A Cruise Around South America Trivia Quiz

Answer: Andes Mountains, Central Plains, and Eastern Highlands

From a bird's eye view -- a very high-flying bird -- you would see forested highlands in the northeastern part of the continent; the grasslands, also called "The Pampas," of the central plains; and the world's longest mountain range, the Andes, running north-south along the western coast.

This picture includes the year-long snow in the Andes above a valley called Sacred Valley in Peru.

Answer: Pacific, Atlantic, and Caribbean Sea

The Pacific borders South America on the West; the Atlantic borders its north and eastern shores; and the Caribbean lies to its northwest. These waters surround the world's fourth largest land area at 6,888,062 square miles (17,840,000 square kilometers).

This picture is of a beach in Barbados on the Caribbean.

Answer: Ring of Fire

The Ring of Fire is comprised of the lining of the basin of the Pacific. The extreme climactic activity is due to the activity of the plates underneath the Pacific. The Nazca, Cocos, and Caribbean tectonic plates are running into each other, as are the North American and the Pacific Plates.

Answer: 21

Galapagos has 21 islands, with 18 of them considered major and three minor. It also has over 100 islets and large rocks. These islands run along both sides of the Equator for about 137 miles (220 km). Scientists estimate that the oldest of the islands are at least eight million years old, while the younger islands are still being built by the volcanoes that underlie them.

This picture is of an alcoholic drink -- 21 years old is a common minimum drinking age.

Answer: Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca lies high in the Andes and is about 118 long and 50 miles wide (190 by 80 km). With an alpine climate, the area around the lake tends to measure somewhere in the range of the 60s in Fahrenheit degrees. This is a fascinating area where locals have created their own floating islands out of reeds.

This is a picture of the beautiful lake.

Answer: Atacama

With an average rainfall of about one millimeter, the Atacama -- pictured here -- is considered the driest desert on earth. The ground is so sterile that NASA uses it as a testbed for Mars-bound testing equipment. And with virtually no cloud cover, the Atacama might make the world's best star-gazing spot.

Answer: Glacier

The Perito Moreno Glacier was named after Francisco Moreno, an Argentinian explorer who surveyed theretofore undocumented areas of Patagonia in the late 19th century. His glacier keeps people on their toes; it bisects Lake Argentina, and, by forming a dam, causes an ice rupture roughly once a year.

The tiles pictured here are glazed. The word "glaze" and "glacier" are both related to the Latin word "glacies" which can mean both "ice" and "hardness."

Answer: Strong Antarctic winds

Fierce Antarctic winds cause trees to grow horizontally here at what can feel like the end of the world, the southern ends of Argentina and Chile meet. You'll find a host of wildlife, including king penguins, firecrown hummingbirds, austral parakeets, foxes, and condors. A guest which has outworn its welcome is the North America beaver, which was introduced there in 1940s as an attempt at a fur-farming venture and has been damaging the area's forests ever since.

Pictured here are wind chimes, to represent winds of all kinds, including Antarctic.

Answer: Fills with water

The Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, shining white under the bright sun most of the year. But when the rainy season starts, it fills up several inches and reflects the open sky, creating a stunning mirror effect. Salar de Uyuni is about 11,995 feet (3,650 m) above sea level, sitting on the crest of the Andes.

The picture here is of a mirror, demonstrating the mirror effect which occurs when the salt flat fills with water.

Answer: World's highest uninterrupted waterfall

With an uninterrupted drop of nearly 2,650 feet (807 m) from the Tepuy mountain, Angel Falls has been recognized as the world's tallest waterfall. There is a movement to change the mountain's name to an indigenous one but for now it's named after Jimmie Angel, an aviator from the U.S. who flew over the falls looking for a source for ore.

The giraffe is the world's tallest animal.