NewsTracker Answers for week of July 12, 2010

Q: Russia and the United States swapped spy prisoners last week at an airport in Austria. Where is Austria?

Circle the area on this map


Q: The exchange took place in the Austrian capital of . . .

A. Berlin

B. Budapest

C. Prague

D. Vienna


D. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million. It was founded about 500 B.C., and it was capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the end of World War I, when the country was reduced to its present size.


Q: Vienna has been a center of European espionage since the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but the biggest era for spying was when the nation was occupied by the United States and . . .

A. Germany

B. Italy

C. Soviet Union

D. Hungary


C. From 1945 to 1955, Austria was occupied by the World War II allies  United States, Soviet Union, France and the United Kingdom. After that war, the United States and Soviet Union became Cold War rivals, and Vienna became a hot spot for spying.


Q: What is the primary and official language of Austria?

A. Austrian

B. German

C. Hungarian

D. Russian


B. While Austria's mountainous terrain led to the development of many distinct German dialects, the nation's major language is essentially the same as what is spoken in Germany. Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in World War II.


Q: What mountain range dominates the geography of Austria?

A. Alps

B. Balkans

C. Carpathians

D. Dentelles


A. The Eastern Alps run through Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Switzerland also contains part of the Western Alps, which extend into Italy and France.