

National Geographic Bee: Do You Have What It Takes?

We've collected sample questions from past bees. How would you rank?

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Do you know which large bay the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is located by?

On Wednesday, geography superstars from across the United States will compete in the 25th annual National Geographic Bee.

The state champs have been chosen from among thousands of competitors. They'll now face off in challenging tests of their geographic knowledge. Only one will be crowned the 2013 National Geographic Bee champ. (See our liveblog of the National Geographic Bee)

Students in the national competition have spent the past few months brushing up on their geography facts, in part because the Bee tends to ask questions about ... well, everywhere. Winners in years past have correctly answered questions about Bavarian cities, Nepali national parks, and volcano ranges on Antarctica.

But this competition isn't just for those on stage. We've collected a few questions from past bees so you can see if you have what it takes. The ten questions below were all asked in last year's bee. (Answers are at the bottom of the page.) How did you do? Let us know in the comments section!


2. The 2012 Nuclear Security Summit took place in March in what Asian capital city located on the Han River?

3. Designed to resemble a ship, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is located near what large bay?

4. The Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, is a cultural and sacred center for Sikhs in what state of India?

5. The Milan Cathedral lies in the valley of Italy's longest river. Name the river.

6. The wreck of the Titanic was discovered in 1985, a few hundred miles off the coast of Cape Race, which is located on what peninsula?

7. One of the oldest universities in the world, al-Azhar, was founded in the tenth century and still exists today in what present-day capital city located near the Eastern Desert?

8. Dating from the eighth century, one of the oldest libraries in the Muslim world was located at Zaytuna Mosque in what present-day capital city near the ancient city of Carthage?

9. Kuchipudi is a type of dramatic dance displaying rhythmic footwork and graceful body movements. This classical dance takes its name from a village near the mouth of the Krishna River in what Indian state that borders the Bay of Bengal?

10. What city on the Elbe River is the capital of the state of Saxony?


1. Zimbabwe

2. Seoul

3. Bay of Biscay

4. Punjab

5. Po River

6. Avalon Peninsula

7. Cairo

8. Tunis

9. Andhra Pradesh

10. Dresden

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