World Capitals: Vive La Difference Quiz

Answer: Kiev, Ukraine

The Kiev Metro, a dynamic and modern transportation network, is the third subway system in the old Soviet Union after Moscow and St. Petersburg. Originally planned in 1916, the project was abandoned when Ukraine was immersed in the chaos of the Russian Revolution. Following the Bolshevik triumph, Kiev was marginalized as a provincial city for decades.

When the capital was moved there in 1934, the plan was revived. After the destruction and carnage visited on the city during WWII, construction of the underground began in earnest and was finally completed in 1960. Like other Russian/once Soviet subways, the stations in Kiev are generally far more ornate than those in the west, with beautiful decorations, artwork and fancy vestibules.

It takes five minutes to ride the escalators from the bottom of Arsenalna station to street level.

The other three metro systems are among the world's oldest, dating back to around 1900, or earlier in the case of London's tube.

Answer: Wellington, New Zealand

New Zealand's capital was officially relocated from Auckland to Wellington in 1865, making it the oldest of these capitals, and the only one with official status dating from the 19th century. As usual, issues of power and control led to the change. Certain factions felt the gold-rich Southern Island would separate from the north and form its own colony, and that a more central, neutral capital would better unite all of New Zealand.

The location on the Cook Strait at the southern tip of the North Island, with a natural harbor emptying into Fitzroy Bay, made it the logical choice.

Indonesia gained independence in 1945 and Papua new Guinea in 1975, so those two capitals officially date from those years. Canberra was another compromise capital, finally agreed upon in 1908 after Sydney and Melbourne squabbled for decades about the seat of government for a new federated Australia.

Answer: Belize

Belize, with its capital city of Belmopan, is the odd one out. Guatemala City, Panama City and Mexico City are the other three capitals. Belmopan is the result of Hurricane Hattie, which occurred in 1961 and ravaged the coastal area where the old capital was situated. With British aid, the local government promoted the site of Belmopan as a new, safer capital, eighty kilometers inland and farther above sea level.

This new city took a while to develop, but it was complete by 1970 and it became the capital and seat of the government at that time.

The old capital and still largest city in Belize is...Belize City.

Answer: Ottawa, Canada

Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the Canadian capital in the mid 19th century, and the choice appears wise in retrospect, in light of its strategic location between Canada's two preeminent cities, Montreal and Toronto. The city was incorporated in 1855 from the former Bytown and its name derives from the native Algonquin meaning "to trade." Although not on a coast, it has access to water, being on the Ontario side of the Ottawa River, which forms the border between Quebec and Ontario, flows eastward, and joins the St. Lawrence River in at Montreal.

The population of the Ottawa metro area was around 1.2 million in 2011. Paramaribo is on the north coast of South America, which borders the Atlantic Ocean; Dublin is on the Irish Sea on Ireland's eastern coast; and Tokyo is on Tokyo Bay, a giant harbor and waterway which empties into the Pacific Ocean.

Answer: Johannesburg

Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa (some sources now list Soweto as larger) was established in 1886 after gold was found nearby. According to Wikipedia it's also the largest city in the world not on a river, lake or ocean. It is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest of the nine provinces, but it is not one of the three national capitals which are: Cape Town- legislative capital; Pretoria- executive capital; Bloemfontein- judicial capital. Variations of this question pop up periodically, so let's get it straight as to why this is so. The simple answer is that when the Union of South Africa was formed, there was no consensus as to where the capital should be. The compromise was to divide up the branches of government among several cities so no one would have too much influence. There is no legally defined capital. The constitution only states, "The seat of parliament is Cape Town."

The formation and subsequent evolution of South Africa's government is a complex, controversial tangle of narratives, intimately tied in with its apartheid past. Such a charged past naturally caused anxiety about concentration of power, especially among the historically disenfranchised population of African descent, so the diffusion of power makes sense.

Answer: Stockholm, Sweden

Sweden joined the European Union in 1995, but continued to use the Krona as their currency even after the Euro's introduction in 1999, as was their right. In 2003, the country-wide non-binding referendum rejected the Euro, and the government acceded to the wishes of the people and kept the krona.

The Swedes have traditionally been independent-minded, sensible and generally in favor of the status quo, perhaps because of their northern location away from and "above" the European mainland. The vote surprised their government and financial establishment, most of whom favored adopting the Euro.

The political and economic ramifications are complex, but the basic reason for the citizens' trepidation involves not trusting the instability of the widely disparate economies throughout Europe. Citizens of Oslo use the Norway krone (with an E), but Norway had opted not to join the European Union due to issues similar to Sweden's in terms of independence, geographical distance and historic distrust of the continent.

Answer: Quito, Ecuador

Quito, at an altitude of 2,850 meters above sea level in the Andean foothills, is the second highest capital in the world after La Paz, Bolivia. Interestingly, because Quito is right at the equator, it's always springtime despite the altitude, with temperatures in the sixties (Fahrenheit) year round, although they do have wet and dry seasons.

The other three capitals are all below 100 meters elevation. Buenos Aires and Montevideo are within 250 kilometers of each other on the Rio de la Plata, the large bay formed where the Uruguay and Parana Rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Asuncion is inland, but also on a plain, along the Paraguay River.

Answer: Washington D.C., USA

Both New York and Philadelphia had strong claims to be the new nation's capital, but none of the southern states would accept a location so far north. The northern states, represented by Federalists such as treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton, wanted the new federal government to take on the debt from the Revolutionary War.

In exchange for realizing this economic goal, they agreed to a capital district in its present location, along the Potomac River, between Maryland and Virginia. President George Washington also favored this site, since it was near his home at Mount Vernon, and his opinion carried much weight.

Although both Virginia and Maryland initially ceded land for the capital district, it is under federal jurisdiction and is not a part of any state.

Answer: Antarctica/ McMurdo Station

Antarctica, the most remote, inhospitable and unexplored of the continents, has no real cities or permanent civilian settlements, no ruling country, and therefore no capital. It is only peopled by scientists at several research stations along the coastal areas. All activities on the continent are governed by international treaty.

These treaties include non-proliferation of weapons or military installations and also free movement anywhere for research teams. New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, France, Norway, Argentina and Chile all have territorial claims in Antarctica, but they are superseded by the treaties.

The United States operates McMurdo Station, the largest community on the continent, with about 1,250 residents at any given time.

Answer: The Taj Mahal/ New Delhi

The Taj Mahal, probably the most famous and most visited mausoleum in the world, is located in the Indian city of Agra, about 200 kilometers southeast of New Delhi. Started in 1631, It took over 20,000 workers twenty two years to complete this magnificent edifice.

The driving force was emperor Shah Jahan, who had it built in memory of his third and favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Legend says he was so devastated by her death that his hair and beard turned white within six months. It is also alleged that he planned to build a matching black marble structure on the other side of the river, but abandoned the project when his sons started a war against him.