Quiz of the Day
Island Nations & Caribbean Geography
Friday, 10 July 2026
Coral reefs, colonial histories, and tropical paradises — the story of the world's island nations
1. The Bahamas gained independence from which country on July 10, 1973?
- United States
- United Kingdom
- France
- Spain
The Bahamas became the 33rd independent nation of the Commonwealth of Nations. Despite independence, the country retained the British monarch as head of state — a status that continues today. The transition was peaceful, negotiated, and celebrated rather than contested.
2. How many islands make up the Bahamas archipelago?
- Around 50
- Around 2,000
- Around 300
- Around 700
The Bahamas consists of about 700 islands and 2,400 rocks and cays, though only about 30 are inhabited. The total land area is just 13,878 square kilometres — smaller than many individual cities — yet the archipelago stretches over 1,200 km of ocean.
3. Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the Americas in 1492 on which island, now part of the Bahamas?
- Andros
- Grand Bahama
- New Providence
- San Salvador
Columbus called the island 'San Salvador,' meaning 'Holy Saviour.' The indigenous Lucayan people who greeted him were enslaved and virtually wiped out within decades. Today the island's exact identity is slightly disputed — some historians argue Columbus landed on what's now called Samana Cay.
4. What is the capital city of the Bahamas?
- George Town
- Nassau
- Marsh Harbour
- Freeport
Nassau is named after William III of England, who was also Prince of Orange-Nassau. It sits on New Providence Island, which holds about 70% of the Bahamas' entire population despite being one of the smaller islands in the chain.
5. Which Caribbean island nation has the most people per square kilometre among major islands?
- Barbados
- Trinidad
- Jamaica
- Haiti
Barbados has a population density of around 660 people per square kilometre, making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Despite this, it maintains a high standard of living and was ranked the region's most developed country by the UN Human Development Index.
6. The world's largest island (not a continent) is Greenland. Which of these is the second largest island?
- Sumatra
- Baffin Island
- Borneo
- Madagascar
Baffin Island in Canada is the world's fifth-largest island and the second-largest when continents are excluded, covering about 507,000 km². It's part of the Nunavut territory, mostly uninhabited and covered in glaciers and tundra. Madagascar is the world's fourth-largest island; Borneo and Sumatra are also in the top ten.
7. The 'Blue Hole' at Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas is famous for being what?
- The world's deepest known blue hole
- The clearest water on Earth
- The world's largest coral atoll
- The widest underwater cave
Dean's Blue Hole plunges to 202 metres — the deepest known ocean blue hole on Earth. Free-divers train there because the near-perfect cylindrical shaft and calm water make it ideal for record attempts. The world record for free-diving was set there multiple times.
8. Which Caribbean island is shared by two countries — Haiti and the Dominican Republic?
- Puerto Rico
- Cuba
- Jamaica
- Hispaniola
Hispaniola is the most densely populated island in the Caribbean. The border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is one of the starkest economic divides on Earth — visible from space as deforested Haiti meets the greener Dominican Republic, reflecting radically different land management histories.
9. The Bermuda Triangle, associated with mysterious disappearances, lies between Bermuda, Miami, and which other point?
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Havana, Cuba
- Nassau, Bahamas
- Kingston, Jamaica
The US Coast Guard and Lloyd's of London insurance market don't consider the Bermuda Triangle especially hazardous, and no excess of disappearances has been confirmed by statistical analysis. Most 'mysterious' losses have mundane explanations — human error, weather, and the sheer volume of traffic through the area.
10. Which small island nation, known as the 'Jewel of the Caribbean,' is the birthplace of reggae music?
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Barbados
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- Jamaica
Reggae evolved in Jamaica in the late 1960s from ska and rocksteady. Bob Marley made it a global phenomenon, and in 2018 UNESCO inscribed reggae music on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list — the first time a genre of popular music received that honour.
11. What is the smallest country in the Americas by land area?
- Grenada
- Anguilla
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Aruba
Saint Kitts and Nevis covers just 261 square kilometres and has a population of about 55,000. It became independent in 1983 and holds the rare distinction of having a constitution that allows Nevis to vote for secession — a referendum in 1998 came close but narrowly failed to pass.
12. The Maldives, a famous island nation, is at risk from rising sea levels. What is its average elevation above sea level?
- About 10 metres
- Less than 2 metres
- Around 5 metres
- Around 15 metres
The Maldives is the world's lowest-lying country, with an average ground level of just 1.5 metres above sea level. The government has purchased land in Sri Lanka and Australia as contingency homelands, and has held cabinet meetings underwater to raise awareness of the existential climate threat.
13. Which island nation, east of Madagascar, is home to the highest proportion of endemic species of any country on Earth?
- Comoros
- Mauritius
- Sri Lanka
- The Seychelles
The Seychelles has an extraordinary proportion of endemic species because its granitic islands are ancient continental fragments rather than young volcanic islands. About 75% of its land plants are found nowhere else on Earth, including the Coco de Mer palm, which produces the world's largest seed.
14. The Bahamas is a major hub for which global industry, second only to banking in its economic importance to the country?
- Tourism
- Oil refining
- Fishing
- Financial services
Tourism accounts for about 50% of the Bahamas' GDP and employs half the workforce. The country receives more than four times its own population in tourists each year. Atlantis Paradise Island on Nassau is one of the largest resort complexes in the world.
15. Which island nation has the highest percentage of its land designated as protected national parks?
- Seychelles
- Costa Rica
- Palau
- Belize
Palau has protected around 80% of its waters and a significant portion of its land as conservation areas. In 2015 it created the Palau National Marine Sanctuary, banning commercial fishing from 80% of its exclusive economic zone — one of the most ambitious marine conservation acts in history.