All over the map: test your geographic savvy.

There's been a lot of talk in the media lately about America's "geographic illiteracy."

Indeed, a poll this year found that 33 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds couldn't find Louisiana on a map, even after Hurricane Katrina, and 63 percent couldn't find Iraq, despite the war. The truth is that most of us, adults included, could improve our geographical knowledge.

The questions in our Geo Quiz are similar to those asked in later stages of the National Geographic Bee, an annual competition in which 15,000 schools participate.

Be warned: It's not easy. An atlas, almanac, encyclopedia, or Upfront's Oct. 23, 2006, World Affairs issue will help with some of the tougher questions. And don't be discouraged. When it comes to geography, half the fun is the exploration it takes to figure things out. (Answers on p. 22.)

2006 NEWS

1. The United States agreed to a nuclear pact with the world's largest democracy, a South Asian country that possesses nuclear weapons. Name this country.

2. On July 12, militants sneaked into Israel from a neighboring country, killed two Israeli soldiers and kidnapped two more, setting off a 34-day war. Name the country.

3. Scientists discovered traces of a civilization wiped out during a volcanic eruption on Sumbawa, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands. This island is part of which present-day Asian country?

4. Violent protests over foreign cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad turned deadly in Afghanistan. Name the country in which the cartoons were first published.

5. A royal family celebrated the birth of its first male heir in 41 years. For now, this ends the debate over whether a woman could ascend to the throne in what country?

6. Heavy rains and flash flooding caused a mudslide that killed hundreds of people and wiped out houses on Leyte Island in which Asian country?

ECONOMIES

7. For more than a decade, what country has been the leading producer of nuclear energy?

8. The country that borders both the Gulf of Oman and the Caspian Sea is the world's leading producer of pistachio nuts. Name this country.

9. An Asian country with a population of more than a billion has become known as "the world's factory floor" because of its large, cheap, and reliable workforce. Name this country.

10. Through what strait located between Iran and the northern tip of Oman do tankers carry millions of barrels of oil each day?

11. Calico, a patterned cotton fabric, originated in the city of Calicut (now known as Kozhikode) in what major cotton-producing country in South Asia?

12. What Southeast Asian country, bordering Thailand and India, is the world's largest exporter of teak logs?

13. Kiwi, a fruit popularly used in desserts, is one of the main agricultural exports of which island country southeast of Australia?

14. What Middle Eastern country has a port on the Mediterranean Sea, at Ashdod, and on the Red Sea, at Eilat?

15. The westernmost country on the mainland of Europe is the source of much of the world's cork. Name this country.

16. Years of rapid industrial. growth around Krakow have left which Central European country with severe environmental problems?

17. Which Canadian province produces more than half of the country's manufactured goods?

ANALOGIES

18. Mount Elbrus is to Russia as Mount Ararat is to what?

19. Lake Managua is to Nicaragua as Great Slave Lake is to what?

20. Palermo is to Sicily as Sapporo is to what?

21. Punjab is to India as Chihuahua is to what?

22. Mount Aconcagua is to South America as Mount Kosciusko is to what?

23. The Yucatan Peninsula is to Mexico as the Kola Peninsula is to what?

24. Tikal is to Guatemala as Machu Picchu is to what?

25. Urdu is to Pakistan as Sinhalese is to what?

26. The Elburz Mountains are to Iran as the Apennines are to what?

27. The Mekong River is to the South China Sea as the Po River is to what?

CULTURES

28. Tamils make up most of the Hindu minority in what island country?

29. The city of Pamplona holds a yearly festival that begins each morning with "the running of the bulls" through its streets. Name the country where this city is located.

30. Many Garifuna people live in fishing villages along the coast of what country directly north of Nicaragua?

31. In which European country can you hear small groups of people speaking the regional languages of Breton, Basque, and Flemish?

32. The delta of the Ganges River is one of the world's most densely populated areas. This delta lies in India and which other country?

33. Which European country that borders Macedonia has a majority Muslim population?

ANSWERS TO GEOGRAPHY QUIZ, PAGES 12-13 1. INDIA, 2. LEBANON, 3. INDONESIA, 4. DENMARK, 5. JAPAN, 6. PHILIPPINES, 7. UNITED STATES, 8. IRAN, 9. CHINA, 10. HORMUZ, 11. INDIA, 12. MYANMAR (BURMA), 13. NEW ZEALAND, 14. ISRAEL, 15. PORTUGAL, 16. POLAND, 17. ONTARIO, 18. TURKEY, 19. CANADA, 20. HOKKAIDO, 21. MEXICO, 22. AUSTRALIA, 23. RUSSIA, 24. PERU, 25. SRI LANKA, 26. ITALY, 27. ADRIATIC SEA, 28. SRI LANKA, 29. SPAIN, 30. HONDURAS, 31. FRANCE, 32. BANGLADESH, 33. ALBANIA