Santa Claus is Coming to Town Trivia Quiz

Answer: Beijing

In spite of being in a location that is (while good) not superior to others in China based on access to rivers and arable land, Beijing had been settled by 25,000 BCE and became a walled city in the 11th century BCE. Beijing's rise to prominence began in the 6th century CE with the completion of the Grand Canal of China. Beijing became the capital of China in the early Ming dynasty (14th century).

Finished in 1420, the Imperial palace of China became known as the Forbidden City. Since the eviction of the last Emperor, Pu Yi, in 1924, it has been open to the public as a museum.

Answer: Alexandria

Lying on the Nile delta, Alexandria is Egypt's most important sea port, handling the vast majority of the country's imports and exports. Its climate is typical for hot deserts, although somewhat mediated by the coastal location and frequent northern winds bringing a bit of humidity and cooling from the sea. There is some rain in the winter months.

Most of the ancient Alexandria had been destroyed by the 4th century CE, both by wars and a devastating earthquake in the year 365. Most ruins have been built over, so the modern city stands on top of ancient remains, making them difficult to access. However, significant archaeological finds have recently been made underwater, including what little remains of the ancient Pharos, one of the seven wonders of antiquity, after it fell to an earthquake in 1303.

Answer: Reykjavik

The name "Reykjavik" literally means "smoke cove", alluding to the volcanic activity of Iceland. Situated on the mid-Atlantic ridge, the island is rather young, having first emerged from the ocean less than 20 million years ago. In spite of its position near the Arctic Circle, Iceland enjoys relative mild winters with temperatures usually being just under 0 centigrade.

The geothermal pools of Reykjavik and the other Icelandic towns are open year round and play a significant role in Icelandic social life - it's not unusual to enjoy a game of chess with a floating board or to have an informal business meeting while soaking in thermal water under a starry sky.

Answer: Cordoba

Situated in the Humid Pampa, Cordoba is an important center to this important Argentine agricultural region. The Pampas are hilly grasslands, varying in character between prairie and steppe. Soil quality and climate would permit more extensive vegetation including forests, but frequent wildfires ensure that grass remains dominant and trees are rare.

The cuarteto is a staple of Cordoba culture. Bands of four musicians - traditionally a pianist, a violinist, a bass player and an accordion player - play and sing upbeat dance music. A significant amount of cuarteto music is typical party music with sometimes risqué lyrics, but several of the most popular cuartetos have achieved that status in spite of - or because - of their songs being clean, appealing to the conservative segment of Argentina's population.

Answer: Edmonton

Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, is a young city like most North American cities are. While human settling in the area can be traced back to the 12th millennium BCE, the first permanent structure was Fort Edmonton in 1795, established on the North Saskatchewan by the Hudson Bay company as a trading post. It took another century before the arrival of railroads triggered further development and by 1912, Edmonton had become a flourishing city. Winters in Edmonton are quite cold with an average of over 100 frost days a year, while summers are usually relatively mild with average July highs below 25° Centigrade.

The West Edmonton Mall has been the largest shopping mall in the world from 1981 to 2004, but has since been surpassed by several structures in the Middle East as well as eastern Asia. Beyond its many stores, it features an indoor amusement park, a water park and other recreational facilities.

Answer: Lahore

Located in east Pakistan on the Ravi (the smallest of the five Punjab rivers), Lahore has a rather hot climate with annual average temperatures reaching almost 25° Centigrade and daily highs in June exceeding 40°. Apart from the monsoon months of July and August, the climate is mostly arid.

The education situation for girls in Lahore is better than in the Taliban-controlled areas (where Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai hails from) but still not ideal in spite of some strong efforts, including a women-only university. The literacy rate of Lahore is around 70%, approximately 10% above the nation's average. Illiteracy is about twice as common in women as it is in men.

Answer: Omsk

Similar in history to Edmonton, Omsk was also founded as a fort in the 18th century before receiving a major boost in the late 19th century from the development of its country's railroad network. In Omsk's case, it was the Trans-Siberian Railway which provided this impetus; Omsk is the point where the northern and southern branches diverge, serving various cities in western Siberia before reuniting near Lake Baikal. Like many Siberian cities, it can see extremely cold winters and hot summers, with record temperatures reaching -40° and +40° Centigrade respectively.

Hunting is still frequently practiced in Russia, both for food and for trophies. In addition, hunters keep the wolf population - which had posed a major danger to livestock and even humans in the early 20th century - in check. Most Russian hunting grounds are privately owned nowadays, but their owners are known to grant licenses to other hunters, often tourists, whose primary targets are usually bears.

Answer: Nuremberg

Located in northern Bavaria on the Pegnitz river, Nuremberg flourished in the Middle Ages. From the first documented mention in 1050, it grew to be an important city by 1200 and further increased in power and wealth up to the 16th century due to its location on crucial trading routes of the time. After 1600, however, the city lost influence. Today, it is mostly known for hosting the famous Christmas market and the annual international toy fair.

Like any Bavarian city, Nuremberg has an active beer culture, although it does not have the prominence of Munich and other south Bavarian cities. Some good wine is also produced in the region - and German teens may legally drink both (but not liquors) at age 16.

Answer: Auckland

Auckland is located on New Zealand's North Island on an isthmus that gives it access both to the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Tasman Sea on the west, resulting in it having two entirely separate harbors serving two different seas. The area had been settled by Maori around 1350 CE who built several villages and farmed the volcanic soil. Auckland has a subtropical climate and seasonal variation in temperature and precipitation is low.

Patricia (who has Maori ancestors and is named after the Maori author Patricia Grace) is part of a poi dancing troupe. Poi dancing is performed while holding two tethered weights, one in each hand, and swinging these in intricate patterns that resemble the patterns jugglers and yo-yo artists display.

Answer: Barcelona

Barcelona, located on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, is the capital of Catalonia. With a typical Mediterranean climate, the city enjoys warm summers and mild winters. The local football club FC Barcelona has been one of Spain's two leading sides through the decades. Santa, however, is a staunch supporter of their rivals from Madrid and hadn't forgiven the 0:4 defeat of November 2015 just yet... but then, what better time than Christmas to show some kindness and hand that football to Luis Súarez, the player who marked two of the four goals of the game?

If you came up with Liverpool, Marseille or Marrakech, you might want to pay more attention to the actual questions than to just the first letters of the answer options next time!