London, Paris, Milan Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sydney

Cockatoo Island is a UNESCO World Heritage site that sits in Sydney Harbour, at the point where the Parramatta River and the Lane Cove River meet. (I should mention that we are talking about Sydney, NSW, Australia and not the Sydney on Cape Breton Island in Canada.) In the nineteenth century Cockatoo Island served for awhile as a prison within a penal colony, for the punishment of repeat offenders. Later it became a centre for shipbuilding and dockyards. In the 21st century it has become a site for festivals and learning.

Sydney is one of Australia's largest cities, whose other, perhaps more famous, landmarks include the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.

Answer: Manila

Corregidor's situation at the entrance to Manila Bay made it a key location during the defence of that region from the Japanese invasion in 1941-42, holding out as it did until May 1942, nearly a month after the fall of the Bataan Peninsula. In later years it has become a historic monument and tourist destination.

Manila, capital of the Philippines, is situated on Luzon Island, largest of the country's over 7500 islands.

Answer: Cleveland

Fourth largest of the Great Lakes of North America, Lake Erie forms part of the border between Ontario, Canada and a number of American states, including Ohio, where Cleveland is located. Other communities on its shores include Erie, Pennsylvania and Port Stanley, Ontario, the latter on the northern shore of the lake.

One of Ohio's largest cities, Cleveland has gone by that name since 1796, though it was then spelled "Cleaveland". The city has long been a major manufacturing centre, and is home to several major sports teams and also the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Answer: Toronto

Lake Ontario is the easternmost and smallest of North America's five Great Lakes. Like its neighbour, Lake Erie, it forms part of the border between Ontario, Canada and the USA, though in this case only one state, New York, is involved. Toronto, Ontario's capital, is not only the largest city in the province, but one of the largest in Canada and sits on Lake Ontario's northern shore, towards its western end.

Toronto was originally known as York, a name that is still reflected in many place names in and around the city. It is a vibrant city with an active stock exchange and business section, successful sports teams and internationally acclaimed cultural events.

Answer: Wellington

Mount Victoria, rising to a height of 196 metres (643 feet) a short distance east of New Zealand's capital city affords a wonderful view of the city to anyone who cares to climb to the lookout. It has two names in the Maori language: Tangi Te Keo and Matairangi. The second of these means "to examine the sky".

Wellington, located on the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island, replaced Auckland as the national capital in 1865. As well as being the seat of government, it has become important in the film industry, providing locations for a number of movies. Mount Victoria has featured in "What We Do in the Shadows" (2014) and "Pete's Dragon" (2016), amongst others, and the city in general has numerous movie credits.

Answer: Milan

The valley of the River Po consists of a large plain that covers much of northern Italy, and is an area where both industry and agriculture thrive. Industrial centres include Milan and Turin, and crops raised in the agricultural wetlands include rice.

Milan is situated in the northwestern part of the valley, in Lombardy, and is an important centre for the automotive industry as well as for pharmaceuticals, machinery and other products. It is also an important financial centre.

Answer: London

The River Fleet is one of London, England's so-called "lost" rivers, having disappeared underground as the city grew. It exists as two streams on Hampstead Heath where it rises, which soon go underground flowing under the city until eventually joining the Thames near Blackfriars Bridge. It gave its name to Fleet Street, formerly synonymous with the British press.

London, capital of the United Kingdom and once of a vast empire, has been a major commercial centre for centuries. Its better known river is the Thames, which flows through the city and has long been a means of transport, both for pleasure and business.

Answer: Paris

As it flows through the centre of Paris, the Seine divides that city into the practical Rive Droite (Right Bank) and the artistic Rive Gauche (Left Bank), although the distinction between the two has grown less clear as time has passed. The river flows for 777 km (483 miles) from near Dijon, through Paris and onward to the English Channel.

Paris, the City of Light, is the capital of France and an important centre for the arts and culture, for fashion and is an enormous tourist draw for its reputation as the city for lovers.

Answer: Rio de Janeiro

Oddly shaped Sugarloaf Mountain sits on a peninsula of land jutting into the Atlantic, and is part of the Sugarloaf Mountain and Urca Hill Natural Monument. It became part of a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012. Named for its supposed resemblance to a conical block of sugar, it is composed of quartz and granite. A relay of cable cars allows visitors to ascend to the summit to take in a view of the city.

Founded by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century, Rio de Janeiro served as capital of Brazil until replaced by purpose-built Brasilia in 1960. Rio remains a popular tourist destination famous for its beaches and "carnival" as well as for having hosted the 2016 Olympic Games.

Answer: Luxor

The Valley of the Kings is situated on the opposite bank of the River Nile to the city of Luxor, and is best known as the location of the tombs of a number of members of ancient Egyptian royalty. The geological make-up of the valley is largely limestone and other sedimentary rock, with some shale. The tomb builders took advantage of natural contours and other features in constructing these resting places.

Luxor, Egypt, is the modern city that has grown on the site of ancient Thebes. Its main industry is tourism, with the Valley of the Kings being one of the major attractions along with a number of other ancient sites. Some agriculture is practiced, and there is also a pottery industry.