Split Capitals: Two-Word Capital Cities Quiz

Answer: Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Located on an island in the Persian Gulf, Abu Dhabi is often overshadowed by Dubai, which is home to one of the world's tallest buildings - the Burj Khalifa. In the Arabic language, the word "Abu" means father, whereas the word "Dhabi" means gazelle (a species of small antelope).

The city was named as such due to the abundance of gazelles in the place.

Answer: Ababa

Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia, which is one of the four countries occupying the Horn of Africa; the other three being Djibouti, Eritrea, and Somalia. At an elevation of 2,355 meters (7,726 feet), Addis Ababa is one of the world's highest capital cities, after La Paz (Bolivia), Quito (Ecuador), and Bogotá (Colombia).

In 2020, Ethiopian Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Abiy Ahmed announced that four additional languages (Afar, Oromo, Somali, and Tigrinya) were adopted as the nation's official languages, alongside Amharic.

Answer: Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital city of Argentina. Spanish explorer Pedro de Mendoza (1499 - 1537) named the city "Holy Mary of the Fair Winds". In 1580, Spanish conquistador Juan de Garay named the city "Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María del Buen Aire" ("City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Saint Mary of the Fair Winds"), which was later shortened to simply Buenos Aires.

The pampa (also spelled pampas) region refers to the fertile low grassland area that occupies part of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.

Answer: Town

Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. Pretoria serves as the executive capital, whereas Bloemfontein serves as the judicial capital of the nation. Table Mountain is noted for its distinctive flat-topped feature. The Cape of Good Hope derives its name from Cabo das Tormentas (Cape of Storms), coined by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1487.

Answer: Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia. In Malay, the word "kuala" means confluence (junction of two rivers; in this case, the Gombak River and the Klang River), whereas the word "lumpur" means mud. The city is known colloquially as KL by Malaysians. At 451.9 metres (1,483 feet), the Petronas Twin Towers were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2003.

Answer: Paz

La Paz is the executive and legislative capital of Bolivia. On the other hand, Sucre serves as the constitutional and judicial capital of the nation. La Paz was founded in the mid-16th century by Spanish conquistadors, where they named the city "Nuestra Señora de La Paz", which means Our Lady of Peace in Spanish.

At an elevation of 3,650 meters (11,975 feet) above sea level, La Paz experiences a subtropical highland climate. Due to this high altitude, tourists visiting the city often display symptoms such as breathlessness and nausea.

Answer: Delhi

New Delhi is the capital city of India. King George V was the Emperor of India from 1910 until 1936. On 15 December 1911, King George V and Queen Mary laid the plain foundation stones in India, in conjunction of the coronation darbar held in the country. According to the National Archives of India, the city of New Delhi was given its official name on 31 December 1926.

Answer: Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital city of Cambodia. The city is located on the banks of the Mekong River, the Bassac River, and the Tonlé Sap Lake. In the Khmer language, the word "Phnom" means hill, whereas the word "Penh" is the name of a wealthy widow who founded Phnom Penh.

Answer: Louis

Port Louis is the capital city of Mauritius. It is named after King Louis XV (1710 - 1774), who served as the King of France from 1715 until 1774. The name "Harbour of Tortoises" was used in the early 17th century by Dutch settlers to refer to Port Louis.

Answer: Moresby

Port Moresby is the capital city of Papua New Guinea. It is named after British naval officer John Moresby, who is best known for his expedition in New Guinea, which led to the discovery of Port Moresby. New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland.

The island of New Guinea is shared by Indonesia (occupying the western half) and Papua New Guinea (occupying the eastern half).

Answer: Vila

Port Vila is the capital city of Vanuatu. The city experiences a tropical rainforest climate. The four nations located in the subregion of Melanesia are Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.

Answer: José

San José is the capital city of Costa Rica. The city, meaning Saint Joseph in Spanish, is named after Joseph of Nazareth, the father of Jesus. The Irazú Volcano, known for its green crater lake, is a popular tourist attraction in Costa Rica.

Answer: Tarawa

South Tarawa is the capital city of Kiribati. In Gilbertese (an Austronesian language), the word "Tarawa", also spelled "Te Rawa", refers to the lagoon's large channel located at the southern part of the Tarawa atoll. The Republic of Kiribati is the only country in the world that has lands in all four hemispheres.

Answer: John's

St. John's is the capital city of Antigua and Barbuda. The nation consists of two major islands - Antigua in the south and Barbuda in the north. The nation's capital, St. John's, is located on the island of Antigua.

Answer: George's

St. George's is the capital city of Grenada, which is the southernmost island of the Antilles. The nation's flag features a yellow and red nutmeg at the hoist triangle.