Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

The bridge that helped unite two cities

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Hungary, replacing a pontoon crossing that had to be dismantled each winter. It is named after Count István Széchenyi, who championed the project, and its design inspired the name of the surrounding district. The bridge was rebuilt after being destroyed in the Second World War and reopened in 1949.

Parrots that chose the big city

Monk parakeets, native to temperate parts of South America, have established wild breeding colonies in several North American and European cities, including New York. They build large communal nests of twigs, which can be heavy enough to strain utility equipment, and their tolerance of cold winters has surprised many observers. How they first arrived varies by city, and in some places the origin remains debated.

Jakarta's many names

Before it became Jakarta, the city was known as Batavia during the period of Dutch colonial rule. The name changed after Indonesian independence, and the city has carried several other names across its long history as a trading port. Today it is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, and Indonesia is in the process of moving its capital to a new city, Nusantara, on Borneo.

Edison and the sound of the nineteenth century

Thomas Edison's phonograph, developed in the late 1870s, was the first device able to both record and reproduce sound. Early versions used tinfoil cylinders, which wore out quickly, before wax cylinders and later flat discs became standard. The invention turned sound into something that could be stored and replayed, laying groundwork for the recording industry.

A capital named after a king

Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, sits on the island's northwest coast and is named after Louis XV of France. The harbour was used by Dutch, French and British powers at different times, and the city's waterfront and central market still reflect that layered colonial past. Mauritius itself lies in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar.