Did You Know There Are 22 Bangors Around The World?

While there are several cities named Bangor around the world, we know which one is best.

According to the website us.geotargit.com, there are 22 places named Bangor worldwide.

There are 10 places named Bangor in the United States, four in the United Kingdom, three in Australia, and one each in Northern Ireland and several other countries.

In the United States, there are Bangors in Alabama, California, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Bangor, Maine, with a population of roughly 32,000 people, is far and away the biggest Bangor in the United States. The next closest in terms of population is Bangor, Pennsylvania, which has about 5,500 people.

Internationally, Bangor, Northern Ireland, is the largest Bangor with about 60,000 people. That seaside city is located near Belfast, Northern Ireland. (While we're here, there are 20 Belfasts, including Maine's, in the world.)

Wonder if everyone pronounces Bangor the way you should? Doubt it.

Bangor, Maine, legendarily got its name almost by accident in 1791 when the Reverend Seth Noble chose "Bangor" -- the name of his favorite hymn -- instead of the agreed-upon "Sunbury" when asked the name of the new town while in Boston.

That's a real toe-tapper, huh?

It might seem that Bangor has a bit of an identity crisis with the uncertain origins of its name. But it doesn't end there.

Bangor also happens to be known as the "Queen City of the East," a regal nickname whose origins remain the subject of speculation. The most widely accepted theory is that it was named such because of its status as a major lumbering port with stately residences along the Penobscot River.

While there are many Bangors -- and almost as many "Queen Cities" -- in the United States, there is only one Bangor, Maine -- the regional retail and cultural hub for two-thirds of the Pine Tree State.

For a small city, Bangor boasts many amenities normally found in much larger urban areas, including major hospitals, an international airport, a live theater, museums, a symphony orchestra, and, of course, a waterfront amphitheater that hosts some of the music industry's biggest names.

Bangor also has its share of notable current and former residents, the most famous of which is arguably author Stephen King, who based many of his novels on the people and places found here in his adopted hometown.

In the Bangor area, you'll also find King's alma mater, the University of Maine, the flagship campus of which hosts 12,000 students, making the Orono campus the biggest in the state.

For the many King fans who visit the city, below is a list of places you might like to visit.