From: esquel@sommarskog.se   
      
   Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:   
   > * Game 8, Round 4 - Geography - Various National Measures   
   >   
   > 1. Of all the national capital *cities* in the world, which one is   
   >    farthest from any other *country* at 1,157 miles or 1,862 km   
   >    away?  (For example, for Ottawa the relevant distance would   
   >    be about 40 miles or 65 km, to a point on the US border near   
   >    Ogdensburg, NY, whereas for Washington it would be about 290   
   >    miles or 465 km to a point near Ft. Erie, ON.)   
      
   Wellington   
      
   > 2. The longest distance between two capital cities of countries that   
   >    *share a common land border* -- excluding overseas territories   
   >    distant from the home country or its main part -- is 3,985 miles   
   >    or 6,414 km.  Name *either one* of these two capital *cities*.   
      
   Moscow and Beijing   
      
   > 3. Same question except that now the capital cities must both be   
   >    on the same continent, which is Asia; and this time you only   
   >    have to name one of the *countries*, not a city.  The distance   
   >    is 2,770 miles or 4,459 km.   
      
   China   
      
   > 4. Name the non-EU country that """has""" the longest total length   
   >    of land border with one or more EU (European Union) countries,   
   >    at 1,513 miles or 2,435 km.   
      
   Norway   
      
   > 5. Same question except with "shortest" instead of "longest".   
   >    The length is 2.1 miles or 3.4 km.   
      
   The Holy See   
      
   > 6. The borders of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe """have   
   >    not been clearly enough established""" to know for sure exactly   
   >    how they meet; but disregarding that case, there """are""" still   
   >    some other places in the world where countries that *don't have   
   >    a common land border* do have territory less than 4 km apart.   
   >    Name *both* countries of such a pair.  (If you make two guesses,   
   >    for clarity please give two countries both times even if one   
   >    of them is the same in the two guesses.)   
      
   Monaco and Italy   
      
   > 7. Canada and the United States have the record as the two countries   
   >    that share the longest total length of common land border between   
   >    them; but which former Soviet republic """pairs with Russia"""   
   >    to be in second place for this statistic, at 4,750 miles or   
   >    7,644 km?   
      
   Kazakhstan   
      
   > 8. Speaking of former Soviet republics, and also of short distances   
   >    between countries that don't touch...  Kazakhstan """is the   
   >    9th-largest country""" in the world by area, and its border   
   >    comes within 24 miles, or 38 km, from the """19th-largest"""   
   >    country by size, without touching.  What is this 19th-largest   
   >    country that Kazakhstan is so so close to, yet so so far from?   
      
   Mongolia   
      
   > 9. Looking at """most recent""" US and Canadian census figures (2010   
   >    and 2011 respectively) and comparing them to the respective   
   >    previous censuses (2000 and 2006), the metropolitan area in   
   >    each country whose population *shrank* by the most residents   
   >    (actual number, not percentage) are directly opposite each other   
   >    along the border.  *What international body of water* separates   
   >    these two national shrinking leaders?  *Note*: I believe the   
   >    the situation described is no longer true, so for this question   
   >    only the original answer based on 2010-11 will be accepted.   
      
   Lake Michigan   
      
   > 10. Russia """is""" tied for countries of the world with the most   
   >    neighbors, i.e. countries with which a nation shares a common   
   >    land border, at 14.  What is the other nation that also has 14   
   >    direct neighbors?   
      
   China   
      
   > * Game 8, Round 6 - Sports - Soccer   
   >   
   > 1. The biggest news in soccer """this summer""" is the Euro 2012   
   >    Tournament.  What country won """the last""" Euro competition,   
   >    in 2008?   
      
   Spain   
      
   > 2. Barclay's Premier League, the highest flight of "football"   
   >    in England, is the second-richest sports league in the world,   
   >    after cricket's India Premier League.  The """current"""   
   >    Barclay's champs are Manchester City, while Manchester United   
   >    have won the most league titles.  Name *any one* of the *other*   
   >    """three""" teams that have won England's Premier League since   
   >    its inception in 1992.   
      
   Leicester (Which was not a correct answer in 2012)   
      
   > 3. Baseball is played on a diamond, basketball on a court; what   
   >    is the proper name in English for a soccer field?   
      
   Football field   
   >   
   > 4. Excluding the usual "injury time" and halftime, how long is a   
   >    regulation professional soccer game?   
      
   2*45 minutes   
      
   > 5. In North American we might call it a "cross-town rivalry" or   
   >    "subway series".  In soccer there is a specific term for   
   >    a local rivalry.  Although it originated in England, this   
   >    term is used throughout the world for such fixtures, even in   
   >    non-English-speaking nations.  What is it?   
      
   Derby   
      
   > 6. Two of the longest-running and most famous s in soccer   
   >    are the "Merseyside"  and the "Old Firm" .   
   >    Name *any one* of the four teams involved in these two rivalries.   
      
   Liverpool   
      
   > 7. Unlike Canadian and American sports leagues (even in soccer),   
   >    what dubious outcome can befall a team in a European or South   
   >    American national soccer league if they end a season in last   
   >    place?   
      
   Demoted to a lower division   
      
   (Try to suggest a closed league in about anything in Europe, and you will   
   have to face some very angry fans.)   
      
   > 8. Of the 6 FIFA global "confederations" of soccer, Canada is   
   >    part of CONCACAF, the "Confederation of North, Central American   
   >    and Caribbean Association Football".  What is the name of the   
   >    biannual tournament played by the national teams within CONCACAF?   
      
   Concacaf Gold Cup   
      
   > 9. Canada """has only appeared in one""" FIFA World Cup Final   
   >    (i.e. the current 32-team tournament for men, not just the   
   >    championship game).  Give *either* the year or the host nation.   
      
   1986   
      
   But they will triple that number by appearing both in 2022 (qualified)   
   and 2026 (host nation).   
      
   > 10. Name the country that will controversially host the 2022 FIFA   
   >    World Cup, chosen amid storms of protests and allegations of   
   >    bribery and buying votes and of it being glaringly obvious   
   >    that FIFA had not considered many consequences of hosting the   
   >    tournament there.   
   >   
      
   Qatar   
      
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