Connor Buchheit, a seventh grader at Wiesbaden Middle School, points to the Amazon River on a mural-sized world map in Thomas Bugg's geography and social studies classroom, correctly answering the question, "The Rio Madeira is a tributary of what riv...

WIESBADEN, Germany -- When most people look at a world map, they reminisce about where they've been, or dream of where they'll go.

Right now when Connor Buchheit looks at a map he thinks of what more he needs to know.

Connor, a seventh grader at Wiesbaden Middle School, has spent months learning as much as he can about geography, world history, culture, people and places as he prepares to compete at the 2016 National Geographic Bee championship, May 23-25, in Washington, D.C., representing the Department of Defense Education Activity.

"I'm excited, he's excited, but a little nervous, too," said his mother Kathleen Buchheit who will be attending the event with her son.

This is Connor's first time competing in the National Geographic Bee championships.

"He's taking the competition very seriously," Kathleen said, "but he doesn't know, what he doesn't know, until the competition starts."

Connor qualified for the competition after winning the local Geography Bee in Wiesbaden and then scoring the highest in two separate rounds of selection tests administered first at the DoDEA-Europe level and then DoDEA-wide.

Geography has always been of interest to Connor. "My parents bought me a globe when I was five, and I liked it. I made it a point to memorize the U.S. state capitals, then I went on to memorize the world's capitals," he said.

Geography bees are challenging competitions with questions that draw from a wide range of subjects and are intended to inspire students to be curious about the world. Competitors need more than rote memorization skills to answers questions such as:

Which New England state has more forested land? What coastal country borders both Argentina and Brazil? In terms of export income, which of the following is Egypt's most important crop? Soybeans, Cotton or Bananas?

Connor uses what he learns in books and his experiences growing up in a military family to come up with the answers. In addition, he says "it helps to be able to picture a map in your head."

Like so many military families, Connor has already experienced a lot for a 13-year-old.

Connor lived in four U.S. states before his family was stationed in Germany in 2012, and he has visited more than fourteen countries to include; England, France, Spain, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway and Vatican City.

Thomas Bugg, his seventh grade geography and social studies teacher at the school, believes Connor's time living and travelling in Europe will give him a leg up on the competition.

"I know lots about Europe," agreed Connor, whose knowledge of geography has tripled since preparing for the Geo Bee.

Preparing includes studying maps, atlases, fact books, a book of natural wonders, study guides and watching videos of past competitions to get familiar with the level of questions.

Although Connor admits he is nervous, he doesn't seem intimidated by the winning question from the 2015 competition: If proposed, the Grand Inga Dam would be built on the Inga Falls, and it would be the largest host of hydroelectric power on which river?

"I don't study too much each day, because if you study too much you end up not retaining the information," he said.

Connor will compete against 53 other students from U.S. and territories in a preliminary round May 23. Ten participants will advance to the finals on May 25 with the winner receiving a $50,000 college scholarship.

It's been a few years since Wiesbaden has had a student qualify for the National level, said Bugg who was instrumental in bringing the Geo Bee back into his classroom last year as the sponsor.

"The credit goes to Mr. Bugg," said Kathleen. "If he didn't take the time… Connor wouldn't have this opportunity."

The Wiesbaden Parent Teacher Organization paid $100 for Connor's registration fee, and the national qualification earned him an all-expense paid trip to the event.

Theoretically, Connor has taken a trip around the globe preparing for the contest; however, he still dreams of places to go and said Asia or the Oceanic Region is at the top of his bucket list. "I hear the Mariana Islands are nice, and they speak English."

Connor is the son of Kathleen and Lt. Col. Micheal Buchheit, an operational planner with U.S. Army Europe.

(If you're still searching for the answers to the questions above, it's Maine, Uruguay, and Cotton. The Grand Inga Dam would be built on the Congo River.)

National Geographic Channel will air the final round of the National Geographic Bee Championship at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Friday, May 27. It will also air on public television stations; check local listings for dates and times.