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August 20th, 2026
Daily puzzle · Medium · Streets map
Theme: Cities Founded as Penal Colonies
Long before they became thriving modern cities, each of these places began life as a place of banishment. Sydney and Fremantle were founded to absorb Britain's overflowing prisons, while Cayenne became notorious as the gateway to France's Devil's Island system. Ushuaia, at the southern tip of Argentina, grew around a 20th-century penal colony built to secure Tierra del Fuego, and tiny Kingston on Norfolk Island once held some of the British Empire's most feared repeat offenders. Today all five have shed their grim origins to become vibrant harbors, capitals, and gateways to remote frontiers.
1
Sydney, AustraliaSydney was founded in 1788 as a British penal colony at Port Jackson.
2
Cayenne, French GuianaCayenne served as the administrative hub for France's notorious penal colonies, including Devil's Island.
3
Ushuaia, ArgentinaUshuaia grew around an early 20th-century Argentine penal colony at the tip of Tierra del Fuego.
4
Fremantle, AustraliaFremantle's historic prison held convicts transported to Western Australia in the mid-1800s.
5
Kingston, Norfolk IslandKingston was the site of a harsh British penal settlement for repeat offenders in the 19th century.