A Key for the Lighthouse Keep Quiz | Geography

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. My first key is made of limestone and it fits the lock of the Europa Point Lighthouse located somewhere on the Iberian Peninsula. I'm told my key was cut from a famous nearby rock. What territory do I need to travel to to open this lock?

Answer: Gibraltar

The Europa Point Lighthouse, also known as the Trinity Lighthouse, is a lighthouse on the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Construction on the lighthouse was initiated in 1838, with the lighthouse being located at the far southern tip of the Rock of Gibraltar.

The lighthouse guards the coastline, aiding ships as they pass through the Strait of Gibraltar between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

2. How strange my next key is made from the bone of an Atlas bear. I slip the key into the lock of the lighthouse on the Melilla la Vieja fortress in the Spanish city of Melilla and enter after my journey through which African country surrounding it?

Answer: Morocco

Built in the 16th century, the Melilla la Vieja fortress has protected the city of Melilla, a Spanish territory, and the surrounding country of Morocco. The city of Melilla is located on the extreme northern coast of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea, south of Spain.

The area surrounding Melilla has an extensive history, dating to the times of the Phoenicians. The lighthouse extends from the wall of the fortress, serving as a guide to Mediterranean sailors.

3. My next key is made from the heart of a cabbage palm fitting neatly into the lock of the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States. This lighthouse, perched on Hatteras Island, overlooks the Graveyard of the Atlantic off the coast of which state?

Answer: North Carolina

The Cape Hatteras lighthouse rises some 210 feet above the Outer Banks islands of the great state of North Carolina. The lighthouse guards the treacherous waters where two major ocean currents collide, namely the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream. Due to these treacherous seas, beach erosion is a constant threat, and as a result, the entire lighthouse was moved roughly 3,000 feet inland in 1999.

4. This next key was whittled from a branch of the oldest oak tree in this country. In the tree's honor, the key was dubbed "Boleslaw," as it proceeds to open the lock of the lighthouse in the city of Kolobrzeg located in which European country?

Answer: Poland

A site of some of Poland's legendary Weddings to the Sea, Kolobrzeg is located on the Baltic Sea. The name "Kolobrzeg" literally means "by the shore" in Polish. The symbolic weddings occur after a time of great conflict when Poland regains its connection to the ocean, with the last wedding occurring at the conclusion of World War II.

The lighthouse at Kolobrzeg was primarily used for signaling ships, instead of protecting them from the coastline.

5. My next key is made of Cretaceous granite, fitting the lock on an island that is part of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. This lighthouse isn't very tall given it is high on the bluff of Hornos Island, the southernmost island of which country?

Answer: Chile

An extreme feat of sailing is required to get a good view of this island, made famous as being the island of Cape Horn. Until the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, ships were forced to sail in between and around the islands containing Cape Horn. As the island is only 400 miles from Antartica, heavy storms and high waves are frequent and it is bitterly cold.

There are two lighthouses on Hornos Island, both run by the Chilean Navy.

6. The scent of my next key tickles my nose as it is made entirely from sandalwood. I believe it fits the lock of a French lighthouse nestled among the aquamarine seas of the Amedee lighthouse of what Pacific nation?

Answer: New Caledonia

The Amedee lighthouse was built from steel in Paris in 1862, dismantled, and transported to Amedee Island in New Caledonia in 1865. The lighthouse is the tallest iron lighthouse in the world. The lighthouse was used to guide vessels attempting to navigate the port of Noumea, then a French penal colony.

7. My next key is made from a piece of coral, necessary to open the door of the Cikoneng Lighthouse, located on a large island in the South Java Sea that is part of which country?

Answer: Indonesia

The Cikoneng Lighthouse was built by the Dutch in honor of the people killed when Mount Krakatau errupted in 1883, destroying the town of Anyer and the original island lighthouse. The eruption was so severe, earthquakes and shock waves unleashed tsunamis that killed over 35,000 people.

The lighthouse marks the start of the Great Post Road on the island of Java, which connects the largest cities of the island nation.

8. My next key is made of silver, like the coin featuring the lighthouse standing guard on Sambro Island. Which Canadian province is home to the oldest lighthouse in North America which guards Halifax Harbor?

Answer: Nova Scotia

The Sambro Island lighthouse was built during the Seven Years War in 1758 as a means of guarding the treacherous pass entering the Halifax Harbor. The lighthouse has witnessed many a shipwreck on the rocky shoals it overlooks, but it also has witnessed several bloody sea battles during the American Revolution and the War of 1812.

Like many lighthouses, the lighthouse at Sambro is painted in vertical stripes, red in this case, in an effort to contrast the lighthouse against the snow and ice of the frigid Canadian winters.

9. My next key is cut from a large diamond, fitting the lock of the Cape Agulhas lighthouse and glowing within. Designed in the likeness of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the lighthouse guards the shores on the tip of which African country?

Answer: South Africa

The Cape Agulhas lighthouse was completed in 1848 at the suggestion of the surveyor-general. Located at the southernmost tip of Africa, the lighthouse has long served as a beacon to sailors in the rough seas off the coast of Africa. The powerful beacon can be viewed from up to 35 miles from shore.

The lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse in use in Africa, and is a national monument of South Africa.

10. My last key is made of granite, fitting the ancient lock of the Tower of Hercules. Rising to a height of 180 feet, the oldest operating lighthouse in the world continues to guard the Coast of Death in which country?

Answer: Spain

At almost 2000 years of age, the Tower of Hercules (Torre de H�rcules) was built by the Romans around 100 AD. The exact date of its construction is unknown, but the inscription on the tower attributes its design to the Roman architect, Gaius Sevius Lupus. Although the lighthouse overlooks waters known for shipwrecks, it itself does not serve as a guide to any harbor or port. Most theorize that it was used as a positioning marker on the coast for passing ships.

As to be expected, the lighthouse is designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Source: Author TemptressToo

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Tizzabelle before going online.
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A Key for the Lighthouse Keep Trivia Quiz

It's my job to insure the safety of the world's coastlines, thus I have the keys to ten of the world's most famous lighthouses. Can you help me locate which key I'll need to turn on the lights in any particular tower?

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