Calexico and other Portmanteau Places Quiz

Answer: Baja

The territory that was collectively known as "The Californias" belonged to Spanish colonizers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, the territory is split between several U.S. states including California, and two Mexican states that are exactly below their American neighbors: Baja California (known for its cities of Mexicali and Tijuana) and Baja California Sur (known for cities like La Paz and Cabo, which welcomes thousands of tourists each year). Alta California (the large piece of land that contained both U.S. territory and what now is Baja California), was annexed by American forces in 1848, and the territories continued with a turbulent history until 1952 when Baja California became a state. Its southern counterpart, Baja California Sur, would not become a state until 1974.

California and Baja California are crucial for the U.S. and Mexico border; in fact, both states have the border cities of Calexico and Mexicali (both portmanteaus combining the words "California" and "Mexico"). Mexicali, like many cities that are close to the U.S. border, has become a hub for maquilas (assembly plants), while Calexico remains an important port of entry in the U.S., and was the birthplace of important American politicians like Bob Huff and Bob Wilson.

Answer: China

Gansu derives its name from a portmanteau of districts Ganzhou and Suzhou. This province covers an important piece of land in China, and is located in a geographical point that links different parts of this very large country. In fact, it was a critical component of the well-known Silk Road trade route. Gansu has a large population of inhabitants, many of whom live in conditions of poverty and are frequent victims of natural disasters (such as droughts and earthquakes). Nevertheless, the province's economy has slowly risen throughout the years with the development of mining as an industry and tourism.

Answer: Fairborn

In the book "A Tale of Two Towns", author Cleo Wilson Hodgkins documented the history of Fairborn, Ohio. According to the book, Fairfield was a small town that had basic businesses and services (a couple of schools, stores, and saloons) and Osborn was another village that grew at a much quicker pace because of the new developments in the railroad connecting Ohio. Beginning in 1921, the two cities became twin cities of sorts, but kept separate identities and governments. Residents of both towns realized that there was much more potential for prosperity if the two were merged, opening the door for a vote that decided to combine them in 1949.

It is the home of Ohio's Wright State University and is very close to the city of Dayton.

Answer: Banks

Vanuatu (previously known as New Hebrides) obtained its independence from British and French rule in 1980 and joined the United Nations a year later. In 1994, the several different islands in the Pacific Ocean that conform Vanuatu were divided into six provinces: Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, and Torba (all of these names being portmanteaus of each of the islands that form the province).

Torba is the northernmost province of the country (Torres being just a little bit higher than Banks) and lends itself as a tourist destination thanks to its beaches, coral reefs, and seafood. Banks Islands have active volcanoes in addition to beautiful beaches and lakes.

Answer: Ontario

Ontario is one of Canada's largest provinces, and has important cities like Toronto (where all three sports teams in the question hail from) and Ottawa (the country's capital). In 1999, the townships of Brant and Greenock melded with Walkerton to form Brockton, a word that mixed components of those three. Throughout the 2000s, the population of this Bruce County town was around the 9,500 mark. Though small, the town has some interesting features, such as a Heritage Register that keeps record of historical properties in the town and allows residents to register new sites in this listing.

The town also has a nearby airport, Saugeen Municipal Airport, that handles small aircraft between Brockton, Hanover, and West Grey.

Answer: Johannesburg

South Africa has had a long and complicated history in terms of its sovereignty as a nation. Although it achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1931, it wasn't until 1961 that the country became a republic. Racial issues, most notably the segregationist policies known as "apartheid", have also been a key component of South Africa's history. The country is divided into 9 provinces, one of which is Gauteng, the smallest one in South Africa.

Despite its small size as a province, Gauteng contains the largest city in the country: its provincial capital of Johannesburg. Going further into the subdivisions, Region E of Johannesburg has a number of different suburbs, one of which is Sandton.

Sandton was born in 1969 after the combination of Sandown and Bryanston, which were controlled by another city at the time (Pretoria). Sandton is home to one of the largest buildings in the continent (The Leonardo), as well as the Catholic Church "the Shrine of Our Lady of the Cedars".

Answer: Alaska

The Alaska Highway was built during World War II in order to connect the continental United States with the state of Alaska. Canada was the only natural option for such a project, simply due to the physical connection that the maple leaf country provides between the continental United States and Alaska.

The highway was finished in 1942, starting in Dawson Creek, British Columbia (Canada) and ending in Delta Junction, Alaska (U.S.) Remarkably, the construction only took nine months, since the project involved thousands of soldiers and civilians in the effort to build this road. Canada's agreement, interestingly, was contingent on the American government assuming all costs, which it did.

Answer: Lake

Lake Texoma was completed in 1944 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and formed by the Denison Dam (a separate project that was meant for flood control of the Red River). It borders both Texas and Oklahoma and receives its inflows from the Washita River and the Red River (the latter being a saltwater river).

The lake is known for its excellent conditions for fishing. and has many different species of fish including the striped bass, which is mainly there because of the saltwater environment created by the nearby Red River.

The lake is popular among the area's residents, which is understandable given its relative proximity to cities like Dallas.

Answer: Canola

Grenola was created in 1879 in the state of Kansas after Green Field and Canola merged following the construction of a railroad through their land. Grenola has always been a relatively small city population-wise, though it rose in the early years of the 20th century. According to historical accounts, Green Field and Canola were rival cities and there was notorious animosity between the residents of the two. After the combination became a formal city and government institutions were formed, though, life became more civil and people learned to live as a single entity.

Canola oil is a type of vegetable oil obtained from rapeseed. The issue of whether it is healthy or not has been debated for years since it has a low amount of saturated fats but is often highly processed (hence reducing the nutrient content).

Answer: Zanzibar

In the 19th century, many African countries were colonized by European nations like England and Germany. Zanzibar and Tanganyika were both originally German territories until the British gained control in World War I and for the first half of the 20th century. Unsurprisingly, colonialist policies were getting less and less popular among Africans, which is why many countries in the continent fought for and gained independence in the middle of the 20th century. One of these countries was Tanganyika, a country in East Africa that became independent from the British Empire in 1961. Zanzibar, on the other hand, was governed by a Sultan, who had agreements in place with the British. Zanzibar obtained its independence in 1963, but the country continued to have internal conflicts that culminated in a revolution a year later. The People's Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba was created, but it only lasted for a few months.

In 1964, Tanganyika and Zanzibar became a single country, called the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar - now known as Tanzania. The name is not the only "portmanteau" aspect here, since the flag of Tanzania is a combination of the green, yellow, and black colors of the Tanganyikan flag and the blue, black, and green stripes of Zanzibar's flag.