The 19 quiz questions
Question 1 : What is the capital of Belize and why was it moved?
Possible answers:
- Orange Walk, floods
- Belize City, earthquake
- Dangriga, tsunami
- Belmopan, Hurricane Hattie
Explanation: Belmopan became the capital in 1970 after Belize City was destroyed by Hurricane Hattie in 1961. It's one of the world's smallest capitals.
Question 2 : Which South American capital is the highest in the world?
Possible answers:
- Mexico City
- Quito
- La Paz
- Bogotá
Explanation: La Paz in Bolivia is the world's highest administrative capital at 3,640 m altitude. Sucre is the constitutional capital.
Question 3 : What was Brazil's former capital before Brasília?
Possible answers:
- Salvador
- São Paulo
- Recife
- Rio de Janeiro
Explanation: Rio de Janeiro was Brazil's capital from 1763 to 1960, before being replaced by Brasília.
Question 4 : What is the capital of Barbados and in which sea is it located?
Possible answers:
- Kingston, Pacific Ocean
- Bridgetown, Caribbean Sea
- Roseau, Mediterranean Sea
- Nassau, Atlantic Ocean
Explanation: Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados, the easternmost Caribbean island, in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic.
Question 5 : Which American capital is the oldest city founded by Europeans?
Possible answers:
- Havana
- Santo Domingo
- Lima
- Mexico City
Explanation: Santo Domingo, founded in 1496 by Bartolomeo Columbus, is the oldest European city in the New World.
Question 6 : What is the only South American capital located on the Pacific Ocean?
Possible answers:
- Lima
- Santiago
- Quito
- Bogotá
Explanation: Lima is the only South American capital directly on the Pacific. Santiago is close but not directly coastal.
Question 7 : What is the capital of Saint Lucia and how is it pronounced?
Possible answers:
- Soufrière
- Dennery
- Vieux Fort
- Castries
Explanation: Castries (/ˈkæstriːz/) is the capital of Saint Lucia, named after the Marquis de Castries, Louis XVI's Minister of the Navy.
Question 8 : Which country in the Americas has Paramaribo as its capital?
Possible answers:
- Belize
- Guyana
- Suriname
- French Guiana
Explanation: Paramaribo is the capital of Suriname, a former Dutch territory, the only Dutch-speaking country in South America.
Question 9 : Which two American capitals face each other across the Río de la Plata?
Possible answers:
- Buenos Aires and Montevideo
- Brasília and Asunción
- Bogotá and Quito
- Lima and Santiago
Explanation: Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Montevideo (Uruguay) face each other across the Río de la Plata, the world's widest estuary.
Question 10 : Which Caribbean capital shares its island with another nation?
Possible answers:
- Kingston (alone on island)
- Havana (alone on island)
- Nassau (New Providence)
- Port-au-Prince (Hispaniola)
Explanation: Port-au-Prince (Haiti) and Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) are the capitals of two nations sharing the island of Hispaniola.
Question 11 : Which Caribbean archipelago has Basseterre as its capital?
Possible answers:
- Bahamas
- Dominica
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Grenada
Explanation: Basseterre is the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis, the smallest sovereign state in the Americas by area and population.
Question 12 : Which American capital is built on the ruins of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan?
Possible answers:
- Bogotá
- Lima
- Mexico City
- Guatemala City
Explanation: Mexico City is built on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec Empire's capital, conquered by Hernán Cortés in 1521.
Question 13 : What is the smallest island capital in the Americas by population?
Possible answers:
- Basseterre
- St. George's
- Roseau
- Kingstown
Explanation: Basseterre (Saint Kitts and Nevis) is the smallest American capital with about 13,000 inhabitants.
Question 14 : Which American capital is nicknamed the 'Paris of the Antilles'?
Possible answers:
- Santo Domingo
- Fort-de-France
- Havana
- Port-au-Prince
Explanation: Fort-de-France, capital of Martinique, is nicknamed the 'Paris of the Antilles'. It's not a sovereign capital but a French overseas department.
Question 15 : Which American capital has the longest name?
Possible answers:
- Tegucigalpa
- Port-au-Prince
- Guatemala City
- Santo Domingo
Explanation: Tegucigalpa (Honduras) is often considered the capital with the longest name in the Americas. Its full historical name is 'Real de Minas de San Miguel de Tegucigalpa'.
Question 16 : Which South American capital is crossed by the equator?
Possible answers:
- Quito
- Lima
- Bogotá
- Brasília
Explanation: Quito is the capital closest to the equator. The 'Mitad del Mundo' monument marks the equatorial line a few km north of the city.
Question 17 : Which American country moved its capital from Belize City to an inland city?
Possible answers:
- Nicaragua
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Belize
Explanation: Belize moved its capital from Belize City to Belmopan in 1970 after Hurricane Hattie. Belmopan is one of the world's smallest capitals.
Question 18 : What is the most populous capital in the Americas?
Possible answers:
- Lima
- Buenos Aires
- Mexico City
- Bogotá
Explanation: Mexico City is the most populous capital in the Americas with over 21 million people in its metropolitan area.
Question 19 : How many American capitals are named after a saint?
Possible answers:
- 1
- 3
- At least 7
- 12
Explanation: At least 7 American capitals are named after a saint: San José, San Salvador, Santo Domingo, St. John's, St. George's, and more.


