Can You Match the South American Capital to Its Country?

By: Isadora Teich
Image: shutterstock

About This Quiz

South America is full of vibrant culture and thriving cities, but how well do you know some of the biggest cities in the Americas? Test your knowledge with this HowStuffWorks quiz!

What is the capital of Argentina?

Buenos Aires has been called the "Paris of South America." This large cosmopolitan city is known for its architecture and is the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the Americas.

How many capital cities does Bolivia have?

Bolivia has two capital cities. The legal capital is Sucre and the seat of government is La Paz.

Where is Paramaribo?

Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname. About half of Suriname's diverse roughly 558,000-person population lives there.

Which of these is one of Bolivia's capitals?

Sucre is one of Bolivia's capitals, a historic city at an elevation of more than 9,000 feet. Sucre is home to the second-oldest university in the Americas, Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca.

________ is the capital of Brazil.

Brasilia is the largest Portuguese-speaking capital city in the world after Luanda, Angola. It's known for its unique design and modernist architecture.

Santiago is the capital of:

Santiago is one of the largest cities in the Americas and has been the capital of Chile since the 1500s. The Andes Mountains can be seen from most points of the city.

Where is Bogota?

Bogota is an important financial, cultural and commercial center in the Americas and is considered a global "Alpha-" city. Located in the Andes, it's the third highest capital city in South America.

__________ is the capital of Venezuela.

Caracas, Venezuela is the capital and largest city in the country, with a metropolitan area population of over 5 million. The city is known for its high murder rate, and in 2015 had the highest per capita murder rate in the world.

Where is Montevideo?

Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay and also its largest city. It has a population of over a million, which is about a third of Uruguay's total population.

Where is Quito?

Quito, Ecuador is the second highest capital city in the world and the one closest to the equator, sitting over 9,000 ft above sea level on the slopes of the active Andean stratovolcano Pichincha. One of the first official UNESCO World Heritage sites, Quito has one of the best-preserved historic centers in the Americas.

Stanley is the capital of:

The Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory, an over 700-island archipelago 300 miles off the southern tip of South America. Argentina maintains its claim on the islands. About 2/3 of the island's 3,000-person population lives in the capital, Stanley.

Cayenne is the capital of:

French Guiana is an overseas region and department of France located within South America. Cayenne is a diverse city famous for its annual carnival and an important South American seaport.

Where is Georgetown?

Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is mainly a retail and administrative center. Crime is common there, with robberies happening almost daily in certain shopping districts.

Where is Asuncion?

Asuncion is the capital and largest city of Paraguay. It is one of the least expensive cities to live in in the world.

Lima is the capital of:

Lima was founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in the 16th century. Today it has a population of more than 9 million, making it the third largest city in the Americas

King Edward Point is the capital of:

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are a remote British Overseas Territory in the Southern Atlantic Ocean between South America and Antarctica. The islands and their capital have a population of less than 50. The British maintain two bases there, one in King Edward Point.

Lima, Peru is one of the ________ cities in the Americas.

Lima, Peru is the third-largest city in the Americas, with a metropolitan area population of more than 10 million. The only larger cities in the Americas are Sao Paulo, Brazil and Mexico City, Mexico.

Brasilia, Brazil is one of the ____________ Portuguese-speaking cities in the world.

Brasilia is a large city. It is the second most populous Portuguese-speaking city after Luanda, Angola.

_________ is capital of Bolivia.

La Paz is one of Bolivia's 2 capitals and its seat of government. At an elevation of over 11,000 feet, it is the highest capital city in the world.

Which is the smallest country in South America?

At roughly 64,000 square miles in size, Suriname is the smallest country in South America. While it is culturally considered a Caribbean country, it is the only country outside the Netherlands where the majority speaks Dutch.

Which of these capitals is the southernmost capital city in the Americas?

Montevideo is a vibrant and wealthy city considered a beta global city, with the highest quality of life of any Latin American city. Located on Uruguay's southern coast, it is the southernmost capital in the Americas.

What is the main language spoken in Brasilia, Brazil?

Portuguese is the official national language of Brazil and what is mainly taught in schools. Brazil is the largest Portuguese-speaking country on earth.

Which capital city has the highest murder rate in the world outside a war zone?

Venezuela and Caracas have the highest murder rates in the world, with Caracas famous for having the most homicides outside a war zone. Most violent crimes go unsolved as well, which has contributed to the U.S. Department of State issuing travel warnings for both Caracas and Venezuela.

Which South American capital is known for its number of theaters?

Buenos Aires has roughly 300 theaters, according to some sources more than any other city on earth. One of these is Teatro Colon, which is considered to be one of the best opera houses in the world.

What is the most common crime tourists face in Quito, Ecuador?

According to the US Department of State, petty theft is a common problem for Quito tourists. Pickpocketing and hotel room theft are what one would have to worry about most.

Brasilia is the capital of Brazil, but is it its largest city?

Brasilia is estimated to be the third-largest city in Brazil. The largest city in Brazil is Sao Paulo, which is the most populous city in both the Americas and the entire Southern Hemisphere.

Which country has both of the highest altitude capitals in the world?

La Paz is the seat of government of Bolivia, located at an altitude of nearly 12,000 feet. Sucre is the constitutional capital and is located at over 9,000 feet.

About 90% of Asuncion, Paraguay's population is:

The vast majority of Asuncion's over 1 million person population practices Catholicism. There are a number of other religious minorities within the city.

The name of which capital means "fair winds"?

"Buenos Aires" can be translated as "fair winds" or "good airs." It was established in the 1500s by Spain and was originally called Ciudad de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre which means "City of Our Lady Saint Mary of the Fair Winds."

The oldest continuously functioning _________ in the Americas is in Lima, Peru.

Lima, Peru is home to the National University of San Marcos. It was founded in 1551 by the Spanish.

Which capital city has the least tourists?

Venezuela came last when compared to 140 countries in terms of tourism. Poor public transport, a high crime rate and the unpopularity of tourism among Venezuela's population all contribute to this.

The majority of Brasilia, Brazil's population is:

Roughly half of the population of Brasilia is multiracial. People who have European, Indigenous American and African descent have been referred to as Pardo in former Spanish colonies for centuries.

Santiago, Chile has few historic buildings because of:

Santiago, like the rest of Chile, is regularly hit by earthquakes. This is because it is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Bogota, Colombia has worked hard to change its _________ reputation.

In the late 20th century, Bogota was considered to be one of the most violent cities on earth and was known for its high murder rate. This murder rate has gone down significantly over the last 30 years.

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