Q 01/05

The name Transylvania comes from medieval Latin and means what?

A) Under the mountains

B) Land of the wolves

C) Between the rivers

D) Beyond the forest

Answer · why

D) Beyond the forest

Beyond the forest: medieval Latin joined trans, 'across', to silva, 'forest', because thickly wooded mountains ring the region; the earliest documents...

Q 02/05

The German name for Transylvania, Siebenbürgen, is usually said to refer to what?

A) Seven mountain passes

B) Seven Saxon fortified towns

C) Seven great rivers

D) Seven ruling princes

Answer · why

B) Seven Saxon fortified towns

Seven Saxon fortified towns is the usual reading of Siebenbürgen, literally 'seven fortresses', though the origin is debated; the seven towers on Tran...

Q 03/05

What is the Hungarian name for Transylvania?

A) Kárpátalja

B) Bánság

C) Felvidék

D) Erdély

Answer · why

D) Erdély

Erdély grew out of the Old Hungarian Erdő-elü; Romanians borrowed it as Ardeal, and the region's medieval Latin name is thought to be a straight trans...

Q 04/05

Which mountain range forms Transylvania's natural border to the east and south?

A) The Tatras

B) The Balkans

C) The Caucasus

D) The Carpathians

Answer · why

D) The Carpathians

The Carpathians curve around Transylvania's east and south like a wall, which is why castles such as Bran were built to guard the few passes through t...

Q 05/05

The mountains ringing Transylvania hold Europe's largest population outside Russia of which large animal?

A) European bison

B) Brown bears

C) Elk (moose)

D) Reindeer

Answer · why

B) Brown bears

Brown bears: Romania holds several thousand, the most in Europe outside Russia, and bears raiding farms and wandering into towns have made hunting quo...