J. Mark Powell

You remember the people who made news in 2022. But what about the places where important events unfolded? As this year draws to a close, take a moment and test your knowledge with this short, easy, geography-based quiz.

1. The reign of Great Britain’s longest-ruling monarch ended on September 8 when Queen Elizabeth II passed away at which royal residence?

A: Buckingham Palace

B: Balmoral Castle

C: Windsor Castle

D: Sandringham House

Answer: B Balmoral Castle in northern Scotland was the Queen’s summer residence during the 70 years and 214 days of her reign.

2. On March 31, the Biden administration announced it would release one million barrels of oil daily for 180 days from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to combat rising fuel prices. The Reserve is stored where?

A: New York and New Jersey

B: Pennsylvania and Delaware

C: California and Rhode Island

D: Louisiana and Texas

Answer: D The Reserve is held in massive tanks located at sites along the Gulf Coast.

3. When Russia outraged the world by invading Ukraine in February, many people expected the Kyiv government to quickly fall. Instead, Ukraine has fought Russia to a standstill, a fact highlighted when Ukraine took back this key city from the Russians in November:

A: Kherson

B: Donetsk

C: Kyiv

D: Odessa

Answer: A. “We feel free, we are not slaves, we are Ukrainians,” a resident of Kherson told reporters when Ukrainian armed forces liberated the city.

4. Two months before the midterm elections, President Joe Biden delivered a controversial and highly partisan speech, featuring ominous red backlighting, outside what famous American landmark?

A: The Statue of Liberty

B: The Liberty Bell

C: Valley Forge

D: Independence Hall

Answer: C Biden was criticized for assailing his political adversaries while having U.S. Marines standing at attention in the background at the historic site.

5. A shortage of baby formula sent parents on a desperate search for supplies this spring. The shortage was partly sparked by the shutdown of a single factory in this state.

A: Massachusetts

B: Ohio

C: Texas

D: Michigan

Answer: D Abbott produces about 40 percent of the nation’s powdered formula, much of it at the company’s Sturgis, Mich. factory.

6. This upscale East Coast destination made headlines when 50 migrants flown to their community by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) were quickly whisked away to a military base by the National Guard.

A: Hilton Head, S.C.

B: Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

C: Newport, R.I.

D: The Hamptons, N.Y.

Answer: B The migrants were taken to nearby Joint Base Cape Cod, and 125 National Guardsmen were called up to address this “humanitarian crisis” in Martha’s Vineyard.

J. Mark Powell is VP of Communications at Ivory Tusk Consulting, a former TV journalist and author of the political thriller “Tell It Like Tupper.” He wrote this for InsideSources.com.

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