'The Venice of the...': The world's most ridiculous city nicknames

'The Television Capital of the World'

Where? Tijuana, Mexico

There are certain cities that appear on our TV screens time and time again. Los Angeles is where so many shows are shot, Vancouver has a long-standing record of standing in for American cities, and London is ubiquitous in BBC-produced programmes. But try naming something shot in Tijuana, and you might be pondering for some time. The nickname, however, comes from the number of TV sets manufactured in Tijuana – even if the industry has now been somewhat usurped by Asian competitors.

'The Venice of the North'

Where? Birmingham, England

While anywhere that serves a coffee on a terrace tries to compare itself to Paris, anywhere with a few canals attempts to pass itself off as Venice. Dozens of places have been nicknamed the Venice of the North, with Amsterdam and Bruges perhaps not being too outrageous. Birmingham in the British Midlands is fooling nobody, however. It may have more kilometres of canal than Venice, but the plodding utilitarianism of them strips out any vague hint of romance.

'The Windy City'

Where? Chicago, USA

Having strong winds is not exactly a selling point in the first place, but Chicago isn't especially windy by American standards anyway. Sure, you might get the odd icy wintery blast off Lake Michigan, but several cities – notably Boston – have higher average wind speeds. Good job the nickname's not a reference to the weather, then. The name is generally thought to refer to the people of the city who, in the 19th century, had a reputation for being boastful windbags.

'The Rome of the East'

Where? Mangaluru, India

At first Goa got the Rome of the East moniker, but now Mangaluru seems to have nicked it. The Karnatka port city, formerly known as Mangalore, has speckles of Portuguese and British influence, but very little of Rome. The nickname has been bestowed because there are quite a few churches in Mangalore, including the distinctly colonial Rosario Cathedral. Let's face it – it's tenuous, isn't it?

'The Lion City'

Where? Singapore

Singapore means "Lion City". Legend has it that the name was bestowed by Malay Prince Sang Nila Utama, who allegedly founded the city after seeing what he thought was a lion. It's a nice story, but there's no evidence of any sort of lion ever having lived on the island. Nevertheless, the lion head has been adopted as the city's symbol.

'The Athens of the South'

Where? Nashville, Tennessee

In 1897, Nashville constructed a replica of the Parthenon as part of its centennial celebrations. But the 'Athens of the South' nickname predates the pastiche Parthenon. It's almost as if constructing a copy of Athens' most famous building was an attempt to justify a dubious nickname. For what it's worth, the nickname supposedly nods to Nashville's focus on education, not Athens' burgeoning country music scene.

'The Big Apple'

Where? New York City, USA

New York looks absolutely nothing like an apple, and has no reputation for either growing apples or being particularly fond of eating them. So why has it embraced such an unusual nickname to the point of using it in marketing campaigns? Well, the term is thought to come from horse-racing. In the 1920s, major prizes were known as "big apples" and many of the most prestigious race meetings were held in and around NYC.

'The Naples of the East'

Where? Kagoshima, Japan

Kagoshima isn't particularly known for its pizza, or even its food culture. It doesn't have that gritty Neapolitan edge, either. So the nickname of "the Naples of the East" comes from nothing other than having a volcano nearby. Still, full marks for not opting for the standard Paris, Rome and Venice options.

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