NewsTracker Answers for week of Oct. 31, 2016

Q: Iceland's Pirate Party, a radical movement of anarchists and hackers that didn’t exist this time four years ago, made big gains in weekend voting but fell short of expectations that it would become the top party in parliament. Where is Iceland located on this map centered on the North Pole?

Circle the area on this map


Q: The Pirates tripled the number of seats they have in the Althing, the world’s . . .

A. Largest parliament

B. Smallest parliament

C. Oldest parliament

D. Newest parliament


C. The Althing was founded in 930 and, except for a 45-year period in the 19th century, has been meeting ever since. Members of the oldest extant parliament are now elected by popular vote and they, in turn, select the prime minister and cabinet which serve as the executive branch of the government.


Q: The election was called after a prime minister was forced from office amid accusations of conflicts of interest after documents were leaked from what Central American nation?

A. Argentina

B. Brazil

C. Chile

D. Panama


D. The so called Panama Papers are more than 11.5 million financial and legal records leaked from a law office in Panama. The documents show how the world’s wealthy – including the former prime minister’s wife – hide money in offshore companies. Argentina, Brazil and Chile are in South America, not Central America.


Q: The Althing meets in Reykjavík, the world’s . . .

A. Northernmost capital

B. Smallest capital

C. Oldest capital

D. All of the above


A. Reykjavík, which also is Iceland's largest city, has a latitude of 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It was founded in 874, centuries after many of the world’s other capital cities.


Q: The Pirate Party and another party that is pushing Iceland to join the European Union each won 10 seats. Iceland was once ruled by which nation that is an EU member?

A. Britain

B. Denmark

C. France

D. Netherlands


B. Iceland was settled by Norwegians and their Irish slaves in 874. After being governed by the Althing as an independent commonwealth, it came under rule of the king of Norway in the 13th century and later the king of Denmark. It became an independent republic in 1944.