Hard New Capitals Quiz / Test | World Capitals

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In 1995, four years after its independence from the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan decided to move its capital. From what city to what city was the move carried out?

Answer: Almaty to Astana

The city of Almaty was made the capital of Kazakh ASSR (Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic)in 1929. The name, formerly it was known as Alma Ata, means 'the father of apples'! It's known to be one of the most pleasant cities of the former Soviet union. Astana was founded as Akmolinsk, then renamed Tselinograd, the Aqmola after Kazakh independence and finally Astana after becoming the capital in 1991.

Semey is a major city formerly known as Semipalatinsk, and was known for its proximity to the largest Soviet nuclear testing site.

Qaraghandy, formerly Karaganda, is another major city in Kazakhstan. It actually consists of over 40 settlements scattered over a large area.

�skemen, Ust-Kamenogorsk, is yet another major, Kazakh city.

2. Tselinograd became the new capital in Kazakhstan, and was central during a huge irrigation project initiated under Krushchev.

Answer: True

The Virgin Lands irrigation project was initiated in order to start crop growing on Kazakhstan's huge plains. A result of this project today is the sad state of the Aral sea, reduced to a mere puddle, or puddles, with winds whipping up toxic dust full of fertilizers and other chemicals used to make the crops grow, causing widespread health problems in the region.

3. The long-term president of the Ivory Coast, F�lix Houphou�t-Boigny, president from 1960 to 1993, moved the country's capital from Abidjan to where?

Answer: Abidjan to Yamoussoukro

Yamoussoukro was Houphou�t-Boigny's birthplace, and although it's been the capital for 20 years now, most administrative functions still remain in Abidjan.

Daloa, Bouak� and Korhogo are all major cities in the country.

4. Spending way too much money on the capital transfer, and making his city of birth a modern city, Houphou�t-Boigny also erected a huge building in the city, modeled on a similar edifice in Europe. What European building influenced him?

Answer: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome

The Basilica the Lady of Our Peace is 149 meters tall, a few meters taller than the original, and contains artwork depicting Houphou�t-Boigny together with the disciples, clearly overrating his own significance; something not unusual, perhaps, among African dictators.

5. Another African country, Nigeria, moved its capital in 1991. The old capital of Lagos was a mess of poverty and crime, and the capital was consequently moved to this city... which city?

Answer: Abuja

Abuja has a population of 339100 (1995 estimate), and is situated in the center of the country.

Kano, Bauchi and Iwo are all large, Nigerian cities.

6. Abuja is a planned city.

Answer: True

Government offices started moving to Abuja already in the early 80's, but the capital was not inaugurated until December 15th 1991, after almost 15 years of planning and construction. The location was carefully selected, as its surroundings are basically undeveloped and ethnically neutral, and planners hoped that this would make it a capital all Nigerians could identify with.

7. The mother of all new cities, Bras�lia, was inaugurated in 1960, after only three years of construction. Out of which state was the Distr�to Federal carved?

Answer: Goi�s

Bras�lia was the heartchild of president Juscelino Kubitschek who made this his prestige project. Genius architect Oscar Niemeyer designed the main buildings, while L�cio Costa made the city plan. The idea of an inland capital had been with the Brazilians for centuries, it was even mentioned in the constitution, and even though it is responsible for much of Brazil's heavy debt burden, the Bras�lia project made Kubitschek forever famous and popular.

The state of Tocantins was in fact a part of Goi�s as well, and became a separate state in 1990.

8. What was Brazil's first capital? (Present name)

Answer: Salvador

Salvador was founded in 1549, and was replaced as the national capital in 1763, when it was moved to Rio de Janeiro. Salvador is the most African of Brazil's major cities, and hosts an annual carnival known to be way better than the more famous carnival of Rio.

9. Another well-known new capital is Canberra, Australia. Many people mistakenly claim Sydney as the Australian capital, but in which city did the Australian parliament meet until Canberra was established?

Answer: Melbourne

Contrary to what many people think, Melbourne was the home of the Australian Parliament before it moved to Canberra. It was partly the rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne over which city deserved the position that made politicians decide on building a new city.

10. How did the name Canberra come about?

Answer: It was a mispronunciation of Kamberra, an aboriginal name of the place.

It was the governor-general's wife, Lady Denman, who pronounced the name Kamberra wrong when laying down the foundation stone in 1913. The name actually means 'a meeting place of tribes gathering for a feast on the Bogong Moths in the southern mountains'!

11. Not very often acknowledged, Sri Lanka's capital is in fact not Colombo. What is the name of the city?

Answer: Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte

The capital was officially moved to Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte in 1982, government officials stating the reason to be a plan to open up up real estate to development of apartments for the poor. Almost 50 percent of Colombo's population lives in the slums, a percentage higher than that of Calcutta, even! Not all government offices or ministries have moved yet, but it's a continuous development.

Akkaraipatta and Cheddikulam are cities in Sri Lanka, while I made up Sri Samaraweera-Layam myself.

12. What three European powers have governed Colombo?

Answer: The Portuguese, Dutch and British.

The Portuguese took the city in 1517, and changed the name from the Arab Kolambu to Colombo, honoring Christopher Columbus. The Dutch took the city in 1656, and the British in 1796, keeping it until Sri Lanka became independent as Ceylon in 1948.

13. After Germany's reunification in 1990, it was decided that the capital be moved to Berlin once again. What city had this role in West Germany during the Cold War?

Answer: Bonn

Bonn was chosen as the new capital of West Germany, and took on the position in 1949. The city was severely damaged during World War II.

14. The Reichstag in Berlin was damaged by fire in the 30's, one of the events leading up to the seize of power by Adolf Hitler, and again damaged during the Soviet invasion of East Berlin. Now housing the Bundestag, the building has a brand new dome, designed by what architect?

Answer: Sir Norman Foster

The glass and mirror dome of the Bundestag building is hailed as yet another masterpiece from Foster's hand. It is possible for the public to use walkways suspended over the plenary chamber to watch the MPs in session.

Renzo Piano and Santiago Calatrava are other great, European architects (Italian and Spanish, respectively), while Paul Wallot was the architect who drew the Reichstag building originally.

15. A tad more tricky, this one. It's not about a national capital, in fact, but a state capital in India. The city of Chandigarh is the capital of two Indian states; which ones?

Answer: Punjab and Haryana

India's first planned city, Chandigarh, is the capital of Punjab and Haryana states. The city was scheduled for becoming solely the capital of Punjab in 1986, but this has been postponed.

16. What is the name of the architect and city planner who was responsible for Chandigarh?

Answer: Le Corbusier

One of le Corbusier's major projects, Chandigarh was built between 1950 and 1965. It is said to be one of the most pleasant cities of India.

17. Staying in India, we continue to the national capital. It was decided to move the capital in 1911, but from where to where?

Answer: Kolkata (Calcutta) to Delhi

In 1911 it was decided to move the capital from Calcutta to the city of Delhi. New Delhi did not exist at this point! Delhi functioned as the temporary capital of India from 1912 to 1931, when New Delhi was inaugurated.

18. The capital of India was planned by whom?

Answer: Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens

Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens planned the city of New Delhi, that was built from 1912 to 1929 on a site adjacent to the city of Delhi. The capital was officially moved in 1931 to a city full of majestic buildings and wide streets in a grand layout.

The three other names I made up.

19. Norway's capital Oslo is, though the oldest Scandinavian capital, not Norway's first. What city was that?

Answer: Trondheim

Bergen has also been the capital of Norway, preceding Oslo, while Stavanger today is the fourth largest city in the country as well as the "oil capital". T�nsberg is Norway's oldest city.

20. And now for something different... what capital has a name, though named after its founder, that is derived from a Roman Imperial title?

Answer: Pretoria

Pretoria, executive capital of South Africa is named after its founder Andries Pretorius. A praetorian guard was the emperor's private guard in the Roman Empire, the order being founded by emperor Augustus.

Source: Author optigan

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
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New Capitals Trivia Quiz

Many nations have throughout history decided to move their capitals, of some reason or another. This quiz is about these cities and topics related to them.

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