Eleven-year-old Akshay Rajagopal won the 20th annual National Geographic Geography Bee yesterday with his winning answer of "Bolivia." The win capped a two-day streak where he answered every question correctly. He's a sixth grader at Lux Middle School in Nebraska.
For his efforts, he'll take home a $25,000 scholarship. He was the youngest of the 10 finalists — all boys. His hobbies include collecting coins, and he is considering some kind of career that involves geography and enjoyed preparing for the contest: "I get to learn about the world and how it works, which is cool."
The photo is vintage from the first contest in 1989. Do you have the global wherewithal to be a geography queen bee? Test your mettle against some sample National Geographic questions.
O'Neill
Vertbaudet
Casual Club
Arg @ 5 and 7.
1Arg @ 5 and 7.
26/7 - I don't know squat about geography and the only one I got wrong was the only one I felt sure I knew.
3Its a shame that growing up in the US I was taught nothing about Canada.
4Darn! 5/7
5Canada is stupid.
65/7
lol and it was questions 5 & 7 that I messed up on.
7Nothing has surprised me more today than getting 100% on this quiz! I am usually terrible at geography!
And is it just me, or is that one freaking tall 6th grader! Gotta love the variety of adolescents!
8I always wanted to compete in a Geography Bee, but we didn't have one at my school.
9Jillness,
I thought that too at first, but under the photo (last paragraph) it says:
The photo is vintage from the first contest in 1989.
10ABC has a picture of the winner: Akshay Rajagopal. I kept thinking the picture here didn't look like the kid I saw on tv the other day.
114/7
Well, I grew up on a rock in the middle of the ocean... 
12WOW Good job Jill!
I sucked!! I hate it when you are deciding between two choices out of 3 or more and you just pick on impulse and its the wrong one!!
Back to the books for me!
13I got crushed by 5 and 7 also. But I was actually pleased by my C-.
14ROFL I made this harder than it was. I kept thinking some of them were trick questions so I answered opposite from what I thought was the right answer.. duh.
155 of 7, the gulf one made me mad and I swear it was straits
166/7, Missed the Canada question, the only one I guessed. I suppose I should be chuffed about that?
176 out of 7 =) i feel pretty good about that!
18I was in it! Made it to states!
19I am surprised by my 6/7 i got #3 because i misread the question
20Bah, I got 4 and 6 wrong.
216/7 A Californian got the 1st question wrong - silly me, I have a lime tree and the neighbor has a lemon. It was fun!
22Whoop! 7/7
23I guess I need to study...
24YAY! 7 out of 7!
25LOL 7/7; I find this some combo of ironic and slightly redemptive b/c I def sucked when I did the actual Georgraphy Bee in school.
265 out of 7, not too bad. Though it would have been 6/7 if I'd gone with my gut feeling on one of them.
27Missed question 3.
28Yippe all!
29Wow!!I gave all correct answer.
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