"To Be, Or Not to Be" - Capital Cities Quiz

Answer: Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa's proximity to Mount Entoto is no coincidence, as it was the higher ground nearby that originally served as a military base for Emperor Menelik II. Early buildings in the area included a house for the Emperor's wife, Taytu Betul, which was subsequently developed into the Menelik Palace (previously known as the Gebi). The palace remains the seat of the Ethiopian government into the 21st century and is the residence of Ethiopia's Prime Minister.

Addis Ababa has been its nation's capital since around 1890 and has grown to become a major African city that is host to a number of international organisations, including the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

Answer: Baghdad

Over 1,000 years ago, Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and was one of the largest and most influential cities in the world. It was particularly noted as a cultural centre for the Islamic world and was home to ancient academic organisations, such as the House of Wisdom (otherwise known as the Abbasid Library). Unfortunately, the city was attacked by the Mongol Empire in 1258 and it, along with many of its treasures, was largely destroyed. It was then ruled by the Ottoman Empire from the mid-16th century until the end of the First World War and in 1932 it became the capital of the independent nation of Iraq.

Baghdad's position on the River Tigris was fundamental to the city's historic success, both because it was an important water source and because it allowed access to key trade routes. The city stands on both sides of the river - the portion on the eastern bank is named Risafa, while the section on the western bank is called Karkh.

Answer: Bandar Seri Begawan

Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital city of the tiny nation of Brunei and is located on the north-western coast of the much larger island of Borneo, which is shared between Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia. The city has many interesting sights, including a number of impressive mosques, the Lapau (or Royal Ceremonial Hall) and the Royal Mausoleum containing the burial places of previous Sultans of Brunei and their families. The city also includes the amazing Kampong Ayer or 'Water Village' where thousands of houses have been built on stilts in the Brunei River.

The city's name was changed to Bandar Seri Begawan in 1970 in honour of the former Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, who took the title Seri Begawan after his abdication in 1967. Bandar is a Malay word for 'town' or 'city'.

Answer: Brazzaville

Brazzaville is the capital of the Republic of the Congo, which is sometimes referred to as Congo-Brazzaville in order to distinguish it from its larger neighbour, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (whose capital city is Kinshasa). Brazzaville and Kinshasa sit opposite each other on the banks of the River Congo, which forms the majority of the boundary between the two countries as well as giving its name to both of them. Historically the division between the two countries was the fact that the Republic of the Congo was a French colony, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo belonged to Belgium.

Brazzaville is located only around 475 kilometres (295 miles) south of the equator, and as such has a tropical climate with fairly consistent temperatures throughout the year. Monthly average high temperatures vary between 28°C (in July) and 33°C (in March and April), while the rainy season lasts from October through to May.

Answer: Bujumbura

Bujumbura is located at the northern tip of Lake Tanganyika - the world's longest freshwater lake and second largest lake by volume. It is the capital city of Burundi, one of the world's poorest countries. Burundi is heavily dependent on international aid, subsistence agriculture and the export of tea and coffee - the majority of which leaves the country through the port at Bujumbura.

The city was originally just a small village called Usumbura, but it was developed as a military post during German colonisation in the late 19th century and then became the capital of the Belgian administered territory of Ruanda-Urundi after the First World War. Ruanda-Urundi split to become the separate independent nations of Rwanda and Burundi in 1962; Usumbura - renamed as Bujumbura - became the capital of Burundi at that point.

Tourist attractions in the Bujumbura area include the Rusizi Nature Reserve, which is well known for its hippopotamuses; museums such as the Burundi Museum of Life; and the Livingstone-Stanley monument that commemorates a stay in the area by the famed explorers in 1871.

Answer: Bishkek

Bishkek is the capital city of Kyrgyzstan and is located in the north of the country, close to its border with Kazakhstan. The surrounding area is dominated by the Kyrgyz Ala-Too mountain range - which is part of the wider Tian Shan range that stretches across Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and China.

The layout of Bishkek city centre is a reminder of the city's Soviet past as the grid design showcases the large public squares, wide streets and grand public buildings that are commonly associated with that era. The main government office in the city is a large marble clad building, known as the White House (which shouldn't be confused with the building of the same name that serves a similar purpose in Washington D.C., USA).

Answer: Abu Dhabi

The city of Abu Dhabi is mainly located on Abu Dhabi Island in the Persian Gulf (the outer suburbs of the city are located on the main Arabian Peninsula) and is the capital of both the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the country known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This city is a major cultural, economic, industrial and political centre for the region and one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. Despite the overwhelming success of the city since the UAE gained independence from Britain in 1971, development is still rapid and ongoing. The majority of the city's tallest buildings were completed in the 21st century, while many more are still in the planning and building phases.

In addition to expanding upwards in the form of shiny skyscrapers, Abu Dhabi is also expanding into the Persian Gulf with the creation of man-made islands. One well known example is Yas Island, which is home to the Yas Marina Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit (that first hosted a F1 race in 2009) and the enormous Ferrari World theme park.

Answer: Libreville

Libreville is located on the west coast of Africa and is the capital city of Gabon, which obtained independence from France in 1960. Prior to independence it was an important sea-port for French Equatorial Africa - a vast territory that included the modern day countries of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo and Gabon.

In 1846, the French Navy captured a Spanish slave ship named Elizia, which had been en-route to Brazil. The fifty-or-so slaves on board were freed and left to build themselves new lives on the site of what is now Libreville. As a result, the city's history has some similarities to the founding of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, and therefore it was named in honour of that older location - Libreville being French for Freetown.

Answer: Mbabane

Mbabane is the administrative capital of Swaziland, a small landlocked country that is almost completely surrounded by South Africa. The city of Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital (and is another world capital that has two 'b's in its name) and is home to the nation's parliament building, the Embo State Palace and various cultural landmarks. By contrast, Mbabane is the main economic and industrial hub for the country, as well as being home to one of the campuses of the University of Swaziland. However, the two capitals are located just 16 kilometres (10 miles) apart.

Given its location in Africa, visitors would be forgiven for thinking that Mbabane has a hot, dry climate. However, thanks to its height above sea level, average temperatures range from about 11°C (in July) to a comfortable 22°C (in January).

Answer: Bangkok

In Thailand, the city of Bangkok is generally known as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (or just Krung Threp), the initial part of the city's full ceremonial name, which is: Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit. Try fitting that on a road sign!

The city covers around 1,570 square kilometres (or 605 square miles) of the delta region of the Chao Phraya River. Tourism is now a major part of the city's economy - key attractions include the buildings of the Grand Palace (the official residence of the King of Thailand), beautiful Buddhist temples such as Wat Pho, various museums, floating markets and the opportunity to take boat trips on the remaining network of small canals or 'khlongs' that inspired the historical comparison with the Italian city of Venice.