Travel trivia: How well do you know the world's capitals?

November 2, 6:44 PMSeattle International Travel ExaminerAnnika Hipple

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Seattle International Travel Examiner is back once again. Apologies for the long silence; among other things, I recently traveled to Quebec, Canada, for the Adventure Travel World Summit. I'll be posting more about Quebec and the great adventure travel destinations I learned about over the next several weeks, but first, it's time for a new Travel Trivia quiz, which will resume its weekly Monday appearance from now on.

This week, the focus is on world capitals. How much do you know about the following cities? As always, answers appear below the photo, so scroll down carefully.

1. Which cities are the world's northernmost and southernmost national capitals?
2. Which Middle Eastern capital city's name means "the victorious one"?
3. Which Scandinavian capital was known as Christiania (later spelled Kristiania) for 300 years?
4. Which African capital city was known as Salisbury during the British colonial era?
5. Which South American country has two capitals?
6. Suva is the capital of which Pacific island nation?
7. The central Parliament block in this national capital was destroyed by a fire in 1916. Despite the country's ongoing participation in World War I, rebuilding began quickly. Last to be erected was the Peace Tower, dedicated to the country's World War I dead. What is the city?
8. This ancient capital was the first city in the world to reach a population of one million. What is the city?
9. Which Middle Eastern capital is generally considered the world's oldest continuously inhabited city?
10. Tashkent is the capital of which central Asian country?
11. This name of this Asian city means "Eastern capital." What is the city?
12. Which city is the world's highest capital city?
13. Quito, Ecuador, is the closest capital city to the equator (it's located at 0º14'S / 78º30'W). Which capital city is the second-closest?
14. Which European capital was known to the ancient Romans as Lutetia?
15. This capital's attractions include the Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock, and St. Vitus Cathedral. What is the city?
16. Asuncion is the capital of which country?
17. In 1974, the capital of Tanzania was moved from Dar es Salaam to which city?
18. During the Dutch colonial period, this Asian capital was known as Batavia. What is its current name?
19. What is the capital of the west African nation of Burkina Faso?
20. Which three capitals are the largest cities in Europe?

ANSWERS

1. The world's northernmost nation capital is Reykjavik, Iceland. The southernmost national capital is Wellington, New Zealand.
   
2. The name Cairo (Arabic al-Qahira) means "the victorious one."
3. Oslo, Norway, was known as Christiania after it was rebuilt by King Christian IV of Denmark in 1624, following a fire. The spelling was changed to Kristiania in  the late nineteenth century. In 1924, a law was passed restoring the original name of Oslo.
4. Harare, Zimbabwe, was known as Salisbury during the British colonial era.
5. Bolivia has two national capitals: La Paz, the administrative capital (home to the president and legislature), and Sucre, the constitutional capital (home to the judicial branch).
6. Suva is the capital of Fiji.
7. The central block of the National Parliament in Canada's capital, Ottawa, was destroyed by a fire in 1916. The Peace Tower, the central feature of the rebuilt building, has become a national icon.
8. Rome, Italy, was the first city in the world to reach a population of one million. It reached this population during the second century A.D. Not until the early nineteenth century did another city (London, England) reach this milestone.
9. Though conclusive documentation is difficult to find, Damascus, the capital of Syria, is often listed as the world's oldest continuously inhabited city. There is evidence that the site was inhabited as early as 12,000 years ago, though the UNESCO World Heritage Center, which lists Damascus as a World Heritage Site, states that the city was founded in the third millenium B.C. It was around 3,500 years ago that Damascus became an important city. Although there are other valid contenders for the title of "oldest continuously inhabited city," Damascus's status as the oldest continuously inhabited capital city seems inarguable.
10.  Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan.
11. The name Tokyo means "Eastern capital." Formerly known as Edo, the city received its new name in 1868, when Japan was "restored" to imperial rule under the Meiji emperors.
12. At approximately 12,000 feet in altitude, La Paz, Bolivia, is the world's highest national capital.
13. The second-closest capital to the equator is Kampala, Uganda, located at 0º19'N / 32º35'E.
14. Paris, France, was known to the ancient Romans as Lutetia?
15. The Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock, and St. Vitus Cathedral are major attractions in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.
16. Asuncion is the capital of Paraguay.
17. In 1974, the capital of Tanzania was moved from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.
18. During the Dutch colonial period, Jakarta, Indonesia, was known as Batavia.
19. The capital of Burkina Faso is Ougadougou.
20. Moscow, Paris, and London are the three largest cities in Europe. Their order within the top three varies depending on the specific methodology used (where boundaries are drawn, which suburbs are included, and so on).

For more info: Travel Trivia appears on Mondays. For past quizzes, click here.

Photo: The Roman Forum, a fascinating remnant of Rome's ancient past