Test your skills with the annual geography/travel quiz

Once again, it's time to sharpen your pencil — and your mind — and take our annual geography/travel quiz.

You'll find questions about close-to-home and far-flung places, including some brain-twisters. Yet no matter what you get wrong, you're a winner since you'll have learned along the way. (Answers are on page H11.)

Fill in the blanks

1. Famous for their scenic locations, Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff are popular destinations in what mountain range?

2. On which Japanese island can you find the city of Sapporo?

3. What is the capital and principal city of the state of Western Australia?

4. The San Juan River, which runs along the southern edge of Nicaragua, has been at the heart of a long-running border dispute with which neighboring country?

5. Rotorua, a city known for its geothermal pool and Maori culture, attracts visitors to what country?

6. Hainan, an island located east of the Gulf of Tonkin, is part of what country?

7. Which mountain range in northern Africa is adjacent to a desert?

8. What city is home to the world's tallest twin skyscrapers, the Petronas Towers?

9. The countries of Montenegro, Macedonia and Croatia are all on what peninsula?

10. Victoria Falls, located along the Zambezi River, is shared by Zambia and what neighboring country?

The Northwest:

True or False

1. Salem is Oregon's capital. T F

2. Cape Alava is the westernmost point in Washington. T F

3. Northern Idaho is bordered by Alberta. T F

4. The Dalles is the westernmost dam on the Columbia River. T F

5. Interstate 5 in Washington is 361 miles long. T F

6. Washington's official state ship is the ferry. T F

7. Orcas Island is the biggest of the San Juan Islands. T F

8. Haida Gwaii is a native village in Alaska. T F

9. Mount Rainier National Park is the biggest national park in Washington. T F

10. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is based in Eugene. T F

Whose money?

Match the currency with the country.

Currencies:

1. Colon

2. Riyal

3. Krone

4. Yen

5. Shekel

6. Real

7. Dirham

8. Ruble

9. Yuan

10. Rupee

Countries

A. Saudi Arabia

B. Russia

C. Brazil

D. Denmark

E. Costa Rica

F. Israel

G. China

H. Morocco

I. India

J. Japan

Multiple choice

1. Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City formerly was called?

A. Ha Noi.

B. Da Nang.

C. Saigon.

D. Hai Phong.

2. If you were to visit the Uffizi Gallery in Italy, which city would you be in?

A. Milan.

B. Venice.

C. Rome.

D. Florence.

3. Most speakers of Basque live in a region near the Bay of Biscay and the Pyrenees Mountains in which country?

A. Spain.

B. Andorra.

C. Portugal.

D. Italy.

4. International Falls, a city that records some of the coldest temperatures in the Lower 48 states, is in which state?

A. Montana

B. North Dakota

C. Minnesota

D. Wisconsin

5. The Danube River, which passes through or borders numerous European countries, has its headwaters in which country?

A. Germany

B. Austria

C. Switzerland

D. Hungary

6. What is the largest island by area in the Caribbean?

A. Jamaica

B. Puerto Rico

C. Cuba

D. Dominican Republic

7. To which state would you travel to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park?

A. New Mexico

B. Colorado

C. Arizona

D. California

8. La Paz is the capital of which South American country?

A. Peru.

B. Bolivia.

C. Ecuador.

D. Chile.

9. Which is the largest of these Great Lakes?

A. Lake Huron.

B. Lake Michigan.

C. Lake Ontario.

D. Lake Superior.

10. The Book of Kells, a ninth-century manuscript that is one of Trinity College's most famous holdings, can be found in what European city?

A. London

B. Dublin

C. Paris

D. Edinburgh

North America:

True or False

1. The Pasayten Wilderness Area is in Idaho. T F

2. The Big Sur region is along the Pacific Coast in Oregon. T F

3. El Paso, Texas, lies on the Rio Grande. T F

4. Alaska is the largest state. T F

5. The biggest metropolitan area in the U.S. is Los Angeles. T F

6. Disneyland opened in 1960. T F

7. British Columbia is the largest province in Canada. T. F

8. The Gateway Arch is in Minneapolis. T F.

9. The eastern end of Interstate 90 is in New York. T F.

10. Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872. T F.

See quiz answers

Quiz questions by Kristin Jackson of The Seattle Times and the Chicago Tribune