World trivia | 100 facts about famous cities (part 4)

Cities exist during the most of the time that humans also exist on earth, and they are an integral part of our modern culture.

Some cities are small, some are larger, but definitely, some cities are quite famous, and maybe known to each human on planet Earth. But except their names, how many things do we know about them? Let’s find out more about some of the most popular cities in the world!

1.North and South Korea are different countries, and South Korean capital city is Seoul.

2. Seoul is the largest city in South Korea.

3. The official name of the city is the Seoul Special Metropolitan City.

4. Seoul is situated in the northwest part of South Korea on the Han River.

5. As of January 2017, the population of Seoul is 10,197,604 people.

6. The sprawling metropolitan area is much larger at 25.6 million people 

7. It’s the 5th most populous in the world.

8. Seoul is noted for its population density, which is almost twice that of New York and eight times greater than Rome.

9. Seoul comprises 605 square kilometers (234 square miles), with a radius of approximately 15 kilometers (9 miles), roughly bisected into northern and southern halves by the Han River.

10. The city is bordered by eight mountains, as well as the more level lands of the Han River plain and western areas.

11. The average elevation in Seoul is 38 meters (125 feet) above sea level.

12. The settlement of the Han River area, where present-day Seoul is located, began around 4000 BC.

13. In 18 BC, the kingdom of Baekje founded its capital city, Wiryeseong, which is believed to be inside modern-day Seoul.

14. With the advent of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the capital was renamed once more to “Hanyang” and later “Hanseong.” 

15. Korea survived and was released from Japanese rule in 1948.

16. During the Korean war Seoul experienced warfare 4 times.

17. It became the main capital again in 1953. Since that moment Seoul has been growing rapidly and continuously.

18. Today, Seoul is considered a leading and rising global city, resulting from an economic boom called the Miracle on the Han River.

19. This transformed Seoul to the world’s 4th largest metropolitan economy in 2017.

20. As with its long history, the Seoul Capital Area contains five UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeok Palace, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine, Namhansanseong and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.

21. Hailed as Seoul’s most popular attraction, Gyeongbokgung Palace was built in 1395 by King Taejo.

22. It is the largest and most striking of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon dynasty, housing more than 300 buildings, the National Folk Museum, and the National Palace Museum.

23. Changdeokgung Palace is the most well-preserved of the five remaining royal palaces in South Korea.

24. The Palace was burnt to the ground during the Japanese invasion in 1592 and reconstructed in 1609 by King Seonjo and King Gwanghaegun.

25.Lotte World is a major recreation complex in Seoul.

26. It consists of the world’s largest indoor theme park, an outdoor amusement park called “Magic Island”, an artificial island inside a lake linked by monorail, shopping malls, a luxury hotel, a Korean folk museum, sports facilities, and movie theaters.

27. Lotte World opened on July 12, 1989, and ever since receives 7.3 million visitors each year.

28. Dongdaemun Market, located in Seoul, is Korea’s largest wholesale and retail shopping district with more than 30,000 fashion shops and 50,000 manufacturers opened for 24/7.

29. Gwangjang Market is a traditional street market, and it is one of the oldest and largest traditional markets in South Korea, with more than 5000 shops and 20,000 employees in an area of 42,000 square meters (450,000 square feet).

30. The longest bridge fountain in the world is located on the Banpo Grand Bridge over the Han River in Seoul which measures 1,140 meters (3,740 ft 1 in). 

31. Vienna is the capital and largest city of Austria.

32. Also, it’s one of the nine states of Austria.

33. The city is located in northeastern Austria, at the easternmost extension of the Alps in the Vienna Basin.

34. As of January 2018, the population of Vienna is about 1.8 million people.

35. The earliest settlement, at the location of today’s inner city, was south of the meandering Danube while the city now spans both sides of the river.

36. Evidence has been found of continuous habitation in the Vienna area since 500 BC.

37. It was Celts who settled the site on the Danube River.

38. In 15 BC the Romans fortified the frontier city they called Vindobona to guard the empire against Germanic tribes to the north.

39. It became the capital of the Babenberg dynasty and subsequently of the Austrian Habsburgs, under whom it became one of Europe’s cultural hubs.

40.  Schönbrunn Palace is one of Europe’s most impressive Baroque palace complexes, and was mentioned to UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996, together with its gardens, as a remarkable Baroque ensemble and example of synthesis of the arts.

41. The Vienna State Opera is an opera house located in the center of Vienna.

42. In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian Republic, it was renamed the Vienna State Opera. It is one of the most famous operas in the whole world.

43. Belgrade’s Opera was built like Vienna Opera, and looks like a smaller Vienna Opera located in… Serbia.

44. The Belvedere is a historic building complex in Vienna, Austria, consisting of two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape in the third district of the city, on the south-eastern edge of its center.

45. It houses the Belvedere museum.

46. Vienna is well known for having played an essential role as a leading European music center,.

47. If you are fond of the Classical music, you have probably heard about the great age of Viennese Classicism through the early part of the 20th century.

48. Musical luminaries including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Ferdinand Ries, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler, Robert Stolz, and Arnold Schoenberg have worked there.

49. In fact there souvenirs and chocolate with Mozart’s face sold in Vienna.

50. Vienna is considered the City of Music because of its musical legacy.

51. Vienna is also said to be “The City of Dreams” because it was home to the world’s first psychotherapist – Sigmund Freud.

52. Vienna also offers a great quality of life.

53. . In a 2005 study of 127 world cities, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked the city first (in a tie with Vancouver, Canada and San Francisco, USA) for the world’s most liveable cities.

54. Vienna is home to the world’s oldest zoo, the Tiergarten Schönbrunn.

55. The Tiergarten Schönbrunn was founded as an imperial menagerie in 1752.

56. Almost every Austrian city has its trademark cake, and the most famous Austrian cake is the Viennese Sachertorte.

57. This cake is a rich chocolate cake invented by Chef Franz Sacher for Chancellor Metternich in 1832.

58. Vienna is well known for Wiener Schnitzel, a cutlet of veal (Kalbsschnitzel) or pork (Schweinsschnitzel) that is pounded flat, coated in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, and fried in clarified butter.

59. St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna

60. The Wurstelprater amusement park, often simply called “Prater”, lies in one corner of the Wiener Prater and includes the Wiener Riesenrad Ferris wheel.

61. Lima is the capital city of Peru.

62. The history of Lima began with its foundation by Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535.

63. The city was founded under the name City of the Kings (Spanish: Ciudad de los Reyes).

64. It became the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru and site of a Real Audiencia in 1543.

65. Lima is home to one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the New World.

66. The National University of San Marcos was founded on 12 May 1551, during the Spanish colonial regime.

67. It is the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas.

68. After the war, the city went through a period of demographic expansion and urban renewal.

69. Population growth accelerated in the 1940s spurred by immigration from the Andean regions of Peru.

70. Nowadays the city is considered the political, cultural, financial, and commercial center of the country.

71. Internationally, it is one of the thirty most populated urban agglomerations in the world.

72. Lima’s contemporary townscapes provide such contrasts that it is easy to forget that the rich and the poor belong to the same society.

73. The Historic Centre, made up of the districts of Lima and Rímac, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988.

74. Some examples of colonial architecture include the Monastery of San Francisco, the Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral, the Convent of Santo Domingo, and the Palace of Torre Tagle.

75. The Plaza Mayor or Plaza de Armas of Lima is the birthplace of the city of Lima, as well as the core of the city.

76. Located in the Historic Centre of Lima, it is surrounded by the Government Palace, Cathedral of Lima, Archbishop’s Palace of Lima, the Municipal Palace, and the Palace of the Union.

77. The Basilica Cathedral of Lima, otherwise Lima Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the Plaza Mayor.

78. Construction began in 1535, and the building has undergone many reconstructions and transformations since. It retains its colonial structure and facade. It is dedicated to St John, Apostle, and Evangelist.

79. Huaca Pucllana or Huaca Juliana (possibly from Quechua wak’a a local shrine to a protector deity, a sacred place, sacred, pukllana game) is a great adobe and clay pyramid located in the Miraflores district of central Lima, Peru, built from seven staggered platforms.

80. It served as an important ceremonial and administrative center for the advancement of the Lima Culture, a society which developed in the Peruvian Central Coast between the years of 200 AD and 700 AD.

81. Montreal is one of the most famous countries in Canada.

82. Montreal has a long human history stretching back over 8,000 years.

83. It wasn’t until 1535 that the first European – Jacques Cartier – laid eyes on what is today Montreal. Then 70 years later Samuel de Champlain set about creating a fur trading post. In 1642 the first real colony named Ville Marie was established.

84. Montreal was incorporated as a city in 1832.

85. The Hochelaga Archipelago, also known as the Montreal Islands sit at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. There are over two hundred islands, the largest being the Island of Montreal; it forms the main city of Montreal.

86. The population of metropolitan Montreal in 2011 was 3,824,221.

87. Montreal is the second-largest city in Canada.

88. It was the largest city until sometime in the 70’s when Toronto took over the title.

89. Montreal is one of the five largest French speaking cities in the world. Paris is first.

90. Montreal has a flag with five symbols. The cross represents Christian principles. The fleur-de-lis is for the French, the shamrock for the Irish, the thistle for the Scottish, and the Lancastrian rose for the English.

91. Montreal has the highest number of restaurants per capita in Canada and the second-highest in North America after New York City.

92. Montreal is a UNESCO city of design.

93. No building in Montreal can be taller than the cross on the Mount Royal Mountain.

95. There are nine bridges surrounding the city of Montreal.

96. The Montreal Subway has 68 stations over four lines.

97. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Montreal was -37.8°C (-36°F) on January 15, 1957. The record low with windchill was -49.1°C (-56°F) on January 23. 1976.

98. On average there are 12 days per year with a windchill below -30°C and one day per year with a windchill below -40°C.

99. On average it snows 60 days a year in Montreal. It rains on average every month of the year too.

100. The largest single day record for snowfall was 43 cms on March 4, 1971.

Read more: World trivia | 100 facts about famous cities (part 3)