Crossing the Darién Gap Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Pan-American Highway

The Pan-American Highway is a series of roads and highways measuring approximately 19 000 mi or 30 000 km. It is not a single road but a series of roads and highways with some parallel sections and some spurs.

It was first proposed at the First Pan-American Conference in 1889 but as a railroad. This proposal was never realised. The concept of a highway was discussed at the Fifth International Conference of American States in 1923. This led to a specific conference in 1925 on the construction of such a highway but it took a further twelve years for Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Canada, and the United States to sign the Convention on the Pan-American Highway. Each country agreed to pay for the highway within their own boundaries. Mexico completed their section first in 1950. In 1966, the US Federal Highway Administration designated the entire Interstate Highway System to be an integral part of the Pan-American Highway System. There are spurs from the South American Pacific countries into Brazil and Uruguay.

Answer: Colombia and Panama

The Darién Gap consists of undeveloped mountains, swamp land and jungle forest in Panama's Darién Province in Central America, and the northern portion of Colombia's Chocó Department in South America. The highway from the north stops abruptly on the northern side at Yaviza in Panama and then the highway commences again in Turbo in Colombia.

Answer: 66 miles or 106km

On the Colombian side the Gap is dominated mainly by the Atrato river delta which creates a flat 50 mile wide marshland most of which is swamp. On the Panama side the terrain is the opposite with a mountainous rainforest. The terrain varies between 60 m (197 ft) in the valley floor to 1,845 m (6,053 ft) Cerro Tacarcuna which is the tallest peak in the Panamanian jungle, in the middle of the Gap.

Answer: Land Rover/Jeep

The first crossing of the Darién Gap was by 4WD. A Jeep and a Land Rover made the crossing in 1959-60. The expedition took 136 days and averaged 201 meters per day. In December 1960 a motorcycle journey was attempted. The motorbike had to be abandoned but the expedition was completed on foot. Also in 1961, three Chevrolet Corsairs (ie 2WD) attempted the journey. Two of the three cars completed the journey.

The first totally overland crossing (boats were used previously for some sections) of the Gap was by British cyclist Ian Hibell, who rode from Cape Horn to Alaska between 1971 and 1973 including the entire Darién Gap.

Answer: A United Nations ban

The land is difficult as it alternates between high mountains on the Panama side to swampy land on the Colombian side. The area is also home to a wide variety of diverse fauna and flora which rivals the Amazon basin in terms of diversity. Creation of a road would destroy the habitats of some of these species.

The community of Yaviza at the southern terminus of the North American component of the Pan-American Highway was created to accommodate the construction of the highway. The destruction of the road though the rainforest to reach Yaviza is proof positive road construction destroyed natural habitats in the area.

Answer: To stop foot and mouth disease reaching North America

Foot and Mouth Disease exists in South America but not North America. Introduction of the disease into North America would be an ecological and economic disaster. The Gap serves as a natural barrier to stop the disease from entering North America. The Americans have funded Panama to make the entire northern end of the Gap a national park from Pacific to Atlantic Coast. This means no cattle can graze in the park and this adds another physical barrier to prevent the disease travelling north.

The Gap does restrict drugs being moved overland from south America to North America, but alternative transportation is consequently used.

Colombia is known for its kidnapping 'trade'. The Gap's inaccessibility assists the kidnapping activity as it provides hiding places inaccessible to the authorities.

Limited tourism occurs in the region. There are small tour groups that traverse the Darien Gap.

Answer: Corn, cassava, plantains, and bananas

Mestizo population of the Gap include the the Embera-Wounaan and Kuna people. They grow corn, cassava, plantains, and bananas with the protein coming from freshwater fish from the plentiful water courses. Cassava, native to South America, is the main source of carbohydrates. Cassava, when dried to powder or pearls is called tapioca; when it is fried in granular form, it is called garri.

Answer: Box jellyfish

The box jellyfish with its lethal stinging tentacles is largely restricted to the tropical Indo-Pacific region but it is always found in salt-water.

The Jaguar, scorpion and American crocodile are found in the Darién Gap. The most common fauna include macaw, parrots, and tapirs. The area also harbours some species that are on the IUCN Red List. These species include the spotted paca, Mantled howler, night monkey, black-headed spider monkey, ocelot, Central American agouti, and the capybara. The jaguar and American crocodile are also on this list.

Answer: Scotland

Scotland in the 1690s wanted to establish a new nation called "Caledonia" on the Isthmus of Panama at the Gulf of Darién. Its aim was for the colony to establish overland routes connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It was thought control of this area would create an important trade route.

The plan was never realised: poor planning, inept leadership, an English trade blockade, epidemics of disease particularly malaria, and a blockade of the harbour by the Spanish all caused the idea to be abandoned by 1700. Even if these obstacles were overcome, the harsh terrain would have made such routes impossible to traverse commercially.

Answer: Ship vehicle and passengers from Colon, Panama to Cartegena, Colombia

The number of people walking through the Darién Gap are very small. There is no airport at Yaviza. There are shipping agents who can arrange for vehicles to be shipped in containers on cargo ships from Colon (near Panama City) to Cartegena. The journey is about 400 kilometres and takes 18 hours. The vehicle can then be driven south on a good road from Cartegena to Turbo (288 km) where you can rejoin the Pan -American Highway.

Crossing the Darién Gap is possible but it is not easy. Few have completed the journey and not many more will complete it in the future.