Place the City - Asia [2] Trivia Quiz

Afghanistan's second-largest city, Kandahar sits in the southern half of this Asian nation. Constructed near the ancient city of Mundigak by Alexander the Great, its history predates even that, being a site for early farming in the prehistoric era. An important crossroad for trade and commerce for centuries, Kandahar has been the site of military occupation more than once in its history, even in the modern era, having been a headquarters for Taliban forces after the U.S. military settled there for twenty years.

Found in the northeast of India, Patna was formerly known by the name Pataliputra. One of the largest-growing cities in India in the twenty-first century, it's considered a sacred city for the Sikhs. Because of its position on the Ganges River, it happens to be one of the longest-inhabited cities in not only India, but the world, having been founded in 490 BCE. Patna is more than a thousand kilometres away from the Indian capital of Delhi, but is only a short distance due south of Kathmandu, Nepal.

The capital city of East Timor, the city of Dili sits on the northern coast of the island of Timor, slightly south of the Indonesian islands. At one time, Dili was one of many Portuguese-led cities in this part of the world, but it and the rest of the island was annexed by Indonesia in the twentieth century. East Timor gained independence in 1999 and Dili remained its most critical port, having been the de facto capital of the island since 1769.

Though the name Okinawa may lend itself to a large Japanese city, the actual city by that name (found in Okinawa Prefecture), isn't even the largest city in its region! (That'd be Naha.). Nonetheless, Okinawa is a quaint destination on the remote Ryukyu Islands found to the south of Japan's mainland as they stretch towards Taiwan.

A relatively new city, it was founded in 1974 along the coastline facing out to the Pacific Ocean. Notably, the city has been used as a strategic military base for the United States since World War II.

The third-largest Siberian city, Omsk sits on the Irtysh River as it flows from China and Kazakhstan and heads northward to the Gulf of Ob to the far north. A critical location during Soviet Era Russia due to its oil deposits, it was conveniently located on the Trans-Siberian Railway line at a point where the track split, heading in multiple directions across southern Siberia to the east. Because of its position in Russia, it's much closer to the Kazakh capital, Astana, than its own; Moscow is six times the distance.

While Sana'a has long been the Yemeni capital, it was Aden that was chosen to take the mantle as de facto capital in 2015, partly due to Sana'a water crisis and partly due to civil unrest. Unlike Sana'a, which is one of the world's highest national capitals (sitting in the central mountains), Aden is a port city on the Gulf of Aden, where the Red Sea flows into the Indian Ocean.

The harbour found there has been used since the 7th century BCE. Perhaps expectedly, it's in a good spot for sea trading.

Though Kazakhstan has had multiple capitals in its lifetime (and Almaty has been that location more than once), Almaty has the distinction of being Kazakhstan's largest city. Found along the mountains of the Trans-Ili Alatau, the city of Almaty is very near the border with Kyrgyzstan.

A cultural hub, Almaty is home to numerous museums, theatres, and cinemas, the latter of which are bolstered by a large film industry brought into the nation quite early in the twentieth century.

One of the more fascinating destinations of central Laos, Luang Prabang consists of several villages, most situated on the Mekong River, as it cuts through the rainforests of Southeast Asia. In addition to the heart, soul, and culture of the Buddhist Laotian way of life, Luang Prabang was also partly colonized by the French, leading their influence to weave into the city. Most of Luang Prabang's sites of note are natural-- waterfalls, the river, caves, rainforests-- but the city is also home to royal temples and palaces.

The northernmost capital in China, Harbin is found in Heilongjiang Province and has a culture and style all its own simply due to its environment, nestled between Russia, the Korean Peninsula, and the rest of China to the south. Colder than most of the rest of the nation with long, Siberian winters, it's a city known for foods with heavy, rich sauces, beer, and savoury dishes.

Its annual Snow and Ice Sculpture festivals are amongst the world's largest.

The city of Ganja, Azerbaijan is one of its nation's largest (after the capital, Baku, and Sumqayit) and it's much deeper inland (as the other two are on the Caspian Sea). Found in the lowlands near the Lesser Caucasus Mountains, Ganja has had a long history with both the Russians (and Soviets) to the north and Iran to the south, creating an interesting push and pull of past influence. Nonetheless, it's one of Azerbaijan's largest-growing locations, one that pushes into the modern era while maintaining its humbleness.