World Heritage Sites in South America Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. One of the first city centers to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO

Answer: City of Quito, Ecuador

Quito is the capital of and largest city in Ecuador. The historic city center was declared a World Heritage Cultural Site in 1978. While humans have lived in its vicinity for thousands of years, Diego de Almagro founded the settlement of Santiago de Quito in 1534. By 1734, Quito was a city of about 10,000 people. By 2019, its population reached about 2.7 million people.

Quito is considered to have one of the largest and best preserved Historic Centers in Latin America, covering about 790 acres. (The city limits, by comparison, cover an area of about 144 square miles.) One highlight of the city is the Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito (built 1562-1806), a striking white building with a single bell-tower that reflects a Gothic-Mujedar style of architecture. The Carondelet Palace is the seat of government of Ecuador.

2. One of the earliest colonial cities--a fusion of Spanish, Dutch, and Caribbean architectural styles

Answer: Coro, Venezuela

Santa Ana de Coro, founded in 1527 by Juan Mart�n de Ampu�s, is one of the earliest Spanish settlements in Venezuela. Coro and its port were declared a World Heritage Site in 1993. Coro serves as the capital of Falcon State in Venezuela. Coro was a center of the independence movement of the early 19th century.

Coro maintains a large block of architecture of the 18th and 19th Centuries. Over 600 buildings are part of the heritage zone. The architecture of Coro combines Spanish and German influences. The city also has a section of earthen fortifications in the city, very unusual in Latin America. Beginning in 2005, climate changes have made Coro considered an "endangered" heritage site.

3. An important industrial center based on meat processing

Answer: Fray Bentos, Uruguay

The Fray Bentos Cultural-Industrial Landscape was declared a World Heritage Site in 2015. Fray Bentos is the capital of the Rio Negro Department of Uruguay. Fray Bentos was founded as Villa Independencia in 1859. Fray Bentos is an important port for Uruguay.

Frigor�fico Anglo del Uruguay was operated as a meat processing plant by El Anglo from 1863 to 1979. As many as 5,000 workers were employed at any given time. Employee housing surrounding the plant created a city within the larger city. Amenities included a hospital, a school, and a social club. A local history museum opened at the site in 2005.

4. Served as capital of the Incan Empire

Answer: City of Cusco, Peru

The modern city of Cusco or Cuzco is located in southeastern Peru with an estimated population in 2017 of about 429,000. The city was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983. Tourism is the most important industry in modern Cusco, with over one million visitors a year and the large amount of money they bring.

The modern city is based on the earlier city of Qusqu (in the Quechua language), which dates to about 1100 CE. Built by the Killke people, the city served as the capital of the Incan empire in the 15th and 16th centuries. The core of the city was built around Sacsayhuam�n, a citadel or fortress. Qurikancha or the Temple of the Sun, was another important structure.

5. Site of a 17th century Jesuit reduction with University, church, and residences

Answer: Cordoba, Argentina

The Jesuit Block and Estancias of C�rdoba was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000. The site includes the national University of Cordoba, which dates to 1613, making it the oldest university in Argentina. The University had over 111,000 students in 2014.

Other buildings on the site include a church, a secondary school, and residences. The complex was supported by a nearby farm. It was run by the Jesuits from 1615 to 1767 and 1853 to 1854. From 1767 to 1853, it was run by the Franciscans.

6. Described by Simon Bolivar: "If to Caracas I owe my life, then to ___ I owe my glory."

Answer: Santa Cruz de Mompox, Colombia

The Historic Center of Santa Cruz de Mompox was declared a World Heritage Site in 1995. Alonso de Heredia founded the town in 1537. Simon Bolivar, an important independence leader in Latin America, visited the town in 1812 and was able to recruit nearly every able-bodied man there into his army. more recent times, tourism and fishing provide the economic foundation of the town.

Santa Cruz de Mompox was a significant port for Colombia through the 19th century. A museum of religious art in the town houses a number of golden religious works of art produced in a town, well known for its goldsmiths. Notable buildings include the San Francisco Church (built in 1564) and San Juan de Dios Hospital (founded in 1550).

7. Mining town founded by Braden Copper Company

Answer: Sewell (located in Machali, Chile)

Located in central Chile, Sewell became a World Heritage Site in 2006. The Braden Copper Company founded Sewell in 1906 as part of extracting copper from the El Teniente mine. The population of the town peaked at 16,000 in 1960. The mine was nationalized by the Chilean government in 1971 and in 1977 the mine was closed and the town was abandoned.

At first, only communal housing for male workers was provided but later family housing was added. Pedestrians moved from one area to another by means of vertical staircases, since the streets were too steep for automobiles. The town would later grow to include a hospital, fire department, shops, and a movie theater.

8. Planned city based on Le Corbusier's design principles of urbanism

Answer: Brasilia, Brazil

Brasilia was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. The city is an example of a planned capital and was created from scratch beginning in the late 1950s, purposely moving the capital of Brazil from a coastal location to a more central one. L�cio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer led the planning of Brasilia. Their plan featured several components including the Monumental Axis (political and administrative buildings) and the Residential Axis (homes). The residential areas were based on Ville Radieuse, a project designed by Le Corbusier in the 1930s.

Brasilia covers 2,240 square miles and has an estimated population of 3,000,000 (2017). UNESSCO would further honor the city by naming it the "City of Design" in 2017. In addition to being the political capital of Brazil, it is also an important cultural capital for that nation.

9. Many buildings and the street plan largely remain from its founding in the seventeenth century

Answer: Paramaribo, Suriname

The Historic Inner City of Paramaribo was named a World Heritage Center in 2002. The city reflects its roots as a Dutch colonial settlement. The 2012 population of the city of 240,000 was about half of the population of Suriname. The Inner City lies on the west bank of the Suriname River.

The first Dutch settlement in the area was a trading post founded by Nicolaes Baliestel and Dirck Claeszoon van Sanen in 1613. The English established Fort Willoughby nearby in 1662. The Neveh Shalom Synagogue, located in Paramaribo, is the oldest such building in the Americas, and was originally built 1657-1672, with the current building dating from 1723.

10. Site of the world's largest industrial complex of the sixteenth century

Answer: City of Potosi, Bolivia

Potosi has one of the highest elevations (over 13,000 feet) of any city in the world. The Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain), near which the city lies, was the largest single source of silver for the Spanish Empire for the 16th and 17th centuries. The modern city covers an area of about 46 square miles and has a population (in 2012) of about 175,000. The city was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987.

It is estimated that over half of the silver in the world came from Potosi when mining operations were at their peak. The mining operation was a large industrial complex with employees (forced and willing) numbering in the tens of thousands. Over time operations adapted from those designed to extract silver from higher grade ores to lower grade ores.

Source: Author bernie73

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Questions		Choices
1. One of the first city centers to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO		Santa Cruz de Mompox, Colombia
2. One of the earliest colonial cities--a fusion of Spanish, Dutch, and Caribbean architectural styles		City of Cusco, Peru
3. An important industrial center based on meat processing		Sewell (located in Machali, Chile)
4. Served as capital of the Incan Empire		City of Potosi, Bolivia
5. Site of a 17th century Jesuit reduction with University, church, and residences		Brasilia, Brazil
6. Described by Simon Bolivar: "If to Caracas I owe my life, then to ___ I owe my glory."		Paramaribo, Suriname
7. Mining town founded by Braden Copper Company		Fray Bentos, Uruguay
8. Planned city based on Le Corbusier's design principles of urbanism		Cordoba, Argentina
9. Many buildings and the street plan largely remain from its founding in the seventeenth century		City of Quito, Ecuador
10. Site of the world's largest industrial complex of the sixteenth century		Coro, Venezuela

Match the South American World Heritage Site with the brief description. World Heritage Sites are selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).