Capital Cities of the World: K-Z Quiz

Answer: Windhoek

Windhoek is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Namibia. The city was founded in 1840 by Jonker Afrikaner who built a stone church for his community. Due to wars and hostilities the settlement was destroyed but was reborn in 1890 by the German Imperial Army.

The German colonial era ended in 1915 when South African troops on behalf on the British Empire took control of the city. The country was administered by South Africa and was known as South West Africa. It was recognised as Namibia in 1990. Windhoek is the economical, cultural, social and political centre of Namibia.

The city lies on a plateau at around 1,700 metres above sea level.

Answer: Suva

Suva became the capital of Fiji in 1877. Fiji is an archipelago which is made up of 330 islands and received independence from the United Kingdom in 1970. Suva is located on the largest island, Viti Levu and has a population of approximately 90,000 which is about 10% of the population of Fiji.

Answer: Maputo

Maputo was originally known as Lourenço Marques under the rule of the Portuguese. The country gained independence in 1975 and the city was renamed Maputo. Under the Portuguese the town was founded in 1792 and received city status in 1887. It is the largest city in Mozambique with a population of just under 2.0m out of the total population of 25m.

Answer: Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar or Ulan Bator is the capital and largest city in Mongolia. With a population of nearly 1.3 m it is nearly half the population of the country. The city was founded as a Buddhist monastic centre in 1639. Ulaanbaatar lies in the centre of Mongolia and is connected by rail to both the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Chinese railway system.

The average annual temperature of the city is -0.4 degrees C (31.3 F).

Answer: Ottawa

The city was founded as Bytown in 1826 and incorporated as Ottawa in 1855. The name came about due to the proximity to the Ottawa River, derived from the Algonquin word Odawa, meaning "to trade". The city is in the province of Ontario and is reputed to be the most educated city in Canada due to the research, post-secondary and cultural institutions.

The city also contains a UNESCO World Heritage Site being the Rideau Canal.

Answer: Zagreb

Zagreb is the capital and largest city in Croatia. It was first mentioned as "Zagreb" in 1094 and became a free royal town in 1242, although the origin of the name still remains a mystery. The Croatian word "zagrabiti" means "to scoop" which has led to many theories as to the name of the city.

The city only became the capital of Croatia in 1945. During WWI the city was supported by Germany and Italy and a local fascist organisation known as Ustasa committed numerous atrocities. The city was liberated by partisans at the end of the war. During the 1950s the city experienced a boom period with expansion around the area.

There were troubling times from 1991-1995 during the Croatian War of Independence. The city has now become peaceful and the Old Town is a wonderful tourist attraction.

Answer: Quito

Not only is Quito the capital city of Ecuador but it is the closest capital to the equator and the highest official capital city in the world at 2,850m (9,350 ft). The city was founded in 1534 and declared a city in 1556 and was
originally named San Francisco de Quito.

Answer: Rabat

Although the seventh largest city in Morocco, Rabat is the nation's capital. The city was founded in 1146, however, it has experienced some turbulent times in its history: through economic power in the 13th century, then later barbary pirates used the coastline as a base during the 17th century and finally an invasion by the French in the 20th century.

In 2012 Rabat was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 1942 movie "Casablanca" starring Bogart and Bergman received three Academy Awards including Best Picture.

The movie depicted the period during WWII.

Answer: Ljubljana

Ljubljana is not only the capital but also the largest city in Slovenia. The town was originally known as the Roman city of Emona in the 4th-6th century. It then came under Habsburg rule during the middle ages. The name Ljubljana is thought to come from the original name of the river (Ljubija) that flows through the city, which is now called the Ljubljanica River.

The 15th century Ljubljana Castle towers over the city and river and the symbol of the city is the Ljubljana Dragon which is depicted over the castle of the Coat of Arms. Slovenia was formerly part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, however, the country gained independence in 1991.

Answer: Tallinn

Tallinn lies about 80 kms south of Helsinki on the Gulf of Finland and is the capital and largest city of Estonia. Tallinn first appeared on a map in 1154 and for over six centuries was known as Reval until 1918. The Raeapteek in the Old Town is one of the oldest continuously running pharmacies in Europe since the early 15th century. During the 1980 Summer Olympics the yachting events were held just outside Tallinn as it was then part of the USSR.

The Old Town of Tallinn (a walled city) became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Answer: Naypyidaw

Naypyidaw is the capital city of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). The city became the capital in March 2006, as the previous capital city had been Yangon (also known as Rangoon). Naypyidaw was a planned city and was only settled in 2005.

Answer: Vilnius

Vilnius is not only the capital but also the largest city in Lithuania. Vilnius was granted city rights in 1387 and had a very strong Jewish influence until the 20th century. When Napoleon passed through there in 1812 he called it "the Jerusalem of the North".

There was a strong Polish and Russian presence in the 17th-19th century and the city was looted by the Swedish Army during the Great Northern War (1700-1721). During WWI it was occupied by the German Army from 1915-1918. During WWII the city changed hands between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.

The Soviet Union seized control of the city in 1944 and it became part of the Soviet Union until independence in September 1991.

Answer: Kingston

Kingston is the largest city in Jamaica and the largest predominately English speaking city south of the USA. Kingston was founded in 1692 as a place for the survivors of the earthquake that destroyed the adjacent town of Port Royal. The Government Offices were moved from Spanish Town to Kingston in 1872. Spanish Town had been the capital of Jamaica under Spanish and British rule from 1534-1872. Kingston kept the status as the capital when Jamaica received independence in 1962 from Great Britain.

Answer: Yaoundé

Yaoundé is the capital and second largest city in Cameroon with a population of nearly 2.5 m after Douala (a port city). The area was founded as an outpost in 1887 with a strong German influence. During WWI Belgian troops occupied Yaoundé and then after the German defeat France controlled the area.

A mandate from the League of Nations in 1922 chose Yaoundé the capital of the colony. Due the cocoa crisis and unrest in the coastal regions of Douala, which at the time, was the more important settlement in the country, it was Yaoundé that saw rapid growth from 1957 and continued to be the seat of government of the nation after independence in 1960.

Answer: Port Louis

In 1638 Port Louis was used as a harbour and in 1735 the French made it the administrative capital of Mauritius. The Port became a major help to the British in controlling the Indian Ocean when they occupied the island during the Napoleonic War (1800-1815). Port Louis, the capital is situated on the north west of th being also the largest city in Mauritius.