Build a State Trivia Game (Python)

# the start of a state trivia game
# the data came from an old C++ game

import random

# create placeholder lists for 50 items each
state = range(50)
capital = range(50)
date = range(50)
flower = range(50)
bird = range(50)

# populate the lists
state[0] = "Alabama"
capital[0] = "Montgomery"
date[0] = "December 14, 1819"
flower[0] = "Camellia"
bird[0] = "Yellowhammer"

state[1] = "Alaska"
capital[1] = "Juneau"
date[1] = "January 3, 1959"
flower[1] = "Forget-me-not"
bird[1] = "Willow Ptarmigan"

state[2] = "Arizona"
capital[2] = "Phoenix"
date[2] = "February 14, 1912"
flower[2] = "Suguaro Cactus Blossom"
bird[2] = "Cactus Wren"

state[3] = "Arkansas"
capital[3] = "Little Rock"
date[3] = "June 15, 1836"
flower[3] = "Apple Blossom"
bird[3] = "Mockingbird"

state[4] = "California"
capital[4] = "Sacremento"
date[4] = "September 9, 1850"
flower[4] = "Golden Poppy"
bird[4] = "California Valley Quail"

state[5] = "Colorado"
capital[5] = "Denver"
date[5] = "August 1, 1876"
flower[5] = "Mountain Columbine"
bird[5] = "Lark Bunting"

state[6] = "Connecticut"
capital[6] = "Hartford"
date[6] = "January 9, 1788"
flower[6] = "Mountain Laurel"
bird[6] = "Robin"

state[7] = "Florida"
capital[7] = "Tallahassee"
date[7] = "March 3, 1845"
flower[7] = "Orange Blossom"
bird[7] = "Mockingbird"

state[8] = "Georgia"
capital[8] = "Atlanta"
date[8] = "January 2, 1788"
flower[8] = "Cherokee Rose"
bird[8] = "Brown Thrasher"

state[9] = "Hawaii"
capital[9] = "Honolulu"
date[9] = "August 21, 1959"
flower[9] = "Red Hibiscus"
bird[9] = "Nene (Hawaiian Goose)"

state[10] = "Idaho"
capital[10] = "Boise"
date[10] = "July 3, 1890"
flower[10] = "Syringa"
bird[10] = "Mountain Bluebird"

state[11] = "Illinois"
capital[11] = "Springfield"
date[11] = "December 3, 1818"
flower[11] = "Violet"
bird[11] = "Cardinal"

state[12] = "Indiana"
capital[12] = "Indianapolis"
date[12] = "December 11, 1816"
flower[12] = "Peony"
bird[12] = "Cardinal"

state[13] = "Iowa"
capital[13] = "Des Moines"
date[13] = "December 28, 1846"
flower[13] = "Wild Rose"
bird[13] = "Eastern Goldfinch"

state[14] = "Kansas"
capital[14] = "Topeka"
date[14] = "January 29, 1861"
flower[14] = "Sunflower"
bird[14] = "Western Meadowlark"

state[15] = "Kentucky"
capital[15] = "Frankfort"
date[15] = "June 1, 1792"
flower[15] = "Goldenrod"
bird[15] = "Cardinal"

state[16] = "Louisiana"
capital[16] = "Baton Rouge"
date[16] = "April 30, 1812"
flower[16] = "Magnolia"
bird[16] = "Eastern Brown Pelican"

state[17] = "Maine"
capital[17] = "Augusta"
date[17] = "March 15, 1820"
flower[17] = "Pine Cone & Tassel"
bird[17] = "Chickadee"

state[18] = "Tennessee"
capital[18] = "Nashville"
date[18] = "June 1, 1796"
flower[18] = "Iris"
bird[18] = "Mockingbird"

state[19] = "Maryland"
capital[19] = "Annapolis"
date[19] = "April 28, 1788"
flower[19] = "Black-eyed Susan"
bird[19] = "Baltimore Oriole"

state[20] = "Delaware"
capital[20] = "Dover"
date[20] = "December 7, 1787"
flower[20] = "Peach Blossom"
bird[20] = "Blue Hen Chicken"

state[21] = "Massachusetts"
capital[21] = "Boston"
date[21] = "February 6, 1788"
flower[21] = "Mayflower"
bird[21] = "Chickadee"

state[22] = "Rhode Island"
capital[22] = "Providence"
date[22] = "May 29, 1790"
flower[22] = "Violet"
bird[22] = "Rhode Island Red"

state[23] = "Minnesota"
capital[23] = "St. Paul"
date[23] = "May 11, 1858"
flower[23] = "Lady-slipper"
bird[23] = "Loon"

state[24] = "Mississippi"
capital[24] = "Jackson"
date[24] = "December 10, 1817"
flower[24] = "Magnolia"
bird[24] = "Mockingbird"

state[25] = "Missouri"
capital[25] = "Jefferson City"
date[25] = "August 10, 1821"
flower[25] = "Hawthorn"
bird[25] = "Bluebird"

state[26] = "Michigan"
capital[26] = "Lansing"
date[26] = "January 26, 1837"
flower[26] = "Apple Blossom"
bird[26] = "Robin"

state[27] = "Montana"
capital[27] = "Helena"
date[27] = "November 8, 1889"
flower[27] = "Bitterroot"
bird[27] = "Western Meadowlark"

state[28] = "Nebraska"
capital[28] = "Lincoln"
date[28] = "March 1, 1867"
flower[28] = "Goldenrod"
bird[28] = "Western Meadowlark"

state[29] = "Nevada"
capital[29] = "Carson City"
date[29] = "October 31, 1864"
flower[29] = "Sagebrush"
bird[29] = "Mountain Bluebird"

state[30] = "New Hampshire"
capital[30] = "Concord"
date[30] = "June 21, 1788"
flower[30] = "Purple Lilac"
bird[30] = "Purple Finch"

state[31] = "Vermont"
capital[31] = "Montpelier"
date[31] = "March 4, 1791"
flower[31] = "Red Clover"
bird[31] = "Hermit Thrush"

state[32] = "New Jersey"
capital[32] = "Trenton"
date[32] = "December 18, 1787"
flower[32] = "Violet"
bird[32] = "Eastern Goldfinch"

state[33] = "New Mexico"
capital[33] = "Santa Fe"
date[33] = "January 6, 1912"
flower[33] = "Yucca"
bird[33] = "Road Runner"

state[34] = "New York"
capital[34] = "Albany"
date[34] = "July 26, 1788"
flower[34] = "Rose"
bird[34] = "Bluebird"

state[35] = "North Carolina"
capital[35] = "Raleigh"
date[35] = "November 21, 1789"
flower[35] = "Flowering Dogwood"
bird[35] = "Cardinal"

state[36] = "Wyoming"
capital[36] = "Cheyenne"
date[36] = "July 10, 1890"
flower[36] = "Indian Paintbrush"
bird[36] = "Meadowlark"

state[37] = "North Dakota"
capital[37] = "Bismarck"
date[37] = "November 2, 1889"
flower[37] = "Prairie Rose"
bird[37] = "Meadowlark"

state[38] = "Ohio"
capital[38] = "Columbus"
date[38] = "March 1, 1803"
flower[38] = "Scarlet Carnation"
bird[38] = "Cardinal"

state[39] = "Oklahoma"
capital[39] = "Oklahoma City"
date[39] = "November 16, 1907"
flower[39] = "Mistletoe"
bird[39] = "Scissor-tailed Flycatcher"

state[40] = "Oregon"
capital[40] = "Salem"
date[40] = "February 14, 1859"
flower[40] = "Oregon Grape"
bird[40] = "Western Meadowlark"


state[41] = "Pennsylvania"
capital[41] = "Harrisburg"
date[41] = "December 12, 1787"
flower[41] = "Mountain Laurel"
bird[41] = "Ruffed Grouse"

state[42] = "South Carolina"
capital[42] = "Columbia"
date[42] = "May 23, 1788"
flower[42] = "Yellow Jessamine"
bird[42] = "Carolina Wren"

state[43] = "South Dakota"
capital[43] = "Pierre"
date[43] = "November 2, 1889"
flower[43] = "Pasqueflower"
bird[43] = "Ring-necked Pheasant"

state[44] = "Texas"
capital[44] = "Austin"
date[44] = "December 29, 1845"
flower[44] = "Bluebonnet"
bird[44] = "Mockingbird"

state[45] = "Utah"
capital[45] = "Salt Lake City"
date[45] = "January 4, 1896"
flower[45] = "Sego Lily"
bird[45] = "Sea Gull"

state[46] = "Virginia"
capital[46] = "Richmond"
date[46] = "June 26, 1788"
flower[46] = "Dogwood"
bird[46] = "Cardinal"

state[47] = "Washington"
capital[47] = "Olympia"
date[47] = "November 11, 1889"
flower[47] = "Coast Rhododendron"
bird[47] = "Willow Goldfinch"

state[48] = "West Virginia"
capital[48] = "Charleston"
date[48] = "June 20, 1863"
flower[48] = "Rhododendron"
bird[48] = "Cardinal"

state[49] = "Wisconsin"
capital[49] = "Madison"
date[49] = "May 29, 1848"
flower[49] = "Wood Violet"
bird[49] = "Robin"

"""
# test the 50 states by name
for ix, st in enumerate(state):
    print ix+1, st
"""

def state_flower():
    """
    ask a multiple choice question about the state flower with four possible answers
    """
    # pick a list of 4 unique integers from a list of integers 0 to 49
    # the first integer will match the state in the question and the
    # correct flower, the other 3 will be false choices
    pick = random.sample(range(50), 4)
    
    print "The state flower of %s is:" % state[pick[0]]
    answers = range(4)
    for k in range(4):
        # a little trick, the correct answer ends with an invisible space
        # rstrip() makes sure the flower name itself does not end with a space
        if k == 0:
            answers[k] = "%s " % flower[pick[k]].rstrip()  # space after %s
        else:
            answers[k] = "%s" % flower[pick[k]].rstrip()   # no space after %s
    
    # randomize the mutiple choice answers, chr(65+n) adds A), B) ...
    choice = []
    n = 0
    for k in random.sample(range(4),4):
        choice.append("%s) %s" % (chr(65+n), answers[k]))
        print choice[n]
        n += 1
    
    # get the answer and check it
    letter = raw_input("Select A, B, C or D: ")
    correct_flag = False
    for answer in choice:
        # the one with the trailing space is correct
        if answer.endswith(" "):
            correct = answer
            # does it contain the selected letter? For instance D)
            if letter.upper()+')' in correct:
                correct_flag = True
    
    # show the result
    if correct_flag == True:
        print correct ,"is correct!"
    else:
        print "The correct answer is", correct


state_flower()