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Question

Check out this list of destinations I compiled for my vacation. The content of the list is still a bit fluid, but the ordering should be correct now.

1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2. Baghdad, Iraq
3. ???, Quebec, Canada
4. Chengdu, Sichuan, China
5. Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
6. ???, California, USA

Can you figure out the missing places?

Hint:

The order is important.

Hint #2:

#2 is located in an important historical region.

Answer 1

You make hard riddles, jafe.

So I think it has something to do with...

rivers. Which would make sense given the title.

Rio de Janeiro:

Rio = river in Portuguese. Just one river here.

Baghdad:

Is in Iraq which was in Mesopotamia (thanks, second clue!), which means "between two rivers".

Chengdu:

Sichuan means "four river circuits" (old Chinese administrative division).

Lahore:

Punjab is the "land of five rivers" in Punjabi.

So after much consideration, I'd say the missing locations are...

Trois-Rivières, Quebec and Six Rivers National Forest in California

Answer 2

The answers are:

QUEBEC CITY and SACRAMENTO

Reason:

Rio de Janeiro is the most well known city of Brazil.
Baghdad is the capital city of Iraq.
Chengdu is the capital city of Sichuan, China.
Lahore is the capital city of Punjab, Pakistan.
Therefore, the others should be the capitals of the given place names.