Place the City - Asia Trivia Quiz

Found in Western Saudi Arabia and sitting on the Red Sea, the city of Jeddah is the second-largest in its nation (after Riyadh) and is, historically, a bit of a big deal. As the city is situated close to Mecca, it's long been used as a destination along the pilgrimage route to the holy city. Today, it's a more modern destination and home to a thriving economy served by its massive port.

In addition to numerous historical (and protected) buildings, Jeddah is a city of resorts and commercial activity.

Found on East Java, the city of Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest after its national capital, Jakarta, and is considered one of the nation's key cities. Settled in 1037 AD, the region was chosen for political reasons and because of its convenient harbour.

A critical trading port, it became one of the main stops en route to the Spice Islands and a highly-favoured location in the Dutch East Indies. Today, it's a lush city full of urban greenery despite being known as a business centre.

Located in Northwestern Cambodia, the city of Siem Reap is second to Phnom Penh in size, but it may be a more famous destination if only because it's the gateway to the Angkor Wat temple complex near Tonlé Sap Lake, Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake.

Influenced by French and Chinese occupancy (in addition to its Cambodian roots), Siem Reap is known for its unique architecture, resorts, and floating villages.

One of Asia's oldest cities, Samarkand is believed to have been inhabited since the 8th century BCE and boasts some of the most fascinating ancient ruins and palaces in the world. The second-largest city of Uzbekistan, it's found in the southeast of the nation, close to the border with Tajikistan on what was the Silk Road.

At one time, along with a number of adjacent locations, Samarkand was under Soviet rule. Today, it's a hub for historical tourism and a well-preserved, must-see destination for architecture and design.

A city in the southeast of Iran, Shiraz is a unique, landlocked city that defies expectation. Typically a dry location sitting in the plains of the Zagros Mountains, it benefits from seasonal waters that turn it into a garden city. It's because of this that Shiraz has, historically, been known for its arts. Shiraz is Iran's fifth-largest city after Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, and Karaj, all of which are much further to the north.

An important city for Sri Lankan royalty once upon a time, Kandy is located in the middle of this island nation, deep in the central mountains and rainforests. The site of the Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, to this day, remains an important spot for Buddhist pilgrimage.

Besides this, famously, Kandy is a notable destination for tea plantations. Colombo, the island's capital, is southwest along the coast.

Found in the Inner Mongolia region of China, 750 kilometres due west of Beijing, Ordos City was purpose-built. Though occupied in ancient times, Ordos was selected by the Chinese government for rapid expansion, leading to excessive building in its borders in the 2000s and 2010s-- so much so that it was considered a ghost city due to its building vacancies. Today, it's massively prosperous due to its proximity to untapped resources.

Though far from Russia's largest city, it is one of a handful of major destinations in Siberia, more than five thousand kilometres away from the Russian capital of Moscow. Found close to the Mongolian border on the Angara River, Irkutsk benefits from being a key stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

The city itself, established in 1661, is known for its cathedrals and wood buildings, many of which are centuries old. Because of its location, it's likely unsurprising that it has bitterly cold winters and slightly milder summers.

Also known by the name Chittagong, Chattogram is in Bangladesh and follows only the nation's capital, Dhaka, in terms of size and population. Found on a natural harbour on the Bay of Bengal, Chattogram benefits not only from the convenience of its massive port (the largest in the bay) but also its location on the old Silk Road.

Heavily influenced by the British East India Company, it would become a leader in industrial work and a major shipping hub leading into the nation's liberation in 1971.

Jeju City, found on Jeju Island south of the Korean Peninsula, is known for being a tourist destination. Milder than the mainland, Jeju takes up the north half of the island while Seogwipo takes up the entire south. Though Jeju contains a healthy and large permanent population, it sees twenty times as many people flying in over the course of the year to stay at its many resorts and casinos. Hallasan, the largest peak on the island, is a dormant volcano that can be seen easily from the city proper.