By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Where in the world is the Suleymaniye Mosque?
Platteville Middle School holds Geography Bee
geog bee 1
... and Alissa Stanley react to questions. - photo by Photos by Michael Prestegard

Platteville Middle School held its annual Geography Bee Thursday night.

Each year thousands of schools in the U.S. participate in the National Geographic Bee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society.

The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject, and increase public awareness about geography. Schools with students in seventh and eighth grades are eligible for this entertaining and challenging test of geographic knowledge.

The preliminary competition was held Dec. 17, with seven rounds and 35 questions.  Up to 10 students are eligible to advance to the final bee.

On Thursday, the Final Round questions reduced the number of contestants from eight to two. Questions included:

•    Which state borders Lake Erie — Nevada or Pennsylvania?

•    Lakes formed by glaciers dot the landscape in which state — Texas or Minnesota?

•    Which state experiences more tornadoes — Indiana or California?

•    From its source in Minnesota, the Mississippi River flows south about 2,300 miles before emptying into what large gulf?

The two-student Championship Round determined the one student from the school who will take the written Qualifying Test to compete for advancement to the state level. One question asked the name of the large chain of volcanic islands that stretch about 1,200 miles westward from the Alaska peninsula — the Aleutian Islands.

The winning question: The Suleymaniye Mosque, built to honor the 16th-century Ottoman ruler, can be seen in what city?

The answer: Istanbul, Turkey.