If It's Tuesday, Then It Must Be... Quiz

Answer: Richmond

Richmond Bridge joins the two halves of the Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames in southwest London. This handsome five-arch bridge, designed by noted architect James Paine, was built of Portland stone between 1774 and 1777. It replaced a ferry crossing that connected the town centre of Richmond (previously known as Shene) with East Twickenham on the west bank of the Thames. In the 1930s the bridge was widened to accommodate increasing traffic.

A Grade I listed building since 1952, Richmond Bridge is the oldest surviving bridge on the Thames located in Greater London. The picturesque town of Richmond is famous for its huge park - the largest of London's Royal Parks - and its lovely riverfront with its many historic pubs. As shown in the photo, the riverside area round Richmond Bridge also has a long-standing tradition of boat building and hiring.

The capital of the US state of Virginia, founded in 1737, was named Richmond by its founder, planter William Byrd II, who was reminded of his home on Richmond Hill by the view from the bend of the James River. Richmond became the capital of the Confederate States of America in May 1865.

Answer: Dakar

Home to over one million people, Dakar has been the capital of the West African country of Senegal since it became independent from France in 1960. Established in the 17th century as a village named Ndaakaru by the local Lebou people, it was originally meant to support the slave trading operations on the nearby island of Gorée. The city is built on most of the Cap-Vert (Cape Verde) peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean from mainland Africa.

The archipelago of Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony located 570 km (350 mi) further west, took their name from the peninsula, which in turn owes its name to its lush vegetation. In the writings of various Greek and Latin authors Cap-Vert is identified as Hesperu Ceras ("western horn").

Dakar was the finishing point of the Paris-Dakar auto rally until 2007, when the event was moved to South America due to political unrest in neighbouring Mauritania. Among the sites of interest in the city there is the historical district (medina), which houses the Grand Mosque and several street markets. However, Dakar's most significant site is the island of Gorée, one of the first 12 sites to be inscribed by UNESCO in its World Heritage List in 1978. The designation pays tribute to the history of the island as a major centre for the Atlantic slave trade. The photo depicts the monument that stands outside the House of Slaves, now a museum and a memorial to all the victims of that inhuman trade. The island is connected to Dakar's city centre by a regular ferry service.

Answer: Lesotho

A former British colony named Basutoland, Lesotho has another major distinction besides its high average elevation: it is one of three sovereign nations that are completely surrounded by another country (the other two being Vatican City and San Marino, both surrounded by Italy). In Lesotho's case, the surrounding country is South Africa. Though often described as tiny, Lesotho - covering an area of 30,355 km² (11,720 sq mi) in the Maloti Mountains of southern Africa - is much larger than either of its two fellow enclaves, and almost the same size as Belgium. Its capital, Maseru, lies at an elevation of 1,600 m (5.200 ft) above sea level. Lesotho is also one of Africa's three remaining monarchies, along with Eswatini and Morocco.

Tourism is a steadily developing sector in Lesotho, which relies on the country's unique geographical features and its great natural beauty. One of Lesotho's main attractions is the AfriSki resort in the Maloti Mountains, located at an elevation of 3050 m (10,006 ft) near the border with South Africa. One of only two skiing resorts in sub-Saharan Africa (the other is Tiffindell Ski Resort in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa), the resort is open from June to August, and can accommodate up to 320 people.

Answer: Goa

The state of Goa lies on the southwestern coast of India, where it covers an area of 3,702 km² (1,429 sq mi). It is bordered to the north by Maharashtra and to the east and south by Karnataka, both much larger and more populous. Goa is home to about 1.5 million people, most of whom speak Konkani - an Indo-Aryan language that is also the state's official language. Its capital, Panaji, located in the northern part of the state, was the capital of Portuguese India until the annexation of the territory by India in 1961. Until 1987, when it achieved full statehood, Goa was part of the union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu.

Nicknamed "The Pearl of the Orient" for its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, Goa has a 103-km (64 mi) coastline on the Arabian Sea. Inhabited for thousands of years, it was part of various empires and sultanates before its conquest by the Portuguese in 1510. The influence of European colonization is hard to miss when visiting Goa, both in its cuisine and its architecture. In particular, Goa is known for its Catholic churches, which include the Baroque Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (designated in 1986) that houses the remains of Saint Francis Xavier, one of the founders of the Jesuits. Goa's magnificent beaches and its nightlife attract millions of tourists every year: in fact, tourism is the state's primary industry.

Located in the Himalayas, Sikkim is the second-smallest Indian state. Kerala, on the Arabian Sea coast, is one of the southernmost Indian states, while the landlocked state of Punjab is found in northwestern India.

Answer: Macao

Like Goa, Macao is a former Portuguese colony, which was handed over to China on 20 December 1999. Like its neighbour Hong Kong, which lies to the east across the Pearl River estuary, it is a a special administrative region of China conforming to the principle of "one country, two systems" - which allows the two regions to have a market economy unlike the "state capitalism" of the rest of China. In particular, the economy of Macao is based on tourism and gambling - hence the comparison with Las Vegas. Surprising as it may sound, Macao's gambling industry is the largest in the world, about seven times bigger than that of its American counterpart. As is the case of Hong Kong, Macao has one of the world's highest GDPs per capita, as well as very high life expectancy.

The territory of Macao comprises the Macao Peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coluane. Over 700,000 people live in a land area of 32.9 km² (12.7 sq mi): not surprisingly, Macao boasts the highest population density on Earth, over 20,000 people per km². The peninsula was originally an island, but now is connected to the mainland by a sandbar that formed over time. Macao's culture is a unique mix of Chinese (Cantonese) and Portuguese, with other influences from both Europe and East Asia. Alongside futuristic towers and skyscrapers (such as the distinctively-shaped Grand Lisboa Casino and Hotel) the city hosts a number of historic buildings and landmarks from various eras, such as the iconic ruins of the Baroque Church of St Paul. The Historic Centre of Macao was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

Answer: Fiji

Fiji is an archipelago of more than 330 islands (110 of which are permanently inhabited), most of them of volcanic origin, part of the Melanesia region of the South Pacific Ocean. The vast majority of the country's population, which counts less than one million people, lives on the archipelago's two largest islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. The name Fiji comes from Fisi, the Tongan pronunciation of Viti, the name given to their homeland by the inhabitants of the archipelago. Inhabited at least since the first millennium BC, the islands had their fist contacts with Europeans in the 17th century, and became a British colony in 1874 after years of unrest. Fiji gained its independence in 1970, eventually becoming one of the most developed economies in the Pacific region thanks to its rich mineral, forest and fish resources. The bottled spring water that bears the islands' name is one of Fiji's main exports together with sugarcane (which is depicted on its coat of arms).

Tourism is also an important sector for the economy of this island country, blessed with a year-round warm climate and lush tropical vegetation - albeit vulnerable to the effects of climate change like most other Pacific island countries. Tourists come to enjoy the beautiful sand beaches and explore the coral reefs that surround the islands; many resorts targeted to both luxury and budget travellers have been opened throughout the archipelago. Fiji is a popular destination for both honeymooners and families with young children; most visitors come from Australia, New Zealand and the US.

While Vanuatu is also part of Melanesia, Seychelles is located in the Indian Ocean, and Barbados in the Caribbean.

Answer: Huascarán

Also known as Mataraju ("twin snow peak" in Quechua), Huascarán lies in the Cordillera Blanca of the western Andes, in the Yungay Province of central Peru. The Cordillera Blanca ("white range" in Spanish) is the world's longest ice-covered tropical range, and its glaciers - though retreating because of climate change - are still extensive, especially considering its latitude (9º south of the Equator). Huascarán has two distinct peaks, the southern one being the highest of the two with an elevation of 6,768 m (22,205 ft). This imposing mountain was first summited in 1932. On 31 May 1970, a violent earthquake caused much of Huascarán's north side to collapse, destroying the town of Yungay and killing over 20,000 people.

A popular destination for trekkers and climbers, Huascarán National Park was established in 1975, and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. It is a place of great natural beauty, its dramatic mountain landscape dotted with over 300 glacial lakes. With its variety of climates, the park is home to some unique flora and fauna, including the distinctive-looking Queen of the Andes, the largest member of the pineapple family, the iconic Andean condor and the vicuña, a wild camelid that is Peru's unofficial national animal.

The volcano Popocatépetl is found in Mexico, while Chimborazo (also a volcano) is in Ecuador, and Aconcagua - the highest peak in South America and in the Western and Southern Hemispheres - in Argentina.

Answer: Santo Domingo

Founded in 1496 by the Spanish, Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic, the larger of the two countries that share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. It was named for Saint Dominic, the Catholic priest who founded the Dominican Order in 1215; the Dominican Republic, which was first established in 1844, was also named for the saint. Present-day Santo Domingo is the largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean, home to over four million people. The city, which is also a seaport and the country's economic and cultural centre, is located at the mouth of the Ozama River, on the southern coast of Hispaniola.

Santo Domingo's Zona Colonial (Colonial Zone), which lies on the west side of the river, covers an area of 1.06 km² (0.41 sq mi), still partially surrounded by the defensive walls built by the Spanish. With its wealth of historic landmarks, the oldest of which date from the early 16th century, the district is Santo Domingo's main tourist attraction, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990. Of particular note is the stunning Cathedral Basilica of Santa María la Menor, whose façade is shown in the photo. Built between 1504 and 1550, it is not only the oldest cathedral in the Americas, but also the only Gothic (rather than Neo-Gothic) cathedral found outside Europe. Christopher Columbus was buried for a time in the cathedral, and the elaborate monument that once housed his remains still stands there.

San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico, which is not a sovereign country but a US territory. Kingston is the capital of Jamaica, and Nassau the capital of the Bahamas.

Answer: North Carolina and Tennessee

The Great Smoky Mountains (Smokies for short) are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains of eastern North America, straddling the North Carolina-Tennessee border. These gently rounded, thickly forested mountains owe their name to the fog that often hangs over them, caused by the organic chemical compounds emitted by the dense vegetation, which looks like smoke plumes when seen from a distance. The highest point of the range is Kuwohi (Climgman's Dome), standing at an elevation of 2,025 m (6,643 ft) - also the highest point in Tennessee. The famed Appalachian Trail, which runs from Georgia to Maine, crosses the park.

Most of the Smokies are protected within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, established in 1934 during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The park, which was also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, boasts the highest biodiversity of all the US's national parks, hosting about 19,000 species of plants, animals and other organisms. Forests cover the vast majority of its area, and streams and waterfalls abound. Many animals make their home in the park - in particular American black bears, which have become a symbol of the park's wildlife. Visited every year by millions of tourists (14,1 million in 2021), Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers many attractions to its visitors - including a number of historical areas and structures.

Answer: Rome

Italian airports are usually named for both their location and some famous historical person. Thus, Rome's international airport is officially called Aeroporto di Roma-Fiumicino (hence the IATA code FCO) "Leonardo da Vinci". Built in the 1950s to replace the smaller Rome Ciampino Airport (which is still operational) as Rome's international airport, it was officially opened on 15 January 1961, though it had already been in use during the summer of 1960, when the XVII Summer Olympics took place in Rome. Italy's busiest hub and one of Europe's ten busiest airports, Roma-Fiumicino Airport lies 30 km (19 mi) south of Rome, near the mouth of the river Tiber and the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. During construction the remains of five Roman ships were found, as the area was part of the large artificial harbour of Portus, established by Claudius in the 1st century AD. The ships are now preserved in a museum adjoining the airport.

The capital of Italy since 1871, Rome needs no introduction. The photo shows a detail of Via dei Fori Imperiali looking towards the Esquiline Hill and Trajan's Forum, not far from the Colosseum. Rome is famous for its shopping streets and restaurants as well as its incredible wealth of monuments from many different eras. Travellers will also find a wide range of excellent shopping and dining opportunities at Rome-Fiumicino Airport. The Historic Centre of Rome (including the properties of the Holy See) was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

The airports of the three cities listed as wrong answers are named for Galileo Galilei (Florence), Marco Polo (Venice) and Guglielmo Marconi (Bologna).