Worcester (UK): Country town on river Seven which was the site of Cromwell’s defeat Charles II and the Scots in 1651.

Yale (USA): One of the oldest American universities, founded in 1701 as a college. Named in 1716 after Elihu Yale who donated his books to the college. Women’s education in Yale is 134 years old.

Yalte (Ukraine): Port on the Black Sea Crimean resort, the site of Yalta conference (1945) attended by Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill.

York (UK): A former Anglo-Saxon capital and a Roman military post. Second highest office of the church of England is archbishop of York.

Yorktown (USA): Scene of last major campaign of American Revolution.

Ypres (Belgium): Known for the battles of WWI fought around Ypres, in 1914, in 1915, in 1917. The second saw the first use of poison gas, the third ended in the passchendaele campaign.

Yucatan (Mexico): Once the centre of the Mayan civilization.

Yunnan(China): Conquered by the Mongols in 1253. Became a province of China in 1659. Plant species and wildlife are rich.

Zagreb (Croatia): Island in the Indian Ocean, part of Tanzania. Centre for ivory and slave trade in 18th c. The Sultanate of Zanzibar was a British protectorate in 1890. Independent in 1963. Merged with Tanganyika to form Tanzania. World’s largest producer of cloved.

Zaragoza (Spain): Scene of resistance against the French in the Peninsular War.