What is this animal? A fish-eating horseshoe crab A robber crab, the largest land invertebrate An armoured spider of the genus Peripitus A tropical crayfish from the Solomon Islands  The robber crab is also known as a coconut crab, although it does not eat coconuts. It is related to hermit crabs and is found on tropical islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
		What are these plants? A species of sage from central Asia The plant from which ambergris is extracted Mutant miniature roses Australian native trigger plants  Australia has around 300 species of Stylidium, almost all of which are endemic. The stamen and style are fused to form the "trigger", which responds to the touch of an insect by a rapid movement, striking the insect and depositing or collecting pollen. The flower is bilobed with just four petals.
		Where is this glacier? Alaska Argentina Russia Antarctica  The Los Glaciares National Park in southwest Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, is home to the Perito Moreno glacier. It is 30 kilometres long and continuously calves off icebergs into Lago Argentino. The glacier can be visited on a day trip from the closest town, El Calafate.
		The weather here is fine but these people are holding up umbrellas - why? They are in India during a water festival They are tour leaders who have temporarily lost their group They are under the ozone hole and concerned about UV rays They are at Victoria Falls and guarding against the spray   Victoria Falls, local name "the smoke that thunders", is on the Zambezi River at the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The constant spray falls like a tropical downpour along the edge of the chasm into which the water cascades, but move back 100 metres and you are quite dry in bright sunshine under a blue sky.
		What is this plant? The world's largest bromeliad A Cambodian "beach plum" Welwichia, a "living fossil" It is not a plant but a mineral which looks very plant-like   The remarkable Welwitschia mirabilis has no close relatives but is a gymnosperm, in the same group as conifers and cycads. It is found only in the Namib Desert in southern Africa and some specimens are thought to be over 1000 years old. Each plant only ever has two leaves, which grow from the base but not surprisingly are generally very tatty at the ends.
		What is the name of this mountain and where is it? Fitzroy in Chile Mount Macinlay in Alaska Mont Blanc in the Alps Machapuchare in Nepal   Also known as the "fishtail" mountain because of its double summit, Machapuchare is nealy 7000 metres high. Despite this "modest" (by Himalayan standards) height, it is thought that no climber has ever reached its summit. At the request of the King of Nepal climbers in the 1950s stopped several hundred metres short, and more recently climbing it has not been allowed because local people believe its peak is the home of the gods.
		What is the name of these rocks? Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) in central Australia Salar de Atacama in Chile Mount Augustus in Western Australia the Atlas mountains in Morocco   Kata Tjuta is a group of rock formations in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, about 25 kilometres west of Uluru. These rocks were formed at the same time as Uluru, about 600 million years ago.
		Where is this building and what is special about it? It is a mosque in Mali Malawi - it is the parliament building It is an Aztec king's palace in Mexico It is a free hospital in Algeria   The Great Mosque of Djenne is the largest mud brick building in the world. It was built in 1907 but there have been mosques on the same site for hundreds of years. It is made of sun-dried mud bricks covered with an earth plaster, which must be repaired every year after damage by temperature changes and rain. The timber poles projecting from the walls are used as ladders when the walls need re-plastering.
		What are the names of these two mountains on Lord Howe Island? Wild Horse and Tibrogargan Gower and Lidgbird Ojos del Salado and Misti Wilhelm and Victoria   Mount Gower (875 metres) and Mount Lidgbird (777 metres) are the remains of ancient volcanoes on Lord Howe Island, 600 kilometres east of the NSW coast. The island has a number of endemic species of plants and animals, including the kentia palm and the Lord Howe woodhen, saved from extinction after the population declined to just 15 known birds in 1980.
		Where is this building? Chengguan in Tibet Darjeeling in India Taos in New Mexico, USA Meteora in Greece   This rock formation, towering above the town of Kalambaka in northern Greece, hosts six (there used to be 24) monasteries each perched on the top of a tall pillar. They were constructed in the 14th century and could only be accessed by ladders or baskets attached to cranes, providing protection for the reclusive monks.
		Why is this simple looking structure famous? It is the gate through which winning gladiators left the colosseum Kim Kardashian was married there It is the entry to the site of the original Olympic Games It is the starting place for the running of the bulls in Pamplona   This is the gate into the stadium at the ancient Greek site of Olympia, on the Peloponnese peninsula, where the original Olympic Games were held around 600 BC. Besides the stadium, the site contains the ruins of a great number of temples and other buildings.
		Where are these torii gates? Kasuga Taisha in Nara, Japan Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto Jongmyo shrine in Korea Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo   The Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. The torii gates have been donated by companies and individuals and flank walking trails through forest up the side of sacred Mount Inari.
		What is the man doing; and for extra kudos, where? Cooking his breakfast in Capetown Trying to levitate a wok in Milan Demonstrating a model flying saucer in Los Angeles Playing music in Budapest   The theremin is a musical instrument played without touching it, invented in 1928 by Leon Theremin. The Anonymus Szobor (Anonymous Statue) on the right tells you that the player is in the courtyard of the Vajdahunyad Castle in Budapest City Park.
		Where are these travertine-lined pools? Pamukkale in western Turkey Rotarua in New Zealand Fairbanks in Alaska The Pheonix Hotel in Las Vegas   Mineral-rich water flowing down a hillside above Pamukkale has created these spectacular natural pools. The Romans built the spa town of Hierapolis on top of the hill and ruins of many of its buildings, including a well-preserved theatre, remain today.
		What is this animal and where is it? A giant Galapagos tortoise A pet terapin which escaped in Alice Springs A leatherback turtle on Easter Island An endangered Reunion velvet tortoise   This giant tortoise, Geochelone nigra vandenburghi, is on the 1100 metre high Alcedo volcano on the Galapogos island of Isabela. The tortoises live on the rim of the volcano where overnight dew means that the vegetation is more lush than the areas closer to sea level. They move down into the crater to lay their eggs.
		What is this space designed for? Llama racing in Bolivia Tolmec wrestling contests A Mayan ball game Reviewing the Peruvian National Guard   The ball court at Chichen Itza in the Yucatan is the largest in the Mayan world, with the most common game, called pitz, involving two teams attempting to kick a rubber ball through the stone ring on the side wall. The games were used to resolve disputes with the teams at risk of decapitation if they lost.
		Where is this less-than-alluring pool? A frigidarium next to the colluseum in Rome An algae farm in Romania A sacred carp pond in Thailand The roman baths at Bath in Somerset   Thermal springs feed these Roman baths with a continous flow of warm mineral-rich water, but these days the adjacent tea rooms are favoured by visitors rather than the baths, due to the presence of dangerous bacteria in the water. Much of the structure seen today is not Roman but was constructed in the last few hundred years.
		What is being displayed here? Items confiscated from poachers in Kenya Fetishes in a market in Togo The results of an archeological dig in Algeria Traditional medicine ingredients in Cameroon   The Akodessawa fetish market is in Lomé, the capital of Togo. Used in voodoo ceremonies, almost anything can be a fetish, but many items are animal parts. Voodoo is a living religion in Benin and Togo, in modern times incoroporating some Catholic saints and ritual brought back to West Africa by freed slaves returning from the Caribbean.
		What are the circular structures used for? Breeding fresh water crayfish Making charcoal Roasting coconuts to extract their oil Drying fish   Fermented fish are dried over charcoal at Elmina in Ghana. The fort in the background, Elmina Castle, is the oldest European structure south of the Sahara. For several hundred years it was used to hold slaves in unbelievably brutal conditions while they waited to be shipped to the Americas.
		Where are these x-rated carvings? Samye Jokhang temple in Tibet Angkor Wat in Cambodia Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, India Neak Poan temple at Krong Reap in Laos   The Khajuraho Hindu and Jain temples were all built around the 11th century but they were damaged in the 13th century and later when Moslem invaders took over the region. The primary target of their descecration was the depiction of sometimes exotic sexual positions, but the high-relief carvings more commonly show individuals and community activities.
		This is Flying Fish Cove - where is it? Mantaro in Peru Banaba Island (Republic of Kiribati) Nauru in the Pacific Ocean Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean   Christmas Island's Flying Fish Cove was named after the British survey-ship Flying-Fish, and it is where the majority of the island's population live. It is also where phosphate rock, used to make the superphosphate on which much of Australia's farming depends, is loaded into ships.
		What is the name of this river? Brisbane Rhone East Cam   At Trumpyngtoun, nat fer fro Cantebrigge, Ther gooth a brook, and over that a brigge, Upon the whiche brook ther stant a melle; And this is verray sooth that I yow telle: A millere was ther dwellynge many a day.      The Reeve's Tale from Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
		This is the village of Vernazza - where is it? Syracuse in Greece The Cinque Terre in north west Italy Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea Bari in southern Turkey   Vernazza is one of five picturesque villages which togetrher comprise the Cinque Terre in the Liguria region of Italy. Originally fishing and wine-growing settlements, they now depend mostly on tourists who walk the 11 kilometre Sentiero Azzurro path connecting them (sometimes closed due to landslides). Although the villages have limited road links to the outside world, they are serviced by a railway line and a ferry.
		This is the view from the Palacio de Generalife to which buildings? The Alhambra The rear of Winsor Castle The University of Salmanca The Alyscamps in Arles   The Alhambra Palace overlooking the city of Granada is one of the most significant examples of Islamic architecture in Spain. It consists of buildings which generally enclose a courtyard with gardens, ponds and fountains. The palace was constructed in the 13th century but has had additions and changes since then.
		Why is this stone in a Japanese garden tied up in a piece of rope? It is a sign meaning "do not enter" It is a weight for scales It is an anchor for a Okinawan fishing boat It is a projectile used with an ancient slingshot   Tome Ishi is a stone wrapped in black rope and placed in a path or in front of a gate, commonly found at temples, tea houses or traditional Japanese gardens. They are sometimes called sekimori-ishi (boundary-guard stone) indicating that entry is forbidden (or, at least, you are politely requested not to enter).
		What is this display made of? Clay Glass Sugar Cedar wood   Created to celebrate the holding of an international confectionery conference in Himeji, Japan, this is a detailed model of its famous castle with traditional figures parading in the grounds. After the conference was over the model was displayed in an arcade in Himeji.
		What sort of flowers are these? Roses Peonies Clematis Poppies   Peonies are herbaceous perennial plants which typically grow to around one metre tall. They have large flowers in spring and early summer. Stylised depictions of the flowers are often used to decorate screens and wall coverings in China and Japan.
		Where is this avenue of boabab trees? Botswana Algeria Madagascar Chile   A 260 metre section of the road between Morondava and Belon'i Tsiribihina in western Madagascar is known as The Avenue of the Baobabs, since it is lined with a prominent group of Grandidiers baobabs (Adansonia grandidieri), with other specimens in the surrounding area. The trees are about 30 metres high and some are nearly 3000 years old.
		Legend has it that twins Romulus and Remus were rescued by a wolf and founded what city? Rome Palermo Paris Athens   In Roman mythology Romulus and Remus were abandoned on the banks of the river Tiber, but were saved by a she-wolf and brought up by a shepherd. Remus was killed by Romulus as a result of a disagreement over where the city they planned to build should be located, leaving Romulus to found Rome and reign as its first king.
		Strangely, despite covering her eyes this girl is actually looking for something - what is it? Her true love Directions to a wishing waterfall Fame and fortune on the stage A device to improve her eyesight   At the Jishu shrine in Kyoto, dedicated to Okuninushi, a god of love and matchmaking, are two stones placed about 18 metres apart. If you can negotiate the distance between them while blindfolded, it is predicted that you will find your true love.
		A famous horse race is held in this square - where is it? Catania Sienna Milan Pisa   The Palio di Siena is a bareback horse race that is held twice each year, on July 2nd and August 16, in the Piazza del Campo in Siena. Competitors represent ten of the seventeen contrades of the city. The race comprises three laps of the square which typically takes only about one and a half minutes.
		Apart from being walked on, this concourse in Zadar, Croatia, has a second function - what is it? It is a nickel mine It is the top of an underground car park It is a musical instrument It is a fish trap   The Sea Organ is an experimental musical instrument (Wikipedia calls it an 'architectural sound art object') located at Zadar in Croatia. Waves from the adjacent Adriatic Sea move water through pipes to a resonating cavity under the marble steps to produce the random musical sounds.
		This huge indoor space is in which building in which city? The Hermitage winter palace in Saint Pertersburg Hagia Sophia in Istanbul The Tyrolean State Theatre in Innsbruck The ballroom in Buckingham Palace   Hagia Sophia in Istanbul started life in AD 537 as a Greek Orthodox Christian cathedral, but was converted to an Ottoman mosque in 1453. Since the 1930s it has been a museum. For many centuries after it was built it was the world's largest building.
		Ads for Danube cruises often feature a picture of this building - what is its function? It houses the Hungarian parliament It is the Austrian National Museum It is the most expensive hotel in Romania It is the Grafenegg Castle which was the home of the Bulgarian royal family   The Hungarian Parliament Building, built at the start of the 20th centuary, is a magnificent example of Neo-Gothic architecture whose design by Imre Steindl is said to be inspired by the British Houses of Parliament. It has a large dome and contains 691 rooms and several grand staircases.
		What are these used for? They are used in Turkey to keep individual cups of mint tea hot Trendy Spaniards use them to decorate their tissue boxes They are caps worn by men in Oman They are kufi - used to keep feet warm in Namibia and Angola   Kumma are traditional caps worn by Omani men. Thay are said to have originated in Zanzibar which in the 1800s was part of an empire which included Oman. The colourful embroided designs are inspired by nature, art and architecture and display its wearer's personal taste, style and national identity.
		What do these decorated barrels wrapped in straw at the Itsukushima shrine near Hiroshima contain? Rice Nothing Sake Silk   The sakedaru displayed at Shinto shrines are empty, although they are sake barrels. Brewers donate sake to the shrine for ceremonies and festivals, although in practice it might be just one bottle or a decorated barrel for display; it is not the amount but the gesture that is important.
		What is this animal? It is a chameleon from Madagascar A baby komodo dragon from Indonesia It is a pied newt It is a fat-tailed skink from Australia   These lizards have eyes which can move independently of each other; how their brain makes sense of the resulting images is something which we are unlikely to ever appreciate. Chameleons are also notable for their ability to rapidly and dramatically change colour to communicate with and defend their territory against other chameleons.
		What is this Australian native mammal? A quokka A bilby A bush rat A bandicoot (quenda)   The quenda (Isoodon fusciventer) is found only in the southwest of Western Australia. It is a marsupial and finds most of its food by digging for grubs and earthworms, typically leaving behind a characteristic "snout-shaped" conical hole. However, if the opportunity arises they will also eat fruit and even dry pet food.
		What are these animals sitting on a rooftop? Himalayan sun bear cubs Langeur monkeys Brown lemurs Meercats   These so-called brown lemurs are hybrids between a crowned and a black lemur. As their perch suggests, they are used to being around people and these ones are just waiting for a chance to leap down to the terrace below and steal someone's breakfast.
		What are these huge wheels for? They are used with elephants to haul timber out of the forest They will be used in an Indian film based on Gulliver's Travels They are used to construct a huge chariot for Lord Jagannath They are dragged uphill in a contest between football teams   The Hindi name gives english the word juggernaut for a large truck. During the festival of Rath Yatra in Puri in Orissa, India, large statues of dieties are taken from the main Jagannath temple to a summer temple for a week. Just one family has the hereditary right to construct the chariot, which is made of wood and pulled by elephants and people.