Equatorial Adventures Quiz | World History

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1. In 1541, an expedition led by Gonzalo Pizarro left Quito, Ecuador and traveled east over the Andes in search of El Dorado. One of his lieutenants took some of the men and traveled ahead to explore the Coca River. What was the name of Pizarro's lieutenant, who became the first known explorer to navigate the Amazon River?

Answer: Francisco de Orellana

Once Orellana left Pizarro and traveled downriver to look for provisions, he and his men were unable to return, which left them no option but to keep on going. They eventually traveled the length of the Amazon, but ran into some resistance from locals along the way. One group, supposedly a group of warrior women like the Amazons of Greek mythology, led them to name the river 'el Rio Amazonas'--'the Amazon River'.

Orellana was born in Trujillo, Spain and after helping with the conquest of Peru, he was named governor of Guayaquil, Ecuador.

2. The Galapagos Islands received their first resident in 1807 when an Irishman by the name of Patrick Watkins was marooned there. During his stay on the islands, Watkins grew vegetables and would sometimes trade them for what item from passing whale ships?

Answer: rum

Accounts vary on exactly how long Watkins spent on the islands, but most say that he lived on the island of Floreana for two years. At one point he did manage to steal a boat from a ship along with a few men so that he could make it back to Guayaquil, Ecuador, though he was the only one to make it to the mainland and no one knows what happened to the other men.

3. In 1841, James Brooke was given control of an area of land by the Sultan of Brunei. In 1842, he established independent rule and became known as the first White Rajah. What was the name of his kingdom?

Answer: Sarawak

James Brooke originally arrived in Sarawak to help the Sultan of Brunei squelch the unrest that was taking place there. After succeeding, the Sultan made him Governor of Sarawak and he later gained complete control of the kingdom and became known as the White Rajah. There were a total of three White Rajahs--James Brooke, his nephew Charles, and Charles' son Vyner.

Sarawak is part of the Malaysian island of Borneo and its capital is Kuching.

4. The Incan empire, under the rule of Huayna C�pac, took control of what is now modern-day Ecuador in the late 15th century, making Quito the capital of the northern quarter of the empire. After the death of Huayna C�pac, which of his sons declared himself king of Quito?

Answer: Atahualpa

Atahualpa and Hu�scar were half-brothers. Hu�scar, being the son of Huayna C�pac and his sister, was considered to be the legitimate heir to the throne. Unfortunately for Hu�scar, Atahualpa had the loyalty of the army and its main generals. Atahualpa won the war, but his victory was short-lived. Shortly after his defeat of Hu�scar, the Spanish conquistadors captured him and demanded a ransom. Once he paid the ransom, they executed him.

5. After being reached by European explorers in the late 19th century, which African country was referred to as the "Pearl of Africa"?

Answer: Uganda

Interestingly enough, there is some debate as to who actually gave Uganda the nickname. Many attribute the phrase to Winston Churchill after his visit in 1907. It is very likely, however, that the phrase was actually used by the explorer Henry Morton Stanley before Churchill was even born. Regardless of who coined the phrase, Uganda has earned the nickname with its wealth of beautiful landscapes, including green valleys, clear lakes and snow capped mountains.

Before the British took control of Uganda in the late 19th century, the region was divided into four kingdoms: Buganda (where the name Uganda is derived from), Ankole, Toro and Bunyoro. Soon after the British East Africa Company took control, Uganda was declared a protectorate. In 1962, Uganda was granted its independence, but it kept its status as a Commonwealth country.

6. In 1815, which of Indonesia's volcanoes erupted with an explosion measuring 7 on the Volcanic Explosive Index, causing more deaths than both Vesuvius and Krakatoa?

Answer: Tambora

Even though the explosions of Vesuvius and Krakatoa are heard about more often, the explosion of Mount Tambora in April 1815 was larger and deadlier. Tambora is located on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa. The effects from the eruption were felt well into 1816, and the eruption caused more than 90,000 deaths.

While it did cause a mini-tsunami and climatic changes, the worst effect was the famine created by the destruction of crops and livestock.

7. In 1704, a young woman in the Kingdom of Kongo claimed to have died and her body taken over by St. Anthony. What was the name of the prophetess that started Antonianism?

Answer: Kimpa Vita

During the time of Kimpa Vita, the Kingdom of Kongo, now part of modern-day Angola, was controlled by the Portuguese who had introduced Roman Catholicism to the region. Kimpa Vita, known as Dona Beatrice to the Portuguese, was part of the Kongo nobility, and was in her early twenties when she claimed that she had died and St. Anthony had taken over.

She resided for a time on Mount Kibangu and gained a large following. She started Antonianism, which stated that Jesus had actually been born in the Kongo.

Her time as a prophetess was short-lived because she was charged with heresy in 1706 and burned at the stake.

8. In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan began a voyage to circumnavigate the world and find a westward route to which group of islands in Indonesia?

Answer: Moluccas

The Moluccas (Maluku) were also known as the Spice Islands during the time of Magellan. Magellan had actually been there during his service in the Portuguese fleet. He wanted to go back to the Moluccas and find a westward route, but the king of Portugal refused to fund his voyage.

He then went to the young king of Spain and convinced him to provide the necessary funding. Magellan never actually made it all the way to the Spice Islands, though some of his crew did. During their stop at the Philippines in 1521, Magellan took part in the Battle at Mactan and was killed.

9. During his voyage on H.M.S. Beagle, which English naturalist arrived at the Galapagos Islands in 1835, where he made the observations that would be the base of his work "On the Origin of Species"?

Answer: Charles Darwin

Darwin was born in England in 1809. In 1831, Darwin was invited to be the naturalist on board H.M.S. Beagle with Captain Robert FitzRoy. It was in September of 1835 that Darwin reached the Galapagos and began making his observations of the wildlife there. Once he returned to England, he did not immediately publish his work. Darwin spent years gathering evidence for his theory and published "On the Origin of Species" in 1859.

10. In 1889, a small schooner named the "Equator" traveled to the Gilbert Islands in the Pacific Ocean, carrying as a passenger a very famous author. Who was that famous writer who later wrote about his voyage in his work "In the South Seas"?

Answer: Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1850. Some of his works include: "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", "The Merry Men", "Treasure Island", and "Kidnapped".

During his travels of the South Seas, he stayed for a time on the island of Abemama in the Gilbert Islands, with the permission of the tyrant king Tembinok'. One of the conditions for Stevenson being permitted to stay on the island was that he not give liquor to the people.

Source: Author tiffanyram

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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Equatorial Adventures Trivia Quiz

History is filled with many wonderful, exciting tales from across the globe. This quiz will take you on a journey to explore events that happened in places along the Equator. Good luck and enjoy!

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