Will You Ace This Ultimate Capitals Quiz?
Written by Anna Riley
Last updated · 29 min play time
With over 190 countries to choose from, we've searched the world for the most interesting capital cities. Asia, Africa, The Americas, and even Oceania are not off limits. Do you think you can name these world capitals?
Quiz written by
Anna RileyUltimate Capitals Quiz Questions
60 Questions · 158 Plays · No comments
Question 1
This city is the largest in the European Union by population and home to the most-visited museum in the world, the Louvre.
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AAmsterdam
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BParis
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CBrussels
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DBern
Paris
Paris is home to over 10 million residents and is the largest city in the EU.
Question 2
Let's start off simple. This European capital hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics and is home to many double-decker buses.
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AParis
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BLondon
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CManchester
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DMadrid
London
London hosted the olympic games in 1908, 1948 and most recently the summer olympics in 2012.
Question 3
This city is the largest in the Arabic-speaking world as well as the largest in the Middle East and located in Egypt.
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ACasablanca
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BCairo
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CRiyadh
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DBaghdad
Cairo
Over 20 million inhabit Cairo's metro area.
Question 4
Another old capital here. This capital city is home to the oldest capital building still in use, is the smallest capital city by area, and is home to the U.S. Naval Academy and is within 30 miles of our nation's capital.
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AAnnapolis, MD
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BProvidence, RI
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CTrenton, NJ
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DDover, DE
Annapolis, MD
Annapolis, MD is less than 7 square miles in area.
Question 5
This capital city had to share the spotlight with New Haven as co-capital of its state between 1701 - 1875.
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AHartford, CT
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BProvidence, RI
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CDover, DE
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DRaleigh, NC
Hartford, CT
Hartford took over the spotlight as sole capital of Connecticut in 1875.
Question 6
This may be the most fiercely contested capital in the world. It is currently claimed as capital by two different states and has been captured and recaptured no fewer than 44 times in its long history.
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ALhasa
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BJerusalem
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CSeoul
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DBeirut
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is claimed as the capital of both Israel and Palestine.
Question 7
This state capital was the 6th ever in its state after the capital was repeatedly moved. Previous capitals included Monterey and San Jose.
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ACarson City, NV
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BSacramento, CA
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CSanta Fe, NM
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DDenver, CO
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento finally became capital of California in 1854.
Question 8
This national capital is one of the least prominent of any world capital population-wise. Just 0.2% of all people in the country live in the capital and residents there have no voting delegate in the country's Congress despite the fact that meetings are held there.
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ANew Delhi
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BCanberra
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CWashington, D.C.
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DBrasilia
Washington, D.C.
If you got Washington, D.C. correct, you're in rare company. Polls indicate the vast majority of Americans are unaware of D.C.'s lack of representation.
Question 9
The world's largest English-speaking capital city is:
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ACanberra
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BWashington, D.C.
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CLondon
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DOttawa
London
London, U.K., is still the largest English-speaking capital after all these years.
Question 10
This coastal capital is famous for its liberal laws, which include legalized marijuana and prostitution.
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AStockholm
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BAmsterdam
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CBerlin
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DMadrid
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is also home to the world's oldest stock exchange.
Question 11
This heartland capital city has a rather boring name which sits #1 on the list of most common U.S. place names.
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AMadison, WI
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BSpringfield, IL
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CSalem, OR
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DColumbia, SC
Springfield, IL
There are a whopping 35 Springfields across the U.S.
Question 12
This state capital down the mountain from Lake Tahoe is well known to coin collectors as the site of a U.S. Mint location that produced silver and gold coins intermittently from 1870 to 1893. It also has the honor of being the very smallest Metropolitan Statistical Area in the entire U.S., with a population barely exceeding 50,000.
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ASalt Lake City, UT
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BSalem, OR
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CCarson City, NV
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DBoise, ID
Carson City, NV
Carson City's Mint was built to take advantage of the city's proximity to the silver and gold boom out West.
Question 13
This tornado-prone capital is a newbie compared to the others on this list, having been named the capital of its state in 1910, more recently than any other capital city. (Hint: This city is located in the Southwest)
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ALincoln, NE
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BOklahoma City, OK
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CBismarck, ND
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DPierre, SD
Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma City edges out Juneau, AK, which has been a capital city since 1906.
Question 14
This 2,500 year old capital city is the only one in the world to completely contain an independent country.
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AAthens
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BRome
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CTirana
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DMoscow
Rome
Rome completely contains the Vatican City, headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church.
Question 15
Let's start small. This tiny state capital is smallest in population among all capitals, at less than 10,000 people, and is named for a French city of the same name.
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AJuneau, AK
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BJefferson City, MO
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CCarson City, NV
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DMontpelier, VT
Montpelier, VT
Montpelier, VT is named after Montpellier, France.
Question 16
This state capital hosted the Olympics in 1996 and boasts the largest metro population of any US state capital.
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APhoenix, AZ
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BNew York City, NY
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CAtlanta, GA
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DBoston, MA
Atlanta, GA
Metro Atlanta has a population over 5,000,000 strong.
Question 17
This city is the world's largest capital by population, with over 25 million in metro-area population. It is also one of the more recent capital cities, having been capital only since 1949.
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ABeijing
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BMoscow
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CIstanbul
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DLagos
Beijing
Beijing, China, took over capital duties after the fall of Nanjing.
Question 18
This capital city is the most densely populated city proper in the world, with a staggering 110,000 people per square mile. It also shares its name with a type of paper and a popular office product.
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ACanberra
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BNew Delhi
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CManila
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DBrussels
Manila
Manila, Philippines, lends its name to Manila paper and the manila folder.
Question 19
One of the world's oldest cities, this capital is often referred to as both the birthplace of democracy as well as western civilization itself.
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AAthens
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BRome
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CParis
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DBudapest
Athens
Athens has a recorded history spanning back over 3,400 years.
Question 20
This ancient Mediterranean city may well be the oldest capital city in the world, having been inhabited continuously since at least 7000 B.C.
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AAthens
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BDamascus
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CBeirut
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DRome
Athens
Athens, Greece, may have been inhabited as far back as 11000 B.C., well before the first systems of writing.
Question 21
Let's test your history knowledge. This relatively small capital city has been the capital of Yugoslavia and was the site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. It also hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics.
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AZagreb
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BBratislava
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CBucharest
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DSarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo is one of Europe's smallest capitals, with around 700,000 living in the metro area.
Question 22
This is the most populous city (Capital of Sweden) in the Nordic countries and the host of the annual Nobel Prize ceremony.
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ACopenhagen
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BHelsinki
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CStockholm
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DReykjavik
Stockholm
Over 2 million live in Stockholm's metropolitan area, making it home to around 1 in 4 Swedes.
Question 23
This city is often considered the headquarters of the European Union, and is home to the headquarters of NATO.
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AAmsterdam
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BBerlin
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CBrussels
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DBern
Brussels
Brussels hosts many key EU institutions, including the European Parliament.
Question 24
This 1000-year-old city on a fjord is consistently ranked as one of the most expensive in the world. It was also known as Kristiania until 1925 and is the capital of Norway.
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AReykjavik
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BStockholm
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CHelsinki
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DOslo
Oslo
Oslo, Norway was known as Christiania or Kristiania from 1624 - 1925.
Question 25
Which capital city holds the record for closest proximity to another US capital - it lies only 30 miles from some neighborhoods of Boston, MA.
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AProvidence, RI
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BAlbany, NY
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CAugusta, ME
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DHarrisburg, PA
Providence, RI
Boston, MA and Providence, RI are only about 30 miles apart as the crow flies.
Question 26
The Nile River flows through all but this mile-high national capital (located in Kenya):
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ANairobi
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BCairo
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CKhartoum
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DJuba
Nairobi
The Nile River does not flow through Kenya at all, making Nairobi the correct choice.
Question 27
This city is only the 22nd-largest city in its state, the lowest such ranking of any capital. It also has more rainy days on average than any other city in the lower 48 states.
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AOlympia, WA
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BLansing, MI
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CSalem, OR
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DAugusta, ME
Olympia, WA
Olympia, WA averages 163 rainy days every year.
Question 28
On the topic of language, this is not only the largest Spanish-speaking capital, but also the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world.
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AHavana
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BMexico City
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CBogota
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DMadrid
Mexico City
Over 20 million Spanish-speakers live in the Mexico City area.
Question 29
This city was also the capital of an independent, although unrecognized, country from 1861 - 1865. This city is located near the Mason-Dixon line.
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AAustin, TX
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BMontgomery, AL
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CBaton Rouge, LA
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DRichmond, VA
Richmond, VA
Richmond was the capital of the Confederate States of America from 1861 - 1865.
Question 30
This city on the Congo River is now the largest Francophone city in the world.
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AParis
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BFranceville
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CKinshasa
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DLuanda
Kinshasa
Over 20 million live in Kinshasa's metro area, surpassing even Paris.
Question 31
The Danube River flows through this capital city, which used to be three separate cities until a merger in 1873. It is home to the 3rd largest Parliament building in the world.
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ABudapest
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BDublin
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CCopenhagen
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DBratislava
Budapest
Before 1873, Budapest was three separate cities: Buda, Obuda, and Pest.
Question 32
This city on the River Liffey was originally founded as a Viking settlement, although today it may be more known for its citizens' drinking abilities.
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ALondon
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BOslo
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CDublin
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DStockholm
Dublin
The Guinness Brewery is one of the largest employers and top tourist attractions in Dublin.
Question 33
Despite being built by Muslims in the 9th century, this capital city, the EU's third largest, is today mostly Roman Catholic.
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AAndorra
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BIstanbul
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CLisbon
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DMadrid
Madrid
Approximately 57% of Madrid residents identify as Roman Catholic.
Question 34
This remote city in the mountains is home to many throat singers as well as the coldest climate of any capital city, with an average January low of -14 F and a year-round daily average below freezing. (Hint: located in a country that starts with M)
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ALa Paz
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BStockholm
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CMoscow
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DUlaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, probably also has the record for most a's in its name. It even beats Antananarivo.
Question 35
This capital city holds the distinction of being the longest-chartered city in the United States, receiving city status in 1686. It also was the original eastern terminus of the Erie Canal.
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AHartford, CT
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BHarrisburg, PA
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CConcord, NH
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DAlbany, NY
Albany, NY
Albany, NY was founded even earlier in 1614.
Question 36
This Southern state capital has an identity crisis, being just 6 miles from another state yet a 640 mile drive from places within its own state's borders.
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AAthens, GA
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BBaton Rouge, LA
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CLittle Rock, AR
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DTallahassee, FL
Tallahassee, FL
Tallahassee is only 6 miles as the crow flies from southern Georgia.
Question 37
Which capital city is one of three cities in the lower 48 states to also serve as capital of another country, serving as a nation's capital from 1839 - 1845?
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ASalem, OR
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BRichmond, VA
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CSanta Fe, NM
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DAustin, TX
Austin, TX
Austin was the capital of the Republic of Texas before Texas joined the United States.
Question 38
This capital holds the record for lowest capital city, with an elevation of -92 feet, possible because of its location on the Caspian Sea. It is also the largest city below sea level and the largest in the Caucasus, with a metro population over 4 million.
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AMinsk
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BBaku
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CTehran
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DAshgabat
Baku
Baku, Azerbaijan was also ranked in the top 10 by Reuters for best nightlife. Go figure.
Question 39
This massive city is one of the 20 largest in the world and is also the world's coldest city with a population greater than 10 million people.
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AStockholm
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BHelsinki
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CMoscow
-
DReykjavik
Moscow
Moscow has an estimated 18 million people in its urban area.
Question 40
This capital city is both the world's windiest city as well as the southernmost capital. Rather ironically, it is located on its country's North Island. This city is located in a country that starts with "New".
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AMaputo
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BWellington
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CCanberra
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DCape Town
Wellington
Wellington, New Zealand, is located at 41 degrees S.
Question 41
We've covered density, temperature and age, but what about latitude? This is the northernmost capital city of a sovereign state, and its country will celebrate 100 years of independence from Denmark in 2018.
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AReykjavik
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BOslo
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CHelsinki
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DCopenhagen
Reykjavik
Reykjavik, Iceland, is perched at 64 degrees N latitude.
Question 42
This city 42 miles southeast of Lake Titicaca is located over two miles higher than our previous city and is the world's highest capital city. (Hint: City is two words)
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AThimphu
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BLa Paz
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CBogota
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DMexico City
La Paz
La Paz, Bolivia is located at a mind-numbing 11,942 feet above sea level.
Question 43
The oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the "New World", this capital city is found on the island of Hispaniola, and was founded by Christopher Columbus' younger brother. (Hint: located on the bottom half of this map)
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ASanto Domingo
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BPort-Au-Prince
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CSan Juan
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DPort of Spain
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was founded all the way back in 1496, just four years after Christopher Columbus re-discovered the New World.
Question 44
Let's finish up with some tougher ones. This city on the water was also founded as a Viking settlement and sits less than 10 miles from an international border.
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AAmsterdam
-
BCopenhagen
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CTórshavn
-
DStockholm
Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark was founded in the 10th century as a Viking fishing village.
Question 45
Despite its location at 33 north longitude on the banks of the Tigris River, this Middle Eastern capital is one of the hottest cities in the world, with summer temperatures averaging 111F.
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ABaghdad
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BDamascus
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CKuwait City
-
DTehran
Baghdad
Not many places are hotter than Baghdad, Iraq in the summer.
Question 46
While not the most prominent capital city in Europe today, this city was the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia for hundreds of years during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Nicknamed "the City of a Hundred Spires"
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APrague
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BBern
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CBudapest
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DSarajevo
Prague
Prague is the 14th largest city in the modern EU and is the capital of the Czech Republic.
Question 47
This city on the Atlantic Ocean is in a country with the longest uninterrupted border in the European Union.
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ALisbon
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BDublin
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COslo
-
DMadrid
Lisbon
Lisbon, in Portugal, shares a continuous 754-mile border with Spain.
Question 48
This techno-loving city was the capital of two different countries until 1990. (Hint: this city has around 1,700 bridges)
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ABerlin
-
BJerusalem
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CDublin
-
DLisbon
Berlin
Prior to reuniting in 1990, West Berlin was the capital of West Germany, while East Berlin was the capital of East Germany.
Question 49
Break out the sunblock! This is the hottest state capital, with a breezy average temperature of 77 F and an all-time record low of only 52!
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ATallahassee, FL
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BPhoenix, AZ
-
CAustin, TX
-
DHonolulu, HI
Honolulu, HI
Honolulu is also the southernmost state capital, which greatly influences its temperature.
Question 50
This city was at one time the largest German-speaking city in the world and was the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1867 - 1918.
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APrague
-
BVienna
-
CBudapest
-
DBerlin
Vienna
Vienna has been passed by Berlin in population but retains prominence as the capital of Austria.
Question 51
Nicolae Ceauescu's Communist regime destroyed many buildings in this historic city's center, situated between the Danube River and the Carpathian Mountains. (Hint: This city is located in a country that ends in "ania".
-
ASarajevo
-
BBucharest
-
CBelgrade
-
DZagreb
Bucharest
Bucharest, Romania is only 35 miles from the Danube River.
Question 52
This northern capital is closest among all US capitals in proximity to Canada - it actually borders Canada - and is larger in area than the entire state of Delaware.
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ASt. Paul, MN
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BOlympia, WA
-
CJuneau, AK
-
DBismarck, ND
Juneau, AK
The municipal borders of Juneau actually border British Columbia.
Question 53
Let's test your knowledge of language. This coastal, equatorial city is the most populous Portugese-speaking capital city in the world, with a population near three million.
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ALisbon
-
BLuanda
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CRio de Janeiro
-
DBrasilia
Luanda
Luanda, Angola has a metro area population of over six million.
Question 54
This capital city may feel unimportant, as it is the only capital that is not also the seat of its county. It is however, the location of a Big 10 University and two law schools.
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AMadison, WI
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BLansing, MI
-
CColumbus, OH
-
DSpringfield, IL
Lansing, MI
Lansing, MI is home to Michigan State University.
Question 55
This city is located in southwest Slovakia on the Danube River and is the only national capital that borders two other countries.
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AVaduz
-
BBucharest
-
CBratislava
-
DLuxembourg City
Bratislava
Surrounded by vineyards and the Little Carpathian mountains, Bratislava, Slovakia, borders Austria and Hungary.
Question 56
From newest to oldest: this city has been capital of its state or territory (the longest of any capital), having acquired capital status back in 1610. It also has the highest elevation of any state capital.
-
ADenver, CO
-
BHonolulu, HI
-
CSacramento, CA
-
DSanta Fe, NM
Santa Fe, NM
Santa Fe, NM is perched up at 7,199 feet elevation.
Question 57
Let's see how well you know your rivers. The Danube River flows through all of the following national capitals except for:
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AVienna
-
BBudapest
-
CBelgrade
-
DPrague
Prague
The Danube flows through four national capitals in total: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and Belgrade.
Question 58
This capital may be most well-known to Western audiences as being in Borat's home country of Kazakhstan, but it's also one of the most inaccessible national capitals, lying over 1,000 miles away from the nearest ocean, the Arctic Ocean.
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AAstana
-
BTashkent
-
CKabul
-
DBishkek
Astana
Despite its isolated location, Astana, Kazakhstan, is home to nearly 900,000 people.
Question 59
Let's finish with a couple tough ones. This mountainous city of 51,000 people, is the smallest capital city by population while also being the most populous city in its state.
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AJackson, MS
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BCheyenne, WY
-
CCharleston, WV
-
DPierre, SD
Charleston, WV
Charleston, WV is the largest city proper in WV, although Huntington has the largest metro area.
Question 60
This port city was the first Confederate capital to fall to Union troops in February 1862. It was also the site of the Civil War's last major military engagement in December 1864.
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ABaton Rouge, LA
-
BFrankfort, KY
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CNashville, TN
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DColumbia, SC
Nashville, TN
Nashville, TN was held by Union troops for the vast majority of the Civil War.
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