Senator Suzi Oppenheimer Hosts Middle School Geography Bee

On November 30, 2010, Senator Suzi Oppenheimer (D-Mamaroneck) hosted a geography bee for local middle school students at the Port Chester Middle School. Five area middle schools – Anne M. Dorner Middle School in Ossining, Blind Brook Middle School in Rye Brook, the Eastview and Highlands Campuses of the White Plains School District, and the Port Chester Middle School – sent teams of students to the competition.

Eddie Romero, an eighth grade student at the Port Chester Middle School won the geography bee, while Ryann Gutierrez, another Port Chester eighth grader, was a close runner-up. All of the students were bright and worthy competitors.

“I am enormously impressed by the depth of knowledge that each of the students demonstrated,” said Senator Oppenheimer, who moderated the competition. “In today’s worldwide economy, students must look beyond their own neighborhoods and communities and embrace a more global perspective. Through the study of geography, we learn to appreciate different cultures, peoples and landscapes in our increasingly interdependent world.”

While this year’s competition focused on the United States, Senator Oppenheimer hopes to expand her geography bee in future years to encompass other nations and cultures throughout the world. Test your knowledge of the United States, with these sample questions from this year’s competition (the answers appear below):

1. The San Andreas Mountains parallel the Rio Grande as it flows through which state?

A. Kansas

B. New Jersey

C. New Mexico

D. Arkansas

2. Pascagoula, a city nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, lies on the Gulf Coast of which state?

A. Florida

B. Mississippi

C. Texas

D. Louisiana

3. Which U.S. county name is the most popular and can be found in 30 states?

A. Franklin

B. Washington

C. Jefferson

D. Lincoln

4. Which city is located on the shores of the Narragansett Bay and was founded by Roger Williams in 1636?

A. Baltimore

B. Dover

C. Providence

D. Manchester

5. While the Big Island of Hawaii is the country’s largest, what is the second largest island area in the United States?

A. Long Island

B. Prince of Wales Island

C. Kodiak Island

D. Puerto Rico

Answers: 1.C; 2.B; 3.B; 4.C; 5.C