 |
Regional Quiz
How much do you know about the region of southern Europe? Test your knowledge with these tidbits from CultureGrams:
- What Mediterranean nation has been partitioned since 1974?
- Portugal occupies the western coast of which peninsula?
- San Marino is an independent nation surrounded completely by what larger country?
- Andorra is the only independent state in the world to give official status to what language?
- Which American actress married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956?
- When Yugoslavia dissolved in 1992, which two countries comprised the remaining Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and finally split in 2006?
- Artists such as opera singer Placido Domingo and painter Pablo Picasso are from which southern European country?
- Though freedom of religion is guaranteed in Greece, which church does the state support through taxes?
- In Albania which sweet, made of sugar and flour, is commonly served to commemorate births and deaths?
- What is Malta's sole natural resource?
Answers: 1) Cyprus. 2) The Iberian Peninsula. 3) Italy. 4) Catalan. 5) Grace Kelly. 6) Serbia and Montenegro. 7) Spain. 8) The Eastern (Greek) Orthodox Church. 9) Havla. 10) Limestone.
Did you know...
- In Cyprus, the 40 days after birth are considered an important recovery period for mother and child. At the end of this period, Turkish Cypriots attach to the baby's clothing an ornament called an "evil eye" designed to ward off evil spirits. Greek Cypriots baptize their children within a few months of birth.
- Monaco became a tourist destination in the 1860s, drawing visitors from all over the world to its beautiful scenery, casinos, and mild weather. The principality has since achieved one of the highest living standards in the world. But the reigning princes have worked hard to diversify the economy so that casino revenues now represent less than 5 percent of all revenues, and tourism accounts for around 13 percent of overall economic activity.
- The president of France and the Spanish bishop of Urgell serve as Andorra's co-heads of state, though the positions are now largely ceremonial. In recognition of nominal French and Spanish sovereignty, Andorra for many years paid a tribute of four hams, forty loaves of bread, and some wine to France and then to Spain in alternating years.
|
|
|
