# Trivia deck — copy to SD card as /setup/trivia_general.txt # Any file named trivia*.txt is offered in the deck menu (long-press BOOT). TITLE: GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Q: What is the largest ocean on Earth? A: The Pacific Ocean Q: What is the longest river in the world? A: The Nile (by most traditional measurements; the Amazon is a close rival depending on methodology) Q: What is the largest desert in the world (by area, including cold deserts)? A: Antarctica Q: What is the tallest mountain on Earth, measured from sea level? A: Mount Everest Q: What is the largest country in the world by land area? A: Russia Q: What is the smallest country in the world by land area? A: Vatican City Q: What is the most populous country in the world (as of recent estimates)? A: India Q: What is the largest continent by area? A: Asia Q: What is the smallest continent? A: Australia (or Oceania, depending on definition) Q: How many continents are generally recognized? A: Seven Q: What is the world's largest island? A: Greenland Q: What body of water separates the UK from mainland Europe? A: The English Channel Q: What is the capital and largest city of Japan? A: Tokyo Q: What ancient wonder of the world still stands today? A: The Great Pyramid of Giza Q: Who painted the Mona Lisa? A: Leonardo da Vinci Q: Who painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling? A: Michelangelo Q: Who composed the "Ninth Symphony," completed while he was almost completely deaf? A: Ludwig van Beethoven Q: Who wrote "Romeo and Juliet"? A: William Shakespeare Q: Who wrote "Pride and Prejudice"? A: Jane Austen Q: Who is credited with the theory of relativity? A: Albert Einstein Q: Who is credited with developing the theory of gravity after observing a falling apple (according to legend)? A: Isaac Newton Q: What ancient Greek philosopher taught Alexander the Great? A: Aristotle Q: What ancient Greek philosopher wrote "The Republic" and founded the Academy in Athens? A: Plato Q: Who was the first President of the United States? A: George Washington Q: Who was the President of the United States during most of the American Civil War? A: Abraham Lincoln Q: In what year did World War II end? A: 1945 Q: In what year did World War I begin? A: 1914 Q: What event triggered the start of World War I? A: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary Q: What wall, dividing a German city, fell in 1989? A: The Berlin Wall Q: What ship famously sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg? A: The Titanic Q: In what year did humans first land on the Moon? A: 1969 Q: Who was the first person to walk on the Moon? A: Neil Armstrong Q: What was the name of the spacecraft that carried the first Moon landing mission? A: Apollo 11 Q: What is the closest planet to the Sun? A: Mercury Q: What is the largest planet in our solar system? A: Jupiter Q: What planet is famous for its prominent ring system? A: Saturn Q: How many planets are in our solar system (since Pluto's reclassification)? A: Eight Q: What is the closest star to Earth, other than the Sun itself? (The Sun is technically the closest star) A: Proxima Centauri (closest star beyond the Sun) Q: What galaxy do we live in? A: The Milky Way Q: What is the term for a star's explosive death, especially massive stars? A: A supernova Q: What force causes objects to fall toward Earth? A: Gravity Q: What is the chemical symbol for gold? A: Au Q: What is the chemical symbol for silver? A: Ag Q: What is the chemical symbol for iron? A: Fe Q: What is the chemical symbol for sodium? A: Na Q: What is the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere? A: Nitrogen Q: What is the chemical formula for water? A: H2O Q: What is the boiling point of water at sea level, in Celsius? A: 100 degrees Celsius Q: What is the freezing point of water at sea level, in Celsius? A: 0 degrees Celsius Q: What is the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth? A: Diamond Q: What gas do plants absorb from the air for photosynthesis? A: Carbon dioxide Q: What is the powerhouse organelle of a cell? A: The mitochondrion Q: What organ in the human body pumps blood? A: The heart Q: How many bones are in the adult human skeleton? A: 206 Q: What is the largest organ in the human body? A: The skin Q: What is the currency of Japan? A: The yen Q: What is the currency of the United Kingdom? A: The pound sterling Q: What is the currency used by most of the European Union? A: The euro Q: What is the official language of Brazil? A: Portuguese Q: What is the most widely spoken native language in the world? A: Mandarin Chinese Q: What language has the most total speakers worldwide (including second-language speakers)? A: English Q: What sport is played at Wimbledon? A: Tennis Q: How many players are on a standard soccer (football) team on the field at once? A: 11 Q: How often are the Summer Olympic Games held? A: Every four years Q: What city hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics? A: Rio de Janeiro Q: What city hosted the 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021 due to the pandemic)? A: Tokyo Q: What city hosted the 2024 Summer Olympics? A: Paris Q: What sport is associated with the Tour de France? A: Cycling Q: What is the national sport of Japan? A: Sumo wrestling Q: In golf, what term describes scoring one stroke under par on a hole? A: A birdie Q: In baseball, how many strikes result in an out? A: Three Q: In basketball, how many points is a standard field goal worth (inside the three-point line)? A: Two points Q: What instrument has 88 keys? A: The piano Q: What is the term for a group of musicians playing together, often classical? A: An orchestra Q: What music genre originated in New Orleans, blending African and European musical traditions? A: Jazz Q: What British band, formed in Liverpool, became one of the best-selling music acts of all time? A: The Beatles Q: What art movement is Vincent van Gogh associated with? A: Post-Impressionism Q: What art movement is Claude Monet associated with? A: Impressionism Q: What novel begins with the line "Call me Ishmael"? A: Moby-Dick Q: What dystopian novel by George Orwell introduced the concept of "Big Brother"? A: Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) Q: Who wrote "The Lord of the Rings"? A: J.R.R. Tolkien Q: Who wrote the Harry Potter series? A: J.K. Rowling Q: What is the world's best-selling book of all time (religious text)? A: The Bible Q: What ancient civilization built the pyramids at Giza? A: The ancient Egyptians Q: What ancient civilization is credited with building Machu Picchu? A: The Inca Q: What ancient civilization built the Colosseum in Rome? A: The ancient Romans Q: What river was central to the development of ancient Egyptian civilization? A: The Nile Q: What is the term for the period of European cultural rebirth following the Middle Ages? A: The Renaissance Q: What pandemic, also called the Black Death, killed a large portion of Europe's population in the 14th century? A: The bubonic plague Q: What disease did Edward Jenner develop the first vaccine for? A: Smallpox Q: What is the term for a long period of economic decline, as occurred globally starting in 1929? A: The Great Depression Q: What war was fought between the northern and southern United States from 1861 to 1865? A: The American Civil War Q: What document, signed in 1776, declared American independence from Britain? A: The Declaration of Independence Q: Who is credited as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence? A: Thomas Jefferson Q: What was the name of the ship that carried the Pilgrims to America in 1620? A: The Mayflower Q: What is the name of the famous statue gifted to the United States by France, standing in New York Harbor? A: The Statue of Liberty Q: What city is known as the "Big Apple"? A: New York City Q: What city is known as the "City of Light"? A: Paris Q: What famous tower, an iron lattice structure, stands in Paris? A: The Eiffel Tower Q: What ancient structure in England is a prehistoric stone circle? A: Stonehenge Q: What wall, built by ancient China, stretches for thousands of miles? A: The Great Wall of China Q: What mountain range separates Europe from Asia, partly running through Russia? A: The Ural Mountains Q: What is the world's largest rainforest? A: The Amazon Rainforest Q: What strait separates Asia and North America at their closest point? A: The Bering Strait Q: What is the world's deepest ocean trench? A: The Mariana Trench Q: What is the driest desert on Earth (excluding polar deserts)? A: The Atacama Desert Q: What is the longest mountain range in the world (mostly underwater)? A: The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (or the Andes, if asking about land-based ranges) Q: What is the longest land-based mountain range in the world? A: The Andes Q: What is the highest waterfall in the world? A: Angel Falls, Venezuela Q: What lake is the largest by surface area in the world? A: The Caspian Sea Q: What lake is the largest freshwater lake by surface area? A: Lake Superior Q: What sea is the saltiest large body of water, famous for letting swimmers float easily? A: The Dead Sea Q: What is the world's tallest building, as of recent record (Burj Khalifa)? A: Burj Khalifa, in Dubai Q: What is the longest wall structure created by humans? (recap question) A: The Great Wall of China Q: What is the speed of light, approximately? A: About 300,000 kilometers per second Q: What is the term for the layer of gases surrounding Earth? A: The atmosphere Q: What is the term for the imaginary line around the middle of the Earth, equidistant from both poles? A: The Equator Q: What is the term for the change of seasons caused by Earth's tilt and orbit? A: Earth's axial tilt (causing seasonal variation) Q: How long does it take Earth to orbit the Sun once? A: About 365.25 days (one year) Q: How long does it take Earth to rotate once on its axis? A: About 24 hours (one day) Q: What causes ocean tides primarily? A: The gravitational pull of the Moon (and to a lesser extent, the Sun) Q: What natural disaster is measured using the Richter scale? A: Earthquakes Q: What is a tsunami typically caused by? A: Underwater earthquakes or volcanic eruptions displacing large volumes of water Q: What is the term for a violent, rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground? A: A tornado Q: What is the term for a large tropical storm system, called a "hurricane" in the Atlantic? A: A hurricane (also called a typhoon in the Pacific, or cyclone elsewhere) Q: What is the world's most populous city (city proper or metro area, varies by source)? A: Tokyo is often cited as the largest metro area Q: What national flag features a red maple leaf? A: Canada's flag Q: What national flag features a red circle on a white background? A: Japan's flag Q: What country is famous for inventing pizza in its modern form, particularly in Naples? A: Italy Q: What country is the origin of sushi? A: Japan Q: What country is credited with inventing paper, gunpowder, and the compass (among the "Four Great Inventions")? A: China Q: What spice, derived from a crocus flower, is the most expensive by weight? A: Saffron Q: What grain is the staple food for over half the world's population? A: Rice Q: What is the world's most consumed beverage, after water? A: Tea Q: What fruit is famous for being grown commercially in large quantities in Ecuador, a top global exporter? A: Bananas Q: What is the tallest land animal in the world? A: The giraffe Q: What is the largest animal to have ever lived on Earth? A: The blue whale Q: What is the fastest land animal in the world? A: The cheetah Q: What is the largest land animal in the world? A: The African elephant Q: What bird is famous for being flightless and native to Antarctica? A: The penguin Q: What is the only mammal capable of true sustained flight? A: The bat Q: What is the term for animals that are active mainly at night? A: Nocturnal Q: What is the collective name for a group of lions? A: A pride Q: What is the collective name for a group of wolves? A: A pack Q: What is the national animal of China, a symbol of conservation efforts? A: The giant panda Q: What insect is known for its highly organized colonies and production of honey? A: The honeybee Q: What is the process by which caterpillars become butterflies called? A: Metamorphosis Q: What is the largest fish in the world (a filter-feeding shark)? A: The whale shark Q: What is the world's most populous religion by number of adherents? A: Christianity Q: What religion originated in the 7th century in the Arabian Peninsula, founded by the Prophet Muhammad? A: Islam Q: What is the holiest city in Islam? A: Mecca Q: What ancient Indian religion includes the concept of "karma" and "reincarnation," among its core beliefs alongside several other major world religions? A: Hinduism Q: Who is considered the founder of Buddhism? A: Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) Q: What annual Christian holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus? A: Christmas Q: What Jewish holiday commemorates the exodus from slavery in Egypt? A: Passover Q: What is the term for the Islamic holy month of fasting? A: Ramadan Q: What is the literal English meaning of the word "trivia," from its Latin roots? A: "Three roads" (a crossroads, later associated with common/casual knowledge) Q: What invention by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century revolutionized the spread of written information? A: The printing press Q: Who is credited with inventing the telephone in 1876? A: Alexander Graham Bell Q: Who is credited with inventing the light bulb (commercially viable version)? A: Thomas Edison Q: Who are credited with inventing and flying the first successful powered airplane in 1903? A: The Wright brothers (Orville and Wilbur Wright) Q: What scientist developed the polio vaccine, first successfully tested in the 1950s? A: Jonas Salk Q: What is the standard number of cards in a deck (excluding jokers)? A: 52 Q: How many squares are on a standard chessboard? A: 64 Q: How many strings does a standard classical guitar typically have? A: Six Q: What is the term for a word that reads the same forwards and backwards, like "level"? A: A palindrome Q: What is the largest desert that is hot (not cold), located in northern Africa? A: The Sahara Desert