Archipelago Trivia Quiz

Answer: Indian Ocean

The Andaman Islands lie about 130 km (81 mi) off the coast of Myanmar, forming the maritime boundary between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east. Most of this group of over 500 islands and islets (only 26 of which are inhabited) form a union territory of India together with their neighbours to the south, the Nicobar Islands. Both the Andaman and the Nicobar Islands are the peaks of a submarine mountain chain that stretches for over 1,000 km (620 mi) between Myanmar and the island of Sumatra (Indonesia). The islands are hilly and rugged, covered by dense, moist tropical forest rich in plant and animal species, some of them endemic. The three main islands - North, Middle and South Andaman - are known collectively as Great Andaman; the territory's capital, Port Blair, is located on the southeastern coast of South Andaman. Tourism is a growing industry, appealing in particular to ecotourists and trekkers attracted by the islands' environment and biodiversity.

The Andaman Islands are situated on the ancient trade route between India and Burma (Myanmar), and have been known since antiquity. The origin of their name is still debated, though believed by some to be derived from the name of the Hindu monkey god, Hanuman. They are mentioned in various medieval texts, including Marco Polo's famous travel account. At the end of 2004, the Andaman Islands were ravaged by the Boxing Day tsunami, which caused the death of thousands of people. Most of the islands' population of over 300,000 come from mainland India, but some of the indigenous inhabitants still survive - with some tribes refusing any contact with outsiders.

Answer: Atlantic Ocean

Located in the western Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba, the Cayman Islands are a group of three islands - Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman - that are the peaks of an undersea mountain range. Grand Cayman, the largest of the three, lies about 120 km (75 mi) west of the two smaller islands; the capital, George Town, is locate there. The Cayman Islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory, home to about 80,000 people; about half of this population consists of immigrants, many of them permanent residents.

Named after the Carib word for "crocodile", the Cayman Islands are believed to have been discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1503; they came under British control in 1670. They are low-lying, and enjoy a tropical wet and dry climate. However, in spite of the attractiveness of their beaches, tropical vegetation, and marine fauna, the Cayman Islands are best known as one of the world's premier offshore financial centres (also known in plain English as tax havens). Because of that, they have the highest standard of living in all the Caribbean region, though the cost of living is also quite high.

Answer: Atlantic Ocean

Located in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 480 km (300 mi) from the coast of Argentina's Patagonia region, the Falkland Islands ("Islas Malvinas" in Spanish) are a British overseas territory. The archipelago consists of two larger islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, and 776 smaller islands, most of them uninhabited; the territory's capital, Port Stanley, is located on the northeastern coast of East Island. With their rugged, hilly territory and cold, windy maritime climate, the islands are part of the Antarctic zone, and their flora and fauna - which includes penguins, albatross, the huge southern elephant seal, and over 400 species of lichen - is closely related to that of Patagonia. Most of the islands' area is used as sheep pasture: in fact, sheep far outnumber humans, with a ratio of about 200 sheep for each of its 3,000-odd inhabitants.

Named after the Falkland Sound that separates the two main islands (which was in turn named after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland, Treasurer of the Navy in the late 17th century), in the 18th century the Falklands were claimed by various nations because of their strategic position. The Spanish name "Malvinas" comes from "Isles Malouines" (after the French port city of Saint-Malo in Brittany) given to the islands by French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, who founded the islands' first settlement in the mid-18th century. Though the Falklands officially became a British colony in the 1840s, Argentina has laid claim to them at least since 1884. The tension between the two countries came to a head in April 1982, when Argentine forces invaded the islands - which were quickly retaken by the UK in June. In a referendum held in 2013, the overwhelming majority of the islands' residents voted in favour of remaining a British overseas territory.

Answer: Pacific Ocean

A volcanic archipelago part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Galápagos Islands straddle the Equator at the centre of the Western Hemisphere. Located 908 km (563 mi) west of Ecuador (to which they belong), these islands boast a unique ecosystem that has made them one of the world's premier destinations for scientists and wildlife lovers. Named after the giant tortoises that are one of its many endemic species, the archipelago consists of 18 main islands (of which Isabela, located directly on the Equator, is by far the largest), 3 small islands, and 107 rocks and islets, spread over over 45,000 km2 (17,000 sq mi) of ocean. Only five of the islands are inhabited, with a population of about 40,000. The capital, Puerto Barquerizo Moreno, is located on San Cristobal Island, which lies just south of the Equator.

Though European discovery of the archipelago occurred in the 16th century, the Galápagos Islands acquired global fame in the 1830s through the expedition of the survey ship HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin's observation on the local flora and fauna, which were essential to the development of his theory of natural selection. The Galapagos were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978; before that, in 1959, in occasion of the centenary of the publication of Darwin's "On the Origin of Species", the government of Ecuador had declared most of the islands a national park. Besides the giant tortoises that gave the archipelago their name, the islands are home to the only living species of tropical penguin, a number of other endemic bird species, and marine iguanas. There are also about 180 species of endemic vascular plants.

Answer: Atlantic Ocean

Located off the west coast of Scotland, in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Hebrides are traditionally divided in two groups - the Outer and the Inner Hebrides - according to their proximity to the mainland. Their name comes from "Ebudes" or "Ebudae", the name given to the islands by Pliny the Elder and other Latin writers. The Hebrides have a combined area of 7,285 km² (2,813 sq mi), and a combined population of about 45,000. The Outer Hebrides, or Western Isles, are a chain of over 100 islands, the largest of which, Lewis and Harris, is the largest island in Scotland, and the third-largest in the British Isles; they are separated from the Inner Hebrides by the strait known as The Minch. The Inner Hebrides number 36 inhabited islands, of which Skye, Mull and Islay are the largest. In spite of their northerly location, the Hebrides enjoy a remarkably mild climate owing to the influence of the Gulf Stream.

Inhabited since prehistory, the Hebrides have a long and rich history, and are major centres of Scottish Gaelic culture. In the Middle Ages, the small island of Iona in the Inner Hebrides was one of the most important centres of Gaelic monasticism. As the islands were under Norwegian control from the 9th to the late 13th century, the Norse influence can still be seen in many personal and place names. At present, the Hebrides are officially bilingual, and are home to the highest number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland. The economy of the islands relies on crofting (small-scale food production), fishing, oil extraction, renewable energy, and tourism; the distillation of whisky is also a relevant industry in the Inner Hebrides, especially on Islay.

Answer: Atlantic Ocean

Located in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 520 km (280 nmi) from the coast of Morocco, the Madeira archipelago is part of the region known as Macaronesia (from the Greek for "islands of the blessed"), which also includes the Azores, the Canary Islands, and Cape Verde. Of volcanic origin like the other islands of Macaronesia, the archipelago consists of the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, and a group of small uninhabited islands, the Desertas; the Savage Islands, another small island group located about 280 km (175 mi) south of Madeira, is part of the municipality of Funchal, the capital of Madeira. One of two autonomous regions of Portugal (the other being the Azores, which lie to the northwest), Madeira is home to about 250,000 people, half of whom live in Funchal.

The Madeira archipelago (whose name means "wood" in Portuguese) was first settled by the Portuguese in 1420. Thanks to their mild subtropical climate, the islands became an important centre for the cultivation of sugarcane, but the production declined sharply in the 17th century when the Portuguese shifted the production of sugar to Brazil. Sugar plantations were then replaced by vineyards, which still produce the famed Madeira fortified wine. Like the Azores and the Canary Islands, Madeira is characterized by its evergreen forests ("laurisilva"), home to a number of endemic plant and animal species. The archipelago, which is part of the European Union, is a favourite travel destination for European tourists: in particular, the smaller island of Porto Santo (where Christopher Columbus lived for a while) is entirely dedicated to tourism.

Answer: Pacific Ocean

Also known as the Spice Islands, the Moluccas (Maluku in Indonesian) lie at the intersection of Asia and Oceania, straddling the Equator in the eastern part of Indonesia. The archipelago consists of over 1,000 islands, most of them volcanic, in an area of the Pacific Ocean bounded by the Molucca Sea (northwest), the Banda Sea (southwest), the Arafura Sea (southeast), and the Halmahera Sea (northeast). These mountainous islands lie for the most part within Wallacea, a biogeographical transitional zone between the Asian and the Australian continental shelves - meaning that the flora and fauna typical of both continents are more or less equally represented. The Moluccas are rich in endemic species, and most of the native mammal species present on the islands are marsupials.

As the archipelago's nickname implies, the Moluccas were famed for the production of spices - namely nutmeg, mace, and cloves, which are still cultivated there. Because of that, in the early 17th century the islands - inhabited by Melanesian peoples since at least 40,000 years ago - became a bone of contention between the Dutch and the Portuguese, which led to ruthless actions against the native population. Now home to over 3 million people, the islands are split into two provinces, North Maluku (capital Sofifi, on the island of Halmahera) and Maluku (capital Ambon, the archipelago's largest settlement, on the island of the same name). Halmahera and Seram are the two largest islands, though the smaller Ambon and Ternate are much more densely populated. On the larger, densely forested islands, logging is an important industry, as is fishing throughout the archipelago.

Answer: Pacific Ocean

Part of the Melanesia subregion of Oceania, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, New Caledonia ("Nouvelle-Calédonie" in French; "Kanaky" is its indigenous name) is an archipelago that includes a large main island, Grande Terre, some smaller island groups (Loyalty Island, Belep Islands, Chesterfield Islands, Isle of Pines), and a number of islets. A major biodiversity hotspot, New Caledonia is home to many endemic animal and plant species, which are unfortunately threatened by the CO2 emissions caused by the nickel industry, the archipelago's main economic activity. These mountainous, sparsely populated islands (about 270,000 inhabitants) are divided into three provinces; the capital and largest city, Nouméa, is located on Grande Terre.

Probably already inhabited in the first millennium BC, New Caledonia was first sighted by Europeans in 1774, during James Cook's second voyage. Cook named it "New Caledonia" because it reminded him of Scotland ("Caledonia" for the Romans). The French took possession of the islands in 1853, and granted them the status of overseas territory in 1946; at the time of writing, New Caledonia is an overseas collectivity of France with special status. Three referendums held in recent years rejected independence from France, but in the future things may change. New Caledonia has one of the largest economies in the South Pacific, mainly based on the export of nickel ore and other mineral products, while tourism is much less developed than in other parts of the region.

Answer: Arctic Ocean

Located at the extreme northeast of the European continent, Novaya Zemlya ("New Land" in Russian) lies in the Arctic Ocean, with the Barents Sea to the west and the Kara Sea to the east. The archipelago, which consists of two main islands - Severny ("Northern") and Yuzhny ("Southern") - separated by a narrow strait, and a number of smaller ones, is very mountainous, and its coasts are indented with numerous fjords. Severny, which contains the easternmost point of Europe, Cape Flissingsky, is partly covered by a large ice cap, while Yuzhny is mostly covered by tundra vegetation.

Novaya Zemlya was first visited by Western Europeans in the 16th century, and is mentioned in several 18th-century literary works; the first settlement was established in 1870. In the 20th century, the islands became a sensitive military area, especially during the Cold War, and were used several times for nuclear testing (including the detonation of "Tsar Bomba", the most powerful nuclear weapon ever created and tested, in 1961). Now Novaya Zemlya, which is part of Arkhangelsk Oblast, is inhabited by about 3,000 people, mostly concentrated in the town of Belushya Guba. The islands are also home to a substantial population of polar bears, and conflicts between humans and bears are not uncommon.

Answer: Southern Ocean

The Ross Archipelago is a group of islands forming the eastern and southern boundaries of McMurdo Sound, the world's southernmost navigable body of water, located about 1,300 km (810 mi) south of the South Pole. Ross Island is the largest island in the group, home to the largest Antarctic settlement, McMurdo Station, maintained by the US Antarctic Program. The island, however, is part of Ross Dependency, an area of Antarctica claimed by New Zealand. Named after Sir James Ross, a British naval officer and explorer who discovered it in 1840, Ross Island is also remarkable from a geological point of view, as it is formed by four volcanoes. One of them, Mount Erebus, is the world's southernmost active volcano; the neighbouring Mount Terror is dormant.

The Ross Archipelago also includes Beaufort Island, the northernmost of the group, an important breeding area for penguins and seabirds; Black Island, so named because of its lack of snow and dark volcanic rock, and the snow-covered White Island. The four Dellbridge Islands (which include the aptly-named Inaccessible Island) are also considered part of the Ross Archipelago.

Answer: Indian Ocean

Seychelles is an archipelago and sovereign country consisting of 155 islands located northeast of Madagascar, in the segment of the Indian Ocean known as Somali Sea. These islands have been divided into groups: 42 of them, known as the Granitic Seychelles, are situated in the the northeastern corner of the archipelago, and include its largest islands. The Granitic Seychelles are the world's oldest ocean islands. The other groups - Amirantes, Farquhar, and Aldabra - consist of mostly uninhabited coral islands. The national capital, Victoria, lies on Mahé, the archipelago's largest island. Seychelles is sparsely populated, with less than 100,000 calling the islands their home; 90% of the islands' inhabitants live on Mahé.

Named after an 18th-century French politician, Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Minister of Finance under King Louis XV, Seychelles came under British control in 1794, and was granted independence in 1976. It is now a presidential republic, and a member of the Commonwealth. With their lush tropical environment, which includes many endemic plant and animal species, the islands are a highly desirable tourist destination. Indeed, tourism is one of the country's main sources of revenue, though the influx of tourists has had to be limited to avoid damage to its unique environment.

Answer: Southern Ocean

The South Shetland Islands lie north of the Antarctic Peninsula, the northernmost point of mainland Antarctica, and 940 km (510 nmi) south of the Falkland Islands. The archipelago comprises 11 major islands and a number of smaller ones, most of them permanently covered in ice, and the rest in tundra vegetation. The cold, windy climate of these islands is due to the proximity of Antarctica, though they lie at approximately the same distance from the equator as the Shetland Islands (north of Scotland) they are named after; their fauna consists mainly of penguins, seals, and seabirds.

The South Shetland Islands were discovered in 1819 by British mariner William Smith, who claimed them as a British possession, and named King George Island, the archipelago's largest, after King George III. They are now part of the British Antarctic Territory (BAT), though claimed by both Chile and Argentina. As is the case of the whole Antarctic continent, human settlements are limited to research stations maintained by various nations (including China, Russia, and the US). Some of these stations are manned year-round, while others are only active during the summer. In recent times, like the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island, the South Shetlands have become a popular tourist destination - especially for "expedition" cruises - during the summer months.

Answer: Pacific Ocean

Part of the larger Japanese Archipelago, the Ryukyu Islands lie in the North Pacific Ocean, forming an arc that stretches from Kyushu to Taiwan. This group consists of a number of smaller island groups: the Ōsumi, Tokara, and Amami Islands (also known as Nansei Islands, the northern half of the arch), and the Okinawa, Senkaku, Miyama, Yaeyama, and Daitō Islands. The largest islands are of volcanic origin, while the smaller ones are mostly coral. Okinawa, the largest island in the Ryukyu, and the fifth-largest in Japan, is located approximately in the centre of the arc. The islands are home to over 1.5 million people, most of whom live on Okinawa Island. The largest city in the archipelago, Naha, is also the capital of Okinawa Prefecture.

Inhabited for thousands of years, the Ryukyu Islands were once the centre of the eponymous kingdom, which ruled for 450 years, from the mid-15th century to the late 19th century. After the end of WWII, the islands were held by the United States for 20 years (1951-1971); Okinawa Island still hosts many US military bases and training centres. Now the islands are divided between two prefectures: the northern islands are part of Kagoshima Prefecture (based in Kyushu), and the southern islands are part of the Okinawa Prefecture. The name "Ryukyu" is of Chinese origin, and is not frequently used by the native population of the islands - also because the northern and the southern islands have different histories and cultural influences, as well as differing in climate, flora, and fauna.

Answer: Arctic Ocean

Also known as Spitsbergen ("pointed mountains"), Svalbard is located in the Arctic Ocean, midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. This rugged, mountainous archipelago consists of three main islands, Spitsbergen (the largest), Nordaustlandet, and Edgeøya, and a number of smaller islands and skerries (rocky islets). The name "Svalbard" comes from Old Norse, and can be translated as "cold turf" - a reference to its mostly grass covering and lack of tree or bushes. In spite of the islands' latitude, their climate is milder than one could expect so far north, and only 60% of the islands is covered in ice. Svalbard is home to about 2,500 people, most of them living in Longyearbyen, the islands' largest settlement, located on Spitsbergen.

Discovered by Dutch explorer William Barents in 1596 (who gave them the name of Spitsbergen), in the 17th and 18th centuries the islands were used as whaling bases by various European nations. When these bases were eventually abandoned, coal mining took their place as the archipelago's main industry. Svalbard has been part of the Kingdom of Norway since 1925, though administratively it is an unincorporated area with a special jurisdiction. Together with mining and research, environmental tourism is a major economic activity on the islands. One of the islands' main tourist attractions is its fauna - chiefly its iconic polar bears, but also whales, seals, walruses, and seabirds.

Answer: Indian Ocean

The Zanzibar Archipelago is a group of islands located in the western Indian Ocean, off the coast of East Africa. It consists of four main islands - three with human population, and a fourth inhabited only by seabirds - and various smaller islets. The largest of the island, named Unguja, but generally known as Zanzibar, is separated from the mainland by the Zanzibar Channel. Pemba, the second-largest island, lies to the north of Zanzibar, while Mafia Island is the southernmost of the three main islands, and is not part of the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar. Latham Island, known in Swahili as Fungu Kizimkazi, is a flat coral island located southwest of Unguja: it is an important breeding ground for many species of seabirds. The islands are home to about 1.2 million people, two-thirds of whom live on Unguja.

The three main islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago were known in antiquity as trade centres: one of them (probably Unguja) is mentioned with the name of Menouthias in the "Periplus of the Erythraean Sea", a Greco-Roman text from the 1st century AD that describes navigation and trading opportunities in the Indian Ocean. Fishing and the production of spices (particularly cloves) are important economic activities in the archipelago, while the tourism industry is especially relevant in Unguja. The Stone Town (old town) of Zanzibar City was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 for its unique architecture that blends European, Arab, Persian and Indian influences with the underlying Swahili culture.