Geographical Nicknames Trivia Quiz

Answer: Delaware

Delaware earned the nickname "The First State", because it was the first of the former 13 colonies to ratify the Constitution of the United States, which it did on December 7, 1787. Delaware is the second smallest state in area, larger than only Rhode Island. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Delaware was still a slave state, but remained loyal to the Union.

Answer: Alabama

Alabama is a state of great natural beauty; it was the fourth state to secede from the Union during the Civil War. The people of Alabama are justifiably proud of the University of Alabama's football team, known as the Crimson Tide, which by 2012 had won 15 national championships. Alabama is also known as "The Yellowhammer State", after the state bird, the yellowhammer.

The song "Sweet Home Alabama" was a top ten hit for Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1974.

Answer: Illinois

There are many theories as to why Illinois acquired this unflattering nickname. The most likely one is that it refers to a small fish called the "sucker" which lives in many Illinois rivers and streams. The nickname is an old one, as can be seen by these lines from an 1860 campaign song "Lincoln and Liberty, Too": "We'll go for the son of Kentucky, the hero of Hoosierdom through/The pride of the Suckers so lucky, for Lincoln and liberty, too". Perhaps not surprisingly, most Illinoisans prefer the state's other nickname, "The Prairie State".

Answer: New Hampshire

New Hampshire is called "The Granite State" because of the numerous granite mountains that are found in the state. One of the state's iconic symbols, "The Old Man of the Mountain", a granite outcropping in the White Mountains, collapsed in 2003. New Hampshire is famous for holding one of the earliest political primaries in the U.S. Citizens of Dixville Notch in Coos County traditionally cast the first votes in each Presidential election.

Answer: Wisconsin

Wisconsin leads the United States in cheese production, and is second only to California in milk production, which has earned it a second nickname "America's Dairyland". Wisconsin is known as the birthplace of the Republican Party, which was formed in Ripon, Wisconsin in 1854.

Answer: Florida

"God's Waiting Room" refers to the large number of elderly people who retire to Florida; according to the 2010 census, almost two-thirds of Florida's residents were born outside of the state. Florida is famous as the site of Cape Canaveral, where America's early space flights were launched.

Answer: Chicago

Chicago, "The Windy City", is also known as the "City of Big Shoulders", which is a line taken from Carl Sandburg's poem "Chicago" from 1916. Chicago's other nicknames include "Second City" (originally a slur by New Yorkers) and "Chi-town".

Answer: Yes

This nickname is derived from the fact that the only commercially active diamond mine in the United States is found near Murfreesboro, Arkansas. The state bought the site in 1972, and turned it into Crater of Diamonds State Park. For a small fee, tourists can prospect for diamonds. Hundreds are found each year by lucky hunters; most are quite small, but one famous diamond, the "Uncle Sam", weighed over 40 carats.

Other nicknames for Arkansas are "The Natural State" and "The Razorback State".

Answer: Connecticut

Connecticut is supposedly called "The Nutmeg State" because in earlier days spices were very expensive, and peddlers from Connecticut would sell nutmegs carved from wood to unsuspecting customers. The official nickname is "The Constitution State", because Connecticut was the first state to have its own Constitution, as early as 1638.

Answer: San Francisco

The nickname is a reference to the San Francisco earthquake which destroyed much of the city in 1906. Los Angeles is also called "Shaky Town", because of the earthquakes common in California. Truck drivers have their own nicknames for many states and cities, some of which are neither attractive nor politically correct, such as "Armpit" for New Jersey; "Hooker City" for Fresno, California; and "Barf City" for Providence, Rhode Island.

Other nicknames for San Francisco are "Fog City" and "Baghdad by the Bay".