Amazing Gorges Trivia Quiz

Answer: Yangtze River

The Three Gorges extend for an approximate length of 120 kilometres. The first of the three gorges is the Qutang Gorge. It is the narrowest of the three and it is only 8 kilometres long. The second is the Wu Gorge, or Great Gorge, with a length of 45 kilometres, and the third and last gorge is the Xiling Gorge, the largest and most famous of the three.

Answer: Petra

Siq translates into English as 'shaft' and the gorge forms the main entrance to the remains of Petra. The city was immortalized as 'a rose-red city half as old as time' in the poem "Petra" by John William Burgon. The poem was written by him in 1845 even though he had never actually seen Petra.

The gorge is about one mile long and narrows in places to only three metres. Trekking through it is worth while, though, as it opens up on to the remains of The Treasury.

Answer: Rio Grande Gorge

At the bottom of the gorge runs the Rio Grande River. The river actually flows in what is known as the Rio Grande Rift, an actual open crevice in the earth. For this reason there are several areas of hot springs along the river. Across the gorge, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge was built at an altitude of 650 feet above the river.

Answer: Cataract Gorge

The Cataract Gorge is a tourist attraction in Tasmania over the South Esk River. Tourists have many options to explore including a chairlift and a funicular railway. A former power plant decommissioned when the Trevallyn Dam was completed is now a museum.

Answer: Komati Gorge

The gorge provides the perfect environment for the local flora and fauna. The area is known for its great diversity of wildlife, especially for impalas, zebras and giraffes. The gorge is known to be at least three million years old.

Answer: Provence

The full name of the region is Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The gorge is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe and is a magnet for tourists. It is named for the Verdon river which runs through it, with the river itself being named for its vivid turquoise-green colour.

The gorge even has its own sub-canyon, known as the Styx du Verdon. The hint in the question came from Peter Mayle's 1989 book called 'A Year in Provence'.

Answer: Kali Gandaki Gorge

The claim of being the deepest gorge in the world is difficult to substantiate due to disagreements over the height of the gorge rims. The upper gorge, Thak Khola, is named for the Thakali folk, Himalayan traders.

Answer: Crete

The gorge is in the Chania region of Crete, the largest of the Greek islands. It was designated one of Greece's National Parks in 1962 and is also a World Biosphere Reserve. The gorge is 16km in length, and the more hardy tourists to the island can walk through it.

The estimated time for the walk is four to seven hours, so it is not to be undertaken lightly. The name derives from the Church of the nearby, now abandoned, village, which was 'Ossia Maria', meaning 'the Bones of Maria'.

Answer: Mendips

The gorge was formed by meltwater in the limestone rock, and among the caves which can be visited are Gough's Cave and Cox's Cave. The caves contain many stalagmites and stalactites. The oldest complete human skeleton ever to be found in Britain was discovered in the caves in 1903. The town of Cheddar has also given its name to a type of cheese. The Cotswolds are mainly in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, and the Malverns are mostly in Worcestershire and Herefordshire. The Grampians are in Scotland.

Answer: Tiger

The Tiger Leaping Gorge is in the Yunnan province of China. Its name derives from a legend that a tiger jumped over the gorge to escape from hunters. Even at its narrowest point the gorge is 25 metres (82 feet) wide, so it seems unlikely. It is possible to visit the Tiger Leaping Stone where the tiger is alleged to have begun its feat.

The Jinsha river is a major tributary of the Yangtze river.