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World Geography Quiz | Advanced Cities, Administrative Areas and Transport

1 / 100.0s

Problem 1

In South Africa, after sitting in on a plenary session of parliament, you go on to visit the Union Buildings, the centre of the executive.

Which pair of cities do you travel between?

View explanation

South Africa divides its capital functions: the legislative capital with parliament is Cape Town and the administrative capital is Pretoria. Bloemfontein is regarded as the judicial capital.

Problem 2

For the Netherlands, separating the question of the country's capital from the question of where the cabinet and parliament sit.

Which pairing is correct?

View explanation

The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam, but the government and parliament sit in The Hague. The point is not to take The Hague, known for its international courts, as the capital in law.

Problem 3

Writing about the seat of government of Switzerland, including its official designation.

Which is the most accurate description?

View explanation

Switzerland has no capital in the strict legal sense; Bern is called the federal city and, as the seat of government and parliament, plays the role of de facto capital.

Problem 4

Travelling to the legal capital of Tanzania to report on the central government bodies and parliament.

Where is the destination?

View explanation

Tanzania's capital is Dodoma, in the interior. Dar es Salaam is the former capital and remains important as the largest city and economic centre, but it is not the answer when the legal capital is asked for.

Problem 5

Visiting the parliament building in Sri Lanka. Making Colombo, the commercial centre, your only destination gets the location wrong.

Which city should you go to as the administrative capital?

View explanation

The administrative capital, where parliament and other bodies sit, is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Colombo is the adjoining major commercial city and some sources list it as a capital too, so it is worth checking which function is being asked about.

Problem 6

Driving out from the city of Canberra and crossing the boundary of the Australian Capital Territory.

Which state do you normally enter?

View explanation

The Australian Capital Territory, which contains Canberra, is surrounded by New South Wales. Canberra is not that state's capital; it lies in a special territory created for the federal capital.

Problem 7

Taking a ferry within Istanbul from the European side to the Asian side without leaving the city.

Which strait do you cross?

View explanation

Istanbul spreads along both banks of the Bosphorus, the western side belonging to Europe and the eastern side to Asia. The Dardanelles lie further south-west, beyond the Sea of Marmara.

Problem 8

A traveller sensitive to altitude visits Mexico City believing it to be a low-lying coastal city. In fact most of it is high up.

Which comes closest to the geography of the city centre?

View explanation

Mexico City is a highland city at about 2,240 metres within the Valley of Mexico. There are differences in height within the city, but it is not a coastal lowland.

Problem 9

Reading from a map the northern and southern coasts of the main island of Singapore, including what lies opposite.

Which combination is correct?

View explanation

North of the main island, across the Johor Strait, is the Malay Peninsula; south, across the Singapore Strait, are the Indonesian islands. Describing both sides with the broad name Strait of Malacca is too coarse.

Problem 10

For Bolivia, setting out separately the constitutional capital and the city where the main organs of central government actually sit.

Which pairing is correct?

View explanation

Bolivia's constitutional capital is Sucre, while the main executive and legislative functions of central government are in La Paz. The supreme court is in Sucre, so the roles of the two cities are not simply those of an old and a new capital.