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GeographyHard

Americas Capitals - Hard

Belmopan replaced Belize City after Hurricane Hattie in 1961, La Paz peaks at 3,640 m, and Santo Domingo, founded in 1496 by Bartholomew Columbus, remains the oldest European city in the New World. 20 questions.

20

Questions

4

Minutes

Tip: Use keys 1-4 to answer quickly

The 20 quiz questions

Question 1 : What is the capital of Belize and why was it moved?

Possible answers:

  • Dangriga, tsunami
  • Belize City, earthquake
  • Orange Walk, floods
  • 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:

  • Bogotá
  • Quito
  • La Paz
  • Mexico City

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:

  • Recife
  • São Paulo
  • Salvador
  • 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:

  • Bridgetown, Caribbean Sea
  • Kingston, Pacific Ocean
  • 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:

  • Lima
  • Santo Domingo
  • Havana
  • 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:

  • Quito
  • Santiago
  • Lima
  • 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:

  • Vieux Fort
  • Dennery
  • Soufrière
  • 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
  • Suriname
  • Guyana
  • 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:

  • Lima and Santiago
  • Brasília and Asunción
  • Bogotá and Quito
  • Buenos Aires and Montevideo

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:

  • Dominica
  • Bahamas
  • 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 capital of Dominica, a volcanic island located between Guadeloupe and Martinique?

Possible answers:

  • Castries
  • Roseau
  • Saint George's
  • Kingston

Explanation: Roseau, on the west coast, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Dominica. This island nation, independent since 1978 and not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, hosts UNESCO-listed Morne Trois Pitons National Park.

Question 14 : What is the capital of Antigua and Barbuda?

Possible answers:

  • All Saints
  • English Harbour
  • Codrington
  • St. John's

Explanation: St. John's is the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, a Caribbean island nation boasting 365 beaches. Not to be confused with St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada.

Question 15 : Which American capital is nicknamed the 'Paris of the Antilles'?

Possible answers:

  • Port-au-Prince
  • Fort-de-France
  • Havana
  • Santo Domingo

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 16 : Which American capital has the longest name?

Possible answers:

  • Guatemala City
  • Port-au-Prince
  • Tegucigalpa
  • 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 17 : Which South American capital is crossed by the equator?

Possible answers:

  • Lima
  • Quito
  • 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 18 : What is the capital of Costa Rica, the largest city in Central America and famous for its neoclassical National Theater?

Possible answers:

  • Tegucigalpa
  • Managua
  • San José
  • Panama City

Explanation: Located in the Central Valley at 1,170 m elevation, San José is home to nearly a third of the country's population. The National Theater (1897), modeled after the Paris Opera, is its architectural emblem.

Question 19 : What is the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a Caribbean micro-state independent since 1979?

Possible answers:

  • Castries
  • Kingstown
  • Saint George's
  • Bridgetown

Explanation: Kingstown, on the southwest coast of the main island Saint Vincent, hosts the country's busiest port. Not to be confused with Kingston (Jamaica) or Castries (Saint Lucia).

Question 20 : 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.

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