Capitals (Not) Showing Their Age Quiz

Sadly, these days Syria is to many a byword for extreme political unrest. However, this Middle Eastern country has the distinction of being home to some of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities: one of them is its capital, Damascus, which is widely regarded as the world's oldest capital. Home to nearly 3 million people, Damascus lies on an arid plateau, at an elevation of 680 m (2,230 ft) above sea level, about 80 km (50 mi) from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The river Barada, descending from the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, flows through the city, which is surrounded by a fertile oasis.

Nicknamed the City of Jasmine, Damascus was first settled in the 3rd millennium BC; its name was first attested as "tjmsqw" (Ta-meshku) in an Egyptian geographical list compiled in the 15th century BC. While Damascus' current site has been inhabited since at least 6300 BC, the city gained importance during the Bronze Age (3300 BC - 1200 BC). During its long history it was part of a number of major empires, including the Roman, the Mongol and the Ottoman ones. After the Muslim conquest of the Middle East, for over a century it was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 AD): at that time the Great Mosque of Damascus, one of the largest in the world, was built.

The Old City of Damascus, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, bears witness to the venerable history of the city throughout the centuries. However, the wealth of historic sites contained within the Roman walls that surround the Old City is endangered by neglect and population loss after years of civil war.

Beijing ("Northern Capital") is the most recent name by which the capital of China has been known throughout his millennia-long history. The world's most populous national capital, home to over 22 million people, Beijing was one of China's Four Ancient Capitals, along with Xi'an, Luoyang and Nanjing. It was founded in 1045 BC by the Zhou Dynasty as a walled city named Ji (Jicheng), whose original site is now part of the neighbourhood of Guang'anmen in the southwestern part of the city; the site is marked by a monument erected in 2002.

The city's location in Northern China, surrounded by mountains on three sides, made it ideal as an imperial capital - a status it gained (along with its current name) in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, and kept until the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Most of Beijing's world-famous sights - such as the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven - date from the Ming era. For much of the second millennium AD Beijing was the most populous city in the world. In 1949, at the end of the Chinese Civil War, it became the capital of the People's Republic of China.

Modern Beijing is one of China's four direct-controlled municipalities, along with Shanghai, Chongqing and Tianjin. It is among the world's leading cities, a major economic, financial and cultural centre as well as the seat of China's political power. With its wealth of architectural heritage, both ancient and modern, it is also one of the world's premier tourist destinations, hosting four UNESCO World Heritage Sites and nearly 150 museums and galleries, as well as a slew of other attractions for all ages and tastes.

The traditional date for the foundation of Rome was set by Roman annalists at 21 April 753 AD, which is still commemorated today as "Rome's birthday". Most are familiar with Rome's foundation myth, involving Romulus and Remus - twin sons of Mars, god of war - and the she-wolf who raised them. According to the myth, the brothers were Latins, members of an Italic tribe that, in Virgil's "Aeneid", merged with the survivors of the destruction of Troy led by Aeneas. While in the legend Rome's name is derived from Romulus, its true origins are still debated: one theory posits that the name comes from the Etruscan word for "strength", while another has it derived from Rumon or Rumen, the archaic name of the Tiber, related to the Greek word for "flow".

As is often the case, things unfolded in a much more prosaic way. While the area where Rome now stands has been inhabited for at least 5,000 years, the city that for centuries ruled the West of the known world very likely grew out of various pastoral villages located on each of the seven hills. These villages eventually coalesced into a larger settlement for economic and political reasons, following the example of Greek city-states. This is believed to have happened somewhat earlier than the traditional date - around the end of the Bronze Age or the early Iron Age. The remains of the settlement on the Palatine Hill - known as "Romulus' huts" - were found in 1948, and can be visited today.

The capital of the Papal States for over 1,000 years, Rome has been the capital of Italy since 1871. Its large metropolitan area is home to over 5 million people. With its immense wealth of monuments from different ages - as well as its renowned culinary tradition - Rome is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.

Though the site where London now stands, on the banks of the river Thames in southeast England, has been inhabited at least since the Bronze Age, the core of the modern city dates from the mid-1st century AD, when a civilian settlement named Londinium (a Latinized form of a Celtic name) was established by the Romans about four years after the conquest of Britain. Destroyed a few years later (about 61 AD) by the Iceni led by Queen Boudicca, the town was promptly rebuilt and steadily grew in importance thanks to its favourable location at a key ford of the Thames. At its zenith, Londinium covered more or less the same area as the City of London. Sections of the defensive wall built by the Romans around 200 AD have survived to this day, in particular near Tower Hill. London Wall is the name of a street located near Cripplegate, one of the gates in the wall that enclosed the City of London.

London became the capital of England with the Norman conquest: the Tower of London and the first nucleus of the Palace of Westminster were built under William the Conqueror. Throughout the centuries the city grew in size and importance, and was extensively rebuilt after much of the old wooden city was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666. With the Industrial Revolution, London became the world's most populous city - as well as the capital of the world's largest Empire - housing both great wealth and extreme poverty within its boundaries.

Present-day London is the epitome of a global city, a major economic, financial, political and cultural centre that attracts people from all over the world. Its urban area is home to an estimated 9 million people, making it the third-largest city in Europe after Istanbul and Moscow.

In the 12th century, the region of northeastern Germany where Berlin is located became part of the Magraviate of Brandenburg, a principality established in 1167 by Albert the Bear. The date of 1237, commonly identified as Berlin's founding date, corresponds to the first written record of Kőlln, a settlement on an island in the river Spree that in 1432 officially merged with another nearby settlement, known as Alt-Berlin ("Old Berlin"). Though the city's name is often believed to have derived from "Bär", the German word for bear (in fact, a black bear appears on its flag and coat of arms), it is very likely rooted in a West Slavic word meaning "swamp" - an apt description of the marshy, low-lying area around Berlin.

Berlin grew slowly but steadily in the centuries that followed its foundation. The turning point for the city, however, came in 1701, when it became the capital of the newly established Kingdom of Prussia. Much of Berlin's transformation from a mid-sized town into a major European capital occurred during the reigns of Kings Frederick William I and his son, Frederick II (known as the Great). In 1871, Berlin became the capital of the German Empire, and remained Germany's main political, economic and cultural centre until the catastrophe of WWII left the city in ruins and the country split in two. Berlin itself was divided into a western part controlled by the Allies and an eastern one that became the capital of communist East Germany. The Berlin Wall, the most powerful symbol of the Cold War, stood between the two halves of the city from 1961 to 1989.

With the reunification of Germany in October 1990, Berlin was reinstated as the nation's capital. A cosmopolitan metropolis, home to over 3.5 million people, modern Berlin is known for its vibrant cultural scene and world-class educational institutions. It is one of Germany's three city-states, along with Hamburg and Bremen.

Many South American national capitals were founded by the Spanish after their conquest of the continent in the early 16th century. Of these, Lima, Peru's capital city, is the second-oldest after Quito, the capital of Ecuador, which was founded just one month earlier, on 6 December 1534. Located in the coastal desert region of central Peru, Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro as the capital of the lands of the former Inca Empire that he had conquered a few years earlier. Initially named Ciudad de los Reyes (City of the Kings) in honour of the Feast of the Epiphany (6 January), the date in which its foundation was decided, soon afterwards the city became known as Lima. The origin of the name is uncertain: some maintain it comes from Rimac, the river that flows through the city, while others believe it reflects the Spanish pronunciation of Limaq, the name of an oracle that existed in the valley before the arrival of the Spanish.

Because of its favourable location, Lima quickly grew in size and prestige, though the occurrence of frequent earthquakes meant much of the city had to be rebuilt on several occasions. In the 17th and 18th century Lima was one of the greatest cities in the Spanish Empire, famous for its wealth and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Many buildings from that era have survived, such as the imposing Metropolitan Cathedral and the distinctive balconies found all over the historic centre (designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988). In 1826, Lima became the capital of the newly independent Republic of Peru.

Home to over 10 million people, Lima is the second most populous city in South America, attracting large numbers of people from other regions of the country. In the early 20th century, the city was also one of the preferred destinations for immigrants from Europe, China and Japan, whose influence is reflected in the city's vibrant culture - in particular its cuisine, which in recent times has earned many prestigious awards and accolades.

Many African capitals were founded by the various colonial powers that controlled most of the continent in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, this is not the case of Antananarivo ("City of the Thousand" in Malagasy), the capital of Madagascar: when the world's fourth-largest island became a French protectorate in 1883, the city had already existed for over two centuries. Though the exact date is uncertain, Antananarivo was founded between 1610 and 1625 by Andrianjaka as the capital of the Merina Kingdom. The oldest core of the city is the Rova, a fortified royal complex located on top of Analamanga, the highest of the city's hills. Though most of the buildings within the palace complex were destroyed by fire in November 1995, they have since been restored and reopened. Antananarivo lost the status of capital of the Kingdom of Imerina in 1710, but was reinstated in this role in 1794. In the late 19th century, the city expanded with the construction of new neighbourhoods; during French rule, it was known as Tananarive.

Antananarivo (nicknamed Tana by the locals) sits in Madagascar's central highlands, at an elevation of 1,280 m (4,199 ft) above sea level - the highest national capital located on an island. Home to over 1.2 million people, the city suffers from various issues due to the uncontrolled population growth and economic struggles of the past few decades. Many of the buildings in its historic centre date from the late 19th and 20th centuries: however, the part of the "haute ville" (upper town) closest to the Rova boasts the highest concentration of pre-colonial buildings that show a characteristic Southeast Asian influence.

The oldest African capitals founded by European colonists are Luanda (Angola), founded by Portuguese explorers in 1576, and Cape Town (South Africa), founded by the Dutch East India Company in 1652.

On 9 July 1790, the Congress of the newly created United States of America passed the Residence Act, providing for the establishment of a permanent seat of government on the banks of the Potomac River, which marks the border between the states of Maryland and Virginia. The new city was founded on land donated by both states, including two existing ports on the Potomac - Georgetown (now a Washington neighbourhood) and Alexandria, Virginia.

The new capital - which, according to the 1789 Constitution, was under exclusive jurisdiction of the US Congress and not part of any state - was built on the north bank of the Potomac, and named for President George Washington. The District of Columbia, the city's official name, takes its name from a female personification of the US. A planned city, the new capital was designed by French-born artist and military engineer Pierre-Charles L'Enfant. In 1800, Washington DC officially replaced Philadelphia as the capital of the US.

With a diverse population of about 700,000, Washington DC is not as large as other national capitals, and ranks only 22nd in the US. However, it is undoubtedly one of the world's most prominent seats of government, as well as a major centre for culture, education and research. The prestigious Smithsonian Institution manages a large number of outstanding museums that attract visitors from all over the world, as do the many historic monuments found throughout the city. Washington DC also hosts various international institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

Nshasa (probably meaning "market place" in the Teke language) was the name of a trading settlement located near Pool Malebo, a lake-like widening of the river Congo in Central Africa, inhabited for centuries by local tribes. Near that site, Welsh-American explorer Henry Morton Stanley established a trading post in 1881, on behalf of an association founded by King Leopold II of Belgium to further his own interests in the Congo. The new settlement was named Léopoldville for the king.

Thanks to its key location as the first navigable port on the Congo above the rapids known as Livingstone Falls, the town flourished between 1885 and 1908, when most of the Congo Basin was part of the Congo Free State, a personal property of Leopold II - notorious for the atrocities committed against the natives by the king's administration. In 1923, Léopoldville became the capital of Belgian Congo, and kept its status after the colony became independent in 1960. The name Kinshasa was adopted in 1966 under President Mobutu Sese Seko.

Kinshasa is now one of the world's most populous and fastest-growing cities, home to over 18 million people. The city's rapid demographic growth is due to a number of factors, including an influx of refugees from other parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that are plagued by political and economic instability. In spite of the serious issues confronting the city - such as lack of properly maintained infrastructure and widespread poverty - Kinshasa boasts a thriving cultural scene, particularly as regards music, dance and visual arts.

Canberra was formally established on 12 March 1913, when Lady Denman, the wife of Governor-General Lord Thomas Denman, announced the future Australian capital's name - derived from the Ngunnawal language and believed to mean "meeting place". An alternative theory suggests the city's name may mean "woman's breasts" or "cleavage" - a possible reference to two hills located northeast and northwest of what is now the city centre. The site chosen for the new capital, inhabited by Aboriginal tribes for thousands of years, had been settled by Europeans in the 1820s, but was largely rural. It is located about 150 km (93 mi) from Australia's east coast, near the Brindabella Ranges, which are part of the Australian Alps.

Canberra was planned by American architects Walter Burley Griffin and his wife Marion Mahony Griffin, whose design was influenced by Pierre-Charles L'Enfant's plan for Washington DC. The city was centred around a large artificial lake (now named Lake Burley Griffin), with wide avenues arranged in an unusual wheel-and-spoke pattern. Though construction proceeded slowly, on 9 May 1927 Canberra officially became Australia's seat of government, replacing Melbourne.

More than a century after its foundation, Canberra - with a population of nearly 500,000 - is Australia's eight-largest city, as well as the country's largest city not located on the coast. Home to many museums and cultural and educational institutions, every spring it hosts Floriade, the largest flower festival in the Southern Hemisphere, which takes place in Commonwealth Park, on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.

Islamabad ("City of Islam") is located on the Pothohar Plateau, in the northern Punjab region of northwestern Pakistan. The area where the city now stands has been inhabited since the Stone Age, and is rich in archaeological remains from many different eras. When Pakistan achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, the port city of Karachi on the Arabian Sea became its provisional capital. However, because of Karachi's distance from the interior of the country, in 1959 it was decided to build a new capital near Rawalpindi, which was readily accessible from all parts of Pakistan. During Islamabad's construction, which began in 1960, Rawalpindi served as the country's interim capital.

Islamabad officially became Pakistan's national capital on 14 August 1967. Designed by a team of Greek architects led by Konstantinos A. Doxiadis, the city is based on a triangular grid plan pointing north towards the Margalla Hills, part of the Himalayan foothills. Islamabad's architecture is an interesting combination of modernity and Islamic tradition - as exemplified by two of the city's most significant landmarks, the huge Faisal Mosque (one of the world's largest) and the Pakistan Monument.

Home to over one million people, Islamabad forms a conurbation with its sister city Rawalpindi: nearly 6 million people live in this metropolitan area. The two cities complement each other, Islamabad being the seat of government, and Rawalpindi being the centre of economic and military activity. However, Karachi - a megacity with a population of over 20 million - remains Pakistan's premier industrial, financial and cultural centre.

The history of Naypyidaw {"abode of the king" in Burmese), Myanmar's national capital since 2005, is a rather interesting one. This entirely planned city, part of no state or region, is located in central Myanmar, between two mountain ranges and about 320 km (200 mi) north of Yangon, the old capital. The latter, also the the country's largest city. had allegedly become too crowded and congested to adequately function as seat of government. However, the reasons behind this decision on the part of Myanmar's military junta appear to have been somewhat more disturbing, as the new capital was meant to be able to withstand both foreign invasion and domestic unrest. In fact, the progress of city's construction - which took ten years (2002-2012) and was overseen by the military - was shrouded in secrecy, as well as plagued by corruption.

Naypyidaw - whose name was officially revealed on 27 March 2006, Armed Forces Day - covers an area of 7,054 km² (2,724 sq mi), much larger than megacities such as Tokyo or Shanghai. However, the city has very low population density, being home to about 900.000 people according to official figures. The city's apartment blocks have colour-coded roofs, depending on the jobs of their residents. On the other hand, the members of the military junta live in a mostly underground complex whose access is restricted to the public. A prominent landmark of the city is the Uppatasanti Pagoda (Peace Pagoda), completed in 2009, whose design and proportions mimic those of the iconic Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.