Q 01/05

Which Russian scientist won a Nobel Prize for studying digestion?

A) Ivan Pavlov

B) Ilya Mechnikov

C) Andrei Sakharov

D) Pyotr Kapitsa

Answer · why

A) Ivan Pavlov

Ivan Pavlov: his digestion research led him on to conditioned reflexes, the dog experiments he's best remembered for.

Q 02/05

Which mountain range is traditionally taken as the boundary between European and Asian Russia?

A) Caucasus

B) Altai

C) Ural Mountains

D) Sayan Mountains

Answer · why

C) Ural Mountains

Ural Mountains: most Russians live west of the range, even though about three-quarters of the country's land lies east of it.

Q 03/05

At 5,642 metres, which Caucasus volcano is Russia's highest mountain?

A) Mount Elbrus

B) Klyuchevskaya Sopka

C) Mount Kazbek

D) Belukha

Answer · why

A) Mount Elbrus

Mount Elbrus is often called Europe's highest peak, but whether it beats Mont Blanc depends on where you draw the line between Europe and Asia.

Q 04/05

Which river is the longest in Europe?

A) Volga

B) Don

C) Dnieper

D) Kama

Answer · why

A) Volga

Volga: despite being Europe's longest and biggest river, it has no natural connection to any of the world's oceans.

Q 05/05

Which Siberian lake holds more fresh water than all of North America's Great Lakes combined?

A) Lake Baikal

B) Lake Ladoga

C) Lake Onega

D) Lake Taymyr

Answer · why

A) Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal sits in a rift where the Earth's crust is slowly pulling apart, which is how it became the deepest lake in the world.