ROUND: Napoleon

1) Napoleon is not mentioned in France's national anthem 'La Marseillaise', but is mentioned by name in the national anthem of which other European country which states 'We've been shown by Bonaparte ways to victory'? Napoleon advocated independence for this country which did not exist during his rule, and incorporated a legion of the country's troops in exile under his command, but the country did not gain independence again until 100 years after Napoleon's death. 

2) 'Napoleon in rags' is used as a metaphor in which 1965 rock and roll song, which was voted the greatest rock song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2004? The metaphor is either an example of a great man reduced to ruin, as is the theme of the song, or is a nickname for the singer's friend Andy Warhol.

3) Napoleon is known for many military innovations, including grapeshot and ambulance services. However, his most significant military advantage may have come from what invention by Parisian chef Nicolas Appert, which won a 12,000 franc contest from Napoleon in 1810?

4) Napoleon was an avid chess player and has an opening named for himself. Which purported chess-playing machine defeated Napoleon in 1809? The machine was famously shown to have a hidden human operator in 1859, and is the namesake of a popular online service.

5) Which Baltic sea port was pre-emptively burned in 1812 to deny food and shelter to Napoleon's troops invading Russia, despite the fact that Napoleon never came close to the city? According to legend, the burning was ordered by a lookout who mistook a herd of cattle for Napoleon's army. The city today is home to 1 M people and has one of the world's largest collections of Art Nouveau architecture.

6) 'Napoleon Dynamite' is a cult-classic American comedy film released in 2004. However, the name 'Napoleon Dynamite' was originally used as a pseudonym by which British singer in his 1986 album 'Blood and Chocolate.' The artist's birth name is Declan Patrick McManus, but his career has included multiple names and music styles. His best known stage name, like Napoleon Dynamite, was formed by taking a famous first name and adding an unexpected last name.


ROUND: Big Numbers

1) Which Latin American country is the emerald capital of the world, producing an estimated 60-90% of the world supply from its Muzo, Coscuez and Chivor mines? The country is also the world's second largest exporter of flowers, is the most urbanized state in Latin America with nearly 75% of its population living in cities, and has one of the largest populations of internally displaced persons with 2-3 million?

2) The order 'Coleoptera' contains by far the most identified species in the animal kingdom, containing over 25% of all known animal species. What is the common name for members of the order, varieties of which include the blister, rhinoceros, scarab, and death watch?

3) With between 7 and 9 M dromedary camels, which nation has by far the most camels on earth, almost 1 for every inhabitant with a population of only 10 M, up to 30-40% of the world's total? Camels are heavily used for transportation, milk, and meat by the traditionally nomadic inhabitants of the country who were the first to domesticate camels around 3000 BC. The nomadic culture and rough terrain of the country have made it notoriously difficult to govern, with multiple rebellions against British and Italian colonial forces and multiple factions competing for control since its 1991 civil war.

4) According to the Emporis skyscraper rankings, New York City has the second-most high rise buildings of any city in the world. Which city has the most, having 2,000 more buildings and nearly 3 times the total number of high-rise floors as NYC?

5) Which country of only 11 M people dominates world production of cork, with over 52% of the world's annual production? The country has also long been known for its wine production, with several well-known varieties of wine named for regions of the country.

6) Which country is the most bombed nation (per capita) in history? Despite having only 6 M people and being only indirectly involved in ground warfare, this country has had over 2 M metric tons of bombs dropped in its territory, ten times more than all bombs which fell during World War II. The country is still beset by hundreds of thousands of unexploded bombs throughout its territory.

ROUND: Rivers

1) The Danube River flows through 4 European capitals, the most of any river. However, the furthest of them, Vienna and Belgrade, are only about 500 km apart. Which river travels the longest distance between world capitals, at approximately 2,800 km.

2) Rivers of flowing lava comes in several types. The most common are 'pahoehoe' and 'aa,' the latter of which is the second word alphabetically in English and the only word with a single repeated letter. From which now-endangered language, traditionally spoken in a region known for its volcanoes, did these words arrive in English?

3) Which famous city sits between the northernmost point of the Niger river and the Sahara desert? The city became extremely wealthy as the center of trade between Arabs and West Africa from the 14th through 19th centuries, but was famously not visited by any Europeans until Frenchman René Caillié snuck in dressed as a Muslim in 1828.

4) The Amazon river is home to two species of dolphin (which are not closely related): the Tucuxi, or black river dolphin, and the Boto. The Boto, thought by Amazonian folklore to turn into a man at night and seduce young maidens by the river, commonly known as what-color dolphin?

5) Which city with 24 million people in its metropolitan area is the world's largest city within 50 km of another country? Curiously, this capital city both upstream and downstream of its northern neighbor on the large navigable river it sits on.

6) The vast majority of large human settlements are located on rivers, lakes or coastlines. However, what is the largest city in the world, with a population of 4-6 million people, which does not have a river, lake or coastline? The unusual property occurred because the city is located in the middle of a high plain at 1,800 m of elevation, and was relatively recently built, being founded in 1886 in the midst of a major gold rush.


ROUND: Heavy Metal

1) Copper was named in Latin for which Roman province from which the majority of copper was mined in ancient times? The region remains a commercial copper producer to this day, though has been far surpassed by tourism, as the 6th most visited area per capita in the world.

2) Although the term "heavy metal" appeared frequently in William Burrough's 1962 novel the soft machine and the musical movement had early roots, the term "heavy metal" came to be associated with the musical style after appearing in reference to motorcycles in which 1968 song by the Canadian rock group Steppenwolf?

3) By mass, which element is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust, accounting for 8% of the crust's mass? Despite its abundance, this metal remains fairly expensive because it never occurs in pure form and it is extremely energy-intensive to refine it from naturally occurring ores?

4) While American swimmer Michael Phelps has won a record 14 gold medals, his 16 combined medals is still behind Ukrainian Larissa Latynina, who won 18 medals from 1956-1964. In which sport did Larissa Latynina compete? 

5) Full-metal jacket bullets, which are considerably less deadly than hollow-point bullets which expand on impact with flesh, were required for use in war by the Peace Conference held in 1899 in which European city? The city remains an important city for internal law and justice as home to over 150 international organisations including the International Criminal Court/International Court of justice, it also the second headquarters of the UN and holds a unique status as the home of it's national government and all foreign embassies despite not being the official capital.

6) In the 18th and 19th centuries, top hats were typically made with fur treated with which metal to introduce stiffness and durability? Unfortunately, this substance is highly toxic and repeated exposure to it can cause various neurological disorders such as Korsakoff's syndrome and Minamata disease, which is the likely origin of the expression "mad as a hatter."


ROUND: Earls

1) The cardigan, a long-sleeved sweater with buttons or zips down the front, was named for James Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, who supposedly wore such a garment as a commander in which war? Although his command at the Battle of Balaclava is now famously considered a disaster, at the time it made him an instant celebrity upon his return to England.

2) Although Earl Grey Tea is commonly described as a mix of black tea and orange rind, it's unique flavour actually comes from the Bergamot, a citrus fruit cultivated in Italy which is a hybrid of the orange and what other citrus fruit?

3) John Montagu was an important figure in 18th century Britain, serving as Lord of the Admiralty amongst many other positions and commissioning Captain James Cook's exploration of much of the South Pacific, who named the Hawaiian islands in his honor. However, Montagu is best known for popularizing which common modern food item, which he is said to have enjoyed eating while playing cards because it required no utensils?

4) The Earls Court district of London, was the city's foremost gay village until the 1990's when most of the area's gay nightlife moved to Old Compton Street in which neighborhood in north central London, also known for its theatre and history as the centre of London's sex industry?

5) Which Cambridge college, founded in 1347, was originally named the "Hall of Valence Mary" after its founder, the widow Marie de St Pol, until being renamed after her husband in 1856, who was the Earl of a Welsh castle of the same name? The college is known for being the third-oldest surviving college and having a spectacular chapel designed by Christopher Wren.

6) The title of nobility 'Earl' only exists in Britain. The title Earl replaces which equivalent continental title, which is thought to have been abandoned because of it's aural proximity to a vulgar English word? The feminine form of the continental title is still used for the wife of an Earl, as there is no feminine form for 'Earl' in English.


ROUND: Outliers

1) 'Dermatoglyphics' is the longest word in the English language with no repeated letters. Dermatoglyphics describes the study of what?

2) The Associated Press styleguide lists 39 cities such as Tokyo, Madrid, or Moscow which are famous enough that may appear in news articles without identifying the country they are located in. Excluding cities listed because their country is redundant, such as Djibouti, Guatemala City, or Gibraltar, what is the smallest city, with a metro area of around 1 M people, considered famous enough to be used without identifying its country?

3) The Parícutin Volcano, frequently cited as one of the '7 Natural Wonders of the World,' didn't exist until 1943 when it arose from a corn field, growing nearly 300 m in one year before reaching its ultimate hight of 424 m in 1952 and going dormant. In which country is the Paricutin Volcano located?

4) Which former dictator admired the United States as a teenager so much that he wrote President Franklin D. Roosevelt a letter of admiration requesting a $10 bill to use to help his country rise out of poverty? Ironically, he later stated that while in power he refused to cash any of the monthly checks he was sent from the US government because the money was "dirty." Forbes Magazine estimated that he obtained a personal fortune of US$500-$900 million while in power, and a former aide claimed that he had slept with 35,000 women.

5) Bollywood, the film industry of India famously produces more films than Hollywood of the United States each year. However, the fast-growing film industry known as Nollywood also out-produces the US each year, with 1,000-2,000 full length films being commercially released. Nollywood has pioneered low-cost filming techniques, with an average budget of £10,000 per film and one week of shooting time, entirely on-location. In what country is Nollywood?

6) Of the billions of hours of volunteer work done each year, which international organisation receives by far the largest amount, with an estimated 3% of all volunteer hours coming from people in every country in the world? 

TIEBREAKER: According to UN estimates, how many kilocalories of food for humans does the world produce per person, per day?