;;Eclipse Bay and Rambler Bay are both found at this island, which contains Barton Point at one end and Simpson Point at the other end. Former settlements on this island included East Point and Minni Minni, home to a small population of Ilois forcibly evicted by the British in 1971. Part of the Chagos Archipelago, military sites on this island were at the center of recent allegations as its use as a "black site" in the war on terror. Lying about 1,000 miles south of India, this is-for 10 points-what joint British and American possession, an atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean?.;;Diego Garcia
Geography;;Johannes Valentinus Andrea and Silas Haslam have both written about this region, home to a well known magician named Smerdis. Its southern delta portion features a series of islands where wild horses mate and where orthodox believers built stone obelisks after escaping religious persecution. It lies near the regions of Khorasan and Erzerum, putting its location in the vicinity of northwestern Iran and eastern Turkey. Found in pages 917-921 of volume XLVI of the Anglo-American Cyclopaedia, it is encountered during a discussion between the narrator and his friend Bioy Casares. For 15 points, name this fictional country found with Tlon and Orbus Tertius in a short story by Borges.;;Uqbar
Geography;;In the mid 19th century, this region was the home of the Yeke Kingdom, ruled by Msiri. Most of the operations of the state-run Gecamines are found in this region, which was the focus of Operation Rumpunch while it was being ruled by the CONAKAT party. For a brief period it was known as  Shaba and this region's largest city was formerly known as Elisabethville. A crisis involving the secession of this region led by Moishe Tshombe saw the deaths of both Dag Hammarskjold and Patrice Lumumba. For 10 points, name this mineral-rich region in the southern portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.;;Katanga
Geography;;Operation Irma was an attempt to evacuate wounded during a military action in this city. During World War II, partisan forces in this city were led by Walter Peric, who was killed during the liberation of this city. Sites in this city include the Avaz Twist Tower and the Ferhat Pasha Mosque. The Miljacka River runs through this city, control of which was the subject of the Dayton Agreement, eleven years after it hosted the ?1984 Winter Olympics. This city also contains the Latin Bridge, the site of a killing by a member of the Black Hand. For 10 points, name this city where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.;;Sarajevo
Geography;;One discredited claim about this man was that he deliberately designed bridges too low to accommodate buses. This man reached his highest levels of power under William O'Dwyer and lost to Herbert Lehman in 1934 for the governorship of his state. Robert Caro's The Power Broker is a biography of this man who names a causeway connecting West Islip to such locations as Jones Beach and Fire Island. The departure of the Brooklyn Dodgers was largely due to this man, while his plans to build an expressway through Greenwich Village was opposed by Jane Jacobs. For 10 points, name this urban planner of New York City during the mid 20th century, best known for designing the Cross Bronx Expressway.;;(Robert) Moses
Geography;;A river named for this city is formed by the confluence of the Daule and Babahyo rivers. Visitors to this city can visit its neighborhood of Urdesa, and its airport is named after a former poet, mayor and national president, Jose Joaquin de Olmedo. This city was founded by Francisco de Orellana and contains an urban renewal project called Malecon 2000, a riverfront walkway. In 1822, Simon Bolivar and San Martin held a conference in this city concerning the fate of South America; in 1820 this city declared independence from Spain, leading to a victory at the Battle of Pichincha after it allied with the Quito army. For 10 points, name this largest city in Ecuador.;;Guayaquil
Geography;;Eli Jennings established a plantation on Swains Atoll, an island north of this group of islands. The mythology of natives on these islands includes a storm god named Afa and a spirit god named Atua. The western most of these islands is Tau, while a more populous island is Upolu. Native inhabitants of these islands use a chieftain system called the Fa'amatai. Mount Vaea overlooks the largest city on these islands, home to the burial site of Robert Louis Stevenson. One country found among these islands has its capital at Apia; a territory here has its capital at Pago Pago. For 10 points, name this group of Pacific islands that includes "Western" and "American" sections.;;Samoan (islands)
Geography;;This state contains the Schwansen peninsula and was the subject of both the Treaty of Ribe and the November Constitution. To its east lies the island of Fehmarn and to its west lies the northern portion of Wadden Sea National Park. One city in this state that lies on the Trave River contains the Burgtor gate, along with the Salzspeicher salt warehouses. That city was a free city from 1226 to 1937. This state changed hands following an 1863 succession crisis that arose after the death of Frederick VII. This state is home to the Kiel canal and the city of Lubeck. For 10 points, name this German state found on the border with Denmark.;;Schleswig(-)Holstein
Geography;;The Cornolla kind of this feature are located on the Kurnell peninsula and the Akrotiri kind are located on Cyprus. Jockey's Ridge State Park in North Carolina contain many of these features and one named for Pyla, located north of Bordeaux, is the largest in Europe, while the San Luis Valley contains many of these features as a result of Lake Alamosa. The Baidan Jaran desert contains a number of "star" types of these features and the Navajo formation in Zion Canyon is composed of lithified Jurassic-era types of these features. For 10 points, identify these topological features which can be formed from gypsum, such as at White Sands National Monument.;;(sand) dunes
Geography;;One military conflict on this island took place at the Golo River. The largest city on this island contains the "Field of Gold Airport" and this island served as the base of operations for World War II's Operation Dragoon. A 1760's "crisis" involving this island was discussed by James Boswell in a book and played a role in the collapse of the Duke of Grafton's government. That crisis effectively ended when the government was defeated at the Battle of Ponte Novo in which Pascal Paoli's forces were defeated, forcing him to flee Ajaccio and paving the way for the French to annex this island, which they currently still possess. For 10 points, name this Mediterranean island, best known as the birthplace of Napoleon.;;Corsica
Geography;;This nation honors the feast days of Peter and Paul with the "Fisherman's Birthday" celebrations. Smaller islands that make up this country include Large Island, Saline Island, and Diamond Island. It contains the Tufton Hall Waterfall, which is near its largest peak, Mount Saint Catherine. Its first prime minister was overthrown while at an UN conference to discuss UFO's. That leader had a secret police called the "Mongoose Gang" and was named Eric Gairy. This country was invaded in Operation Urgent Fury, supposedly prompted by the safety of hundreds of medical students attending school at this nation's capital. For 10 points, name this Caribbean nation with capital at St. George's, which the United States invaded in 1980 to stop perceived Cuban influence.;;Grenada
Geography;;The children's book A Dog Came, Too tells of "Our Dog," which accompanied the namesake of this river on his explorations. A local name for this river is "Deh Cho" or "big river." The namesake of this river once painted his name on a rock using a vermillion and grease mixture at Bella Coola. In 1977, Judge Thomas Berger led an inquiry named after this river which ultimately recommended that a pipeline not be built for ten years and all tribal claims had been settled. Several ships all named "Pathfinder" in various native dialects monitor this river's shipping channel, which changes due to continual freezing. This river was originally named the "Disappointment River" by its Scottish explorer namesake, who found it did not lead to the Pacific Ocean like he thought. For 10 points, name this river originating from the Great Slave Lake, the longest river in Canada.;;Mackenzie (River)
Geography;;Hauser Ridge and Nicodemus Heights overlook this site on the west, from which one may view the Poffenberger Farm. The Middle Bridge at this site leads to Porterstown while the Smoketown Road borders the northeastern side of this site. The Mumma and Roulette Farms are located just south of the East Woods at this site while a monument to the Georgians near a quarry overlooks a body of water crossed by Snavely's Ford and the Rohrbach Bridge. Miller's Cornfield is located just north of Dunkard Church at, for 10 points, what site controversially overlooked by a tall observation tower, a Maryland Civil War battlefield?.;;Antietam (National) (Battlefield)
Geography;;One major symbol of this nation is the Tree of Life, a gigantic tree found alone in its southern desert, and Umm an Nusan island is home to the ruling family's private reserve. The island of Al-Muharraq contains its international airport and a structure designed to look like a desert tent holds the stands at its Formula 500 racetrack. This nation also contains a number of burial mounds from its Dilmun era. This state has a conflict with a nearby state over the Hawar islands, but recently announced plans to construct a causeway to that state. The King Fahd Causeway already connects Khobar in Saudi Arabia to, for 10 points, what state located west of Qatar, an island nation in the Persian Gulf?.;;Bahrain
Geography;;Tell Qaramel, a site near this city, contains the remains of the prehistoric Round Tower people and the Quweiq River flows through this city, which was known as Halab in ancient times. Sometimes nicknamed "The Gray", the Khan al-Wazir is a large white and black structure in this city that functioned as an inn and this city is located amidst a system of hundreds of abandoned villages known as the "Dead Cities." Its Ottoman-era Jdeydeh quarter is a center for Christians and merchants, and its great mosque is said to contain the tomb of Zachariah. The Madrasa Halawiye was founded by an earlier ruler of this city, Nur al-Din. For 15 points, identify this former Silk Road city of three million located in northwestern Syria.;;Aleppo
Geography;;The Asese peninsula juts into this body of water amidst several hundred islets and contains several rare species of sawfish as well as the Solentiname Islands. Separated via the isthmus of Rivas from a nearby ocean, this lake, also known as Cocibolca or the Mar Dulce, includes the towns of San Jorge, and San Miguelito on its shores. The Conception and Maderas Volcanoes forms the island of Ometepe in this lake whose largest port is Granada and the Accessory Transit Company used this body of water for transportation. Known for having an endemic but possibly extinct population of freshwater sharks, the San Juan River connects to the Pacific Ocean-for 10 points-what largest lake in Central America?.;;(Lake) Nicaragua
Geography;;Two species of bullhead fish introduced into this body of water in the 1960s died out within thirty years due to changing salinity, which also encourage the growth of saxaul plants on its shores. Vozrozhdeniya Island in this body of water was used as a research station for biological weapons. The delta between Muynak and Nukus on the southern coast of this sea was a center for muskrat trapping, one source of employment for the Karakalpak people. The Qaraqum Canal diverted water to irrigate cotton fields that should have flowed into this sea, which could no longer be replenished by the Syr Darya. For 10 points, name this sea once found between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.;;Aral (Sea)
Geography;;A dynasty named for this state promised a policy of "savage pragmatism" under the leadership of former chickpea farmer Alvaro Obregon, for whom the city of Cajeme was later renamed. This state is home to a people who perform the deer dance, the Yaqui, so an antler-headed dancing figure can be found on this state's license plate. Alamos is an old silver-mining center in the Sierra Madre Occidental near this state's border with Chihuahua, while Bahia Kino, Puerto Penasco, and Guaymas are beach resorts along its western coast on the Gulf of California. For 10 points, name this Mexican state, which gives its name to a desert that stretches into Arizona.;;Sonora
Geography;;One might make a sail in Omarakana in these islands, if one wished to travel by canoe to the Marshall Bennet Islands. People from this subgroup of the Massim Archipelago went to the village of Dikoyas on nearby Woodlark Island, but were less successful insailing to Kitavu. Expeditions from Kiriwina in these islands brought back shells called mwali. The D'Entrecasteaux Islands are the southern neighbors of this group, part of Milne Bay province, where yam exchange was important for marriage relationships. Coral Gardens and their Magic is part of a series of works about these islands that documented the kula ring. For 10 points, name this archipelago of Papua New Guinea, described in Argonauts of the Western Pacific by Bronislaw Malinowski.;;Trobriand (Islands)
Geography;;A suspected hemichordate is named after this province, the source of the Chengjiang fauna found at Maotianshan. Early writing in this province was monopolized by a priestly caste called the pimu. Those priests used a script found in rock art at Luquan, and across the border in nearby Guizhou on the bronze bell of Dafeng. That script was used to write the Yi language, spoken by the rulers of this province's Nanzhao state, which was supplanted by a kingdom founded by Duan Siping. That kingdom, known as Dali, was overthrown when Kublai Khan's armies broke through around the lake of Er Hai, ending this region's independence. It is the only province of China to border Laos, and its Three Parallel Rivers are the Salween, the Mekong, and the Yangtze. For 10 points, Kunming is the capital of what Chinese province, the southern neighbor of Sichuan?.;;Yunnan
Geography;;Sandra Lauderdale Graham's book House and Street examines 19th-century labor practices in this city. One neighborhood in this city lies on the banks of the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon. Another neighborhood here has a name that means "like a rattle" in Tupi; that neighborhood, Maracana, is home to this city's major stadium. Cariocas are natives of this city, which is overlooked by mountains called the Sugarloaf and the Hunchback. The latter, or Corcovado, is home to a giant statue of Christ the Redeemer. For 10 points, name this city on Guanabara Bay which was replaced by Brasilia as its nation's capital, the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics.;;Rio (de) (Janeiro)
Geography;;Methane reserves recently extracted from this lake were used to power a brewery in the town of Gisenyi. Like Lake Monoun and Lake Nyos, this lake is susceptible to limnic eruptions. Such an eruption could be caused in the future by eruption of nearby Mount Nyiragongo. Cities on this lake include Goma, which became a major refugee camp in the 1990s. Although this lake is part of the Albertine Rift, it lies south of Lake Edward and Lake Albert. For 15 points, name this lake shared between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.;;(Lake) Kivu
Geography;;Uninhabited components of this group include Shackleford, which is used as a study site for the behavior of feral horses. The Ocracoke ferries are one way to reach this group, the site of Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Cape Lookout is the southern point of this group, while one of the counties in the northern section is named after Virginia Dare. The Kill Devil Hills are a landform on this group whose major islands include Roanoke and Hatteras. The Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds are separated from the Atlantic by, for 10 points, what group of North Carolina barrier islands?.;;Outer Banks
Geography;;The hypotenuse of Palliser's Triangle cuts across the center of this province, where the Stanley Mission was built on the shores of Lac la Ronge to preach to the Cree. Fort La Jonquiere was built at the forks of the river that shares this province's name, whose two major branches flow from the Columbia Icefield and the Bow River. The birthplace of Poundmaker is at Battleford in this province, which was also the site of the Battle of Batoche, which forced the surrender of Louis Riel. Cities in this province include Swift Current, Prince Albert, and Moose Jaw. For 10 points, Regina is the capital of what prairie province located between Manitoba and Alberta?.;;Saskatchewan
Geography;;According to recent papers by Edward Vajda, the language family named for this river is genetically related to the Na-Dene languages. Extinct languages spoken along this river, including Yugh, Pumpokol, and Arin, are documented by early records of the fur trade, while its northern reaches are presently inhabited by the Ket people. This river was used to transport nickel from the mines at Norilsk, and two of its branches meet at the city of Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva. Tributaries of this river include the Podkamennaya Tunguska and the Angara, which drains Lake Baikal. For 10 points, name this river of central Siberia, whose basin lies between the Ob-Irtysh and the Lena.;;Yenisei (River)
Geography;;This man who studied mathematics under Gemma Frisius at Louvain expressed doubt that Aristotle could be harmonized with the Book of Genesis. A close friend of the English astrologer John Dee, he used triangulation to produce a 1540 work promoting Antwerp at the expense of Ghent. He honored the "king of Mauretania... learned philosopher, and Titan" by being the first to use the word "atlas" for a book of maps. The area of Greenland is notably distorted in this man's namesake cylindrical projection. For 10 points, name this Flemish cartographer who represented all lines of longitude as straight in a 1569 planisphere.;;(Gerardus) Mercator
Geography;;Minor islands in this group include North Seymour, the site of an iguana translocation experiment, and Daphne Major, the setting of a 1994 book by Jonathan Weiner. Tomas de Berlanga, a bishop of Panama, was the first European to visit this group. Its Pinta island is the birthplace of Lonesome George, the last of his subspecies of Giant Tortoise. Names dispensed by the British Admiralty, like Tower and Albemarle, have been replaced by  Spanish ones, such as Genovesa and Isabela, respectively. For 10 points, name these islands belonging to Ecuador, which were notably visited by Charles Darwin.;;Galapagos (Islands)
Geography;;Robert and George Marshall climbed 46 peaks in this range that were thought to be over 4,000 feet high. Since that achievement, resurveying discovered that Mount MacNaughton was higher than 4,000, but four others including Couchsachraga, are in fact lower than 4,000 feet. A western outlier of this range is the cuesta called the Tug Hill Plateau, while across the Black River its western foothills contain the home of the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum in Jefferson County and the town of Old Forge in the northern panhandle of Herkimer County. Its eastern side stops near Crown Point, as the mountains give way to Lake George and Lake Champlain. For 10 points, Lake Placid is located in what mountain range of upstate New York?.;;Adirondack (Mountains)
Geography;;The last residents of this desert to live a traditional nomadic lifestyle were the Pintupi Nine, who were first contacted in 1984 when they walked into the town of Waberton. The type specimen of Acacia balsamea was collected on Mount William Lambert, east of Wiluna along the Gunbarrel Highway. The highway provides access to the nature reserve named after this desert, a stronghold of the dalgyte, or greater bilby. It is named after a man who disappeared into it on the Ernest Giles expedition of 1874. For 15 points, name this desert found between the Great Sandy and Great Victoria Deserts in east-central Western Australia.;;Gibson (Desert)
Geography;;Minor routes over this range include Horse Creek Pass, Lemhi Pass, and the valley of the St. Joe River. The southernmost part of this range, called the Beaverhead Mountains, is west of the Big Hole basin. Trapper Peak is found in their central section, which is bordered on the south by the Salmon River. Fort Fizzle was built in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the Nez Perce from crossing this range via the Lolo Trail, the same route that Lewis and Clark used to cross in the other direction. The Lewisia flower, consumed by Flathead Indians, gives its name to, for 15 points, what mountain range that forms the northeastern border of Idaho?.;;Bitterroot (Range)
Geography;;In 2008 the nesting ground of the Large-billed Reed Warbler was discovered in this region. The Shola-Javaid were Maoist insurgents operating in this region, where Soviet forces built a road to Lake Zorkul. Soviet occupation of this region was intended to secure control of Vakhjir Davan Pass. An 1895 agreement with Abdur Rahman drew its boundaries in order to separate the disputed kingdoms of Roshan and Shignan from rebels against British rule in Chitral. In the 1980s Kirghiz refugees from this region were resettled in the Van area of eastern Turkey. It forms the easternmost part of Badakhshan province, and marks the junction of the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountain ranges. The upper course of the Amu Darya is the northern border of, for 15 points, what corridor, the only part of Afghanistan that borders China?.;;Wakhan (Corridor)
Geography;;The Treaties of Chinfuma and Simulambuco transformed the kingdom of N'Goyo into this territory, whose early nationalists were deported to a prison camp at Baia dos Tigres. One secessionist group in this territory was led by Luis Ranque Franque, while another drew its support from the Mayombe ethnic minority. Those two groups united to form a liberation front for this territory, the FLEC, which claimed responsibility for a January 2010 attack on the Togolese national soccer team's bus in this territory. Its northern border is formed by Kouilou, a department of Congo-Brazzaville. For 15 points, name this oil-rich exclave of Angola.;;Cabinda
Geography;;J. Lawton Collins successfully crossed this peninsula, whose COGEMA nuclear processing plant on this peninsula was the scene of protests by Greenpeace. Towns in this peninsula include St. Vaast la Hogue, noted for its oysters, and Sainte-Mere-Eglise, which was the site of a drop by the 101st Airborne Division. Utah Beach was the only one of the five D-Day beaches on this peninsula, which is part of the Department of the Manche. For 15 points, name this peninsula in western Normandy whose chief port is Cherbourg.;;Cotentin (peninsula)
Geography;;Its Granitic Group contains over 40 granite islands, including Silhouette Island, Aride Island, and the home of the coco-de-mer, Praslin Island. The rest of the islands that make up this island group's Inner Group are Bird Island and Denis Island.  James Mancham was overthrown in a coup in this nation that made socialist France Rene a single-party ruler. This chain's most populous island, Mahe, is home to a capital city. For 10 points, name this group of islands once colonized by both France and Great Britain, located in the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar.;;Seychelles
Geography;;The cities of Dubasari and Ribnita lie on the longest river running through this polity. The Kozak Memorandum would have resulted in the absorbtion of this polity, whose creation was inspired by the example of nearby Gagauzia. A short war over this region saw attempts to cross the Lunga bridge foiled by soldiers trained by the 14th Army. This polity claims the city that was the site of the kalabalik, even though that city, Bender, is located within the historic borders of Bessarabia. It is currently led by President Igor Smirnov from its capital of Tiraspol. The Dniester River forms the western border of, for 10 points, what autonomous region of Moldova?.;;Transnistria
Geography;;This geographic feature shares its name with Clark Gable's first talkie, a movie in which he played ex-criminal Rance Brett. The Crystal Forest and Rainbow Forest are found in this desert, whose characteristic rocks erode easily due to the qualities of the Chinle formation. The Church Rock uranium mill spill occurred in the Puerco River, which flows into this desert. Its western end is located near the city of ?Flagstaff, and this desert borders Petrified Forest National Park. For 10 points, identify this desert in Arizona named for its many colors.;;Painted (Desert)
Geography;;A novella by A. C. Greene recounts the ruin of this island. Notable clubs here include Space, Pacha, Privilege, Amnesia, and DC10. Its name may derive from a Phoenician god of music and dance, and under Arab rule, it developed close ties with Denia, a port on the nearby Costa Blanca. A threatened species of Podarcis wall lizard lives on this largest island in a group called the Pitiusas, or Pine Islands, which were attacked during the Norwegian crusade. Hugh Grant's character in About a Boy claims that every man is an island, and he is bloody this one, home to a legendary "port" district that attracts shoppers from northern Europe. The larger neighbor of ?Formentera is, for 10 points, what third largest of the Balearics?.;;Ibiza
Geography;;Clark, Gruber, and Company minted coins with an inaccurate depiction of this mountain on the reverse. Its namesake highway made the mountain famous in the movie Climb Dance, where the main character drove to the top. A popular trail leading to the top is the Barr Trail. The first man to climb it was the botanist to the Stephen Long expedition, Edwin James. The view from this mountain made of pink potassium-feldspar granite inspired Katherine Lee Bates to write "America the Beautiful". Its namesake tried to scale it, but got only as far as Mount Rosa before snow forced him to turn back and he was then imprisoned in Santa Fe. For 10 points, identify this Colorado mountain, whose summit is a National Historic Landmark named for explorer Zebulon.;;Pikes (Peak)
Geography;;Archaeological remains near this city include the stone obelisk found at Shengavit and a cuneiform inscription from King Argishti I of Urartu, who established a fortress on this site. The Dashnak party established a short-lived Democratic Republic in this city on the banks of the river that drains Lake Sevan, the Hrazdan River. Districts in this city, such as Nork Marash, Malatya, and Arabkir, were named after the former homes of refugees who fled to this city from a 20th-century genocide. For 10 points, name this city northeast of the Ararat Plain, the capital of Armenia.;;Yerevan
Geography;;The crater lake of Yak Loum is found in the northeast of this country which is also the site of the Kirirom National Park. The controversial "khting vor," or spiral-horned ox, may or may not be found in this country. A better-known ungulate from this nation is the endangered kouprey, or forest ox of this country. This country's highest point is a peak called Kravanh in the Cardamon Mountains, and some of its larger cities are Kompong Cham and Battambang. A lake forming the southern border of this nation's Siem Riep province, Tonle Sap, is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. For 10 points, King Norodom Sihamoni rules what country bisected by the Mekong and home to Angkor Wat?.;;Cambodia
Geography;;This island's coat of arms is a ram carrying a yellow and red banner. A ship named for this island was the first submarine to use air-independent propulsion. This island's site of Ajvide was a camp for Mesolithic people who hunted harp seals until they were driven out by early farmers of the Pitted Ware culture. Valdemar Atterdag suppressed a peasant rebellion on this island which ended with a battle at Visby, this island's Hanseatic trading port. Occupied by the Teutonic Knights until the late 1400s, this island was then sold to Eric of Pomerania. It was given to its current owner in the Treaty of Bromsebro. For 15 points, what Swedish island is the largest in the Baltic?.;;Gotland
Geography;;Massif Decou Decou, Mount Saint-Marcel, and Mount Itoupe are smaller mountains in this polity. Most of this polity's borders are formed by rivers, including the Oyapock, Lawa, and Maroni rivers. Its largest body of water is formed by a hydroelectric dam and is named Barrage de Petit Saut. In the 19th century, it fought with Brazil over Counani, a small short-lived independent state, and in the 1970s this nation was home to refugees from Laos, prompted by the French government. The prison where Alfred Dreyfus was held, Devil's Island, is just offshore of this polity. For 10 points, Cayenne is the capital of what French overseas department?.;;French Guiana
Geography;;An earthquake in 363 AD destroyed its Colonnaded Street that was discovered by Walter Bachmann, and the Qasr al-Bint is located here. An important artifact associated with it is a rotated zodiac discovered at the Khirbet et-Tannur temple. This site that was once named for Hadrian is accessible through a passage called the Siq that runs through the Valley of Moses. The central building in this city that was also called Rekem is the treasury of Al-Khazneh. John William Burgon won the Newdigate Prize for describing this city in a sonnet whose last line calls it "a rose-red city half as old as time." Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt discovered, for 10 points, what center of the Nabataean civilization in modern-day Jordan?.;;Petra
Geography;;The northern third of this country is known as the "Oesling," and it is dominated by hills and low mountains, especially Kneiff Mountain near Wilwerdange, its highest point. The southern two-thirds is known as "Gutland," contains cities like Esch-sur-Alzette and Dudelange. An abbey founded by St. Willibrord, Echternach, is located in this nation, as is the city of Vianden, which was attacked by the 5th Parachute Division during the Battle of the Bulge. This nation's capital served as the headquarters of Patton's Third Army, which defeated the German attack over the Sauer, Our, and Moselle Rivers that form its eastern borders. For 10 points, name this nation in the Ardennes Forest between Germany, Belgium, and France.;;Luxembourg
Geography;;This island is home to Isulukati Waterfall, which flows into the Crayfish River, and its sole World Heritage Site, Morne Trois Pitons National Park, contains Boiling Lake and Emerald Pool. A road connecting its towns of Vielle Case and Marigo provides access to its Melville Hall airport, which lies near the Morne Diablotina. Its northernmost point, sometimes named for the Jaco parrot, borders its namesake passage separating it from Marie-Galante Island, and its national bird, the Sisserou, is displayed on its flag. Formerly named Waitikubuli, it had its capital at Portsmouth until a 1760 malaria outbreak moved it to the current location. It elected the first female Prime Minister in the Caribbean, Dame Eugenia Charles, and it is currently led by Nicholas Liverpool from a city that is the birthplace of author Jean Rhys. For 10 points, name this northernmost of the Windward Islands, a nation in the Lesser Antilles that has its capital at Roseau.;;Dominica
Geography;;This state is home to both Ashtamudi Lake and Sasthamkotta Lake, which sit near its city of Karnagappalli. The Pamba River flows through this state's Travancore region, which includes an ancient trade center now called Kollam. Its largest seaport is home to the International Pepper Exchange, the only such market in the world, while its capital city was referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "evergreen city", and is home to a space station named after the father of India's space program. The traditional dance style known as kathakali originated in this state which contains the aforementioned cities of Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. This state borders Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. For 15 points, name this Malayalam-speaking state in South India, the setting of Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things.;;Kerala
Geography;;Tributaries of this lake include the Poplar and the Bloodvein Rivers. In 1690, Henry Kelsey became the first European to sight it, and he adopted the Cree language name for the lake meaning "muddy waters." Settlements on the banks of this lake include Victoria Beach, Lester Beach, and Gimli, the latter of which was founded by Icelandic settlers in the New Iceland area around this lake. The current lake is actually a remnant of the prehistoric Lake Agassiz. The Dauphin River drains much of the water of this lake, and a namesake river drains Rainy Lake and the Lake of the Woods. The ?Red River Colony would use the current name of this lake for their most important city. For 10 points, name this neighbor of Lake Manitoba, which shares its name with that province's capital.;;(Lake) Winnipeg
Geography;;A namesake palace located here was renovated by Joseph-Eugene Lacroix and was the setting of an orangutan escape. The Hotel de Crillon is located here, and it served as the setting of the 1855 Universal Exposition. To its east is a locale once named the Place Louis XV, while at its west is the Place Charles de Gaulle. However, it is more popular today for the collection of luxury showrooms that stretch from the Tuilieres Palace on one side to the Arc de Triomphe on the other. For 10 points, name this historic Parisian street, the terminus of the final stage of the Tour de France.;;Champs(-)Élysees
Geography;;The river named for this city flows into the Nechi River and contains the Porce III Dam. Its Berrio Square is home to the Church of Our Lady of Candelaria of Ana as well as a Franciscan college that is now the University of Antioquia, one of the largest in its country and the namesake of this city's region. Its economic growth was first a result of a burgeoning textile industry led by Coltejer but was later a result of this city's control by a group that murdered Luis Carlos Galan and was led by Pablo Escobar. That group, this city's namesake cartel, led to its label as the world's most dangerous city for much of the late 1900s. For 10 points, name this second most-populous city in Colombia.;;Medellin
Geography;;Traditional stories about this mountain state that a large king named Gayo Nakan lives at its base. A giant earthworm named for it lives around nearby Paka Cave. Laban Rata is the most prominent stopping point for hikers attempting to scale this mountain, which begins at Timophon Gate. The Kadazandusun culture reveres this peak for its importance to their mythology, and its name means "the revered place of the dead". Its highest part is ironically named Low's Peak after the first man to scale it. This mountain is a major site of hill farming, and its products are sold in nearby Kundasang city. This peak is located in Sabah state in a namesake national park. For 15 points, name this mountain located in the Malaysian half of Borneo, the tallest mountain on that island.;;(Mount) Kinabalu
Geography;;The Chemainus River runs through the southern section of this island, while its northern section is home to Sproat Lake. Its Comox Valley contains Courtenay, one of its largest cities, while a city often dubbed the "Salmon Capital of the World", Port Alberni, lies near Mount Arrowsmith. Its highest point, The Golden Hinde, sits in Strathcona Provincial Park, originally home to the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation. Its largest city became a home for prospectors during the Cariboo Gold Rush and is now the capital of its nation's westernmost province. The Strait of Georgia separates mainland British Columbia from, for 10 points, what island, the site of Victoria?.;;Vancouver (Island)
Geography;;Though it's not Belize, this archipelago contains an island called Ambergris Cay. Rafael Trujillo was assassinated before he could purchase an island in this archipelago for his hideaway. The Mouchoir Bank and the adjoining Silver and Navidad Banks are located east of this archipelago, and this archipelago located southeast of the island of Mayaguana contains part of the Lucayan Islands. A replica of John Glenn's space craft Friendship 7 is found on its largest island, since this archipelago was the site of its crashdown, and Trade Wind Industries founded the world's only conch shell farm on its island of Providenciales. For 10 points, identify this British territory located between Hispaniola and the Bahamas, which has capital at Cockburn Town and whose largest island is Grand Turk.;;Turks and Caicos
Geography;;One mountain range bearing this name contains the sites of Pusch Ridge and Romero Canyon and is connected to the nearby Rincon Mountains by the Redington Pass. That range has its highest point at Mount Lemmon and is located just north of Tucson, Arizona. The world heritage site in San Juan known as La Fortaleza is officially named the "palace" of this name. The town of Two Harbors is located on the isthmus in the middle of an island with this name which also contains the cities of Rancho Escondido and Avalon. That island contains a native species of fox, and filming on this island in the 1920s led to a population of American Bison inhabiting it. For 15 points, identify this common title which names the nearest to Los Angeles and the most populous of California's Channel Islands.;;(Santa) Catalina
Geography;;The name of this river comes from an Arawak custom of using its stones for fireplaces, so its name means "hearth stones." In 1995, the mining company Cambior spilled cyanide into this river at the Omai Gold Mine, and cities on this river's banks include Tumatumari and Rockstone. This river joins with the Cuyuni and Mazaruni Rivers near the city of Bartica, and islands in this river's delta include Fort Island, Leguan, and Hog Island. This river's tributaries include the Rupununi, which has its source in the Kanuku Mountains, and the Potaro River which contains Kaietur Falls. It rises in the Acarai Mountains alongside the nearby Courantyne River, and was the subject of an 1899 boundary dispute between Britain and Venezuela. For 20 points, identify this river which flows through Georgetown, the chief river of Guyana.;;Essequibo (River)
Geography;;Regions of this island include Petaloudes, which is known for its Valley of Butterflies, and the city of Empona is located on the side of this island's highest peak, Mount Attavyros. This island is located northeast of the island of Karpathos, and the region of Kallithea on this island is home to the beach town Faliraki. One city on this island contains St. Paul's Bay and The Castle of the Knights of St. John and is located near the resort town of Haraki.  This island's namesake capital is home to the Palace of the Grand Masters. For 10 points, identify this largest of the Dodecanese Islands, a Greek island located off the coast of Turkey once home to a statue of Helios called the Colossus.;;Rhodes
Geography;;One province of this nation is home to the Kumzari tribe, and that province is linked with the city of Shinas by the world's fastest passenger ferry. Sites in this nation include the Bahla Fort, and its Al Dhahira region contains the archeological sites of Al-Khutm, Al-Ayn, and Bat. This nation's northern neighbor contains its exclave of Madha, which surrounds the territory of Nahwa, and Masirah Island lies off of this nation's eastern coast. The city of Salalah lies in this nation's Dhofar region, which was the site of a British-supported communist uprising in the 1960s. Another exclave of this nation is located at the tip of the Musandam Peninsula, and this nation's Al Hajar Mountains are located on the southern shore of this nation's namesake gulf. For 10 points, identify this sultanate on the Arabian peninsula which has capital at Muscat.;;Oman
Geography;;This concept's influence on foreign policy was chronicled in a G.R. Sloan work titled "[This] then and now," and it was countered by a similar argument proposed by Nicholas Spykman. This concept was furthered in the work Democratic Ideals and Reality and sometimes centers around a "pivot zone," and this theory was built upon by Dimitri Kitsikis. This theory that influenced the thought of Karl Haushofer was first set forth in an article entitled "The Geographical Pivot of History." This theory was supported by the Great Game in the 19th century, and its central tenet holds that the ruler of the title place also commanded the World-Island. Extended by the "Intermediate Region," for 10 points, identify this geopolitical theory put forth by Halford Mackinder which stated that the key to controlling the world was control of central Eurasia and which was opposed by the Rimland Theory.;;Heartland (theory)
Geography;;This nation is home to the surfing hotspot of El Sunzal, and this nation was awarded the island of Meanguera in a dispute which gave its neighbor control of El Tigre. Volcanic lakes in this nation include Lake Ilopango and Lake Guija, and this nation's peak Cerro El Pital is located north of its city of La Palma. The Lempa River empties into the ocean in this nation, and this country's active volcanoes include San Miguel and Izalco, which is called "The lighthouse of the Pacific." A civil war in this nation featured the FMLN party and culminated in the Chapultepec Accords, and this nation is the westernmost of those bordering the Gulf of Fonseca. For 10 points, name this only Central American nation without a Caribbean coastline, which has capital at San Salvador.;;El Salvador
Geography;;The port of Mpulungu lies on this body of water, whose endemic cichlids were studied by Pierre Brichard. The Malagarasi River empties into this body of water, which is connected to another by the Ruzizi River. Its outflow at the Lukuga River forms one of the headwaters of the Congo River. Cities on its banks include the rail hub Kigoma and Ujiji, the location where Henry Morton Stanley found Dr. Livingstone. For 10 points, name this second deepest lake in the world, which is shared by the nations of Burundi, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania.;;(Lake) Tanganyika
Geography;;Sites in this state include Massacre Rocks State Park and an area called the "Magic Valley," and its city of Soda Springs is home to a man-made geyser. The Clearwater River is dammed at Orofino in this state by the straight-axis Dworshak Dam, and the Thousand Springs byway connects the towns of Bliss and Buhl, which produces the most rainbow trout in the United States. The Craters of the Moon National Monument can be accessed through the city of Arco, and other natural features in this state include Thompson Peak, part of the Sawtooth Mountains. This state's highest mountain is Borah Peak, and Shoshone Falls and Hells Canyon are both located along the Snake River in this state. For 10 points, identify this U.S. state which contains the cities of Pocatello, Coeur d'Alene, Lewiston, and Boise.;;Idaho
Geography;;Island groups off the coast of this territory include the Goulburn Islands and the Wessel Islands, and the Groote Eylandt is located to its east. The Alligator Rivers area of this territory contains Kakadu National Park, and the Van Dieman Gulf separates it from Melville and Bathurst Islands. The Joseph Bonaparte Gulf is located to the northwest of this territory, whose northern region is Arnhem Land. This region's northeast is bounded by the Gulf of Carpentaria, and it contains Ayers Rock. For 10 points, name this territory of Australia sandwiched between Queensland and Western Australia with its capital at Darwin.;;Northern Territory
Geography;;This city is the population center of Tshopo Province, which was created under its country's 2006 constitution. Prior to that, this city was the capital of the larger Orientale Province. Located just downstream of Boyoma Falls, this city is thus the limit of navigation on the river system where it is found. This city is notably depicted in two literary works: in one, it is not named but one suburb is called the Domain. In the second, it is referred to as the "station" and on arriving there, the narrator describes it from afar: "a long decaying building on the summit was half buried in the high grass... Near the house half a dozen slim posts remained in a row roughly trimmed and with their upper ends ornamented with round carved balls... Of course the forest surrounded all that." This city was once called Stanleyville and is found where the Tshopo River joins the Congo. For 15 points, name this now third-largest city in the DRC where those round carved balls turned out to be something quite different, the inspiration for the settings of both Naipaul's A Bend in the River and Conrad's Heart of Darkness.;;Kisangani
Geography;;In one structure in this city, a Madonna by Andrea Briosco sits inside an octagonal plan with three doors and two Roman figures on each side of the facade, the Vincenzo Scamozzi-designed church of San Gaetano Thiene. Supposedly founded by Antenor, it was the site of an armistice signed between Austria and Italy in World War I. A perspective from the sewer looking onto some soldiers, an arch, and a curled flag is used in St. James Led to His Execution, created by Andrea Mantegna for the Ovetari chapel in this city's Eremitani church. Goethe was inspired to write about the "metamorphosis of plants" at this city's botanical garden, and its Proto della Valle is one of the biggest elliptical squares in Europe. Also home to the tombs of the Diocletian-persecuted St. Justine and of the "lost and found" St. Anthony, its Piazzo del Santo holds Donatello's Gattamelata. The life and passion of Christ series can be seen at the? Scrovegni chapel, also called the Arena chapel, by Giotto, in for 10 points, what city west of Venice, the setting of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew?.;;Padua
Geography;;One record of a site in this polity is found in the Ancients Way, which records the deeds of Zenobia the Butcher. An abandoned dig in its Mah'habara region is home to the endless barriers of Syphax the Insidious. The Cloven Spire in one site here mentions the mysterious whereabouts of Mithridates the Lone, who resides in Taejin's Tower. Before visiting the Haerii Archaeopolis, one troop of explorers established base camp at its Vallis Media, where that group encountered the great Alexander. Divided into the Yaschas Massif in the west and the Archylte Steppes to the east, it is home to a tiger-like cat called a Gorgonopsid, a poisonous plant named Alraune, as well as Munchkins and Adamantoises. It once led an invasion of Eden on Cocoon, and it is home to beings called l'Cie and fal'Cie. For 10 points, name this natural region lying below a bubbled world visited by Sazh, Vanille, Fang, Hope, Snow, and Lightning, the principal world of Final Fantasy XIII.;;(Gran) Pulse
Geography;;Most of this nation's population was deported to the island group of Truk by the Japanese from 1942 to 1946. This island's closest neighbor is Banaba, which belongs to Kiribati. The east of this nation has a harbor at Anibare. This nation was led for two decades after independence by Hammer DeRoburt. The district of Arenibek is near the inland Buada Lagoon, which shares its name. After Ludwig Scotty failed a vote of no confidence, he was replaced by this nation's current ruler, Marcus Stephen. Formerly known as Pleasant Island, this country almost went bankrupt as its once-rich phosphate deposits ran out. For 10 points, name this Pacific island nation, the only country in the world with no official capital and government buildings in Yaren.;;Nauru
Geography;;Some of this state's historic churches are housed at Lamoille near the Ruby Mountains. The limestone formations of Lehman Caves are found at a park in this state that contains Wheeler Peak. One of its cites contains a mining tribute at the Way It Was museum, and hosts the international camel races, while another of its sites is gated by the Alan Bible Center. Its Walker River drains into the Lahontan reservoir, while Battle Mountain and Elko lie on its Humboldt River. This state is home to a restored opera house at the Eureka Sentinel Museum along the 50, as well as the Cathedral Gorge State Park near Caliente. Red Rock Canyon and Pyramid Lake are located in this state. For 10 points, name this state notable for Lake Mead and Virginia City, containing towns like Boulder City, Laughlin, and Las Vegas.;;Nevada
Geography;;This entity collapsed 35,000 years ago, creating a lake by damming the Rio Chambo. Banos is a resort town at its base. One can reach this mountain by cutting away from the road between Ambato and Guaranda. The Thielmann Glacier abuts its north side, and its Arista del Sol route was first climbed in 1983. It is on the southern end of the so-called "Avenue of Volcanoes." This mountain lies in its namesake province, whose capital is Riobamba. This mountain is usually scaled by El Castillo. This South American peak was first climbed by Edward Whymper, who did it twice in 1880, and it lies in the westernmost of the Cordillera Occidentals. For 10 points, name this mountain which, due to the bulge of the equator, has its peak furthest away from the center of the Earth, an inactive volcano which is the highest point in Ecuador.;;(Mount) Chimborazo
Geography;;A recent development in this city is a man-made island monument containing a chapel named the Island of Tears. Four angels surround the red-and-blue clothed Virgin Mary ascending into heaven on this city's flag. This city's central square has an obelisk capped with the Order of Victory with the Sacred Sword of Victory at its base. This city is situated on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers, while its central square also contains a museum commemorating the first congress of the Russian Socialist Labor Democratic Party. For ten points, name this headquarters of the Commonweath of Independent States, the largest city and capital of Belarus.;;Minsk
Geography;;This city's Dubai Mosque lies next to Boeng Kak lake in this city's north, which also features Camko City. This city features the Emerald Buddha in its Silver Pagoda. King Sisorath renovated its Royal Palace, which includes the Khemarin Palace and Moonlight Pavilion. This city once known as Krong Chaktomuk, or City of the Four Faces, lies at the intersection of the Bassac and Tonle Sab rivers as well as a third river which runs past this city across the eastern border to a delta on the South China Sea. For 10 points, name this city on the Mekong River which features the Tuol Seng Genocide Museum commemorating victims of the Khmer Rouge, the capital of Cambodia.;;Phnom Penh
Geography;;This nation's tallest peak, Mount Bazarduzu, lies on its northern border, while its longest river flows past Ardahan and Gori to enter this nation and empty into Lake Mingachevir. This nation's oil company, SOCAR, is the world's 68th largest company, and the country contains both the Five Finger Mountain in Abherson and the site of a former Zoroastrian holy site at Khinalug, which is one of the world's longest continuously-inhabited places. The Old City located within this nation's capital is home to the Maiden Tower, while the Nobel and Rothschild families both contributed to exploit the oil reserves found near this nation's capital. Representatives of this nation wore distinctive blue, green, and red pants based on their nation's flag at the 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony. For 10 points, name this majority Shi'ite nation in the Caucasus region with its capital at Baku.;;Azerbaijan
Geography;;Lake Tagimaucia is one of this nation's most famous tourist attractions at Taveuni. To the north of Taveuni are the islands of Qamea and Matagi, known for both the Rainbow and Vuna Reefs. This nation's major islands include one home to the cities of Labasa and Savusavu, as well as one which is home to a city located on Laucala Bay in Rewa Province. This nation, whose three hundred and thirty-two islands include the Mamanuca and Yasawa groups and whose official languages include English and ?Hindi, is located midway between Vanuatu and the Kingdom of Tonga. For 10 points, name this Pacific island nation whose two major islands are Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, the latter of which is home to its capital, Suva.;;Fiji
Geography;;The northern end of the Outlaw Trail lay in a region named for this type of landform and Big Muddy Creek. An example of this type of landform in New Zealand features earth pillars named Hoodoos, is located in the Aorangi Ranges, and is named the Putangirua Pinnacles. The best known example of this type of region features a namesake Wilderness where the black-footed ferret is being reintroduced and which is home to the world's richest Oligocene fossil bed. The last Ghost Dance was held at an example of this type of terrain at Stronghold Table, while Red Shirt Table is another example of this landform. For 10 points, name this type of landform defined by slopes of soft sediments carved by infrequent rainfall, conserved by a national park in North Dakota.;;Badlands
Geography;;This river's tributaries include the Shashe and Mzingwane, but its main tributary is the Olifants River. It cuts through the Hartbeespoort Gap, the site of an irrigation dam. Floods of this river in 2000 damaged the port city of Xai-xai on this river's mouth. This river is formed where the Marico and Crocodile Rivers join together. Its native name may be Sotho for "river of the waterfall," while Espiritu Santo River was the name given to this river by the first European to sight it, Vasco de Gama. This river is the namesake of a province once known as Northern Transvaal, which it divides from a northern neighbor home to this river's drainage basin in the Kalahari Desert. For 10 points, name this African river that forms the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa before emptying into the Indian Ocean.;;Limpopo River
Geography;;This desert is home to the town which hosts the National Basque Festival, which is nicknamed "Basco Fiasco." This desert lies southeast of a desert encompassing the High Rock Canyon, the Black Rock Desert. Lovelock Cave in this desert was a site where ancient duck decoys were discovered, perhaps made by the ancestor of the Northern Paiute tribe. The White Mountains, on the western edge of this desert, are home to the world's oldest trees in the form of bristlecone pines. This desert is also the ?coldest of the North American deserts because it lies the farthest north, just southeast of Lake Tahoe. For 10 points, name this largest desert in the United States, which encompasses most of Nevada.;;Great Basin (Desert)
Geography;;The Nine Mile Creek Aqueduct leads away from this waterway at the town of Camillus. This waterway's route was surveyed by James Geddes and Benjamin Wright, and one section of it flows through the disease-ridden Montezuma Marsh. Better known portions of this waterway flow from Canasta along the Onondaga Escarpment, while others that run from Tonawanda Creek to Little Buffalo Creek as well as through the valley of Lockport across the Niagara Escarpment. A similar waterway named the Chenango connects Binghamton to Utica on this waterway, which flows through the Mohawk Valley between the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains. For 10 points, name this canal which leads from Albany to Buffalo, where it terminates on a namesake Great Lake.;;Erie (Canal)
Geography;;This region contains both Ivvavik and Vuntut National Parks, while its Kluane National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its population of Dall sheep. This region was home to a mining camp at the head of Lynn Canal whose experienced members were known as Sourdoughs and included author W. W. White and William Howard Taft. Its namesake river originates in Llewellyn Glacier and shares a delta with the Kuskokwim. In addition to being home to Camp Skagway Number One, this territory is home to a town to which travelers passed to reach Bonanza Creek. Dawson City and Mount Logan are located in, for 10 points, what smallest of Canada's three federal territories with capital at Whitehorse?.;;Yukon (Territory)
Geography;;This plateau region lends its name to a variety of the blues noted for the influence of ragtime. A "Triad" named after this region encompasses the city which is home to Wachovia and which is nicknamed "Camel City," while a "Crescent" named after this region encompasses a city named after the consort of George III. This region is bounded on the west by the Blue Ridge Mountains. This region's eastern boundary is a line which includes the rapids on the James River and the Great Falls of the Potomac, and, and its name comes from the region of northwestern Italy joined with Sardinia in the name of a 19th-century kingdom. For 10 points, name this plateau region between the Appalachian Mountains and Atlantic Coastal Plain which stretches from New Jersey to Alabama.;;Piedmont
Geography;;King Davids Peak is in this island's Walls of Jerusalem National Park. One city on this island lies near the Coal River and is named Clarence, while another is home to catamaran factories run by Incat. George Augustus Robinson evacuated natives of this island, like Truganini to Flinders Island. The skyline of this island's capital on the Derwent River is dominated by Mount Wellington. John Franklin briefly governed this island, which was originally named for a leader of the Dutch East India Company. For 10 points, the former Van Diemen's Land is now what island separated by the Bass Strait from the Australian mainland?.;;Tasmania
Geography;;The Bhor Ghat is located on this region's passage from the Konkan plain. This region was the source of the Oxyglossus pusillus fossil discovered by Ferdinand Stoliczka, and its Chota Nagpur region is rich in minerals. An area known for its staircase like shapes created by a major volcanic eruption 66 million years ago is this region's "traps." The Eastern and Western Ghats mark the boundaries of this region separated by the Satpura and Vindhya Mountains from the Gangetic Plain to its north. For ten points, the Sanskrit word for "south" names what large plateau of central India?.;;Deccan (Plateau)
Geography;;This material was first described by F.E.Bruckmann in Jachymov in what is now the Czech Republic, though it was officially discovered by Martin Klaproth in Johanngeorgenstadt. This material was mined in the Colorado Plateau alongside vanadium, while one modern source is run by Kazatomprom, which exploits deposits of this metal in Kazakhstan. The largest mill for this chemical is found at Key Lake, in the Athabasca Basin of Saskatchewan, where this chemical is often mined in the form of pitchblende. For 10 points each, name this material whose "yellowcake" form was available in Niger as an ingredient of atomic weapons.;;uranium
Geography;;The Yin mountains can be found in this desert's eastern ranges, while to its south are the Helan Mountains, also known as the Alashans. The expansion of this desert has resulted in calls for the planting of a Green Wall, and there is controversy as to whether its western reaches belong to this desert or are the separate Taklamakan Desert. Those reaches include a salt lake used as a nuclear testing site, Lop Nor, while a fossil of a Protoceratops and a Velociraptor locked in combat was found in this desert bounded by the Altai Mountains in the north. This desert is a result of a rain shadow created by an area including Qinghai province the Tibetan Plateau. For 10 points, name this largest desert in Asia, which covers much of northern China and southern Mongolia.;;Gobi (Desert)
Geography;;This body of water surrounds Imrali Island, which houses a maximum security prison where Abdullah Ocalan resides. The Princes' Islands lie in the northeast of this sea, home to the port cities of Tekirdag and Yalova, and named for its marble quarries. A 1509 earthquake that began in this body of water destroyed over 100 mosques in a city lying to the north which is home to the citadels of Galata and Chalcedon, as well as the Sultan Mehmet Bridge. The Gulf of Izmit lies within this sea and its western boundary is defined by Cape Helles. The Dardanelles connect this sea to the Aegean Sea while the Bosporus connects it to the Black Sea. For 10 points, name this sea that lies to the southwest of Istanbul and separates Asian Turkey from European Turkey.;;(Sea) (of) Marmara