USA Alphabetically - Part P Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pierre

Pierre has been state capital of South Dakota ever since statehood was conferred in 1889. The city was founded in 1880, on the opposite side of the Missouri River from Fort Pierre.

Answer: Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh was founded in 1758, and named after British Prime Minister Sir William Pitt. The steel industry played a major part in the city's economy from 1875 until the 1980s.

Answer: Provo

Originally called Fort Utah, Provo was renamed after a trapper, Etienne Provost, in 1850. Brigham Young University was established there in 1875 by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The vast majority of students there, and indeed the vast majority of the citizens of Provo, are Mormons.

Answer: Phoenix

Incorporated in 1881, the city was named Phoenix by pioneer Phillip Darrell Duppa, as it arose from the ruins of an ancient Native American civilisation. The city was named state capital of Arizona in 1912 when statehood was conferred.

Answer: Pensacola

Pensacola has existed since 1559. Located in Florida's panhandle, on Pensacola Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, the "Five Flags" moniker refers to the five governments that have presided over it - Spain, France, Britain, the Confederate States of America and the USA. Naval Air Station Pensacola was built in 1913, and is the main training base in the USA for Navy and Marine flight officers.

Answer: Portland

Portland, Maine, was first settled in 1633, and was called Falmouth until 1786. Portland was state capital from 1820 until 1832, when Augusta was named the new capital. Nicknamed "The Forest City", the city's economy is mainly service-based.

Portland, Oregon, was incorporated in 1851. Situated on the banks of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, the "Rose City" is a major steel-manufacturing center, and is the site of a number of microbreweries.

Answer: Palm Springs

Palm Springs, in Riverside County, was given its current name in the 1860s due to the location of a mineral spring next to a number of palm trees. Known as a millionaires' playground, the city's economy is heavily-reliant on tourism.

Answer: Philadelphia

Nicknamed the "City of Brotherly Love", Philadelphia was founded in 1682 by William Penn. The US Declaration of Independence was signed in the city in 1776, with the "Liberty Bell" being rung on July 7th to summon the citizens to read it. The bell can still be visited in the city's Independence National Historic Park. Philadelphia was the temporary capital of the USA from 1790 until 1800, whilst Washington DC was being built. Fairmount Park has a total area of 9,200 acres.

Answer: Pocatello

Pocatello is located in the Portneuf Valley on the site of Fort Hall. A gold rush of 1860 first led settlers to the area. Idaho State University was founded there in 1901 under its original name of the Academy of Idaho.

Answer: Providence

Providence, the state capital of Rhode Island, was first settled in 1636, by Roger Williams. Brown University, a member of the Ivy League, was founded in nearby Warren in 1764, moving to Providence in 1770. The Big Blue Bug, also known as Nibbles Woodaway, is 58 feet long, and is sited alongside highway I-95.