home

Biggest Cities by Trait #1

Can you guess the most populous urban area in each of these categories?
Based on urban area population according to citypopulation.de as of January 2026
Using Wikipedia as a secondary source
Quiz by
Quizmaster
Featured Quiz
Rate:
Last updated: March 13, 2026
You have not attempted this quiz yet.
More quiz info >>
First submittedMay 22, 2013
Times taken55,899
Average score58.3%
Rating4.50
Quiz and answer stats >>
Friends stats >>
4:00
Enter city here:
0
 / 24 guessed
The quiz is paused. You have remaining.
Scoring
You scored / = %
This beats or equals % of test takers also scored 100%
The average score is
Your high score is
Your fastest time is
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
Biggest urban area
Pop.
Answer
in the world
73.6 m
Guangzhou /
Shenzhen
that is a national capital
41.3 m
Tokyo
with elevation > 2000 m
25.6 m
Mexico City
in Africa
23.2 m
Cairo
in South America
22.7 m
São Paulo
in the United States
22.6 m
New York City
in Indochina
22.4 m
Bangkok
in Europe
19.1 m
Moscow
with a latitude < 30° S
17.0 m
Buenos Aires
on the Great Lakes
9.80 m
Chicago
on the Iberian peninsula
7.00 m
Madrid
in Florida
6.70 m
Miami
on the US/Canada border
5.85 m
Detroit
in Australia
5.45 m
Melbourne
on the Caribbean Sea
3.95 m
Santo Domingo
founded after 1950
3.90 m
Brasilia
in Central America
3.40 m
Guatemala City
in the British Midlands
4.10 m
Birmingham
in Scandinavia
2.35 m
Stockholm
with elevation > 3000 m
1.89 m
La Paz
with a latitude > 60° N
1.58 m
Helsinki
on the Yucatan peninsula
1.42 m
Mérida
on a Mediterranean island
0.855 m
Palermo
above the Arctic Circle
0.270 m
Murmansk
Save Your Stats
Your Next Quiz
Biggest Cities in the World
How many of the world's 50 most populous urban areas can you name?
Biggest City in Every Country
Try to name the most populous city in all 196 countries of the world.
Biggest City by Time Zone
Can you name the most populous city in all of the world's time zones?
Martin Scorsese Movies - Sudden Death
Click the movies that were directed by Martin Scorsese without clicking on the ones that weren't. Three mistakes ends the quiz.
70 Comments
BobSaget
+2
Level 76
Jul 6, 2013
Thailand was not/is not part of "Indochina," which was comprised of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
kalbahamut
+26
Level 79
Jul 6, 2013
Might want to check that.
cwasims
+2
Level 61
Mar 24, 2014
I'd agree. Southeast Asia would be more appropriate.
Quizmaster
+7
Level ∞
Aug 26, 2015
https://www.google.com/search?q=indochina
PSTSCCH
+27
Level 46
Sep 27, 2015
As a Thai, I confirm that my country is on the Indochina peninsula a.k.a. Mainland SE Asia.
Tramp
+4
Level 79
Mar 12, 2018
Indochina = the areas between India (Indo) and China (...China). Burma is sometimes included, but not always, probably because Burma used to be a part of British India, and because it shares a similar-ish culture to places like Thailand.
kalbahamut
+24
Level 79
Oct 23, 2018
I think where some people get confused is that they often see the term "French IndoChina," referring to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, and then assume that French IndoChina and IndoChina are the same thing.
JackintheBox
+1
Level 82
Jun 13, 2019
True
bluesdjben
+5
Level 74
Jul 6, 2013
Nice quiz. I would love to see this as a new series.
What
+1
Level 26
Jul 6, 2013
I second that
ruudsje
+1
Level 68
Jul 13, 2013
Same here, brilliant quiz!
Antofagasta
+1
Level 70
Jun 6, 2017
Four years later, to the day, as far as I know a series has sadly not been created.
Quizmaster
+6
Level ∞
Feb 1, 2018
Finally added a Sequel!
rgc1600
+1
Level 74
Jul 6, 2013
I didn't do all that well, kalbahamut's comment about more time is appropriate. But still, very enjoyable and different quiz.
simsy
+2
Level 23
Jul 6, 2013
Would you not consider Mexico to be part of Central America??
ozzdome
+1
Level 74
Jul 6, 2013
I think generally Central America is considered the isthmus.
brandybuck96
+1
Level 82
Jun 14, 2015
I think Mexico is part of North America. N America is Canada down to Panama, including the Caribbean islands. Central America is Belize to Panama. Latin America is anywhere that speaks a Romance language. I think I confused Latin America with Central America.
cuendillar
+2
Level 71
Apr 8, 2026
For Latin America, that definition results in the oddity of Quebec being included (French is also a Romance language) while Belize, Guyana and Suriname don't. That just feels off.
Min34
+1
Level 64
May 8, 2018
No, Mexico is part of Middle America not of Central America
What
+1
Level 26
Jul 6, 2013
Actually I thought that too... but I could be wrong ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
wolfcat95
+1
Level 66
Nov 16, 2013
As for the time limit, I am a slow, poor typist and finished 24/24, albeit with only 0:18 on the clock. In regards to Central America, I am with Simsy and DudiJG on this point, but can certainly understand how Mexico is omitted, including by most authoritative sources.
NightcapSailing
+1
Level 24
Feb 26, 2014
Moscow is in Asia, not Europe.
Liopleurodon
+5
Level 66
Jul 15, 2015
It's in Europe.............................................
chondrichthyess
+5
Level 60
Dec 30, 2016
Europe..............
Antofagasta
+5
Level 70
Jun 6, 2017
Definitely Europe.................................................
Jacktheguy
+5
Level 93
May 6, 2018
Absolutely Europe...........................................
Gassu
+5
Level 69
May 7, 2018
Has anyone already said it‘s in Europe.......................
TWM03
+7
Level 72
Oct 23, 2018
It's in Europe....................................................................................................................................................................... Do I get a prize for most dots?
Timothy2b
+5
Level 61
Jun 13, 2019
It's definitely in Europe.........................................................................................................................................................................
sillie
+1
Level 75
Jul 1, 2014
"Trait" seems so strange when all but "founded after 1950" are locations. Also I thought Mexico was Central America? -- also in Finland Helsinki is not counted as having over 1mil inhabitants, but I guess if you add the areas around you'll end up with that.
ander217
+1
Level 73
Jul 22, 2014
Great quiz. Thanks.
holypauly
+2
Level 96
Sep 27, 2015
When did Guangzhou triple its population? I think you have confused the future project of merging the major cities of the Guangdong province together into one super city with the separation between them today. The population in Guangzhou is around 18 million and I live as an expat in Shenzhen which is the second most populated in the province and we are no way near of being included in Guangzhou.
airportbum92
+1
Level 53
Sep 27, 2015
That Guangzhou number includes Hong Kong. Hong Kong should be accepted.
Quizmaster
+5
Level ∞
Sep 27, 2015
The Guangzhou number does not include Hong Kong.
Liopleurodon
+2
Level 66
Sep 27, 2015
It doesn't include Hong Kong, only Shenzhen
holypauly
+5
Level 96
Sep 28, 2015
Why would it include Shenzhen? I live in Shenzhen and this city is not part of Guangzhou, even if you counted Shenzhen as part of Guangzhou Tokyo still would have a larger population. I wonder if you have confused Guangzhou with Guangdong, which is the province...
SupBroDude
+2
Level 56
Apr 8, 2026
Because Urban areas. many people loop all of the Pearl river cities (minus Macau, Hong Kong) under one area. but people couldn't agree if the main city would be Guangzhou or Shenzhen so they share it.
Tramp
+1
Level 79
Aug 23, 2016
It includes ALL the cities in the Pearl River Delta, but very few people would consider them all to belong to Guangzhou... yet.
SupBroDude
+2
Level 56
Apr 8, 2026
Hong Kong is generally not part of the Guangzhou/Shenzhen Urban Area
applecider
+1
Level 3
Sep 27, 2015
I don't get how Guangzhou is the number one city in the world, I'm Chinese and I'm pretty sure that Tokyo is the most populated city in the world
Liopleurodon
+1
Level 66
Sep 27, 2015
They counted Shenzhen in this one
jadynmann
+1
Level 35
Sep 27, 2015
tokyo is the largest city in the world
Vincentdc
+2
Level 83
Sep 28, 2015
I was thinking of St Petersburg, but it lies a whopping 4' south of 60°N...
sadba5terd5
+1
Level 60
Sep 28, 2015
Mexico IS in 'Central America' which in itself is in 'North America'
Quizmaster
+1
Level ∞
Feb 1, 2018
https://www.google.com/search?q=central+america
ander217
+3
Level 73
May 6, 2018
Not unless you are talking about the UN geoscheme which groups Mexico and Central America together as a subregion of North America for statistical analysis.
roawa
+1
Level 33
Oct 1, 2015
Shenzhen is not even that close to Guangzhou. It would make more sense as part of Hong Kong. Also it was founded well after 1950 and is much bigger than Brasilia.
Yossarian
+1
Level 62
Oct 9, 2015
Add more spellings of Guangzhou please! (I tried probably 8 different variations...and failed miseraby...)
Malbaby
+4
Level 70
May 9, 2019
I agree, if it had been spelt 'Mumbai' I would have got it right.
PorcNBeanz
+1
Level 57
Oct 23, 2015
A little more time would be greatly appreciated on this one.
plattitude
+1
Level 94
Sep 22, 2016
Completely forgot about Sicily. Guessed every Corsican, Sardinian, Cypriot and Maltese city I know, and was working my way through the Aegean looking for a curveball...
iiMystiqo
+1
Level 33
May 6, 2018
I spelled Palermo wrong. I knew it because my grandpa is from there
cpgatbyu
+2
Level 88
May 6, 2018
St Petersburg straddles the 60th parallel and is a much bigger agglomeration than Helsinki. It seems plausible that the portion of St Petersburg north of 60 degrees has more people than all of Helsinki.
Min34
+2
Level 64
May 8, 2018
I see multiple people complain about it, so just to clarify.

There is Middle America and there is Central America.

Middle America is a relatively vague term referring to the places in the middle of the Americas including Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and sometimes, Colombia, Venezuela and the Guianas.

Central America is a much more limited term which specifies the countries of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. In other words, the land mass between Colombia and Mexico.

So Central America does, in fact, not include Mexico.

kalbahamut
+2
Level 79
Jun 27, 2018
Couple of points

First of all, I've more often seen "Middle America" refer to the American (United States) "heartland"- from about Colorado in the West to Ohio in the East. Though I looked it up and also see that the term is used the way you did here.

Second, Central America is just as vaguely defined as your definition of Middle America. Google "Central America map" and you will find about a 60/40 or 70/30 split between those that include Mexico and those that do not, with a majority reflecting your definition.

Kesa1979
+1
Level 92
Jun 8, 2018
Difficult 10/24
Sifhraven
+1
Level 76
Jun 13, 2019
Awesome quiz! But very difficult for me, I am quite good at the countries, but not at the cities, I have yet to master all the capitals. And this required some extra thinking aswell (and knowing what/where some things were, like great lakes and yucatan peninsula).

Edit: ow (that is what everybody is waiting for ofcourse... why else read the comments.... :P ) I got 9/24

darren1967
+1
Level 18
Jun 13, 2019
13/24. Amazed at the answer to question 1. That place must also be the fastest growing city i guess.
fuanacdc
+1
Level 89
Jun 21, 2023
When did Miami beat out Jacksonville? Nevermind, urban area.
kitshef
+5
Level 88
Apr 8, 2026
I was confused by "with a latitude < 30° S", thinking we were looking for something between 0 and 30 S. But I guess I'm alone in that.
Watpo54
+2
Level 61
Apr 8, 2026
I agree with you, the question makes no sense. 34° S is obviously bigger than 30° S.
Albrik
+1
Level 66
May 6, 2026
The creator intended 30°S = –30°
InterAlia
+1
Level 83
Apr 8, 2026
Agree! Pick a system.

Either north is positive and south is negative from the equator/0°, such that -34° < -30°.

Or use N and S to designate which way from the equator and count up in both directions, such that 34°S > 30°S.

Watpo54
+3
Level 61
Apr 8, 2026
34° S < 30° S makes no sense.
renbag
+1
Level 75
Apr 8, 2026
I had the same thought and this question made me run out of time. It was not I, it was the question!

But really, that should be edited. If you mean south, it should say so - the use of a numeral and the less than sign is just confusing, as the number should be higher if it’s intended to be below. Is south less than north?

ooftownroad
+1
Level 70
Apr 8, 2026
Jakarta is now considered bigger than Tokyo
TwelvePointFont
+1
Level 18
Apr 9, 2026
TIL Bangkok metro is bigger than Jakarta metro
Albrik
+1
Level 66
May 6, 2026
The UN metro population data:

1) Jakarta

2) Dhaka

3) Tokyo

DocEckleburg
+1
Level 68
Apr 10, 2026
Came here to say surely Caracas is bigger than Santo Domingo but thought I'd check Google Maps first and TIL Caracas is not actually on the coast but about 8km inland.
Albrik
+1
Level 66
May 6, 2026
Tokyo dropped to 33M, Jakarta has overtaken Tokyo probably some years ago, with 42M according to UN

Tokyo is now third and Dhaka second, Jakarta first

Biggest Cities by Trait
Quiz series by Quizmaster
Copyright H Brothers Inc, 2008–2026
Contact Us | Go To Top | View Desktop Site | Site Map