The Headmaster’s Where’s-Where Quiz
Sit up straight! Pay attention! I’ve received distressing reports that some of you have fallen asleep, so it’s time for a wake-up call: the Headmaster’s Where’s-Where Quiz of Cities Starting with H. Listen closely because I will explain this only once.
Hey, come back here! Sit down!
The concept is simple: I’ll explain the origin of the names of seven KLM destinations starting with H. I’ll also show you seven photos of these cities, posted in random order and marked A through G. All you have to do is tell me which photo goes with which city (e.g. Hamburg = D; Helsinki = A). I’ll try to be generous with clues.
Learning is its own reward, so there will be no prizes.
All clear? Good. Go!
Hamburg: Germany’s largest port takes its name from a fortress called Hammaburg, which was built to guard the River Elbe.
Hangzhou: The capital of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China was renamed “Hangzhou” in AD 589, which means “River-ferrying Prefecture”. Located on Hangzhou Bayin the Yangtze River Delta, the city’s best known attraction is its West Lake.
Hanover: The capital of the German province of Lower Saxony is located in the River Leine, which lends some credit to the claim that its original name “Honovere” meant “high (river)bank”. Every year, the city hosts the world’s largest festival for marksmen, the “Schützenfest Hannover”.
Havana: There are some doubts about the origin of the name of Cuba’s capital and largest port. It may have been named after a local Taíno chief called Habaguanex, but others suggest that the name derives from the Middle Dutch word “havene” meaning “harbour”.
Helsinki: The Finnish capital looks out over the Gulf of Finland. The city’s name derives from the Swedish Helsingfors, which may be a reference to the first settlers, who came from Hälsingland in Sweden. The Swedish word for “rapids” is “fors”, referring to the river that flowed through the original village
Hong Kong: Located on a group of islands at the mouth of the Pearl River, this famous Chinese port gets its name from a phonetic rendition of the Cantonese for “fragrant harbour”. This name may be a reference to the sweet waters of the Pearl River or to the incense factories that once lined the nearby coast.
Houston: The fourth-largest city in the United States is named after the first President of Texas, Sam Houston. The city was originally built on marsh- and swampland called the Buffalo Bayou. Internationally, Houston is best known as home of NASA’s Johnson Space Centre, which coordinated numerous space flights over the decades.
Pens ready? This should be easy if you paid attention. Answers please!