Around the World in Eighty Days Quiz

Answer: London

London was first established as a trading city and centre of government by the Romans because of its position on the tidal river, the Thames. Although it has been destroyed more than once by fire it has always been rebuilt and become greater. In the time of Phileas Fogg it was the centre of an empire on which 'the sun never set'. Its financial centre is still mainly in the square mile of the medieval city. It is a premier tourist attraction because of its many historic buildings, its art galleries and museums, the innovative fashion scene and the lively theatre and music venues that are so easily accessible using its excellent transport system.

Submitted by Calpurnia09

Answer: Adabya

Located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez and with a population of around 497,000 Suez is close to the southern end of the Suez Canal. Apart from extensive port facilities it also has a petrochemical plant from which oil is pumped underground to Cairo. Good rail links and roads also give easy connection to Cairo and Port Said, and Suez is now a major gathering point for Muslim pilgrims travelling to and from Mecca. The Suez Canal took 11 years to build and was opened in 1869. It meant that ships no longer had to travel around the Cape of Good Hope.

Question by Christinap

Answer: Bombay or Mumbai

The modern city of Bombay is now the most populous in India with over 20 million inhabitants. It was built by the joining together of seven islands, previously settled as fishing colonies and was successively ruled by various Indian states, the Portuguese and then by the British East India Company. It was this company that initiated large scale civil engineering works that joined together the islands and led to its becoming a significant trading city. The reclamation of land, to expand its size, continues to the present day. At the time of Mr Fogg's visit Bombay had experienced a significant economic boom because its cotton products had been much in demand during the American Civil War. While in Bombay Phileas Fogg's servant, Passepartout, inadvertently entered a sacred place wearing his shoes. This was to cause trouble later on in their journey.


Submitted by Calpurnia09

Answer: Hooghly

Kolkata is the modern name of Calcutta, and it's the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Its population is nearly 15 million which makes it the third most populous city in India and the 13th in the world. The capital moved to New Delhi in 1911 for political and economic reasons, but Calcutta remained the centre of the political resistance that led, eventually, to Indian independence. After years of stagnation Kolkata is now a vibrant city with an IT industry, and is considered to be the cultural capital of India, with amazing palaces and bridges to be seen. The name was changed in 2001.

Question by Invinoveritas.

Answer: Hong Kong

They arrived in the bustling port of Hong Kong, gateway to the mysterious east, as it was known. The Hong Kong area has been inhabited by humans for about 6000 years. It came under the rule of the first Chinese Emperor in 214BC and remained under the rule of the mainland, apart from a brief period where the Portuguese attempted to set up trading areas in the 16th century.

When, in the 17th century, the Emperor banned contact with foreign ships and evacuated the island and nearby territory, Hong Kong became a wasteland. Britain established suzerainty over the area by force of arms when China wanted to stop the importation of opium. Hong Kong Island and the New Territories were ceded to Britain in 1842.

It became a free port and the hub of trade in the Far East. Today many visitors come for shopping or on their way to China, but both the main island and the many smaller ones have many natural features worth seeing.

The Island and the Territories came back under the rule of China in 1997.

Answer: Shanghai

The port of Shanghai sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River in the central part of the Chinese coast. Then, as now, it was a cosmopolitan city but the differences are immense. In late 19th century it was a place that the Duke of Somerset, in a speech in the House of Lords, in 1869 had referred to as a "sink of iniquity".

The new Shanghai is China's model city which has huge skyscrapers and freeways while maintaining some vestige of its traditional buildings and lifestyle to attract visitors.

Answer: Yokohama

Yokohama, on the island of Honshu, is Japan's second biggest city after Tokyo. It was a fishing village until 1853/4, but with the arrival of Captain Matthew Perry and a fleet of American naval vessels demanding that Japan be opened to international trade, the development of Yokohama began. The Treaty of Peace and Amity was signed by the Tokugawa Shogunate, and Yokohama was opened to trade in 1859. Today is it also a centre of heavy industry.

Question by Invinoveritas

Answer: Mount Davidson

There are in excess of 50 hills within the San Francisco city limits. Mount Davidson is the highest of these at 925ft. Phileas Fogg would have seen the city just before the famous cable car system starting transporting people up and down these hills. It opened in 1873. Neither would he have seen the Golden Gate bridge, which was not completed until 1937. The city limits extend to include various islands in the bay, including Alcatraz, once an infamous prison, now a tourist attraction, and Treasure Island.


Question by Christinap

Answer: New York City

The City of New York, comprising five boroughs, is spread over an area of 790 square kilometres (305 square miles) and has many easily recognisable landmarks such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and Central Park.

The borough of Manhattan is widely known as the financial capital of the world and it is here on Wall Street where you can find the New York Stock Exchange, the largest of its type in the world.

Question comprised by leith90.

Answer: Dublin

Dublin is the birthplace of the famous Guinness, which was created by Mr Arthur Guinness in 1785.

Dublin, meaning Black Pool, is the capital and most populous city of Ireland. The River Liffey divides Dublin into two sections: the North and the South. Traditionally the Northern division has been the working class people, while the Southern division is more upper-middle class.

Question compiled by leith90.