Stately Capitals Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dresden

The state of Saxony, like the rest of the former German Democratic Republic (DDR), became part of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990. The former capital and residence of the Electors and Kings of Saxony, Dresden lies in the valley of the Elbe River, near the border with the Czech Republic. Because of its gorgeous Baroque and Rococo architecture, the city was known as the Jewel Box. Its controversial bombing by American and British forces on February 13-15, 1945 caused the death of about 25,000 people, and destroyed most of the city centre. In the decades following the end of the war, many of Dresden's historic buildings were reconstructed - including the imposing Frauenkirche, whose Baroque dome is the city's most recognizable landmark.

Bremen is the capital of the state of the same name, Germany's smallest, while Stuttgart is the capital of Baden-Württemberg, and Potsdam of Brandenburg (which was also part of the former DDR).

Answer: Geneva

Located on the shores of the lake of the same name (called Lac Léman in French), Geneva is Switzerland's second-largest city, and the capital of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, which mainly consists of the city itself and its suburbs. The canton is almost completely surrounded by France, and French is its main language. In the 16th century, Geneva became one of the most important centres of the Protestant Reformation, due to the presence of John Calvin, the French theologian who founded Calvinism. The city became part of the Swiss Confederation in 1814. Besides its relevance as a financial centre, Geneva is a worldwide hub for diplomacy, due to the presence of many agencies of the United Nations (such as the High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Health Organization), the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization and the World Economic Forum.

Bellinzona is the capital of the Italian-speaking Canton Ticino. The other two cities are capitals of German-speaking cantons, Basel-Stadt and Luzern.

Answer: Vladivostok

The title "krai", meaning "frontier", definitely applies to the territory of the Russian Federation whose capital is the city of Vladivostok ("ruler of the east"), part of the Far Eastern Federal District of the world's biggest country. Founded in the 19th century around the Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, Vladivostok is the largest Russian port on the Pacific Ocean, and the home of the Pacific Russian Fleet. The Trans-Siberian Railway, built to connect Vladivostok with the national capital of Moscow, and completed in 1916, is 9,289 km (5,772 mi) long, the world's longest railway line. It takes eight days to complete the journey.

Arkhangelsk (capital of Arkhangelsk Oblast) and Volgograd (capital of Volgograd Oblast) are both located in European Russia; Novosibirsk, Russia's third-largest city, is the capital of Novosibirsk Oblast in Siberia.

Answer: Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia ("New Scotland") is one of Canada's three maritime provinces - the other two being New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The province's capital of Halifax, named after the 2nd Earl of Halifax, was established in the mid-18th century in a territory traditionally inhabited by the indigenous Mi'kmaq peoples. In 1917, as WWI was raging in Europe, disaster struck the city when two ships collided in the harbour, causing a terrible explosion that devastated Halifax's Richmond District and killed about 2,000 people. Now Halifax is a major economic centre, home to many industries and government services.

Victoria is the capital of British Columbia, Winnipeg of Manitoba, and Quebec City of Quebec.

Answer: Yucatán

Mexico's official name is Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States), and this large federal republic comprises 31 states. Yucatán is situated on the northern part of the peninsula of the same name. Its capital, Mérida, was founded in 1542 by Spanish conquistadors on the site of the Mayan city of T'ho, and for this reason is considered by some the oldest continually-occupied city in the Americas. Located about 35 km (22 mi) off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, modern Mérida boasts a multicultural population, with a very high percentage of people of Mayan ethnicity. The city is also an important cultural centre.

The capitals of the other states mentioned as incorrect answers are Guadalajara (Jalisco), Chihuahua (Chihuahua) and Xalapa (Veracruz).

Answer: Manaus

Located in the North Region of Brazil, Amazonas is the country's largest state, and one of the largest country subdivisions in the world. Its capital, Manaus, which lies in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, at the confluence of the Rio Negro with the Solimőes river, has a fascinating history. Like many cities in Central and South America, it developed from a fort, but grew into a large and affluent city during the region's short-lived rubber boom of the late 19th century (hence the opera house) - and this in spite of being geographically isolated. To this day, though there are roads connecting Manaus to the rest of Brazil, the most practical way to get there is by plane or by boat. The "Paris of the Tropics" is now a thriving metropolitan area that is home to over two million people.

Recife is the capital of the northeastern state of Pernambuco, and Salvador of the neighbouring state of Bahia; on the other hand, Curitiba is the capital of the southern state of Paraná.

Answer: Nigeria

The Federal Republic of Nigeria counts 36 states, of which Lagos State is the smallest, though probably the most important in economic terms. Lagos is Nigeria's most populous city and one of the world's largest urban areas, with megacity status. Named Eko in Yoruba (one of Nigeria's indigenous languages), it was originally a fishing village that was given the name Lagos ("lakes") by the Portuguese in the 15th century, as it lies on a lagoon separated from the Atlantic Ocean by barrier islands and sand spits.

The city, which is a major port and financial centre, is built both on the mainland and a number of islands; the central business district, as well as many government and religious buildings, are located on Lagos Island. Lagos was Nigeria's national capital from 1914 to 1991, and the capital of Lagos State from its creation in 1967 to 1976.

The current capital of Lagos State is Ikeja.

Answer: Bangalore

Bangalore (anglicized form of the official Kannada name "Bengaluru"), is a megacity located in the southeastern part of Karnataka (formerly Mysore), in the Deccan Plateau, at an elevation of 900 m (3,000 ft) above sea level. Established in 1573 during the Vijayanagara Empire, with the advent of the British Raj it became the capital of the Princely State of Mysore. When India became independent in 1947, Bangalore was made capital of Mysore State, and remained capital of the new state of Karnataka (formed in 1956). It is now known as India's Silicon Valley, as the country's foremost IT organizations are headquartered there. A thriving, fast-growing metropolis, home to more than ten million people, Bangalore also hosts a number of high-profile educational and research institutions.

Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh in Central India, Jaipur of Rajasthan in the north, and Chennai (formerly Madras) of Tamil Nadu, which borders Karnataka to the south-east.

Answer: Borneo

Two of Malaysia's thirteen states, Sarawak and Sabah, are located away from the mainland, on the island of Borneo (Kalimantan); most of this huge island, which also hosts the tiny sovereign nation of Brunei, belongs to Indonesia. Founded in 1827, in 1841 Kuching (whose name means "cat" in Malay) became the capital of the Kingdom of Sarawak, ruled by the White Rajah, James Brooke, until his death in 1868. Occupied by the Japanese during WWII, Kuching remained a state capital when Malaysia became a sovereign nation in 1963. Located on the banks of the Sarawak River, and surrounded by lush vegetation, the city is now a major tourist destination, as well as an important commercial and industrial centre. Not surprisingly, seen the meaning of the city's name, Kuching is home to a cat-themed museum.

New Guinea is the world's second-largest island; Sumatra (Indonesia) and Honshu (Japan) are respectively the sixth- and seventh-largest.

Answer: Darwin

Australia's Northern Territory is sparsely populated, so its capital city of Darwin is much smaller in terms of population than its more southerly counterparts. Located on the Timor Sea, and closer to some Southeast Asian capitals than to the Australian national capital of Canberra, Darwin was named after English naturalist Charles Darwin. Its territory was home to the indigenous Larrakia people, and was not permanently settled by Europeans before the late 19th century; its name became official in 1911. The city survived a Japanese bombing in February 1942 - the most serious attack on Australia in wartime - and Cyclone Tracy, which struck the city on Christmas Day, 1974, destroying over 70% of its buildings. Darwin's economy depends mainly on mining and tourism, especially due to its status as a gateway to Asia.

Hobart is the capital of the island state of Tasmania, Brisbane of Queensland, and Adelaide of South Australia.