Elementary Cities of the World Quiz

Answer: Moscow

Molybdenum: Mo + Scandium: Sc + Oxygen: O + Tungsten: W = Moscow.

Moscow originally became capital of Russia when Ivan the Terrible proclaimed himself the first Tsar in the 16th century. Then in 1712 Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg, where it remained until after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, when Moscow was made the capital of the new Soviet Union. In 1991 Moscow became the capital of the Russian Federation.

Notable people born in Moscow include the novelist and poet Alexander Pushkin in 1799, and more recently the tennis professional Anna Kournikova in 1981.

Answer: Canberra

Calcium: Ca + Niobium: Nb + Erbium: Er + Radium: Ra = Canberra.

Canberra is the federal capital of the Commonwealth of Australia, located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in southeast Australia. It is a relatively new city. Construction began in 1913 following an international contest for its design, and it replaced Melbourne as Australia's capital in 1927.

People born in Canberra include actress Mia Wasikowska in 1989, and tennis player Nick Kyrgios in 1995.

Answer: Atlanta

Astatine: At + Lanthanum: La + Nitrogen: N + Tantalum: Ta = Atlanta.

Atlanta is the capital and largest city in the US state of Georgia. In 1864, during the American Civil War, the city was burned and plundered by Union forces under General William T Sherman, but was then rebuilt after the Civil War ended in 1865. Atlanta is the birthplace and burial site of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

The city was also the site of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, dubbed the Centennial Olympic Games, being staged 100 years after the staging of the first Olympic Games in modern history, viz. 1896 in Athens.

Other notable people born in Atlanta include novelist Margaret Mitchell in 1900, and singer Brenda Lee born in 1944.

Answer: Bath

Barium: Ba + Thorium: Th = Bath.

Bath is the largest city in the county of Somerset. It became a fashionable spa town in the 18th and early 19th centuries, owing much to the existence of the hot springs baths originally built by the Romans c 60 AD. The city is rightly proud of its Royal Crescent, built in the 18th century, possibly the greatest surviving example of Georgian architecture in the United Kingdom. In 1987 the city of Bath became a World Heritage site.

Notable people born in Bath include architect Thomas Fuller in 1823, who emigrated to Canada in 1857 where he co-designed Ottawa's Parliament House. In 1960 the American musician Eddie Cochran died in Bath, after being involved in a traffic accident whilst on a tour of the United Kingdom.

Answer: Recife

Rhenium: Re + Carbon: C + Iodine: I + Iron: Fe = Recife.

Recife is a port city on the Atlantic coast of Brazil, and is capital of the state of Pernambuco. Built partly on an island, many waterways and bridges crisscross the city, leading it to be designated "The Venice of Brazil." Recife is a major tourist attraction owing to both its historic sites such as the Centre of Olinda, just north of the city, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982, and also its beaches. Porto de Galinhas beach has been awarded the title of best beach in Brazil on several occasions.

Notable people born in Recife include theoretical physicist José Leite Lopes in 1918, and the former Brazilian international footballer Rivaldo in 1972.

Answer: Karachi

Potassium: K + Argon: Ar + Actinium: Ac + Hydrogen: H + Iodine: I = Karachi.

Karachi served as the capital of newly independent Pakistan between 1947 and 1959, before being replaced by Rawalpindi which became the interim capital. In 1900 the population of Karachi was just 105,000, but this had risen to 400,000 by 1947. A census in 2017 indicated that Karachi's population was by then 14,910,352 making it the most populous city in Pakistan. The city is recognized as the country's financial and commercial capital.

Notable people born in Karachi include Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III in 1877, the first president of the All-India Muslim League, and Benazir Bhutto, born in 1953, who twice served as Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1988-1990 and also from 1993-1996.

Answer: Bonn

Boron: B + Oxygen: O + Nitrogen: N + Nitrogen: N = Bonn.

Bonn was originally founded as a Roman garrison, making it one of the oldest cities in Germany. From 1949 until the reunification of Germany in 1990, it served as the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). The city is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Many people automatically bring to mind Ludwig van Beethoven when Bonn is mentioned, as this celebrated composer was born in the city in 1770.

Other notable people born in Bonn include the aerobatic pilot Liesel Bach, who was the first woman to fly over Mount Everest, born in 1905, and poet Alexander Kaufmann born in 1817.

Answer: Perth

Phosphorus: P + Erbium: Er + Thorium: Th = Perth.

The city of Perth is situated in central Scotland, on the banks of the River Tay. Perth served as the capital of Scotland from the 12th century until the assassination of James I in the city in 1437. Since 1828 it has been dubbed "The Fair City" following the publication of Sir Walter Scott's novel "The Fair Maid of Perth."

The city of Perth in Western Australia was named after its Scottish namesake in honour of Sir George Murray who was born in Perth, Scotland in 1772.

Other notable people born in Perth include the novelist and politician John Buchan in 1875, and the actor and director Ewan McGregor in 1971.

Answer: Nairobi

Sodium: Na + Iridium: Ir + Oxygen: O + Bismuth: Bi = Nairobi.

Nairobi is the largest city in Kenya. Founded in 1899, it became the seat of government for British East Africa in 1905, and capital of Kenya following its independence in 1963. The city's name has been translated from the Maasai language and means 'cool water', almost certainly referring to the Nairobi river which runs through the city.

Nairobi National Park is located within close proximity to the city centre, separated only by electric fencing. The park is a major tourist attraction, and guided tours are arranged on a regular basis. Visitors to the park are able to view the wildlife at close quarters; lions, cheetahs, zebras, leopards, wildebeest, hyenas and many more species are at home within the park.

Notable people born in Nairobi include British cyclist Chris Froome in 1985, multiple winner of the Tour de France, and the author Richard Dawkins in 1941.

Answer: Verona

Vanadium: V + Erbium: Er + Oxygen: O + Sodium: Na = Verona.

Verona is located on the Adige river in the Veneto region in northern Italy. The city has become a magnet for tourists in Italy, particularly for those wishing to visit the city where two of William Shakespeare's plays were famously set, viz: "Romeo and Juliet" and "The Two Gentlemen of Verona." The city has also been selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, owing to the historical significance of its architecture.

Notable people born in Verona include the priest and baroque composer Stefano Bernardi in 1577, and the molecular geneticist Mario Capecchi in 1937, winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology.