A European Magical Mystery Tour For Kids Quiz

Answer:

Athens is the capital of Greece. Famous as the birthplace of democracy, drama, philosophy and many other cultural advancements, Athens derives her name from the goddess Athena, to whom the Parthenon, one of the most brilliant Greek temples, is dedicated. Because of her special role as "The School of Hellas", Athens was eventually chosen as the capital of the modern Greek state in the 1830s, shortly after Greece reclaimed her freedom from the Ottoman Turks.

Berlin is the capital of Germany. It was founded in the Middle Ages in a marshy area, which, according to a theory, gave the city its name. It emerged as prominent among German cities in the Early Modern Era, as capital of Brandenburg-Prussia. During the 20th century, from 1945 to 1989, Berlin was partitioned in two, with West Berlin being a democratic "island" within Communist East Germany. After the reunification of the country, it became the capital once again.

Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine, the biggest country located entirely within Europe. It is said to have been founded by the Prince Kyi and his brothers, Shchek and Khoryv (there was also a sister, a beautiful girl named Lybid, which in Ukrainian means "swan"), around 482 AD. In the Middle Ages, Kyiv emerged as a bastion of Byzantine Christianity and a cultural center. Ergo, it was chosen to be the capital of the independent Ukrainian state when it was struggling against Russian oppression.

Rome is the capital of Italy. Being the homeland of the Romans who ruled all the Mediterranean basin at the pinnacle of their power, Rome also contains the Vatican, a tiny country which is the abode of the Pope and center of the Catholic Church, the world's biggest Christian denomination. In the late 19th century, when Italy was unified, Rome was chosen as capital because of her historical glamour and prestige.

London is the capital of the United Kingdom. It was originally a Celtic settlement called Londinium by the Romans who occupied it in the first century AD. It was also the place where the Norman duke William the Conqueror was crowned as King of England in 1066, after winning the Battle of Hastings. In the early modern era, London was the first European city to contain more than a million inhabitants, something that only Rome had briefly achieved at the height of her Empire.

Paris is the capital of France. Its name derives from the Celtic tribe of the Parisii, who lived there before the area was conquered by the Romans. The original name of the town was Lutetia, before it became known as Paris. In the Middle Ages, starting from Clovis, the Christian Merovingian Kings of the Franks used Paris as a major administrative center. Paris is widely known as the City of Light, because of its early introduction of street lighting.

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Its earliest name, found in the Viking sagas, was Agnafit, but before 1252 AD it was already known as Stockholm, denoting its fortified center. In the 17th century, Stockholm was chosen as the capital of Sweden, which was launching its brief foray as the major power of the Baltic Sea area. At the time, the city attracted many prominent Europeans, including the philosopher Rene Descartes, the one who said, "I think, therefore I am".

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal. Its name derives from the pre-Roman settlement Olisipo, which Classical authors believed was founded by the Greek King Odysseus of Ithaca. In the 8th century AD, Olisipo was captured by Muslim Arab invaders, who named it al-Ushbuna, but it was liberated by King Alfonso I of Portugal in 1147, as part of the wider campaign to expel the Arabs from the Iberian Peninsula, a process called Reconquista (=Reconquest).

Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania. It was built in the 14th century AD by the Grand Duke Gediminas, after he had a dream involving a wolf made of iron. From that point onwards, Vilnius was the residence of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Later, when Lithuania entered in a Commonwealth with Poland, its importance diminished. Because of fierce Polish contestation and international sympathy for Poland at the expense of Lithuania, the first modern Lithuanian state in the 1920s and 1930s did not include Vilnius.

Vienna is the capital of Austria. Originally a pre-Roman town called Vindobona, Vienna rose to prominence under the rule of the Habsburg dynasty. In 1529 and 1683, the city endured fierce attacks by the Ottoman Turks, which were repelled. Vienna has also been associated with fine arts, especially music, and with splendid architectural monuments, like the Hofburg Palace.

As for the five Asian capital cities: Beijing is the capital of China, New Delhi of India, Tehran of Iran, Kabul of Afghanistan and Hanoi of Vietnam.