Cities on the Pacific Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cabo San Lucas

One of the more popular resort cities of Mexico, Cabo San Lucas is one of the country's more popular Pacific tourist destinations (along with Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco). Found at the extreme southern tip of Baja California, the location is known for its beaches, immaculate diving conditions, and its sport fishing.

At the southernmost point of the city is Land's End, perhaps better known as the Arch of Cabo San Lucas, which marks the boundary between the Pacific and the adjacent Gulf of California, separating Baja and Mexico proper.

Answer: Hakodate

Hakodate is one of two major port cities connecting the island of Hokkaido to Honshu to the south-- the other is Fukushima. Resting on the Tsugaru Strait, Hakodate was, at one point, the largest city in Northern Japan but over the years that honour ended up moving to the more northerly Sapporo.

The city sits in the shadow of Mount Hakodate which, at 334 meters, features a view that can see across to the mountains of Oma, a town in Aomori Prefecture across the strait, but only on a clear day.

Answer: Iquique

The free port of Iquique is one of the northernmost cities in the nation of Chile; only the city of Arica, only a short drive from the Peruvian border, is a comparably-sized city. When Charles Darwin visited Iquique on the Beagle on his way to the Galapagos, it was originally a Peruvian city, but moving into the twentieth century it became part of Chile. The surrounding area is mostly desert and mountains, and further to the south, one of the world's driest deserts-- the Atacama-- stretches onward towards the Andes.

Iquique is about two hours closer (driving) to Lima than it is to Santiago. Even closer than that is La Paz, Bolivia.

Answer: Prince Rupert

One of the northern reaches of British Columbia, Prince Rupert is closer to Alaska-- much CLOSER-- than to most other cities in Canada. In fact, you're a short flight from almost anywhere out of Prince Rupert, a city known for its fishing and forestry more than anything else. From Prince Rupert you're also a short flight away from the Queen Charlotte Islands, better known as Haida Gwaii, the home of the Haida People.

The Haida people, who have occupied these islands for more than ten thousand years, are perhaps most famous for their intricate totem poles.

Answer: Apia

The only city and the capital of the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, Apia sits on the north edge of the island of Upolu, a destination formed from an old volcano. Upolu is the second-largest island of Samoa; the largest, to the northwest, is Savai'i, and it's one of the largest in the Pacific. Because of its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Apia (and Samoa) is prone to earthquakes, even if the islands themselves aren't active volcanoes.

Answer: Nakhodka

It's about a thousand kilometres closer to Anchorage, in fact, and it's because Nakhodka is on the far eastern edge of Russia, only a short distance from Vladivostok, the largest city in the Primorsky Krai region. While Vladivostok is the main port city and naval base for this end of Russia, Nakhodka, built in a sheltered bay, is mainly a fishing city built to take in hauls from the Sea of Japan.

Answer: Trujillo

This one is in Peru-- even though there are Trujillos in Spain and Venezuela. The Peruvian one, however, has a rich history because of its position next to pre-Columbian ruins like Chan Chan and the adobe brick Huaca del Sol pyramid. The site of revolution in the 1930s, Trujillo is now considered to be Peru's cultural capital, and unlike Cusco high up in the Andes, it sits away from the mountains on the Pacific Coast.

This means that even if you miss out on a visit to Machu Picchu, you can instead look back in history at the origins of the Chimu and Moche civilizations.

Answer: Legazpi

Found in the Philippines, Legazpi is about five hundred kilometres away from the nation's capital-- Manila-- and even then you'd need to cross much of the island of Luzon to get there. A unique city punctuated by Spanish and American occupation at different times, Legazpi is likely best known for the UNESCO protected biosphere in the vicinity of Mayon, the large, active stratovolcano found nearby. Since its history was officially recorded, Mayon has erupted more than a dozen times, and because of this it's left destruction in its wake stemming from volcanic ash and mudslides.

In 2016, Mayon was featured on the back of the 100 peso banknote for the country.

Answer: San Francisco

One of the biggest cities in California, San Francisco has a long history in many fields from its natural disasters (earthquakes) to its sports teams (the Giants, the 49ers) to its famous Chinatown to its LGBT community. Sitting on the San Andreas Fault, San Francisco is on a geological hotspot resting on the edge of a bay (crossed, of course, by the Golden Gate Bridge). Visitors would also know that San Francisco is notable for its steep streets, its dense fogs, and Alcatraz Island.

Answer: Gangneung

While the 2018 Olympic Games were held in PyeongChang, South Korea, Gangneung's ice rinks were used for all rink-based events during the festivities. It's no wonder; the two cities are only a couple of hours away from one another. Gangneung, sitting on the sea coast, is known for its beautiful beachfront and its traditional festivals.

The train between Gangneung and Seoul, despite them being across the country from one another, is a ride of less than three hours. You could go from the Sea of Japan to the Yellow Sea in the span of an afternoon.