Q 01/05

The Volga is the longest river on which continent?

A) Africa

B) Europe

C) North America

D) Asia

Answer · why

B) Europe

At 3,531 km it is also the longest river in the world to empty into a closed basin.

Q 02/05

Into which body of water does the Volga empty?

A) The Sea of Azov

B) The Black Sea

C) The Baltic Sea

D) The Caspian Sea

Answer · why

D) The Caspian Sea

Because that sea has no outlet, the Volga never naturally reaches any of the world's oceans.

Q 03/05

Roughly how long is the Volga?

A) 3,531 km

B) 2,100 km

C) 1,200 km

D) 5,400 km

Answer · why

A) 3,531 km

Its catchment area covers about 1,360,000 square kilometres, almost all of it inside Russia.

Q 04/05

What affectionate name does Russian folklore give the river?

A) Father Volga

B) Old Man Volga

C) Mother Volga

D) Sister Volga

Answer · why

C) Mother Volga

In Russian it is Volga-Matushka; the river is widely regarded as the national river of Russia.

Q 05/05

The name Volga is thought to derive from a Proto-Slavic word meaning what?

A) Great

B) Wetness

C) Wide

D) Slow

Answer · why

B) Wetness

Cognates survive in many Slavic languages, such as Czech vláha, meaning dampness.