It may not have the notoriety of the National Spelling Bee yet, but don't discount the level of effort required to be a winner.

1---Of these three cities, Quito, Buenos Aires and Asuncion, which is the most populated?

2---In what U.S state was an invasive snakehead fish caught in a pond?

3---Which country on the Scandinavian Peninsula is is largest in area?

4---In what country was impressionist painting recognized as being developed?

(Correct answers at the bottom of the page).

These are just a few examples of how diversified the material is, and illustrates how well-prepared students must be to compete in the National Geography Bee, or "GeoBee," as the organizers like to call it.

UM News Service shared some results with us from the inaugural Montana Geography Bee, which took place over the weekend at the University of Montana in Missoula. Over 1,500 Montana students took the initial qualifying exam for a chance to compete. From that number, only 41 students from around the state had the geography chops to qualify. Contestants were divided among four grade levels: eighth, seventh, sixth and elementary.

The contestants had to go through four preliminary rounds, answering questions dealing with all aspects of world geography. The format was like some TV quiz shows. With buzzers in hand, students not only had to be smart but quick to answer.

Montana's 2022 Geography Bee champions are:

8th Grade Champion – Aidan Miller, Foothills Community Christian School, Great Falls

7th Grade Champion – Luke Minton, Sacajawea Middle School, Bozeman

6th Grade Champion – Griffin Ingersoll, Kalispell Middle School, Kalispell

Elementary School Champion – Evan Newcomer, Lewis and Clark Elementary School, Missoula

Students who finished in the top 50% of their age division make the final round and qualify for the National Championships held in Orlando, Florida, June 17-19. Between 2,000 and 3,000 students are expected to compete there.

Congratulations to all our Montana Geography Bee-dazzlers and best of luck in future competitions.

ANSWERS TO SAMPLE GEOGRAPHY BEE QUESTIONS LISTED ABOVE: 

1---Buenos Aires

2---Maryland

3---Norway

4---France

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