15 questions for the genuinely well-read. Unusual flags, obscure capitals, precise science and fine historical detail. Very few people score 15/15 here.
Non-rectangular flags, Kazakhstan's capital, the most abundant elements, ancient treaties... This quiz does not forgive approximations. Only the genuinely well-read will score high.
This hard quiz is for people who have built real general knowledge over years of reading and curiosity. No trick questions, just precise knowledge that separates "I think I know" from "I actually know".
If you score high here, your general knowledge is genuinely impressive. If this level beats you, the Medium quiz is the right place to build up.
Want to warm up before playing or double-check something? Open any question to reveal the correct answer and a short explanation.
Correct answer: Nepal
Nepal's flag is a double-pennant shape, two stacked triangular flags, making it the only non-quadrilateral national flag in the world. It features the Moon and Sun, symbols of two major Nepalese dynasties.
Correct answer: Astana
Astana has been Kazakhstan's capital since 1997, replacing Almaty. The city was briefly renamed Nur-Sultan (2019–2022) in honour of former president Nazarbayev before reverting to Astana following public pressure.
Correct answer: 1945
The UN was founded on 24 October 1945, following World War II, to replace the League of Nations. The UN Charter was ratified by 51 founding states. 24 October is now observed annually as United Nations Day.
Correct answer: Oxygen
Oxygen makes up around 46% of Earth's crust by mass, mostly in the form of oxides and silicates. Silicon is second (~28%), followed by aluminium (~8%) and iron (~5%). This is entirely separate from oxygen's abundance in the atmosphere.
Correct answer: Brazil
Brazil is the only nation to have participated in every World Cup and has won it five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002). Germany and Italy have each won four; Argentina three, including 2022 in Qatar.
Correct answer: Tanzania
Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) is Africa's highest peak and is located in Tanzania, close to the Kenyan border. It is a stratovolcano whose summit glaciers are retreating rapidly due to climate change.
Correct answer: Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28 June 1919 in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. It imposed heavy reparations on Germany, significant territorial losses and the war-guilt clause (Article 231).
Correct answer: 1882
Construction of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona began in 1882 under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Antoni Gaudí took over in 1883 and devoted the last 43 years of his life to the project. The building remains unfinished more than 140 years later.
Correct answer: 7
Pure water has a neutral pH of 7 at 25 °C. Below 7 is acidic; above 7 is basic (alkaline). The pH scale is logarithmic and runs from 0 to 14, each unit represents a tenfold change in acidity.
Correct answer: Schrödinger's cat
Schrödinger's cat was proposed by physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935 to illustrate the paradoxes of quantum mechanics. A cat in a sealed box is simultaneously alive and dead until someone looks. The act of observation determines the outcome.
Correct answer: Rial
The rial (ریال) is Iran's official currency. Due to chronic inflation, Iranians commonly use the "toman" in everyday life, which equals 10 rials. The rial is one of the world's lowest-valued currencies by unit.
Correct answer: 2
Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, discovered in 1877 by American astronomer Asaph Hall. Both are small, irregularly shaped bodies, likely asteroids captured from the asteroid belt.
Correct answer: Treaty of Windsor
The Treaty of Windsor, signed in 1386 between Portugal and England, is the world's oldest alliance treaty still in force. It was invoked as recently as 1943, when it allowed Allied forces to use military bases in the Azores.
Correct answer: 8,849 m
In December 2020, China and Nepal jointly announced Everest's new official height: 8,848.86 m (commonly rounded to 8,849 m), slightly higher than the previous figure of 8,848 m established in 1954.
Correct answer: Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 was launched by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957, inaugurating the Space Age. Weighing 83 kg, it orbited Earth for three months before burning up on re-entry. Its launch sent shockwaves through the United States.