GeoTrivia

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Q. What was Gerardus Mercator's birth name?
A. Gerardus Mercator was born Gerhard Kremer and Latinized his name, incidentally giving himself added distinction by turning Kremer (shopkeper) into Mercator (merchant).

Q. What is a Mappaemundi?
A. A Mappaemundi is a diagrammatic world map mixing myth and religion with some geographical information added.

Q. According to some Scholars, the name of which middle eastern country is derived from and arabic word meaning "origins"?
A. Iraq

Q. What city was the only monarchy that ever existed in the United States.
A. Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii, the former home of Hawaii's kings, is the only royal palace in the United States.

Q. What is the amorphophallus titanium?
A. The amorphophallus titanium is otherwise known as the corpse flower or devil's tongue. Hailing from the rainforests of Sumatra, the corpse flower grows more than six feet tall and during its bloom cycle emits a horrific odor compared to rotting flesh.

Q. Where did Erik The Red land after being exiled from Iceland?
A. Erik the Red discovered fertile valleys hidden among the glaciers and called the place Greenland - believing "people would be much more interested in going there if it had a pleasant name".

Q. How many U.S. States border Canada?
A. Eleven U.S. states border Canada. These are Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine;

Q. In what international city is the Lido located?
A. Venice, Italy; The Lido is a long, narrow, sandy island separating the lagoon of Venice from the Adriatic Sea;

Q. What is the former name of New York City?
A. The former name of New York City was New Amsterdam. It was a small Dutch settlement on the tip of Manhattan island, which the Dutch had bought for $26 worth of trinkets from its Native American inhabitants. The English seized the colony in 1664 and renamed it New York.

Q. What country was named by Amerigo Vespucci after an Italian city?
A. Venezuela; In 1499, Amerigo Vespucci, in whose honor America is named, came on an island off South America which he nicknamed Venezuela ("little Venice") because of the native villages built above the water on stilts. The name held and was soon applied to the mainland.