Who won the Geography Bee 2019?

Nihar Janga: Geography Bee Champ and All-Around Whiz Kid

So, remember the National Geographic Bee? That awesome competition that tested kids’ knowledge of the world? Well, 2019 was its final year, and it went out with a bang! The champion? None other than Nihar Janga, an 8th grader from Leander, Texas. This kid’s got serious brains.

Now, winning the National Geographic Bee isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Think about it: it started with nearly 10,000 schools across the country throwing their hats in the ring. That’s a whole lotta geography buffs! From that massive pool, only 54 state champions emerged – the best of the best from every corner of the US, plus a few overseas territories.

The finals in Washington, D.C. were intense, let me tell you. Nihar had to battle it out against some seriously smart cookies, including Rishi Kumar from Maryland and Atreya Mallanna from Massachusetts. Picture the scene: bright lights, tough questions, and the pressure cooker atmosphere of a national competition. After round after round, it came down to Nihar and Atreya for the championship.

And the question that decided it all? This one was a doozy: “More than one-third of Norway’s northernmost county is located on what plateau?” Atreya guessed “Hardangervidda,” but Nihar nailed it with “Finnmark Plateau.” Boom! Victory was his!

But here’s the really cool part: this wasn’t Nihar’s first rodeo when it comes to winning big. Back in 2016, he was the co-champion of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and get this – he was the youngest winner ever at the time! Talk about a double threat! So, yeah, winning the Geography Bee just cemented his status as a true “double champion.”

What does a National Geographic Bee champion get, you ask? Well, besides bragging rights for life, Nihar walked away with a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society (pretty sweet!), and an all-expenses-paid trip for two to the Galápagos Islands with Lindblad Expeditions. I’m not jealous, you are!

It’s a bit sad, though, that 2019 was the end of the line for the National Geographic Bee. Apparently, the National Geographic Society decided to pull the plug, canceling the 2020 and 2021 events due to the whole COVID-19 thing and then just calling it quits altogether. Over its 30-year run, though, it’s estimated that around 120 million students participated. That’s a legacy to be proud of, and it definitely sparked a love of geography in a whole generation. So, hats off to Nihar Janga, the final champion, and to the National Geographic Bee for inspiring so many kids to explore and learn about our amazing world.