland River and is known for its many country music recording centers—Nashville or Little Rock? Nashville

• Which city is known for its extensive freeway system and is located in the most populous county in the United States—Dallas or Los Angeles? Los Angeles

• Which city was founded as a fort between Lake Erie and Lake Huron and developed into one of the country's leading manufacturing centers—Detroit or Milwaukee? Detroit

• Which city is located on a river delta—New Orleans or Austin? New Orleans

• Which city was named after the founder of a famous stagecoach line that once crisscrossed the West—Fargo or Boston? Fargo

• Which city is the westernmost point on the Erie Canal—Cincinnati or Buffalo? Buffalo

• Which major city is located in North Carolina and was near the site of the first important gold discovery in the United States—Columbia or Charlotte? Charlotte

• The world's largest naval base is located at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in which city—Norfolk or Washington, D.C.? Norfolk

• Which city is located on the western tip of Lake Superior and is an important port for shipping grain and iron ore—Des Moines or Duluth? Duluth

• Which city was badly damaged during an earthquake in 1964 and is now the most populous city in Alaska—Anchorage or Barrow? Anchorage

Odd Item Out

• Which state is not a major producer of wheat—Connecticut, North Dakota, or Montana? Connecticut

• Which of the following states is not crossed by the Colorado River—Arizona, Colorado, or New Mexico? New Mexico

• Which state does not border Tennessee—North Carolina, Mississippi, or West Virginia? West Virginia

• Which of the following is not a Great Plains state—Ohio, Oklahoma, or Kansas? Ohio

• Which state's capital is not named after a President of the United States—Mississippi, Nebraska, or South Dakota? South Dakota

• Which state does not include part of Yellowstone National Park—Idaho, Oregon, or Wyoming? Oregon

• Which state does not have a continental climate—Iowa, Minnesota, or Mississippi? Mississippi

• Which state does not border Saskatchewan—Montana, North Dakota, or Wisconsin? Wisconsin

• Which state is not part of New England—Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, or Connecticut? Pennsylvania

• Which state does not have a panhandle—Colorado, Florida, or Oklahoma? Colorado

Continents

• The archipelago Islas Malvinas , also called the Falkland Islands, lies off the southeastern edge of which continent? South America

• Name the continent on which the Olympic Games originated. Europe

• Amundsen, Scott, and Byrd all explored which continent? Antarctica

• Brisbane and Adelaide are ports on which continent? Australia

• Öland , Corsica, and Malta are islands that are part of which continent? Europe

• Which continent includes the Atlas Mountains and the Kalahari Desert? Africa

• Borneo, one of the largest islands in the world, is considered part of which continent? Asia

• Which continent contains the largest number of landlocked countries? Africa

• The Ural Mountains form the western boundary for which continent? Asia

• The country with the longest coastline is located on which continent? North America

World Geography

• One of the world's largest potash deposits is located in Saskatchewan in which country? Canada

• Yekaterinburg lies on the eastern side of the Ural Mountains in which country? Russia

• The Tyrrhenian Sea separates the island of Sardinia [sar-DIH-nee-uh] from the mainland of which country? Italy

• Which country located southeast of Australia is one of the world's leading producers of wool? New Zealand

• Oil pipelines cross the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to the port at Salina Cruz in which country? Mexico

• The confluence of the Blue Nile and the White Nile Rivers lies near Khartoum in which African country? Sudan

• What Asian country traditionally organized its citizens into a strict caste system related to Hinduism? India

• The Gobi Desert is the main physical feature in the southern half of a country known also as the homeland of Genghis Khan. Name this country. Mongolia

• Since 1960, thousands of people have migrated across the Straits of Florida to the United States from which country? Cuba

• Large reserves of phosphates are found in which North African country that borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea? Morocco

The Geography of Culturally Important Places and Issues

• What is the primary religion of Mali, a landlocked country located in West Africa? Islam

• The Festival of San Fermin at Pamplona is an important festival in which European country? Spain

• Impressionist painting was developed by painters such as Monet and Renoir in which European country? France

• What religion originated in India and spread across Asia via trade routes such as the Silk Road? Buddhism

• What country is famous for its harmonious gardens that provide sanctuary for people living in large cities like Kyoto? Japan

• The oracle of Zeus at Dodona is located in which European country? Greece

• The Manchu are an ethnic group of what Asian country? China

• The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri is on the west bank of which African river? Nile

• Maharashtra borders the Arabian Sea and is one of the most urbanized states of which Asian country? India

• Name the politically divided island in northwestern Europe that has a Protestant majority in the north and a Catholic majority in the south. Ireland

Physical Geography

• The Great Circle, at zero degrees latitude, is known by what name? Equator

• What is the term for the sudden vibrations caused by the movement of rock along a fault? earthquake

• Name the belt of volcanic and seismic activity that borders most of the Pacific Rim. Ring of Fire

• What is the name of the solid fossil fuel found in sedimentary rock? coal

• In the Northern Hemisphere, what season begins when the noonday sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn? winter

• What resource is trapped between layers of rock in an aquifer? water

• Earthquakes can sometimes create unusually large waves that cause destruction when they reach land. What Japanese term is used for this kind of wave? tsunami

• In Florida and the West Indies, a small low-lying island usually made up of coral or sand is known by what term? key

• What is the term for the flat area that stretches beyond the banks of a river? floodplain

• What is the term for a hot spring through which jets of heated water and steam erupt? geyser