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Historical City to Country

We give you a year and a city. Name the historical country or empire that controlled that city in the given year.
We are using the modern name for the city, even if it had a different name at the time
Many of these countries no longer exist
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: May 12, 2019
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First submittedJune 9, 2014
Times taken65,609
Average score58.3%
Rating4.81
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City
Year
Country
Sarajevo
1950
Yugoslavia
Leipzig
1950
East Germany
Macao
1950
Portugal
Prague
1950
Czechoslovakia
Ho Chi Minh City
1950
French Empire
Tallinn
1950
Soviet Union
Manila
1900
United States
Reykjavík
1900
Denmark
Galveston
1863
Confederate States
of America
1840
Republic of Texas
1830
Mexico
Gdansk
1830
Prussia
City
Year
Country
Cape Town
1820
British Empire
1700
Dutch Empire
Cusco
1700
Spanish Empire
1400
Incan Empire
Beijing
1300
Mongol Empire
Heraklion
1300
Venice
Athens
1700
Ottoman Empire
500
Byzantine Empire
300 BC
Macedonia
Jerusalem
1
Roman Empire
100 BC
Judea
1400 BC
Egypt
+2
Level 86
Jun 11, 2014
500 is a bit early for the Byzantine empire.
+16
Level 92
Jul 18, 2014
Not really, no. The Roman Empire divided in 285, so Athens had been a part of the Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire for 200 years at that time, and would be for another millennium.
+3
Level 65
Jan 31, 2019
By 500, the Western Romans had fallen to Germanic tribes
+13
Level ∞
Apr 23, 2019
The quiz is accurate. 500 is a perfectly fine date for the Byzantine Empire.
+7
Level 44
Jun 21, 2022
Would you accept eastern roman empire for Byzantine empire as an alternate?
+1
Level 43
Feb 22, 2024
Second this. Rome is a common correct typable answer for a lot of these historical quizzes involving the Byzantines.
+5
Level 74
Jul 28, 2014
French empire? 1950?
+4
Level 83
Jul 28, 2014
Vietnam got its independence in 1954.
+18
Level 37
Jul 29, 2014
right, it should be the French Republic, or the Fourth French Republic
+2
Level 75
May 12, 2019
Vietnam (sort of) got its independence recognized in 1954. Independence was declared in 1945. In between was a war of independence. You could argue that Saigon was merely occupied in the meantime.
+6
Level 49
Nov 13, 2019
When Vietnam got its independence is irrelevant. France was a Republic in 1950.
+4
Level 79
Apr 9, 2020
If French Empire is included in 1950, then Portugal should be changed to Portuguese Empire.
+1
Level 49
Feb 22, 2024
I know France was a republic in the 50s, but its colonial possessions are always described by historians as an empire regardless of the constitutional regime at home.

There is the first French colonial empire in the Americas in the 18th century (Louisiana, Haiti, etc), then the second colonial empire in Africa and Asia from the 19th century to the 1950s (Algeria, French Congo, Vietnam, etc).

+6
Level 58
Jul 28, 2014
In 120 BC, Judea was a part of the Seleucid Empire.
+3
Level ∞
Apr 23, 2019
Changed the date to 100 BC.
+6
Level 60
Jun 23, 2022
It'd still be better to spell it 'Judaea'.
+1
Level 69
Jul 28, 2014
Saigon should be "Ho Chi Minh City" to comply with the intro.
+1
Level ∞
Jul 29, 2014
Fixed
+1
Level 49
Jul 28, 2014
Derp. I tried Czech Republic. Forgot about the "Slovakia" part.
+5
Level 87
Jan 31, 2019
Wouldn't have been in the quiz at all if it weren't for the "-slovakia" part.
+3
Level 90
Jul 28, 2014
I remembered both of the answers for Jerusalem, thanks to Monty Python's Life of Brian and the Judean People's Front. Or was it the People's Front of Judea?
+6
Level 85
Jul 28, 2014
Splitter!
+3
Level 88
May 11, 2019
There he is. Over there.
+1
Level 69
Jul 28, 2014
Got 20 to my surprise, including Venice
+1
Level 83
Jul 28, 2014
You say you're using the modern city names, but Saigon is now called Ho Chi Minh City.
+5
Level 75
Jul 28, 2014
It was a learning experience. (It makes me feel better to say that when I miss a lot of answers.)
+4
Level 60
Jul 29, 2014
The Mali Empire gets no love.
+4
Level 68
Aug 1, 2014
Would Yuan Dynasty work for Mongol Empire, or no?
+3
Level 69
Mar 23, 2016
Yes, this would be good.
+1
Level 74
May 24, 2017
Agree.
+2
Level 66
Aug 2, 2014
I put Viceroyalty of the River Plate instead of Spanish Empire. What a dumb.
+1
Level 64
Oct 20, 2022
You're not wrong to go for the viceroyalties, but Cuzco was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, not the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata, and the latter wasn't a viceroyalty yet in 1700, but a captaincy general.
+1
Level 75
Jun 7, 2015
the great persian empire and nothing about! add something about persia or change the name of your quiz
+2
Level 66
Jul 30, 2015
24/24, Heraklion for Venice was a tricky one but it was the next best guess after the ottomans and byzantium
+2
Level 82
Apr 18, 2016
I think Yuan or China should be allowed for Beijing. The Mongol Empire in 1300 was only really a loose confederation with the Western Khans giving only nominal subservience to the Yuan Emperors in Khanbaliq (Beijing). The Great Khans following Kublai ruled as Emperors of the Yuan Dynasty of China. I do realise allowing China as an answer makes it a little too obvious, but disallowing it isn't really accurate.
+1
Level ∞
Apr 23, 2019
Okay, Yuan will work
+1
Level 77
Nov 16, 2016
Can you accept "Judah" for Judea as well.
+1
Level 82
May 24, 2017
Technically different things. Though I did pick it up by typing in Hasmonean...
+1
Level 82
May 11, 2019
which is more accurate as Judea was the name of the Roman province before the Maccabean revolt. I'm not sure but I don't think the locals continued calling it Judea during the Hasmonean dynasty, though I'm sure the Romans still called it that up until they reconquered it and changed the name to Syria Palaestina, to attempt to destroy its Jewish identity.
+1
Level ∞
Apr 23, 2019
Judah will work now. Technically, though, Judah was a kingdom that existed several hundred years before 100 BC.
+4
Level 56
Apr 14, 2017
danzig
+3
Level 82
May 24, 2017
Not today.
+1
Level 67
Feb 22, 2024
Su
+5
Level 81
May 24, 2017
Eastern Roman Empire doesn't work for Athens.
+1
Level 74
May 24, 2017
Judah for Judea?
+5
Level 71
Feb 20, 2018
Just a nitpick: There was no year 0. 1 BC was followed by AD 1.
+6
Level ∞
Apr 23, 2019
Valid nitpick. This has been fixed.
+1
Level 71
Jun 23, 2018
great quiz, havent seen something quite like this before
+1
Level 77
Feb 14, 2019
Fine quiz. Got the last one (Judea) with 1 second left on the clock!
+3
Level 67
Apr 11, 2019
Actually, to my opinion the year 0 doesn't exist
+4
Level ∞
Apr 23, 2019
It's not just your opinion, it's a fact. Changed 0 to 1.
+1
Level 74
May 11, 2019
Can you consider accepting Iudea for Judea. I know it's not correct in english, but it's closer to the latin/greek term, especially phonetically.
+5
Level 82
May 11, 2019
Pretty easy, though if you don't accept simply "Roman Empire" for "Byzantine Empire" maybe at least accept "Eastern Roman Empire?" the only one that tripped me up for a second. I was trying to think of who else other than the Roman Empire would have controlled bits of the Balkans in 500 AD, and even tried Byzantium, before getting the answer you were looking for.
+1
Level 57
May 11, 2019
I'm a little surprised Sarajevo is low on the list of correct answers. It was even an Olympic host city back when Yugoslavia was still around.
+1
Level 65
Dec 20, 2020
But some people on jetpunk weren't around when yugoslavia was still around. (Not that you obviously should be around for historical facts)
+2
Level 88
May 11, 2019
Herkalion's very hard when your brain has read 1300 B.C., not A.D.
+1
Level 79
Apr 9, 2020
Heraklion*
+3
Level 88
May 11, 2019
Shouldn't this quiz have the yellow highlighted box?
+1
Level 75
Nov 13, 2019
Macedonia should be changed to Macedon, which is what the ancient kingdom is called. Macedonia can be thought of as connected to the modern region of Macedonia (split among four countries) or the country of North Macedonia both of which are as far from the ancient kingdom as it goes.
+2
Level 82
Nov 13, 2019
+3
Level 70
Apr 9, 2020
You should accept "Judaea" as a valid spelling.
+1
Level 45
Jun 24, 2022
Agreed. Judaea is a recognized alternative spelling.
+1
Level 59
Apr 9, 2020
Wouldn't the title make more sense as 'City to Historical Country'? Because it's the country that's historical, whereas the city is using the modern name. Unless it's meant to be City to Country, but Historical.

Also can you accept Eastern Roman Empire, Eastern Rome or Byzantium for the Byzantine Empire?

+2
Level 65
Dec 20, 2020
You mean Denmark, USA, Mexico, Portugal? Pretty sure they are still countries ;)
+1
Level 58
Apr 11, 2020
you should accept tahuantinsuyu or tawantinsuyo aswell for the incan empire
+5
Level 71
May 31, 2020
Who writes or knows "tahuantinsuyu" but not "incan empire"
+1
Level 62
Jun 21, 2022
Great quiz, thanks; would be good to see some more like this.
+1
Level 68
Jun 21, 2022
My city Heraklion on the quiz. Nice
+1
Level 80
Jun 21, 2022
Any chance we can accept either Greek or Alexander for Macedonia. I know that’s a little weird but I tried both before deciding it must be something else.
+3
Level 77
Jun 21, 2022
Confederate States of America never was a real and recognized country. In 1863 Galveston was "De Jure" part of USA.
+2
Level 77
Jun 22, 2022
You know when you think, "I typed Ottoman for Athens because it's the obvious choice, but it didn't work. What the heck obscure empire took over Athens before the Ottomans?" Then two minutes go by and you try every possible thing... you even try like... Serbia... and then you get desperate and try Ottoman again and it works? Then you're left wondering... what the heck did I type the first time?
+1
Level 60
Feb 20, 2023
17/24 had to really think, time limit got me.
+1
Level 20
Jun 27, 2023
same score me too
+2
Level 43
Aug 16, 2023
please accept the spelling Judaea
+2
Level 52
Sep 16, 2023
Iudea for Judea?
+1
Level 70
Feb 22, 2024
This would make a great series, please do more!
+2
Level 45
Feb 22, 2024
I consider the Byzantine empire an extension of the Roman empire. I know it was farther East but it is still the Roman empire. Willy you accept Roman for Byzantine?
+2
Level 71
Feb 22, 2024
Now... "Roman empire" should be accepted for "Byzantine" - the distinction is born to delegitimate them from claiming they are the continuation of the Roman empire (which, undeniably, they were).

At the very least "Eastern Roman empire" should be accepted, but given the year (500 A.D.), and given the fact that later than that much of the Western Roman empire was in the hands of a Latin-speaking emperor of such empire, I'd really just advocate for "Roman".