South American Geography Trivia

1. After visiting Panama, we had hoped to continue along the Pan-American Highway into Colombia, but we had to take a flight instead. Why did we have to fly?

From Quiz Round the World with Team Red. Stage 4

Answer: There is no road from Panama to Colombia.

The Pan-American Highway stretches from Alaska to Argentina, and is about 19,000 miles long. The only break in this great highway is the Darién Gap, an expanse of inhospitable swampland which extends for about 66 miles between Yaviza, Panama and Turbo, Colombia. The gap is home to two indigenous groups, the Kuna and the Embera-Wounaan. Travel through this area is mostly done by a type of canoe known as a 'piragua'. Because of its lack of development and its terrain, few outsiders visit the area, but drug smugglers have been known to use the gap as a passage for transporting drugs. (Question by tiffanyram)

From Quiz South America--Ten Countries, Ten Questions

Answer: The Paraguay River

The Paraguay River forms the border between Paraguay and Brazil and flows south before connecting with the Apa River. It runs through four countries: Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia.

From Quiz South American Country Name Derivation

Answer: Argentina

The eighth largest country in the world, Argentina's name comes from the Latin word for silver, argentum. The use of the name originated with Portuguese and Spanish explorers in the 16th century. South America is the world's largest source of silver and that metal was a major component of global trade in the 16th and 17th centuries.

From Quiz Down South America Way

Answer: Quito

Thirteen miles north of the capital city of Quito, Ecuador, is its newest airport, Mariscal Sucre. Quito's old airport, which bears the same name, is 10,000 feet above sea level. Now that flying into Quito is a little safer, I hope to stay at the Casa Gangotena Hotel which is a restored historic mansion hotel in the old town section of Quito. The hotel offers a program, in conjunction with a foundation known as Heritage Guardians, whereby guests can meet the citizens of Quito and familiarize themselves with their everyday life and traditions.

From Quiz Adventure in Peru and Bolivia

Answer: Callao

Although the airport is Peru's biggest, and is a hub for LAN airlines, it is geographically located in Callao, Peru, only six miles from Lima. The airport serves an approximate six million people per year.

From Quiz South American Fun

Answer: 12

Those countries are Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. The Falkland Islands are a British Territory, not a country.

From Quiz Where in South America?

Answer: Guyana

Guyana was originally owned by the Dutch. In 1814 it became a British territory.

From Quiz South and Central America

Answer: Chile

Chile is bordered by Peru and Argentina. This country has a population of around fifteen million people and became independent from Spain in 1810.

From Quiz Traveling South America

Answer: Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo had about 22 million people, but it is difficult to know for sure because there are so many homeless people. Rio had 14 million people, Buenos Aires 12 million, and Lima 9 million.

From Quiz Tour around Latin America

Answer: Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo (Portuguese for "St. Paul") in terms of population is the largest city of Brazil and South America, and also one of the largest cities in the world.

From Quiz South American Surprise!

Answer: 12

There are twelve INDEPENDENT countries in South America. The Falkland Islands are governed by Britain and French Guiana by France.

From Quiz Facts on South America

Answer: Easter Island

It is situated 2300 miles west of Chile in the Pacific Ocean. This small volcanic island was discovered on Easter Sunday in 1722, and was annexed by Chile in 1888. Although it belongs to Chile, geographically Easter island is considered part of Oceania, not South America.

From Quiz I'm Where In South-America

Answer: Paraguay

From Quiz Fun-damental Geography of South America

Answer: Parana

The Parana River has its headwaters in Brazil. It then travels over 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) through Paraguay and into Argentina. The Uruguay River merges with it to form the Rio de la Plata which empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Buenos Aires.

From Quiz South American Country Name Derivation

Answer: Colombia

The word Colombia is derived from the name of Christopher Columbus (Cristoforo Colombo in Italian). It was first coined by the splendidly named Venezuelan revolutionary Sebastián Francisco de Miranda y Rodríguez de Espinoza, as a proposed name for a large independent empire of states freed from Spanish and Portuguese control. It was adopted by Gran Colombia in 1819, which included all of the present-day countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Panama and Ecuador, plus other territory. The Republic of Colombia, after various changes and struggles, was formed in 1886.

From Quiz Down South America Way

Answer: Queen of the Andes

The Queen of the Andes, a spike-like flowering plant also known as "Puya raimondii", is a flowering bromeliad plant native to the Andes Mountains of South America. It takes eighty to hundred and fifty years for this flower to bloom. When it does, it has almost eight thousand blossoms on its greenish-white spikes which later turn to a purplish color. With sword-like leaves, the edges of which have fishhook type indentures, the Queen of the Andes flowering plant is protected from animals foraging for food. The pineapple is also in this family and it too offers a challenge for many animals browsing for food.

From Quiz South American Fun

Answer: Peru

Brazil is first, then Argentina, then Peru in land area. Brazil is 8,514,877 km (3,287,612 sq mi). Argentina is 2,766,890 km (1,068,302 sq mi). Then Peru which is about 1,285,216 km (496,226 sq mi).

From Quiz South and Central America

Answer: Guyana

Guyana became independent from the UK in 1966 and is the third smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay. The population numbers less than one million. Guyana is still a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

From Quiz Traveling South America

Answer: Iguacu Falls

Iguacu Falls are located on the Iguacu River, and soon flow into the Parana River. In local language, Iguacu means "Great Waters." The falls are made of more than 200 separate waterfalls, making it the place with the most waterfalls in the world.

From Quiz Tour around Latin America

Answer: Brazil

Brazil is the largest country of South America. It borders ten countries. Portugal began its colonisation in 1532.

From Quiz South American Surprise!

Answer: Chileans & Chilenos & Chilean & Chileno

The Chileans call the Atacama Desert 'The Great North'.

From Quiz Latin American Geography Basics

Answer: Sugar

The sugar plantations on the Caribbean Islands also encouraged slave labor, as the cutting of the plants is dangerous and painful, back-breaking labor.

From Quiz Facts on South America

Answer: none

South America's continental divide runs along the crest of the Andes at the continent's western edge. In most places the divide lies within 200 miles of the Pasific coast. Rivers originating west of the divide have only a short distance to travel before reaching the Pacific. Rivers flowing east from the divide have nearly the whole expanse of the continent to cross before emptying into the Atlantic.

From Quiz I'm Where In South-America

Answer: Chile

From Quiz Fun-damental Geography of South America

Answer: Uruguay

The Tropic of Capricorn is just over 23 degrees latitude south of the equator. The latitude of Cape Horn is just short of 56 degrees south. For comparison, New York City is just under 41 degrees north, London is 51.5 degrees north and Stockholm is nearly 60 degrees north.

From Quiz South America--Ten Countries, Ten Questions

Answer: massive oil deposits

Massive deposits of oil were discovered in Lake Maracaibo during World War I. The economic boom created by this discovery lasted well into the 1980s.

From Quiz South American Country Name Derivation

Answer: Guyana

Guyana, formerly British Guiana, became independent from the UK in 1966. It is the only mainland South American country that has English as an official language, and the only one that participates in the West Indies cricket team.

From Quiz Around the Globe: South America

Answer: Ecuador

The capital of Ecuador, Quito, lies only 15 miles from the Equator with an altitude of 9000 feet. The country produces one of the world's largest crops of bananas and feather-light balsa trees thanks to its hot, swampy coast. Ecuador's famous "Panama hats" are made by the straws supplied by local palms.

From Quiz South American Fun

Answer: 3.5 percent

South America has a total area of 17,840,000 square kilometers (6,890,000 sq mi). It ranks fourth in area.

From Quiz Where in South America?

Answer: Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil

Caracas is the closest capital in South America to a capital that isn't in South America.

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Last Updated Jul 05 2025 5:44 AM

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