Can You Match the City to the Country?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
1 min
Can You Match the City to the Country?
Image: shutterstock

About This Quiz

Geography tests were once a staple of a basic education. From the first grade to the twelfth, students were expected to know all the countries in the world, their capitals, their major ports and cultural centers. Knowing geography is one of the tools that made the Roman, Mongol and Greek empires great. There was a time when maps were scarce and expensive, and people had to just know geography, both locally and anywhere else they might go. Even in this age of smartphones with world atlases inside them, a little local knowledge can be tremendously useful. Google Maps doesn't always know every road, and sometimes it thinks roads exist that aren't there.

The world isn't what it once was. It is host to many new nations, some founded in the late 20th century, others even more recently. Some cities are ancient, with histories going back to the Silk Road or the Crusades, while others are entirely new, with megalopolises founded on the sites of old fishing villages, built to support the industries of the future. How familiar are you with these places? How many hemispheres have you been to, and how many have you observed from Google Maps? 

Do you know your cities and countries? Take this quiz and find out!

Copenhagen
Norway
Holland
Ireland
Denmark
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Copenhagen is the prosperous capital of Denmark, sitting on the western edge of the Baltic, staring back at Russia sitting on the other side. Copenhagen is famous for its "Little Mermaid."

Madrid
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Spain
Dominican Republic
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Madrid is the capital of Spain, and it has been a major power center since the fall of Rome. Madrid was a Christian capital and a Muslim one, depending on the years, and today it's wrestling with its own political strife, trying to govern while the Catalan region tries to separate.

Chicago
Canada
Colombia
Argentina
USA
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Congratulations! You know where Chicago is! It is indeed an American city, near the northernmost fringe of the lower 48 states. Chicago has a long history, including a major fire, a crime wave and a proud tradition of baseball.

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Toronto
Iceland
Canada
Mexico
USA
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in Canada and indeed in the world, and home to many a media business, including television production. Toronto is less than a two-hour drive from Buffalo, New York.

Lisbon
Spain
Portugal
Chile
China
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lisbon is the capital of the tiny Iberian nation of Portugal. Portugal may seem small, but the nation once commanded a massive global empire, one which included Brazil.

Amsterdam
France
USA
Holland
Turkey
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Located in Holland, Amsterdam is one of the most famous trading ports in all the world. Famed for its canals, red light district and flower market, Amsterdam has history going back many centuries.

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Marseilles
France
Italy
Morocco
Algiers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Marseilles is a town on the French Riviera, and it is very much French. There was a time that Marseilles and the area around it were ground zero for the Cathars, a heretical group of Christians who had a crusade waged against them by the Roman church.

Monaco
Italy
Monaco
Spain
Portugal
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

That's correct! The city of Monaco is in the principality of Monaco. Monaco sits on the French Riviera, though while it has things in common with both Italy and France, it is part of neither.

Genoa
Moncaco
Italy
France
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Genoa is a northern port city on the west coast of Italy, taking an active role in trade in the Mediterranean. At one time, it was one of many Italian city-states that had to rise and fall alone.

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Turin
Spain
France
Holland
Italy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Home to a Winter Games and the famous Shroud of Turin, Turin is located in northern Italy, at the foot of the Alps. The landscape and weather start to become Swiss, but the food is still Italian.

Vaduz
Austria
Switzerland
Liechtenstein
Germany
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Vaduz is the capital of the tiny principality of Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein abuts the eastern edge of Switzerland, and is a favorite destination of people trying to hide their income from the tax man. The nation is so small it can be crossed by car in twenty minutes, and yet it has more "brass plate" companies in it than it has people.

Zagreb
Hungary
Croatia
Slovenia
Serbia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and its largest city. Being economically underdeveloped in comparison to more Western nations, Zagreb's medieval architecture has been beautifully preserved, making it an ideal tourist destination.

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Sarajevo
Georgia
Romania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Slovenia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sarajevo was ground zero for the fighting in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but today it's a city prospering from the unity of Europe. Back in 1984, when Sarajevo was in the country of Yugoslavia, the Winter Olympics were held there.

Graz
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
Poland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Graz is a charming, medieval city in Austria. It is perhaps best known for being the major city center near where Arnold Schwarzenegger grew up.

Bremen
Germany
Austria
Malta
Greece
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Squatting over the Weser River, Bremen is a medieval town with a long history of using its river for maritime trade. Of course, this same river leading to the Baltic would have led the Vikings directly to the city many centuries ago.

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Hyderabad
Pakistan
Afghanistan
Tajikistan
Kazakhstan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

We wouldn't blame you for missing this one, as Hyderabad is only the eigth largest city in Pakistan, and hardly on the tourist route.

Vilnius
Belarus
Latvia
Lithuania
Russia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, but unlike many nations on the Baltic, its capital is well inland. Vilnius is a bargain for want-to-be travelers.

Tallinn
Sweden
Finland
Russia
Estonia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia. Sitting on the edge of the Baltic Sea, it's known for its nightlife.

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Gothenburg
Sweden
Belarus
Norway
Denmark
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gothenburg, Sweden, is a port city with canals that make it seem a lot like Holland. It is the second-largest city in Sweden, behind Stockholm.

Astana
Russia
Armenia
Kazakhstan
Georgia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan, home to 1990s era architecture and some breathtaking views. And, of course, it is the homeland of Borat.

Samarkand
Pakistan
Iran
Uzbekistan
Saudi Arabia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Samarkand is a city in Uzbekistan. It is noted for its religious sites, including mosques and tombs, but most of all for being on the ancient Silk Road, connecting East and West.

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Dushanbe
Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dushanbe is the capital city of Tajikistan and a showcase of the nation's culture, with parks and monuments honoring their poets and other cultural heroes. Perhaps the city is best remembered in America from its brief mention in the film "Spies Like Us," where the protagonists are told to look for a contact on the road to Dushanbe.

Kabul
Afghanistan
Kyrgyzstan
Iran
Pakistan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You are probably familiar with the name Kabul, since it is the capital of Afghanistan and thus subject to many attacks by the Taliban. Citizens are trying to rebuild.

Hyderabad
India
Pakistan
Azerbaijan
Kyrgyzstan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yes, there is another Hyderabad! What are the odds, right? Well, this one is in India. Since Pakistan and India were once one nation, it makes some sense that their cultures would produce two cities of the same name. Of course, this begs the question: where would mail go when addressed to Hyderabad, when the two nations were one?

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Colombo
India
Sri Lanka
Myanmar
Thailand
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Colombo is an ancient port city that was colonized by Portugal, the British and the Dutch over the centuries. A link in the ancient trade routes to the West, it is the capital of Sri Lanka.

Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea
Brunei
Indonesia
Philippines
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Port Moresby is the capital of Papua New Guinea, a nation in the extreme southeast of the map. Port Moresby features a few major cultural institutions, including a museum and the nation's parliament, which is designed around religious architectural themes.

Dunedin
Australia
Austria
United Kingdom
New Zealand
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dunedin is a peculiar little port city in New Zealand. It features an odd mix of architecture, and a population with Maori and Scottish roots.

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Windhoek
Chad
Liberia
Namibia
Norway
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Windhoek is the capital of Namibia, and stands just north of a massive war monument, commemorating the 1990 revolution that gave birth to the country.

Abyei
Sudan
Chad
Niger
Cameroon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Abyei is a city of about 20,000 on the southernmost parts of Sudan, in the middle of nowhere. It is a disputed area.

Gaborone
Botswana
Namibia
Gabon
Equatorial Guinea
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gaborone is the capital of Botswana. It is home to, among other things, The Gaborone Game Reserve.

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Maseru
South Africa
Losotho
Swaziland
Chad
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Maseru is the capital of Losotho, a landlocked nation surrounded on all sides by South Africa.

Mbabane
DRC
Japan
Central African Republic
Swaziland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mbabane is the capital of Swaziland, but it's not actually home to the royal compound or the nation's parliament, both of which are located in a nearby town. The city hosts traditional street markets.

Lilongwe
Malawi
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Tanzania
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi, and sits on the Lilongwe River. In the center of the city is a major new development, built by Chinese backers.

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Abyei
Egypt
Libya
Eritrea
South Sudan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Abyei is in the disputed region on the border of Sudan and South Sudan, so it's sort of in both countries.

Muscat
Qatar
Oman
UAE
Iran
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Muscat is the port capital of Oman, located on the country's northeastern border, on the Persian Gulf. The Hajar Mountains provide a beautiful backdrop.

You Got:
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