Taking the Plunge Trivia Quiz

Answer: Horseshoe Falls

Niagara Falls are a group of three waterfalls that sit along the Niagara River, which flows from south to north and connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. The Niagara River serves as a natural border between the United States in western New York and Canada in southeastern Ontario.

The largest of the three waterfalls is Horseshoe Falls, which is located on the western side (Canadian side) of Niagara Falls. Horseshoe Falls is approximately 2,700 ft (820 m) high and has a drop of 167 ft (51 m). The other two falls (which are not shown in the photo) are American Falls on the eastern side and the small Bridal Veil Falls which is located in between. The three falls are separated by Goat Island and Luna Island.

Answer: Venezuela

Angel Falls is located in eastern Venezuela. It is part of the Río Kerepacupai Merú which flows in to the Churun River, the Carrao River and eventually the Orinoco River which empties out into the Atlantic Ocean. Angel Falls is often considered to be one of the tallest waterfalls in the world with a height of approximately 3,200 ft (975 m).

While some people may believe that the waterfall was named after religious angels, they were actually named after an American aviator named Jimmie Angel who flew over them in 1937. In 2009, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez had pushed for the falls to be referred to by their indigenous name Kerepacupai Merú, which translates to "waterfall of the deepest place".

Answer: Jog Falls

Jog Falls (aka Gersoppa Falls) is a segmented waterfall located along the Sharavati River which flows from east to west in southern India and empties out to the Arabian Sea. The name Jog comes from the local Kannada language, which simply means falls. It has a maximum drop of approximately 830 ft (253 m).

Jog Falls is comprised of four waterfalls which are named Raja (The King), Ranee (The Queen), Rocket and Roarer. The amount of water that flows over Jog Falls varies depending on the season, meaning that a heavy monsoon season could bring a significant increase in water flow. In drier seasons, Jog Falls will often slow down to a mere trickle.

Answer: Sutherland Falls

Sutherland Falls is located in the southwestern corner of New Zealand's South Island. It is a tiered waterfall meaning it has three distinct drops. It has a total height of approximately 1,906 ft (581 m) and flows from Lake Quill to the Arthur River, which eventually empties out to the Tasman Sea via Milford Sound.

Sutherland Falls shares its name with Donald Sutherland, a Canadian actor who starred in the movie "Space Cowboys" in 2000. Intriguingly, the falls were named after a different Donald Sutherland, a Scottish man who settled in the area in 1880. Sutherland Falls and many other natural New Zealand landmarks have been featured in the "Lord of The Rings" movie franchise which were directed by Peter Jackson, who was born in New Zealand.

Answer: Argentina

Iguazu Falls are a series of waterfalls along the Iguazu River which originates in the Serra do Mar mountain range near the city of Curitiba in southern Brazil. The Iguazu River flows westward and eventually forms a natural border between Argentina and Brazil. Beyond the Iguazu Falls, the Iguazu River continues towards the northwest where it merges with the Parana River, forming a three-way boundary between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

Iguazu Falls consists of 275 waterfalls across an area approximately 1.86 mi (3 km) wide. The name Iguazu originates from the local Guarani language and roughly translates to "big water". The highest drop is measured at approximately 270 ft (82 m). Spanish explorer Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca was the first European explorer to discover Iguazu Falls in 1541.

Answer: Rhine Falls

Rhine Falls can be found in northern Switzerland close to the German border roughly 30 mi (48 km) north of Zurich. It is of course found along the Rhine River, which originates in the Swiss Alps and flows to the north and west forming natural borders between Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Germany and later France and Germany. The Rhine empties out at the North Sea near Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

Rhine Falls is the largest waterfall in Europe measuring at approximately 490 ft (150 m) wide and 75 ft (23 m) high. The name Rhine is believed to have been derived from the word Renos, a word from the ancient Gaulish language (who lived in the region during the Roman Era) that means "to move or flow".

Answer: Jim Jim Falls

Jim Jim Falls can be found in Kakadu National Park, which is about a four hour drive east of the city of Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory. Jim Jim Falls has a height of approximately 850 ft (259 m) above sea level and is reported to have a drop that measures between 460-660 ft (140-200 m). Jim Jim Falls tends to dry up between the months of May and October and some tourists will often take this opportunity to traverse the area in off-road vehicles.

Contrary to what some people might believe, Jim Jim Falls was not named after a man named Jim. The name is derived from the word Andjimdjim, which comes from the Aboriginal Kundjeyhmi language. Andjimdjim refers not to the falls themselves, but to a species of plant that inhabits the area around Jim Jim Falls.

Answer: Iceland

Skogafoss is a waterfall that can be found in southern Iceland near the town of Skogar. It is one of the largest waterfalls in the country with a height of approximately 200 ft (60 m) and a width of approximately 80 ft (24 m). The word Skogafoss is an Icelandic name that translates to "Forest waterfall".

If you are a fan of video games, then the landscape in the photograph may seem familiar to you. That is because Skogafoss and other natural landmarks in Iceland were used as the inspiration to create the terrain found in the video game "Death Stranding" which was first released for PlayStation 4 in 2020. Skogafoss has also appeared in several movies and television series, including "Thor: The Dark World" and "Game of Thrones".

Answer: Vietnam and China

Ban Gioc-Detian Falls are a group of waterfalls that sit on the Quay Son River between northern Vietnam and southern China. The Ban Gioc-Detian Falls are approximately 984 ft (300 m) wide with its highest drop measuring at 98 ft (30 m). There are two main falls which are referred to in Vietnamese as thac chinh (main waterfall) and thac phu (side waterfall). The falls are then spread out by rocks and vegetation.

Due to its location between the borders of Vietnam and China, Ban Gioc-Detian Falls have been the focus of border disputes between the two nations for centuries. It was hotly contested during the Sino-Vietnamese War, which occurred in 1979. Though the dispute over the falls was believed to have been settled via a treaty signed in 1999, there is still seems to be debate to this day over sovereignty of the falls.

Answer: Zambezi River

Victoria Falls is located on the Zambezi River and sits on the border between the African nations of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Zambezi River originates in northwestern Zambia and flows through the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, between Zambia and Zimbabwe and continues to the southwest though Mozambique where it exits to the Indian Ocean.

Victoria Falls is considered to be among the world's largest waterfalls. It has a width of approximately 5,600 ft (1,700 km) and a height of approximately 355 ft (108 m). The falls were named after Queen Victoria of England by the famous David Livingstone who explored the region in 1855. A statue dedicated to Livingstone stands above Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side.