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GeographyExpert

World Capitals - Expert

South Africa has three capitals (Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein), Turkey left Istanbul for Ankara in 1923, and Vatican City fits in 0.44 km². 20 questions for capital city specialists.

17

Questions

5

Minutes

Tip: Use keys 1-4 to answer quickly

The 17 quiz questions

Question 1 : Which country has three official capitals?

Possible answers:

  • Bolivia
  • Malaysia
  • Eswatini
  • South Africa

Explanation: South Africa has three capitals: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial).

Question 2 : What is the northernmost capital in the world?

Possible answers:

  • Stockholm
  • Helsinki
  • Oslo
  • Reykjavik

Explanation: Reykjavik (Iceland) is the world's northernmost capital, at 64° north latitude.

Question 3 : What is the southernmost capital in the world?

Possible answers:

  • Montevideo
  • Wellington
  • Canberra
  • Buenos Aires

Explanation: Wellington (New Zealand) is the world's southernmost capital, at 41° south latitude.

Question 4 : Which world capital spans two continents?

Possible answers:

  • No current capital
  • Cairo
  • Istanbul
  • Moscow

Explanation: Istanbul is not a capital but spans two continents. Ankara (Turkey) is the capital. No current national capital actually spans two continents.

Question 5 : What is the smallest capital in the world by area?

Possible answers:

  • Malé
  • Vatican City
  • Monaco
  • San Marino

Explanation: Vatican City is the smallest state and capital in the world at 0.44 km². Among UN member states, Malé (Maldives) is one of the smallest.

Question 6 : How many countries have a capital that is NOT their largest city?

Possible answers:

  • Less than 10
  • About 20
  • Over 50
  • Over 100

Explanation: Over 50 countries have a capital different from their largest city. Examples: Brazil (Brasília/São Paulo), Turkey (Ankara/Istanbul), Australia (Canberra/Sydney).

Question 7 : Which capital shares the same name as its country?

Possible answers:

  • Djibouti only
  • Singapore only
  • All of the above
  • Luxembourg only

Explanation: Several capitals share their country's name: Luxembourg, Singapore, Djibouti, Monaco, Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, Kuwait, among others.

Question 8 : Which country moved its capital most recently (after 2000)?

Possible answers:

  • Burundi
  • Myanmar
  • Kazakhstan
  • Tanzania

Explanation: Burundi moved its capital from Bujumbura to Gitega in 2019. Myanmar had moved its capital in 2006.

Question 9 : Which world capital is the farthest from any other capital?

Possible answers:

  • Wellington
  • Canberra
  • Reykjavik
  • Brasília

Explanation: Wellington (New Zealand) is the most isolated capital, over 2,200 km from Canberra, the nearest capital.

Question 10 : What is the capital of South Africa where the government sits?

Possible answers:

  • Pretoria
  • Johannesburg
  • Cape Town
  • Durban

Explanation: South Africa has three capitals: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial). Pretoria houses the seat of government.

Question 11 : Which two world capitals are closest to each other?

Possible answers:

  • Rome and Vatican
  • Vienna and Bratislava
  • Seoul and Pyongyang
  • Brazzaville and Kinshasa

Explanation: Vatican City is an enclave within Rome, making the distance between these two capitals effectively 0. Brazzaville and Kinshasa, separated by the Congo River (~1.6 km), are the closest non-enclave capitals.

Question 12 : What is the most recently purpose-built capital in the world?

Possible answers:

  • Abuja
  • Naypyidaw
  • Astana
  • Brasília

Explanation: Naypyidaw (Myanmar, 2006) is one of the most recently built capitals. Indonesia plans Nusantara, but it's not yet complete.

Question 13 : Which African capital, located at the junction of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Tadjoura, is regularly ranked among the world's hottest capitals, with annual averages above 30°C?

Possible answers:

  • Djibouti
  • Khartoum
  • Niamey
  • Asmara

Explanation: Djibouti, capital of the country of the same name, has an average annual temperature around 30°C and summer peaks exceeding 45°C. Its position at the strategic junction of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Tadjoura makes it one of the hottest and most humid cities on Earth.

Question 14 : Which capital has changed its name the most often in history?

Possible answers:

  • Beijing (China)
  • Astana (Kazakhstan)
  • Oslo (Norway)
  • Bangkok (Thailand)

Explanation: Astana (Kazakhstan) has changed its name 4 times: Akmola, Tselinograd, Aqmola, Astana, Nur-Sultan (2019), then Astana again (2022).

Question 15 : Which European capital is the oldest continuously inhabited?

Possible answers:

  • Rome
  • Paris
  • Lisbon
  • Athens

Explanation: Athens is Europe's oldest capital, inhabited for over 3,400 years. It's the birthplace of democracy and Western philosophy.

Question 16 : Which capital belongs to a country spanning 11 time zones, the most of any nation in the world?

Possible answers:

  • Moscow
  • Beijing
  • Brasília
  • Ottawa

Explanation: Moscow is the capital of Russia, the only country in the world covering 11 time zones, from Kaliningrad (UTC+2) to Chukotka (UTC+12). This record span results from its territory of over 17 million km², the largest on Earth.

Question 17 : How many sovereign countries recognized by the UN exist in the world?

Possible answers:

  • 175
  • 183
  • 193
  • 210

Explanation: The UN has 193 member states. Adding the Vatican and Palestine (observer states) gives 195 recognized countries. Each has at least one capital.

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