European Trivia

Europe is the world's second-smallest continent, but the third most populous. Russia is its largest country in both area and population, while the Vatican City is the smallest.

Austria's Alps cover the majority of Austria. Only 32% of the country is below 500 meters. Vienna is host to many major international organizations such as the United Nations and OPEC. Vienna has the third largest train network in the world. Austria's national sport is alpine skiing.

The Balkans include Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Balkan is an old Turkish word meaning "a chain of wooded mountains." Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia were once part of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. The majority of the Balkans was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912. Dalmations originally came from Croatia's coastal region, known as Dalmatia.

The Baltics include Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Some say the world's first Christmas tree originated in Tallinn, Estonia, in 1441. In 1989, Latvians, Estonians, and Lithuanians joined hands, to demonstrate their wish for independence from the Soviet Union. Latvia's coast is known for its amber, used in traditional Latvian jewelry. The city of Riga is well known for its Art Nouveau style architecture. Lithuania's flag is yellow, green, and red. Yellow symbolizes the sun, light, and goodness. Green represents the beauty of nature, freedom, and hope. Red symbolizes the land, courage, and the blood spilled for Lithuania.

Benelux includes Belgium, Luxembourg, and Netherlands. In the Netherlands, windmills were used for corn milling, land drainage, and saw milling. The word "Dutch" is used to refer to the people, the language, and anything pertaining to the Netherlands. Famous Belgian foods include chocolate, waffles, and Brussels sprouts.

Amsterdam is the 5^th busiest tourist destination in Europe and one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world.

Bohemia is the capital of the Czech Republic and Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia. Polk music originated in the Czech regions. In 1993, Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic in a separation known as the "velvet divorce." At over 8,700 feet, Gerlachov Peak is the highest peak in the High Tatras, in Slovakia, and the whole Carpathian mountain chain. The nickname for Bratislava is "Beauty on the Danube" due to its location on the Danube River.

Denmark is bordered by the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Copenhagen is connected to the Swedish city of Malmo by a car/rail link. Tivoli Gardens is one of the world's oldest amusement parks, with the world's oldest roller coaster still in operation. The Little Mermaid was created by Edward Eriksen in 1913.

France is home to The Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon Bonaparte, and The Eiffel Tower. The Tour de France is a bike race that runs through France and lasts about 23 days. Notre Dame de Paris was one of the first gothic cathedrals. The name means "Our Lady" in French.`

Georgia is a transcontinental country in the Caucasus region. The capital city is Tbilisi. Armenia lies in the highlands near Mount Ararat, the supposed resting place of Noah's Ark after the flood. Black tea is t he national beverage in Azerbaijan. These three countries border each other.

Germany's capital city is Berlin. The German word for pretzel is "brezel". The Berlin Wall separated East and West Germany from 1961-1989. Brandenburg Gate is the only remaining gate of a series through which one formerly entered Berlin. Germany is home to The Neuschwanstein Castle.

Greece was home to the first Olympic Games. The capital, Athens, is one of the world's oldest cities, with history spanning over 3 thousand years. Athens is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy. Greek mythology holds that Zeus is the King of the gods, Athena the goddess of wisdom, Ares the god of war, Hades the god of the underworld, Poseidon the god of the sea, and Aphrodite the goddess of love.

Hungary is home to Thermal Lake, Goulash, and water polo. The Rubik's cube was invented in 1974 by Erno Rubik.

Icelandic horses are "pony-sized" horses originally bred by Vikings. Raykjavik is the capital.

Ireland is home to step-dancers, Celtic crosses and Trinity symbols. The Red Deer is the National Animal. Dublin is the capital city and was voted the best European capital city to live in a 2003 survey. In 2008, it was voted the 5^th richest city in the world.

Pizza was first created in Naples, Italy in the late 19^th century. Rome's history spans over 2.5 thousand years. The Roman Empire was one of the most expansive empires spreading across much of Europe and parts of Africa.

The Mediterranean consists of Monaco, Malta, San Marino, Cyprus. The national symbol of Cyprus is the dove. Italy surrounds San Marino. Greece is between the Aegean & Ionian Sea. Mount Olympus is on the island of Crete.

Poland is home to polish dumplings (pierogi) and is the birthplace of Chopin. The national bird is the white stork. Poland was one of the most devastated countries by the end of World War II, losing over 6 million citizens, half of them Jewish.

Romania is home to Gymnast, Nadia Comaneci, who became the first gymnast ever to score a perfect "10" during the 1976 Summer Olympics. Dracula was based on Romanian ruler Vlad III.

Russia is known for Balalaika, chess, hockey, and its space program. Part of Russia is in Europe and part is in Asia. Moscow is the largest city in Russia and is one of the largest urban areas in the world. The Kremlin is the official residence of the President of Russia. It has 4 palaces, 4 cathedrals, and an enclosing wall with towers.