Mexico tops U.S. in geography
SAN DIEGO — A trio of Mexican teenagers won the eighth National Geographic World Championship on Thursday, dethroning the United States, a four-time champion.
To win, they had to name the historic site that was carved from sandstone in 1200 B.C. and features two massive temples and statues of an ancient ruler. The teens nailed the answer — the Egyptian monument Abu Simbel.
"To win gold, it's really great," said team member Emanuel Johansen Campos, 15, of Tejalpa, Mexico. "I don't have any words."
The competition tests teenagers on geography, demographics and political history. Teams and individuals were asked to identify errors on maps, countries based on demographic statistics and the origin of tribal musical instruments and carved relics loaned by the San Diego Museum of Man.
It was the first finals appearance for Mexico. Johansen was joined by Carlos Franco Ruiz, 14, of Zapotlan de Juarez, north of Mexico City, and team captain Angel Aliseda Alonso, 16, of Guadalajara. The team had help from a translator in the contest, which was held in English.
The United States was defending the title it won two years ago in Budapest, Hungary. The team gave up a brief advantage halfway through the hourlong contest at SeaWorld Adventure Park and then stumbled again in the finals, guessing Slovenia rather than Albania as a destination for European refugees during the Kosovo war in 1999.
Competitors from 14 other countries were eliminated in the preliminary round.
Contestants from those teams watched intently from the stands at Shamu Stadium, whispering answers furiously to each other as "Jeopardy!" host and quizmaster Alex Trebek waited for responses from the teams onstage.
Most participants were boys, though Trebek noted that more girls are competing now than when the contest began in the early 1990s.
The National Geographic Society holds the contest every other year. Past champions include Canada and Australia.
Some questions from the finals of the National Geographic World Championship, held Thursday in San Diego:• Put the following explorers in order, from the earliest exploration to the most recent: Jacques Cartier, Suleiman the Merchant, Marco Polo. Bonus question: During part of Marco Polo's travels, he followed the Oxus River. What is this river's present-day name?• In addition to Tetum, what is East Timor's other official language?• The Escondida mine, which is in an arid region southeast of Antofagasta, is one of the world's largest sources of what metal?• What mountain range contains Vinson Massif, Antarctica's highest peak?• In 1983, President Felix Houphouet-Boigny designated his hometown as his country's new capital city. Name this West African city.———<B>Answers: </B>1. Suleiman the Merchant, Marco Polo, Jacques Cartier — Bonus: Amu Darya 2. Portuguese 3. Copper 4. Ellsworth Mountains, or Sentinel Range 5. Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast.
