Place the City - Asia [3] Trivia Quiz

Pokhara is a city in Nepal-- its second-largest (after the capital of Kathmandu). Closer to the Annapurna Range, it's a point of embarkation for climbers seeking some of the toughest peaks in the world, and what's interesting is that most visitors who sought out Pokhara could only do so by foot until the 1960s. Today it's an adventure tourist's paradise, climbing aside, and rapidly expanding.

The catch is that it happens to be in a disaster-zone spot, being close to the mountains, therefore susceptible to earthquakes, and falling victim, frequently, to flooding.

This southern Iraqi city sits just inland from the nation's only coastline (which only stretches thirty-six miles along the Persian Gulf) though it does have access to the water. Historically, shipping in Iraq has travelled through the ports of Umm Qasr. None of this, however, stopped the city of Basra from becoming important to Iraq and all who sought to oversee it. Over the centuries its been colonized by the Portuguese, the British, and the Mongol Empire-- not bad for a desert city-- and it has since become one of the nation's most important economic hubs.

The only city by the sea in the Middle Eastern nation of Jordan, Aqaba is far from the most populated city in the nation (that'd be the capital, Amman), but it is one of its most important, allowing for shipping and commerce to flow into the country from the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. So narrow is the coast of Jordan that Aqaba sits on the border with Eilat, Israel to the west, and barely stretches further to the south towards Saudi Arabia.

The largest Philippine city by area, it's the third-largest by population after Manila (the capital) and Quezon City. Davao also happens to be much further south, built into a sheltered bay looking out towards the Celebes Sea and the Banda Arc of Indonesia.

The dormant stratovolcano of Mount Apo looks over this destination, a city once overseen by the Spanish and, after the Philippine Revolution, America. Much of the rest of the island is filled with equatorial rainforest.

After Seoul and Busan, Daegu is South Korea's third-largest city and one of its more centrally-located, sitting on the Nakdong River as it makes its way south to Busan and the Sea of Japan. Known for electronics and manufacturing, Daegu is an industrial hub for the country and the original home of Samsung. Though surrounded by mountains, Daegu is also one of the warmest parts of South Korea.

Slightly southeast of Kuala Lumpur, Malacca sits on the Malaysian coast looking out towards the island of Sumatra. One of the oldest cities in the region, having been founded officially in the fourteenth century, Malacca eventually saw the arrival of eager colonizers from Europe looking to expand their empires. With a convenient spot along the water, it makes sense that it was an economic boon to anyone inhabiting it.

Malé is not only the largest city in the Maldives, it's the capital. Because of the nature of the Maldives as a series of islands in an atoll, Malé is not only one of the lowest capitals in the world, but one of the most densely-populated. Nonetheless, it's a popular starting point for people seeking luxurious vacations in the Indian Ocean; its resorts are associated with prestige. Nearly all other destinations in the Maldives are a flight or boat ride away.

Amongst the largest cities in the world by population (though still falling short of Karachi on the Indian Ocean), Lahore is one of the biggest destinations in Pakistan and the capital of Punjab (though the actual capital of Pakistan is Islamabad). Occupied more than a thousand years ago, Lahore survived the Medieval Era, the Mughal Empire, and the Sikh Empire before being taken over by the British Empire. Eventually, its ownership would become a topic of contention with neighbouring India. All this said, it's a massive city with a diverse skyline home to countless landmarks and gardens.

After Yangon, the capital, Mandalay is the second-largest city in the nation of Myanmar. Found on the Irrawaddy River in the middle of the country, Mandalay takes a great deal of cultural influence from China to the north but contains royal palaces and religious buildings befitting its Buddhist roots.

The city also happens to sit east of the Arakan Mountains, affecting its climate and leaving the region at risk of natural disasters.

The City of Eternal Spring, Kunming is the capital of China's southern Yunnan Province, which borders Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. Found at somewhat of a high altitude, the city is surrounded by unique mountains and karst forests. Within, the city is home to an old, fortified central area.

It also helps that the climate is typically quite mild all year due to its location. All of these combine to make it a surprising and somewhat hidden Chinese destination for anyone looking for something a bit different.