AFRICA
Found at depths of 600 feet in this 2nd-longest river in Africa are blind & pale deepwater fish nicknamed "white man in an office"
the Congo
A blend of elegance, Southern charm & just plain fun, hats are a part of the pageantry of this horse race held first Saturday in May
the Kentucky Derby
10 ft. long & weighing 2,000 lbs., this NASA rover landed in Gale crater on Mars in 2012; luckily, no cat was below it
Curiosity
Wadi Laban Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge in this Saudi capital
Riyadh
The name of Gustavia, capital of France's territory of St. Barthélemy, reflects its colonial past under this other country
Sweden
Praia is the capital of this island nation off Western Africa that made a splash at the 2026 World Cup
Cape Verde
Gilroy, California is famous for its festival of this, featured in all kinds of food, even ice cream, but bring some breath mints
Garlic
A 2017 addition to the Constitution of China: his "Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era"
Xi
Victoria is the capital of this Canadian province
BC
While under German occupation from 1884 to 1916, this African country's name was spelled with a "K" & a "U", not a "C" & 2 "O"s
Cameroon
The UNESCO Heritage Site of Stone Town on this island is a ferry trip away from Dar es Salaam
Zanzibar
Each year with a different theme, Venice has its own two-week carnival leading up to this 40-day period of fasting & penance
Lent
"Je Suis Charlie" became a rallying cry after a terrorist attack on this French satire magazine
Charlie Hebdo
This national capital is on the Red River, inland from the South China Sea
Hanoi
This Alaskan island was named by a British naval expedition for the board of senior officers who were their bosses
Admiralty Island
***TRIPLE STUMPER***
This nationally named portion of the Sahara extends eastward into Egypt
the Libyan Desert
***TRIPLE STUMPER***
A nod to the hosting city's coat of arms, the Palme d'Or is the top prize at this festival
Cannes
On this opposition leader's return to Russia in 2021, he was imprisoned & he died in custody in 2024 in a Siberian penal colony
Navalny
***TRIPLE STUMPER***
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the co-capital of these islands in the Atlantic
the Canary Islands
***TRIPLE STUMPER***
The California peak that's formally Mount San Antonio is also called this, rather rudely referring to its bare top
(Old) Mount Baldy
In 2019 this landlocked African country once known as Upper Volta unveiled a statue of the revolutionary Thomas Sankara
Burkina Faso
***TRIPLE STUMPER***
Ireland rejoyces on June 16, called this in honor of a novel set on that date in 1904
Bloomsday
***TRIPLE STUMPER***
The Tapanuli, a new species of this great ape, was discovered in 2017 in Indonesia's North Sumatra province
orangutan
This administrative capital of South Africa was named by early president Marthinus for his father Andries
Pretoria
The name of this Balkan capital city means wisdom to the Greeks
Sofia