Journey Around the Globe [21] Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pasadena

The City of Pasadena, California is part of the Greater Los Angeles area, sitting just northeast of the downtown core of the city. Found in the San Gabriel Valley, it sits between the hills to the east and the San Gabriel Mountains to the north. The Arroyo Seco is a natural canyon that stretches about twenty-five miles through the region with mountains in the upper portion and populated areas in the lower.

The Colorado Street Bridge, leading over to Glendale, is on the National Register of Historic Places and it crosses this area.

Answer: Shanghai

An immense port city on the east coast of China, Shanghai is one of the largest cities in the world in terms of population, and it got that way partly because of its importance in commerce, industry, and economic standing. The downtown area of Shanghai and the historical side on the banks opposite rest on the edge of the Huangpu River. On that river is the famous boardwalk known as The Bund from which you will likely have unprecedented views of a hypermodern metropolis on any given day or night.

Answer: Java

Java is distinctive because unlike the other options listed, it's comparatively longer and flatter, straddling the bottom of the Indonesian archipelago. Java, despite being smaller than a number of more prominent Indonesian islands, takes in more than half of its population, partly because most of the largest cities-- the capital of Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, etc.-- are there. By sheer numbers, it grew to become the most populated island in the world.

The region is known for its rich cultures, temples, rainforests, mountains, and equatorial climate.

Answer: Dhaka

At one point in Dhaka's long history, the Buriganga was a critical source of drinking water for the Bengali people, but as Bangladesh's capital city, Dhaka, became one of the most populated cities on the planet, it became one of the most heavily-polluted waterways in Asia. That said, for a while, the Buriganga was a lifeline. With the Buriganga River connecting to the Dhaleshwari and then the Meghna, it allowed Dhaka to connect to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.

Answer: Bosphorus Strait

The Bosphorus cuts straight through Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, and acts as a major waterway between the Mediterranean to the south (via the Sea of Marmara) and the Black Sea to the north, but it's so much more important than that as a borderline since it's the actual dividing line between the European continent and the Asian continent. Istanbul is the only major city in the world to belong to both. South of Istanbul, the Dardanelles also provides an international borderline as it connects the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean.

Answer: Moscow

One of the world's premier destinations for opera and ballet, the Bolshoi is a famous Russian institution in the way of arts and culture. Found north of the Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral, and the Kremlin, it's only a short walk away from the Moskva River.

The word 'bolshoi' means grand (in terms of scale), so it's not surprising to know that there was a second Bolshoi in Saint Petersburg. So important is the Bolshoi that it appears on the Russian 100-ruble banknote.

Answer: Amstel

The River Amstel, while not long compared to some of the more famous European rivers, is the waterway that makes up the canals of The Netherlands' capital and, go figure, it's the name that lends itself to the Amstel Brewery, also in Amsterdam. The city also took its name from the river.

This being said, the city is much more than that; Amsterdam is loaded with waterways, bridges, islands, and canals that were meticulously planned and constructed back in the seventeenth century. What resulted was a unique city on the bays leading out to the North Sea and a chain of thoroughfares for transportation.

Answer: Mallorca

Although all four of these islands are part of the Balearic Islands, Bellver Castle is up in the hills next to Palma de Mallorca, overlooking the island chain's largest city. Built in 1311, it gives a panoramic view of the port city. Originally built as a Roman camp, the city of Palma is one of many beautiful destinations in the Balearic, a tourist destination known for its beautiful weather, beaches, and nightclubs (especially in Ibiza). Nonetheless, it has a rich Catalan history; Bellver Castle is one landmark lending itself to the historically-inclined.

Answer: Central

Stretching between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes, the Loire Valley reaches along a central portion of the Loire River and, as such, provides the perfect landscape for vineyards and crop fields. Dotted throughout the region are idyllic French towns and chateaux, many of which feature their own expansive gardens and properties.

Here, visitors can see the cities of Amboise, Angers, Orléans, and Tours, all of which are fairly well-known for viticulture.

Answer: Brooklyn

Coney Island makes up the southwestern corner of Brooklyn and is actually a peninsula, which may be a bit confusing. It is, however, a very well-known destination, being home to (also confusing) Manhattan Beach, the Coney Island fairgrounds, and the New York Aquarium.

At one time, the Coney region WAS an island; it was filled in via land reclamation (ie. they filled it in!). The beaches found there are on the shores of the Lower Bay, a go-between connecting the East River and the Hudson River to the Atlantic Ocean.