What do you know about Catalonia?
Test your knowledge by doing the self-correcting quizzes below!
TEST 1: CATALONIA + MAIN CITIES
- Catalonia is currently:
- An autonomous community in Spain.
- A member of the European Union.
- A French colony.
- The Catalan Parliament:
- Is one of the oldest parliaments in Europe (founded in 1283).
- Is made up exclusively of women.
- Was founded in 1714.
- The population of Catalonia is:
- Approximately 7 million.
- Approximately 4 million.
- No data are available.
- During the summer months, the average temperature in Catalonia is:
- Between 11 and 13 degrees Celsius.
- So high that thermometers break.
- Between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius.
- What do Catalans celebrate on 11 September?
- The fall of the Franco dictatorship.
- Nothing special.
- Their defeat in the Spanish War of Succession in 1714.
- MareNostrum is one of the most powerful computers in the world. Where is it located?
- In Cerdanyola del Vallès.
- At the UPC, in Barcelona.
- At the Maremagnum shopping centre, in Barcelona.
- What is 22@?
- A district in Barcelona in which old factories have been substituted by new technology companies.
- The new iPhone.
- A museum of art and new technology on Montjuïc.
- In the Catalan Pyrenees, the peaks are:
- 2,500 metres above sea level.
- 500 metres above sea level.
- 3,000 metres above sea level.
- Which of these films was filmed in Tarragona?
- Yo soy la Juani, by Bigas Lunas.
- Vicky Cristina Barcelona, by Woody Allen.
- Land and Freedom, by Ken Loach.
- Is it legal to drink alcohol on the streets of Barcelona?
- There is no law on the matter.
- It is legal if the drink is less than 5% proof.
- It is not legal, but some people do it.
- What famous architect designed the red iron bridge that crosses the Onyar River in Girona?
- Antoni Gaudí.
- Alexandre Gustave Eiffel.
- Santiago Calatrava.
- Barcelona is:
- One of the 50 most expensive cities in the world.
- One of the 50 cheapest cities in the world.
- No studies have been carried out on the cost of living in Barcelona.
- What’s Lleida’s most famous dish?
- ‘Crema catalana’.
- Grilled snails.
- Grilled prawns.
- The Barceloneta neighbourhood has one of Barcelona’s most popular beaches and is a common meeting place for drinks and snacks. What was it originally?
- A port.
- A neighbourhood dedicated to fishing.
- The location of the Barcelona Football Club stadium.
- If you call 112 you are calling:
- President Obama.
- The police.
- An emergency helpline.
- The Barcelona metro has an integrated ticket price system that allows users to change from one means of transport to another with the same ticket. How long can a user take to change from one means of transport to another before having to buy another ticket?
- An hour and 15 minutes.
- All day.
- An hour.
TEST 2: LANGUAGE + TRADITIONS
- Catalan is:
- A dialect.
- A language.
- A secret language invented by CIA spies.
- Catalan and Spanish:
- Are very different.
- Both originated from Chinese.
- Are part of the same family of languages – that is, Romance languages – and therefore have many features in common.
- According to official statistics of the Catalan government, 75% of the population:
- Don’t speak Catalan.
- Speak Catalan.
- Speak Catalan, Spanish and Latin.
- How do you say ‘goodbye’ in Catalan?
- Adieu.
- Goodbye.
- Adéu.
- In which of these places is Catalan not spoken?
- In the city of Alghero, on the island of Sardinia.
- In the village of Colliure, in the south of France.
- In the Rockefeller Center, in New York.
- What position does Catalan occupy among the most widely spoken languages in the European Union?
- Ninth.
- Twelfth.
- It is not a widely spoken language, but a minority language that is only spoken by the elderly.
- How many million people speak Catalan, counting Catalans who live in Catalonia and those who live abroad?
- Approximately 11 million.
- No one has counted them.
- Approximately 7 million.
- What percentage of classes are taught in Catalan on undergraduate degree courses at universities in Catalonia?
- Approximately 60%, although the figure may vary depending on the school.
- Approximately 40%, although the figure may vary depending on the school.
- All classes are taught in Spanish.
- According to the experts, if I already know Spanish or another Romance language such as Italian or French, learning Catalan will be:
- Easier.
- More difficult.
- Neither easier nor more difficult.
- A question on human towers (‘castells’): what do they call the child who climbs to the top and crowns the tower?
- Enxaneta.
- Valiente.
- Anchoa.
- Which of the following festivals and traditions are on the Unesco List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity?
- ‘Castells’ (human towers).
- ‘Castells’ and the Patum.
- ‘Castells’, the Patum and Sant Jordi.
- How do you dance the ‘sardana’, the Catalan folk dance?
- By forming a V shape.
- In a circle.
- In pairs.
- Are bullfights banned in Catalonia?
- Yes, although ‘correbous’ are held in some places.
- No, they are legal.
- They only take place once a year.
- What do men give women for Sant Jordi, according to the tradition?
- A rose or a rose and a book.
- Two roses.
- Perfume.
- The ‘caganer’ is a typical part of Christmas in Catalonia. What is it?
- A large-headed figure that is paraded at festivals.
- A figurine in Catalan nativity scenes.
- The top-selling toilet paper in Catalonia.
TEST 3: OUTINGS + HISTORY
- How many Unesco World Heritage Sites are there in Catalonia?
- None.
- Nine.
- Seven.
- What is located in the Boí Valley?
- Romanesque churches from the 12th century.
- Roman ruins from Julius Caesar’s time.
- The headquarters of Boeing in Catalonia.
- The Rambla is:
- The name of the most famous avenue in Barcelona.
- A neighbourhood.
- A musical genre derived from ‘rumba’.
- How many bird species live in the Ebro Delta?
- It depends on whether you count mosquitoes as birds.
- Fewer than 300.
- More than 400.
- Where is the house museum that Salvador Dalí shared with his wife Gala?
- In Cadaqués.
- In the Port of Barcelona.
- In Port Lligat.
- In 1936:
- Republican troops rose up against Franco’s government, triggering the start of the Civil War.
- Franco’s troops rose up against the Republican government, triggering the start of the Civil War.
- Nothing noteworthy happened.
- The International Brigades were:
- Military units composed of foreign volunteers who participated in the Spanish Civil War.
- Parachutists of the Republican Army.
- Followers of Che Guevara.
- In 1992:
- The Olympic Games were held in Barcelona.
- Bruce Springsteen performed at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium for five nights running.
- The World Cup was played in Barcelona.
- What is the origin of the Catalan coat of arms?
- It is not known exactly, although legend attributes it to Wilfred the Hairy.
- It was the doing of a medieval king, James I.
- It is taken from a painting by Antoni Tàpies.
- The Eixample is:
- The name of a building by Gaudí.
- A 19th-century urban development plan by Idelfons Cerdà that aimed to control the growth of Barcelona.
- A political party.
- The term ‘Catalonia’ was used for the first time:
- In the 12th century.
- In the 11th century.
- In 1492 BC.
- Tarragona was founded by the Romans. What Latin name did they give it?
- Tgn.
- Tarraco.
- Tarreconense.
- During Franco’s regime, the Catalan language:
- Was banned during any kind of public demonstration.
- Was banned in schools, but could be used at official events.
- Could be spoken in public and in private.
- Where did the majority of Republicans go into exile when they fled Franco’s troops?
- The south of France.
- London.
- The Canary Islands.
- On 1 October 2017:
- One and a half million people took to the streets to demand Catalan independence.
- An independence referendum took place in Catalonia without the permission of the Spanish government.
- One and a half million people stayed at home and watched TV.
TEST 4: GASTRONOMY + ARTS + CUSTOMS
- ‘Allioli’ is one of the most prized sauces of Catalan cuisine. What are its ingredients?
- Garlic, olive oil and salt.
- Salt and olive oil.
- Garlic, olive oil and whisky.
- How many food markets are there in Barcelona?
- 40.
- 50.
- More than 100.
- ‘Crema catalana’ is:
- A drink.
- A dairy-based dessert.
- A type of body lotion.
- In Catalonia:
- There are not many kinds of mushrooms.
- There are many different types of mushrooms and, in the autumn, when the first rains come, people go the mountains to pick them.
- Mushrooms are not eaten.
- Rather than butter, what do Catalans like to spread on their bread?
- Margarine.
- Tomato.
- They eat it on its own.
- ‘Fuet’ and ‘llonganissa’ are two of the most popular cold meats. What kind of meat are they made of?
- Giraffe meat.
- Pork.
- Beef.
- El Bulli was a restaurant owned by Catalonia’s most international chef. What is his name?
- Ferran Adrià.
- Leo Messi.
- Martín Berasategui.
- Is it possible to see original language films with subtitles in Catalonia?
- No, all cinemas project dubbed films.
- Yes, but only in some cinemas.
- Yes, but the tickets are more expensive.
- What is El Serrallo?
- The name of one of the markets in Tarragona.
- The fishing port in Tarragona.
- The name of the most famous restaurant in Tarragona.
- The oldest work of literature in Catalan was written in the:
- 11th century.
- 12th century.
- 21st century.
- On average, young people do not leave home until:
- They are 25 years old.
- They are 30 years old.
- They have had three children.
- To be able to vote in Catalonia, you must:
- Be 18 years of age or over.
- Be 16 years of age or over.
- Have 3,000 euros in a bank account.
- When we talk about a ‘pont’ or ‘fer pont’ we are talking about:
- Bungee jumping.
- A Friday that is a public holiday.
- A working day that lies between two public holidays.
- The Sant Joan festivity celebrates:
- The life and miracles of Saint John.
- The summer solstice.
- The start of the summer holidays.
- Students generally have:
- Between 80 and 100 days of holiday a year.
- Between 15 and 30 days of holiday a year.
- It depends on their final marks.
