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New Zealand
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|
Known as the "City of Sails", this is the largest city in New Zealand and the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere
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Auckland
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The southernmost capital in the world and the world's windiest city
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Wellington
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|
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Nigeria
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|
Two natural monoliths, Aso & Zuma Rock define Nigeria's newly planned capital
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Abuja
|
|
Largest Muslim-dominated city in Nigeria; once the center of its own Emirate
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Kano
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The largest city in Nigeria was originally founded on an Island of the same name
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Lagos
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|
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North Korea
|
|
Capital and largest city of North Korea; home to the biggest stadium in the world
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Pyongyang
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|
|
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Norway
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|
Fastest growing city in Europe at the turn of the millennium; number one in terms of quality of life in Europe
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Oslo
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Oman
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The capital of Oman contains the city of Ruwi, which makes up most of its economic sector and powered a strong Sultanate
|
Muscat
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|
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Pakistan
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Capital of Pakistan; home to Democracy Square and the Faisal Mosque; most of its citizens are predominantly wealthy
|
Islamabad
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|
Also known as the "City of Lights", this is the largest city in Pakistan and previously one of the least safe cities in the world
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Karachi
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Known for its old city and Lollywood
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Lahore
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Palestinian Territories
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Been under a blockade since 2007
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Gaza
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Panama
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Capital and largest city; defined by bougainvillea plazas, neoclassical architecture, and its important canal
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Panama City
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Paraguay
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Capital and largest city; one of the cheapest places for tourists to visit in the world
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Asunción
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Peru
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Capital city founded by Francisco Pizarro is one of the biggest cities in South America
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Lima
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Philippines
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This along with Quezon City and others makes up the largest metropolitan area in the Philippines; fastest growing city in Southeast Asia
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Manila
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Poland
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The old capital of Poland; and one of the many named European Capitals of Culture in 2000
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Krakow
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Capital of Poland; known as the "Phoenix City" after the reconstructions after the World Wars
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Warsaw
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Portugal
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Capital of Portugal is home to a colonialist legacy, Fado, Sao Jorge Castle, the Belem Tower, and Rua Augusta Arch
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Lisbon
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Second largest city in Portugal is known for its famous Port Wine in the cellars of its twin city, Vila Nova de Gaia
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Porto
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|
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Qatar
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Capital and largest city; originally an offshoot of Al Bidda City
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Doha
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Romania
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The largest city in Romania is sometimes called "Little Paris" or "Paris of the East"
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Bucharest
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|
Known as the unofficial capital of Transylvania
|
Cluj-Napoca
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|
Called the "City of Flowers", this was the very first city in the world to be lit with electric street lamps in 1884
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Timișoara
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Russia
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Known as the center of Russian sports and the capital of the Tatar ASSR in the Soviet Union
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Kazan
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Home to the most famous Kremlin, Ostankino Tower, the Red Square and the largest metropolitan area in Europe
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Moscow
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Largest city in Siberia and one of the world's most renowned zoos
|
Novosibirsk
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|
Largest city on Crimea; it was once a closed city in the USSR due to its strategic location on the Black Sea
|
Sevastopol
|
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Second largest city in Russia; founded by Peter the Great as a planned capital
|
St. Petersburg
|
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Largest city on the Pacific Ocean in Russia; terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway
|
Vladivostok
|
|
Previously called Stalingrad, site of one of the longest and bloodiest battles in WW2
|
Volgograd
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|
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Rwanda
|
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Capital and largest city of Rwanda; known as the "Singapore of Africa"
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Kigali
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|
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Saudi Arabia
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Red Sea port known for King Fahd’s Fountain
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Jeddah
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The holiest city in Islam, home to the second most expensive building in the world, the Masjid al-Haram Mosque
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Mecca
|
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Last burial ground of the last prophet of Islam; second most holy city in the Islamic World
|
Medina
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Capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia
|
Riyadh
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|
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Senegal
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Largest city and capital of Senegal; once the capital of the short-lived Mali Federation and next to Gorée Island
|
Dakar
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|
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Serbia
|
|
Largest city and capital; one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world
|
Belgrade
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Singapore
|
|
One of the four Asian Tigers; it has one of the highest standards of living in the world
|
Singapore
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Slovakia
|
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Once the capital of Hungary, the only national capital that borders two sovereign states
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Bratislava
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South Africa
|
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Location of the Supreme Court in South Africa; known as the "City of Roses"
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Bloemfontein
|
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First permanent residence in South Africa by settlers; location of Table Mountain
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Cape Town
|
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City in KwaNatal Zulu, indirectly founded from a shipwreck off the coast
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Durban
|
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One of the most popular holiday destinations in South Africa for its beaches and safari; changed its name in 2021
|
Gqeberha
|
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The "City of Gold", largest and most wealthy city in South Africa
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Johannesburg
|
|
Admistrative capital known for its jacaranda trees
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Pretoria
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|
|
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South Korea
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Capital and largest city; major technology centers include the Gangnam and Digital Media City
|
Seoul
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Spain
|
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Second largest city and center of the Catalonia independence movement
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Barcelona
|
|
Capital and largest city, location of the UN's World Tourism Organization
|
Madrid
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Home of the Casa de Contratación and world expositions like the Ibero-American Exposition and Expo '92
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Seville
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Capital of the Second Spanish Republic and home to the Fallas Festivals
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Valencia
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Sri Lanka
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Largest city and economic center of Sri Lanka; includes the nation's capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte inside in the urban area
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Colombo
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Sudan
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Capital and largest city by metropolitan area, its twin city, Omdurman is larger in city-proper
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Khartoum
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Sweden
|
|
Largest port in the Nordic countries; founded by Gustavus Adolphus in 1621
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Gothenburg
|
|
Home to some of the most prestigious colleges in Europe; hosts the annual Nobel Prize ceremonies
|
Stockholm
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Switzerland
|
|
Main economic center and second biggest city in the country
|
Geneva
|
|
Among the world's largest financial centers, despite its relativity small size
|
Zurich
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|
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Syria
|
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Capital and largest city; damaged heavily by the Syrian Civil War
|
Damascus
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|
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Taiwan
|
|
Capital and largest city twinned with the port city of Keelung
|
Taipei
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|
|
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Tanzania
|
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Largest city in Tanzania, once the capital of the country until 1973 when it was moved to Dodoma
|
Dar es Salaam
|
|
Once the center of the sultanate on the island of the same name; its historic center is called Stone Town
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Zanzibar
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|
|
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Thailand
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Largest primate city in the world
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Bangkok
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|
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Tunisia
|
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Built over the ancient city of Carthage
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Tunis
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Turkey
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|
Capital and the second largest in the country; much Roman and Ottoman architecture is preserved in the city
|
Ankara
|
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Previously known as Constantinople; has been part of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires
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Istanbul
|
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Previously known as Smyrna, this third largest city of Turkey has a recorded history of over 3000 years of recorded urban history
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Izmir
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Uganda
|
|
One of the most rapidly developing cities in Eastern Africa with a growth rate of 4.03%
|
Kampala
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Ukraine
|
|
The largest city and capital; once destroyed in the Mongol Invasions and now damaged in a recent war
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Kyiv
|
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Founded by Catherine the Great defined by Mediterranean architecture
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Odessa
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|
|
|
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United Arab Emirates
|
|
Home to the Burj Khalifa and more than two percent of the Persian Gulf's economy
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Dubai
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|
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United Kingdom
|
|
Site of Titanic's construction and largest city in Northern Ireland
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Belfast
|
|
Grew significantly from its canals and factories during the Industrial Revolution
|
Birmingham
|
|
Home of the Cabot Tower and the Floating Harbour
|
Bristol
|
|
Capital and largest city in Wales
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Cardiff
|
|
Capital of Scotland home of Arthur's Seat and a castle of the same name
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Edinburgh
|
|
Largest city and cultural hub in Scotland; port city on the River Clyde
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Glasgow
|
|
Where the Beatles started; site of the oldest Black and Chinese communities in Europe
|
Liverpool
|
|
Attractions include Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, and Trafalgar Square
|
London
|
|
The world's first industrialized city and the UK's second largest city by metropolitan population
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Manchester
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|
|
|
|
United States
|
|
Played a historical role in the Civil Rights Movement and has the most passenger traffic out of any airport
|
Atlanta
|
|
Home of Fort McHenry and known for its Inner Harbor
|
Baltimore
|
|
Largest city in New England and Massachusetts; had a very famous tea party
|
Boston
|
|
Site of the first battle of the American Civil War and largest city in South Carolina
|
Charleston
|
|
Largest city in North Carolina and the fastest-growing metropolitan area from 2004 to 2014
|
Charlotte
|
|
Attractions include Wrigley Field, the Willis Tower, and its famous deep-dish pizza
|
Chicago
|
|
First city founded after the American Revolution located on the Ohio River
|
Cincinnati
|
|
Largest city on Lake Erie which is home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
|
Cleveland
|
|
Twinned with Fort Worth to make the Metroplex
|
Dallas
|
|
Known as the "Mile High City"
|
Denver
|
|
The largest city in Michigan is the home city of the big three auto manufacturers in the US
|
Detroit
|
|
Known as "H-Town", "Space City" and "Bayou City" also houses the Mission Control Center
|
Houston
|
|
Coined itself as the "Entertainment Capital of the World" but is also known as "Sin City"
|
Las Vegas
|
|
Home of the Hollywood Sign, Hollywood Boulevard, and the second-largest city in the United States
|
Los Angeles
|
|
City in Tennessee which is a historical center of the blues, country, and rock and roll; home of Graceland and Beale Street
|
Memphis
|
|
Cuban cultural center of the US that also coins itself as the "Cruise Capital of the World"
|
Miami
|
|
Largest city in Wisconsin known for its historical brewing and Summerfest
|
Milwaukee
|
|
World-renowned city known for its French Quarter, Creole culture, and Mardi Gras celebrations
|
New Orleans
|
|
Largest Anglophone-speaking city in the world home of the Empire State Building, Wall Street & the Statue of Liberty
|
New York City
|
|
Largest city in Pennsylvania is home to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell
|
Philadelphia
|
|
Rapidly growing and sprawling capital of Arizona
|
Phoenix
|
|
Known as "Steel City" and the "City of Bridges", its economic sector is changing to become a hub in healthcare and technology
|
Pittsburgh
|
|
Headquarters of the LDS church and largest city in Utah
|
Salt Lake City
|
|
Originally founded as a Spanish Mission, it is the location of the Alamo and the oldest city in Texas
|
San Antonio
|
|
Birthplace of California associated with the United States Navy
|
San Diego
|
|
Home of the Golden Gate Bridge; historical center of liberalism in the United States
|
San Francisco
|
|
Home of the Space Needle and birthplace of Grunge Music
|
Seattle
|
|
Known as the "Gateway to the West", it also has the smallest national park in the USA surrounding the Gateway Arch
|
St. Louis
|
|
This second-largest metropolitan area in Florida combines with St. Petersburg to make the Greater Bay Area
|
Tampa
|
|
Capital of the United States, home of the Washington Monument, Lafayette Square, and The White House
|
Washington
|
|
|
|
|
Uruguay
|
|
Capital of Uruguay revolving around the Plaza de la Independencia
|
Montevideo
|
|
|
|
|
Uzbekistan
|
|
Capital and largest city; once an important Silk Road stopping point
|
Tashkent
|
|
|
|
|
Venezuela
|
|
Venezuela's capital and largest city; the final resting place of Simon Bolivar
|
Caracas
|
|
|
|
|
Vietnam
|
|
New capital of Vietnam after the Vietnam War; UNESCO called it the "City of Peace" in 1999
|
Hanoi
|
|
Largest city in Vietnam; named after a revolutionist and leader in the Vietnam War
|
Ho Chi Minh City
|
Why are you including Pretoria when the much larger and more impactful Johannesburg is so close-by (Or Islamabad, for that matter)? Just because it's one of the three capitals? Then why are you including former capital Almaty over Dodoma, Ulaanbaatar, or Naypyidaw? Because of its historical significance? Then why are you including Gaza over Aleppo, Corinth,Timbuktu, Jilin?
For any given reason, it feels like the choices are very odd. For the sum of reasons, and considering other choices, it feels even stranger. Why does Egypt get its third city before Iran's second? Why do Bolivia and Colombia get two each before Yemen gets one? Why does South Africa have more cities than Brazil?
So what exactly *is* the criteria? Just "name these 250 World Cities"? Because it is a very odd list, and one that several times made me go check the hints just because I had no idea *why* a city in that location would be considered one "everyone should know" over a few dozen missing ones. Unfortunately, I did not find an answer for that question, but I'd love to hear one.
I don't really find anything inherently wrong with the selections because its not a definitive list. I could make a 1000 version one and there would still be a level of subjection no matter what I choose.
So there's no criteria besides the fact that these urban areas are at least recognizable for something or prominent for a large region or nation. As an American in the Pacific Northwest, I will always have a different view on what's prominent or not than someone in one of the many countries in Europe, or China, or South Africa, or even my neighbor.
As long as you learned something that's all that really matters to me.
Great job and a nomination from me :)
There's a rather large amount of USA and Canadian cities. Do you really think 12% of the most important cities are in the US?
Feels odd when a lot of European countries only have a couple of answers, but much more history. And for somewhere like Luxor or Bamako or Timbuktu or York or Bordeaux or Nagoya or Florence or Busan (etc.) to miss out over Cleveland or Memphis (not even the Egyptian one!) is frankly laughable, sorry.
But I appreciate the effort as a lot of these are interesting clues.
Also should the Cancun clue read "renowned" or am I missing something?
I feel like I jammed in as many European cities as possible without it feeling crowded, more would have been overkill. Say what you want for my selections, everyone has their own takes on what they'd pick. Sure there are a lot of Northern American cities, but many people come from that area that uses JetPunk so I don't find it a big deal.
This quiz aims to give additional information and provide a reasonably easy challenge to JetPunkers and a moderate challenge for people not accustomed to geography.
I learned a lot from your descriptions. I am nominating it, although I really would have appreciated having more time. I am not a fast typist, and prefer having time to think through a quiz without pressure.
Thank you for a carefully constructed quiz.
Other than that, good quiz. Will nominate once I get one back.
However, some of the cities are very out of place. Just from a glance, Cancun should be much more to the east, as it's currently on top of where Merida is; Montreal should be at a similar latitude to Ottawa, and should be at the place where the St. Lawrence widens on the map; both Glasgow and Edinburgh are shifted far too north; Essen is a bit too north and too close to the Dutch border; Zanzibar should be at Zanzibar island instead of the other island; and Chennai should be shifted east and be on the coast.
(Edit: Charleston, SC made it but not Minneapolis-St. Paul? :/)
It's "Arab World" not "Arabic World"
"English World" vs "English-Speaking World"