Home on the Range Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The huge continent of Asia contains nine of the world's ten highest mountain ranges: the Karakoram is the second-highest after the Himalayas. It extends for a length of 500 km (310 mi) along the border of Pakistan, India and China, and northwest to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. A rugged, desolate region, it contains the world's second-highest peak, the K2 (8,611 m/28,251 ft), as well as the 11th-, 12th- and 13th-highest mountains - Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak, and Gasherbrum II.

The Altai (or Altay) Mountains are located to the northeast of the Himalayas, marking the border between Kazakhstan, China (Xinjiang) and Mongolia. Stretching for over 2,000 km (1,243 mi) from northwest to southeast, they are the world's 13th-longest mountain range, only slightly shorter than the Himalayas. The highest peak of the Altai is Belukha Mountain (Russia), with an elevation of 4,506 m (14,783 ft).

The Taurus Mountains lie in southern Turkey, where they stretch for about 1,500 km (930 mi). They separate the Mediterranean coast from the central Anatolian Plateau, forming a curve that extends from west to east, where the Tigris River rises. The highest peak of the Taurus Mountains is Demirkazık Peak, which stands at an elevation of 3,756 metres (12,323 ft).

The African continent also has its share of mighty mountain ranges. The Drakensberg is the eastern part of the much longer Great Escarpment of Southern Africa. Extending for about 1,000 km (620 mi), it forms the border between the South African provinces of Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal and the small sovereign country of Lesotho, which is completely surrounded by South Africa. The highest elevation of the Drakensberg is Thabana Ntlenyana (3,482 m/11,424 ft).

The Rwenzori Mountains lie on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in eastern Central Africa. In spite of its equatorial location, the range still boasts a number of glaciers in its upper regions - although they have been steadily retreating for the past century. Noted for its rich and varied vegetation, the Rwenzori is 120 km (75 mi) long; Its highest peak, Mount Stanley/Ngaliema (5,109 m/16,763 ft), is also Africa's third-highest peak.

The Hoggar (or Ahaggar) Mountains are located in southern Algeria. This highland region, part of the Mid-Sahara Rise, is famous for its striking landscape of mountains of volcanic origin shaped by erosion into dramatic, jagged peaks. The range's highest peak, also the highest mountain in Algeria, is Mount Tahat, which reaches an elevation of 2,908 m (9,541 ft).

The best-known of the European mountain ranges, the Alps are subdivided in a number of smaller ranges. Among these are the Dolomites, which are part of the section known as Southern Limestone Alps. Located in northeastern Italy, the range is named after a sedimentary carbonate rock, one of its main components. Famed for their natural beauty and rich history, the Dolomites are a popular tourist destination for hiking and winter sports. Their highest peak, Marmolada, stands at an elevation of 3,343 m (10,968 ft).

Named after one of the mountains in the range, the Cairngorms are located in the eastern Scottish Highlands. Part of a national park established in 2003 (the largest in the UK at the time of writing), they are known for their rugged landscape and tundra-like environment, as well as their distinctive flora and fauna (which includes a herd of of semi-domesticated reindeer). The range consists of three elevated plateaus, the highest of which is Ben MacDui (1,309 m/4,295 ft), Scotland's second-highest mountain.

In the Americas, most major mountain ranges run parallel to the Pacific coast, and are collectively referred to as the American Cordillera. The Cascades extend for 1,100 km (700 mi) from southern British Columbia to northern California through the US states of Washington and Oregon. The Cascades are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire: their highest peak, Mount Rainier (4,392 m/14,411 ft), is an active volcano, as are other important mountains such as Lassen Peak, Mount Hood, and the notorious Mount St Helens. The Cascades region is also renowned for its great natural beauty and fertile soil.

Located in northeastern New York state, the Adirondacks are part of the Appalachian Highlands of eastern North America. They are shaped like a circular dome with over 100 peaks, about 40 of them exceeding 1,200 m (4,000) in height: the highest of them, and the highest mountain in the state, is Mount Marcy (1,629 m/5,344 ft). The Adirondacks region is known for its beautiful natural landscape, characterized by a dense forest cover and hundreds of lakes and other bodies of water.

The six wrong answers are all archipelagos, located in the North Sea (Orkney), Norwegian Sea (Lofoten), South Pacific Ocean (Marquesas), Indian Ocean (Comoros), Caribbean Sea (Grenadines), and Aegean Sea (Cyclades).