World Book Trivia Challenge Advanced-7/2-country Capitals

Bangkok, «BANG kok» (pop. 6,320,174), is the capital and largest city of Thailand. It is the nation's primary commercial, cultural, and industrial center. The largest part of Bangkok lies on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River. The city stands about 17 miles (27 kilometers) north of the Gulf of Thailand. Bangkok also includes an area on the west bank. The western section was formerly a separate city called Thon Buri. The Thai name for Bangkok is Krung Thep. The name means City of Angels or Heavenly City.

Warsaw covers 174 square miles (450 square kilometers). The Vistula River divides the city.

Reykjavík, «RAY kyuh VEEK» (pop. 112,490; met. area pop. 180,000), is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is a seaport on the southwest coast, at the head of Faxafloi, a bay.

Madrid, «muh DRIHD» (pop. 2,938,723), is the capital and largest city of Spain. Madrid remained a small, unimportant town until 1561, when Philip II made it the capital of Spain. Philip, who ruled a huge colonial empire, chose Madrid primarily because of its central location.

Prague, «prahg» (pop. 1,161,851), is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic and an important center of culture and learning. In the late 1980's, Prague was also the center of the movement that led to the end of Communist control of Czechoslovakia. In 1993, the independent countries of the Czech Republic and Slovakia were formed to replace Czechoslovakia. Prague remained the capital of the Czech Republic.

Brasília, «brah SEEL yuh» , is the capital of Brazil and one of the world's leading examples of large-scale city planning. The capital was moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília on April 21, 1960. The government has built highways linking Brasília with the rest of the country.

Ottawa, «OT uh wuh», Ontario, is the capital of Canada. It lies on gently rolling hills along the south bank of the Ottawa River, about 110 miles (175 kilometers) west of Montreal, Quebec. Attractive parks, stately government buildings, and scenic drives add beauty to the city.

Santiago is Chile's capital and largest city. It lies in the Central Valley, where the great majority of Chile's people live. The Central Valley also has the country's other largest cities, major factories, and best farmland. Santiago, «SAN tee AH goh» (pop. 4,668,473), is the capital and largest city of Chile. It is also the country's cultural, economic, and transportation center. Santiago lies in the center of Chile, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of the Pacific Ocean. Chile's president and Supreme Court are based in Santiago, but the legislature meets in Valparaíso, a port city to the west. About one-third of all Chileans live in Santiago.

Ankara, «ANG kuh ruh» (pop. 3,203,362), is the capital of Turkey. It ranks second to Istanbul as the country's largest city. Ankara lies in a hilly area in west-central Turkey.

Nigeria also has several large, crowded cities. Lagos is the chief commercial center. Abuja is the capital of the country.