Water Body Watching! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ocean

An ocean is the largest body of water. Comprised of salt water, there are four oceans, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic, that cover approximately 71% of the earth's surface.

Answer: Sea

A sea is a large body of salty water, partially or wholly surrounded by land, that is connected to an ocean. The South China Sea, off the coast of southeast Asia, is the largest sea in the world. Some seas, such as the Dead Sea and Caspian Sea, which is actually the largest lake in the world, are salty lakes that lack a natural outlet.

Answer: Bay

Surrounded by water on three sides, a bay is formed by the erosion of the shoreline, and is usually connected to an ocean or lake. The Bay of Bengal, off the coast of India, is the largest bay in the world, followed by Hudson Bay in Canada. Also in Canada, James Bay is located at the southern end of Hudson Bay.

Answer: River

A river flows from higher ground to lower ground; that is why the Nile, the longest river in the world, flows from south to north! The Amazon River in South America discharges the most water, while the Yangtze is the longest river in Asia.

Answer: Strait

A strait is a narrow passage of land that connects two large bodies of water, and lies between two land masses. The Strait of Gibraltar guards the entrance from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, and lies between Africa and Europe. Separating mainland South America from Tierra del Fuego, the Strait of Magellan provides passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Forming the natural boundary between Europe and Asia, the Bosporus connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.

Answer: Lake

Lake Superior, on the border between the United States and Canada, is the largest freshwater lake by surface in the world, with Lake Victoria, which borders Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya in Africa, coming in second. Lake Baikal in Russia is the world's largest freshwater lake by volume, as well as the deepest.

Answer: Gulf

A gulf, while similar to a bay, is much larger. It, too, is surrounded by saltwater on three sides by land. At 615,000 square miles, the Gulf of Mexico in North America is the world's largest. The Persian Gulf is found in the Middle East between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran, while the Gulf of Tonkin borders China and Vietnam.

Answer: River Delta

River deltas form from sediments that are carried by rivers and deposited as the flow of the water leaves the river's mouth, where a river enters the ocean or other body of water. The Ganges/Brahmaputra Delta, located in India and Bangladesh, is the largest in the world; the Nile Delta is located in Egypt, while the Mekong Delta is located in Vietnam.

Answer: Canal

A canal is a man-made feature that connects waterways. The Suez Canal, located in Egypt, connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Located in the Central American country of Panama, the Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, while the Erie Canal, in New York, USA, connects the Hudson River to Lake Erie.

Answer: Sound

A sound is an inlet which is larger than a bay, deeper than a bight, and wider than a fjord. The Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand actually consist of two sounds, Queen Charlotte and Pelorus on the northern tip of the South Island. Puget Sound is located in Washington, USA, and Long Island Sound is in New York, USA.