Sister Cities of New York City Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Relationship with this European sister city was formalized after it publicly elected a Mayor for the first time in 1999:

Answer: London, England

With over seven million inhabitants on over 600 square miles, London is the largest city in Europe. Established as a Roman colony in 50 A.D., it has the largest Protestant cathedral in the world (St. Paul's) and is a city comprised of many immigrants, much like NYC.

Sister city ties were started in 1999, when London first elected a Mayor, and were finalized in January 2001, following London Mayor Livingstone's visit to the 'Big Apple'. As a part of the sister city program, NY Mayor Giuliani was made a Knight following the 9/11 incident.

2. When NYC and Beijing (Peking), China were bound as sister cities, what gift did the Chinese government grant the city of New York?

Answer: panda bears

On February 25th, 1980 sister city ties were formalized between the Chinese historic capital, and NYC. The Chinese government gave several panda bears to the NY Zoo to promote the sisterhood. The ties were in order "to promote better understanding and amity between the peoples of both countries" (then NYC Mayor Koch).

3. This Caribbean capital has been New York's sister city since 1983, as NYC has the largest of the Caribbean country's population outside its borders:

Answer: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo is the FIRST colony in the New World, settled by the Spanish in the 16th century. In the city are the Western Hemisphere's first cathedral, first hospital, first university, and its first court. There are many carnivals and festivals in this city, a theme that is reflected in New York City, the Great Bronx Dominican Parade, and the Manhattan Dominican Parade.

4. New York's sister city relationship with Rome, Italy was formalized in 1992. But what other 1983 'sister' relationship was it based on?

Answer: 'sister bridges'

When the Brooklyn Bridge celebrated its 100th birthday, it was made a sister bridge of the Roman bridge Ponte Milvio. The Brooklyn Bridge was built on the backs of many Italian immigrants, and it was paired with the oldest bridge over the Tiber River in Rome. The sister city relationship is based on friendship, shared history, and cultural similarities.

5. This Eastern-European city has been a sister city of New York City since 1992, since the fall of the Iron Curtain:

Answer: Budapest, Hungary

The Danube River separates the two cities, Buda and Pest, until 1873 when they were unified to become the capital of Hungary. Hungary was under Soviet influence until the fall of the Soviet Union and the Iron curtain. But it remained a cultural center throughout the ages.

When the Iron Curtain did fall, many Easter-European cities petitioned to become sister cities of New York City, but only Budapest's application was accepted, in March 1992. Mainly, Budapest was accepted for its democratic progress and enlightenment. Also, over a million and a half Hungarians live in the United States, and Hungary has become a firm ally of NATO.

6. Sister city ties to this city were established in 1983, and the sisterhood has built up the city, including the opening of a New York styled subway system in 1987, and a 1992 effort to rebuild parts of the city damaged in a terrible earthquake:

Answer: Cairo, Egypt

The ties with Cairo were based mostly on a cultural level, but also on an economic level, as Cairo is also Egypt's commercial center. New York has since strengthened the economic alliance with Cairo, helping pull the city away from poverty. Many educational exchange programs were founded based on the sisterhood, and much relief has been brought to Egypt as a result of the strong bond between these two cities.

7. This Asian capital is New York's oldest sister city, ever since 1960. They share a multitude of international activities, such as an annual baseball game, an annual ceramic competition, and a shared half-marathon:

Answer: Tokyo

The capital of Japan, Tokyo is Japan's cultural, economical, industrial and commercial center. It has a large historic city, and the old Imperial Palace. Tokyo is a growing city, and one of the largest in the world. It is very condensed, as you must prove that you have an overnight parking space in order to be able to own a car.

In 1960, formal sister city ties with NYC were made. The annual baseball game "the Friendship Baseball Series" is every year since 1979, hosted alternatively in each city. Many cultural exchange programs were founded, and also many educational exchange programs.

8. This is one of New York's youngest sister cities, with ties formalized in 2003, based on a corporate relationship signed with this African city in 1999.

Answer: Johannesburg, South Africa

Johannesburg is the largest and wealthiest city in South Africa, although it suffered greatly with the onset of apartheid. The city was forcibly separated and all non-whites were forced to the outskirts of the city. High crime rates and racial violence scarred the city. Nowadays, apartheid is gone and Johannesburg has become an exciting tourist attraction.

9. Over 20,000 of this sister city's countrymen live in NYC, and this Spanish city has always had strong cultural, social and economic ties with the 'Big Apple':

Answer: Madrid

The Spanish capital is located in the heart of Spain, but grew much in the 20th century, to over three million inhabitants. With many museums, and history, Madrid is a cultural center. Madrid is Spain's international economic hub, and has direct ties to New York's business community.

The sister city relationship was established in June 1982, and since New York has seen many visits by prominent Spaniards, especially King Juan Carlos I.

10. Which Middle-eastern city has been sister city to New York since 1993, a relationship based on the struggle to merge the inhabitants within the cities?

Answer: Jerusalem, Israel

Jerusalem is the 'Holy City' for three of the world's largest religions (Judaism, Islam and Christianity), and the capital of Israel since it became independent in 1948. It was established over three thousand years ago and has changed ownership over the years countless times.

Both New York and Jerusalem face a similar problem: how to bring together their cities' diverse populations. Both have a mixture of religions, cultures and ethnicities. Both have a history of inter-racial/cultural violence, but both cities are leaders in the struggle to overcome the obstacles.

Source: Author LeoDaVinci

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

As of 2004, New York City maintains formal 'Sister City' relationships with ten international cities. See how many you can find out.

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