O To Finish The Amazing Race! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cairo

This may be rather surprising given the fact that the ancient Egyptians were obviously living in the area for thousands of years before the city was actually founded. Originally known as al-Manṣūriyyah, the site of modern day Cairo was chosen to be the new capital of the Fatimid Caliphate.

It took about two hundred years, however, for the capital to finally be permanently moved from Fustat to Cairo. Cairo, Egypt, is one of the largest cities in Africa and the Middle East today.

Answer: Oslo

Oslo, Norway, was originally founded in the 1040s by Harald Hardrada. In 1624, however, the city burned down after a devastating fire destroyed the mostly wooden city. Oslo was then relocated to be closer to Akershus Castle. After the move, the city was renamed Christiania and then Kristiania before eventually being called Oslo again in 1925.

Answer: Quito

Quito, Ecuador, was founded high up in the Andes Mountains in 1534 by Diego de Almagro, a Spanish conquistador. It is the second highest world capital after the nearby La Paz, Bolivia. Quito is the capital city closest to the equator, lying just under a mile south of the imaginary line.

Answer: Santo Domingo

Christopher's younger brother established the city of Santo Domingo (named after Saint Dominic) on the east bank of the Ozama River; the settlement was later moved to the west bank. Its location at the river mouth made it an important commercial center from its earliest days.

Not only is it the oldest settlement in the Americas that has been continuously inhabited by Europeans, it is also the site of the first university and the first cathedral in the New World. The capture of the city by Francis Drake in 1586 is considered to mark the beginning of the end of Spanish dominance on the island of Hispaniola, which later saw the western half of the island become the French colony that gained independence as Haiti. Santo Domingo is the largest city and capital of the Dominican Republic.

Answer: Bamako

Bamako is not only the capital, but also the largest city of Mali, being home to approximately a quarter of the country's population. While the country is landlocked, it has access to shipping via the Niger River. Bamako's port is located in nearby Koulikoro. Mali is administratively subdivided into six regions plus the capital district, and then further into 49 cercles (French for "circle") - the latter designation has survived only in Mali even though it had once been the standard in most French colonies.

Answer: Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan, was originally called Edo, a name that means "estuary" in Japanese. In 1868, Edo's name was changed to Tokyo, which means "east capital", because Tokyo is located in the eastern part of Japan and Japan is east of the other nations of the Orient. Tokyo consistently ranks at the top of most livable cities lists and is well known for its nightlife, history and technology.

Answer: Maputo

When Mozambique became independent from Portugal in 1975, it was largely expected that the Portuguese name of its capital would be changed to Can Phumo, honoring a great chief of the local area. Instead, FRELIMO, the communist movement that led Mozambique's independence war, chose the name Maputo, after the Maputo River, located significantly further south and marking Mozambique's border with South Africa, which had symbolic value during the independence struggle, along with its northern counterpart, Rovuma.

The two rivers delineate Mozambique's territorial extent and have thus become a symbol of its national sovereignty.

Answer: Santiago

In 1540 Pedro de Valdivia settled in the area that was to become Santiago, and established apparently cordial relations with the locals. However, when he went off to battle and left the fledgling city unprotected, they destroyed it, except for the fort, which was successfully defended by the handful of remaining troops.

The city was rebuilt, and grew in size and importance, despite the problems caused by native attacks, floods and earthquakes. When Chile gained independence from Spain (declared in 1818, recognized in 1844), Santiago became its capital.

Answer: Paramaribo

Paramaribo was not only where the first Dutch settlement was established in 1613, it was also the site of a near by Indian village called Parmirbo. After being abandoned by the Dutch, the city was inhabited by English settlers, although it was eventually taken back by the Dutch during the Second Anglo-Dutch War.

It has remained the capital of Suriname from the time of its original founding, during the time of colonization, and since its independence in 1975.

Answer: Porto-Novo

Also known as Hogbonu (to the indigenous Gun people) and Ajashe (by the indigenous Yoruba people), the city now known as Porto-Novo was taken over (more or less, as native rulers still had considerable influence) in the 16th century by the Portuguese to support the slave trade. Near the end of the 19th century it became part of the colony of French Dahomey, and was designated its capital.

Although it is only the second-largest city in Benin, it is the official capital, and parliament sits there. The largest city, Cotonou, is about 25 miles away, and is where most of the government ministries actually have their offices.