Question 1 of 10
What is the capital of Canada?
How this quiz works
There are 10 questions about capitals, from the easiest to the hardest. Choose an answer to move on: the correct answer appears at the top of the next page, and the explanation comes right below it.
They all share a trick: in none of these countries is the capital the largest city. Very often, the most famous city is precisely the wrong choice.
Count the points yourself, 1 for each correct answer, and see on the last page which range your round fell into. There is nothing to fill in or install.
Why the capital is not always the largest city
Many countries chose their capital for political reasons rather than size. A city in the middle of the territory is closer to all regions, and a neutral place avoids favoring a rival city.
The same happens in the United States: Washington is much smaller than New York. The city was planned at the end of the 18th century, on the banks of the Potomac River, to be the seat of the federal government.
In some cases, the capital changed because of a disaster. In Belize, a hurricane devastated the old capital in 1961, and the government built a new city inland, Belmopan, which took over the role in 1970.
