Up Where We Belong Trivia Quiz

Answer: La Paz

At its highest point, La Paz is 4,100m above sea level and, since Bolivia is landlocked, we're not going to be finding the sea anywhere regardless. While Sucre is considered the country's legal capital, La Paz is still considered a capital city. If it weren't for this, Bolivia would not have the world's highest capital city.

The city rests in the shadow of Illimani, one of the continent's tallest mountains. From La Paz it's only a short trip to the famous Lake Titicaca and the border of Peru.

Answer: Quito

Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, would be the world's highest capital city if you counted Sucre as Bolivia's only capital (and omitted La Paz). Hiding in the Andes, Quito is situated between several different volcanoes, some of which are threatening to the city. We could leave the city a little bit to visit the monument signifying the Equator-- Ecuador is directly on top of this latitude. We could also stop by Cotopaxi Mirador to marvel at one of the world's highest active volcanoes. Quito is second to Guayaquil, a Pacific coast city at sea level, in terms of population.

Answer: Thimphu

Thimphu, found up in the Himalaya Mountains in Western Bhutan, is the highest altitude capital in all of Asia (which is impressive considering it contains the highest mountain range in the world). Bhutan, already a landlocked nation, contains most of its industry and population in Thimphu and, as such, we can visit it to be impressed with amazing cultural facets. Aside from the giant Buddha statue at Buddha Point and the stunning monasteries throughout and around the city, we could also take a short trip to Dochula Pass, a stunning series of temples surrounded by peaks on all sides.

Answer: Bogota

Bogota, Colombia is not only the largest city in Colombia, but, at a height of 2.6 kilometers above sea level, it's the fourth-highest capital city in the world (the third in South America). Like the other high ones in the continent, it's found in the Andes Mountains though definitely further north towards the stretch of Central America. Bogota is considered a beautiful cultural capital and is home not only to magnificent examples of colonial and Republican architecture, but several hubs for fine arts.

The Teatro de Cristóbal Colón, for instance, is the national theater while Torre Colpatria was, at the time of its completion in 1979, the continent's second-tallest building (the highest was Parque Central Torre Este in Caracas, Venezuela).

Answer: Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, also Ethiopia's largest city, is home to over four million inhabitants and is known for being built around the hot springs of the Entoto Mountain range. The city proper is in the shadow of Mount Entoto which reaches another kilometer upward in height.

Here in Addis Ababa we can embark on several activities; aside from the city's reliance on commerce and business it's also home to several museums of art and history, specifically early civilization history-- Lucy, one of the earliest known hominid skeletons, was found in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the highest-populated landlocked country in the world and nearly one in twenty lives in its capital.

Answer: Asmara

Asmara in Eritrea, though relatively close to the Red Sea (just over sixty kilometers), is perched high above sea level (at almost the same height as its neighbouring country Ethiopia's capital city). This is because original settlers built their village atop the highlands which would inevitably feed into Ethiopia.

In the nineteenth century, Italian settlers began to colonize and build Asmara at a speedier rate, influencing architecture and business to bring the city to the advanced stage it's in today.

It was later taken over by the British.

Answer: Sana'a

The original date at which this capital city was inhabited is not known though people have lived there for centuries upon centuries. Sana'a which is, for the most part, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (especially its beautifully-constructed Old Town) is noteworthy for its religious structures, ancient fortifications, and authentic Middle Eastern marketplaces.

Although Yemen borders the Red Sea and the Arabian sea, Sana'a is built on an escarpment separating the coastal Tihamah from the highlands along the Saudi Arabian border.

These are the same highlands that create the arid Rub' al Khali Desert to the east.

Answer: Mexico City

Founded by the Aztecs nearly seven hundred years ago, Mexico City has since become a world leader in many industries and, certainly, in population. At one time the city was known for being terribly polluted, partially due to a higher propensity for fog at its high altitude) but it has since improved upon its air quality. On top of being one of the major Spanish-speaking capitals of the world, it's also a major tourist destination (second in Mexico only to the Mayan Riviera). Mexico City, while being in a basin, is adjacent to several states home to active volcanoes.

The city's elevation is considered approximately 2.2 kilometers, but due to the mountains, its highest point is closer to four kilometers above the sea.

Answer: Nairobi

One of the most populated cities in Africa, Nairobi is a hotspot for commerce and business. The capital of Kenya, it was built from a swamp into a bustling home for millions. Outside the city we can visit Nairobi National Park on safari or we can visit the local museums. Like Addis Ababa to the north, Nairobi boasts several artifacts regarding early civilization. Nairobi is near both Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro, both the two highest peaks in Africa.

While Kenya borders the Indian Ocean to the southeast, its western reaches (including Nairobi) are peppered with mountains and hilly ranges.

Answer: Kabul

Kabul, thousands of years old, is one of the world's fastest-growing cities, even today, and is one of the most famous Persian cities. Found in the Hindu Kush mountain range as they feed into the Himalayas, Kabul has been the capital of Afghanistan for quite a while, and before that it was the capital of empires.

Although Kabul has been a site of war and revolution, it's also rich in history both ancient and recent. Influenced by centuries of different religions and rulers, it's not surprising to find older mosques, mausoleums, and museums within the city next to modern constructions.