Classifying Water Trivia Quiz

Answer: Strait

A strait describes a relatively narrow body of water which acts as the connection between two larger areas, such as seas or oceans.

The Strait of Magellan is named for the famous Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan whose expedition became the first Europeans to discover it, in the sixteenth century.

It is located in Chile and provides a route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is a safer route than the Drake Passage, an open sea route around Cape Horn, which is further south and more exposed to poor weather. The Magellan Strait is still a difficult one to navigate as it is narrow and has unpredictable currents.

Answer: Strait

The Strait of Otranto links the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic Sea and lies between Italy and Albania in Europe. It is part of the larger Mediterranean Sea. If you want to visualise its location, it is near the 'heel' of Italy. Named for the Italian city, the strait is only 45 miles (72 km) wide at its narrowest part.

Historically, the Strait of Otranto was important in Roman times and, more recently, a blockade during the First World War stopped the Ottoman Empire accessing the Mediterranean. It is still an important transit route.

Answer: Strait

The Strait of Foveaux lies between the southern tip of New Zealand's South Island and Stewart Island, The distance between the two islands varies from around 14 to 33 miles (23-53 km) but while it is relatively narrow, it is classed as a dangerous stretch of water due to the unpredictable weather conditions in the area. There is a long list of ships which have met their end in the strait.

The area of the Foveaux Strait is renowned for the variety of seabirds found there, in particular the yellow-eyed penguins which are native to the region. It also forms part of the migration route for baleen whales, while many other cetaceans are found in the region.

Answer: Strait

The Bosphorus is the strait which links the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It effectively forms the sea bridge between Asia and Europe in Turkey. The other side of the Sea of Marmara has another strait, the Dardanelles, which gives access to the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

The Bosphorus gains its name from Ancient Greek and the legend of Io, turned into a cow. The name means 'cow passage' - in English we could call it Oxford. The city of Istanbul lies on each side of the Bosphorus, which is crossed by several bridges.

Answer: Lake

A lake is a large body of inland water surrounded by land. Lakes mostly contain freshwater with some having rivers flowing through them.

Tonlé Sap is a very large lake located in Cambodia. A river of the same name flows into it and out, with other rivers also feeding into it with the Mekong River being the most important of them.

It is a vital source of water for the country and has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1997. It is known for the variety of fish it contains and for the 'floating villages', homes on boats, which are found along its banks.

Answer: Lake

The largest lake in Sweden, Vänern is located in the south west of the country. It is over 2,000 square miles (nearly 6,000 square kilometres) in area, making it one of Europe's largest lakes. It was formed by glaciation and became cut off from the sea around 10,000 years ago.

The lake is a haven for wildlife with numerous species of fish, including some which would normally live in the sea, and birds. It is also a source of drinking water for around 800,000 people.

Answer: Lake

Located in the mountainous area of the Sierra Nevada in the USA, Tahoe is classed as an alpine lake. By volume of water it is the sixth largest in America, behind the Great Lakes, and is second deepest after Crater Lake. The lake lies on the border of Nevada and California.

The name derives from a Native American language called Washo - the name means lake, so calling it Lake Tahoe is tautology if you want to be pedantic. Tahoe is a magnet for tourists, with golf and casinos (especially in Nevada) and winter sports among the attractions.

Answer: Lake

Lake Bled is found in the Julian Alps in Slovenia. These mountains contain the country's highest mountain, Triglav, which is Slovenia's symbol. Lake Bled is near the town of the same name and is renowned for the brilliant colours of its waters, a mixture of blue and green. To add to its attractions, it has an island with several buildings, one of them being a seventeenth century church. This makes the area one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region.

Bled also has a mediaeval castle, now used as a museum. Boat trips around the lake are on a traditional boat called a pletna, which has a design dating back several hundred years.

Answer: Gulf

Pinpointing the difference between a gulf and a bay is something of a challenge as they have similarities. Generally, a gulf is more enclosed than a bay, with a narrower entrance, and is deeper and larger in area than a bay.

The Gulf of Panama lies on the southern coast of Panama and is part of the Pacific Ocean. The southern end of the Panama Canal meets the Pacific Ocean in this gulf.

The Gulf of Panama contains some smaller gulfs, such as the Gulf of Parita and the Gulf of San Miguel. The capital of Panama, Panama City, is located on the Gulf of Panama.

Answer: Gulf

Also called the Gulf of Sirte, this gulf is part of the Mediterranean Sea and lies off the north coast of Libya. The name of Sidra comes from an oil port with that name while Sirte comes from a city - both of them lie on the gulf.

Because of its location, the gulf has seen many battles including from Roman times, during World War II and in the Libyan Civil War in 2011. More peaceably, it is a renowned area for tuna fishing.

Answer: Gulf

The Gulf of Carpentaria is located in north Australia and has a distinctive shape, with three relatively straight sides. It is part of the Arafura Sea, itself part of the Pacific Ocean, which lies between Australia and New Guinea. Cape York, the northernmost point of Australia, lies on one side of the gulf.

The region is rich in minerals, especially bauxite, while the waters are a rich source of prawns. The name comes from the Dutch explorers, who named it after a governor-general named Pieter de Carpentier.

Answer: Gulf

The Gulf of Tonkin lies between the northern part of Vietnam and the southern region of China. Is is part of the South China Sea. itself an area of the Pacific Ocean, lying between the Philippines and the Indochinese Peninsula.

The name of Tonkin comes from the former name of the land region of Vietnam and the names used by both Vietnam and China translate to Northern Bay. An incident in this gulf, which took place in 1964, was one of the catalysts that began the Vietnam War.