Following in Famous Footprints Quiz

Answer: Beringia

The formation of glaciers had lowered sea levels by 100 to 150 meters, creating a land bridge. Hulten, who lived from 1894 to 1981, coined the name of Beringia for it in his doctorate thesis at Lund University in 1937. As well as studying botany, Hulten was also an Arctic explorer. Although it is not disputed that a migration from Siberia to the northern part of America took place at some stage, when it occurred and whether it was by foot overland or by boat across the sea remains unclear. Scientists in the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, DNA analysis, linguistics and other disciplines continue to study and theorize.

Team member mlcmlc thanks you for your assistance and will head off for somewhere warmer now.

Answer: Victoria Falls

The Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya which translates as 'the smoke that thunders', are situated in southern Africa between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Livingstone first saw them in 1855. Victoria Falls are the widest falls in Africa and one of the widest in the world at 1708 metres (5604 feet).

Team member playmate1111 is grateful to you for telling her where she is, as she can now move to somewhere drier and quieter.

Answer: Vietnam

The Mekong is the tenth longest river in the world and the seventh longest in Asia. It rises in China before flowing through Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Along its course it forms part of the border between Laos and Burma and then between Thailand and Laos. The delta is in Vietnam, covering an area of around 15,000 square miles (39,000 square kilometres), before the river empties into the South China Sea. Due to the difficulty of navigation, Europeans took little interest in the river until the French established French Indochina in the mid to late nineteenth century.

Team member rossian can now work out in which direction she should head, having been confused by all those different tributaries.

Answer: Margaret Island

The island was originally called the Island of Rabbits (Nyulak szigete) but was renamed after King Béla sent his daughter to a nunnery there in thanks for the Mongols leaving Hungary. The island became known as Margitsziget, or Margaret Island, as a result and Margaret herself became Saint Margaret. The island was declared a national park in 1908 and is now a peaceful recreational area with a sports centre. The remains of many Church ruins can still be seen including those of Franciscan and Dominican orders.

Team member szabs has enjoyed her time in this beautiful setting but feels the island is too small to stay here for any length of time.

Answer: Peru

The Colca Canyon lies in the southern part of Peru and was recognised by the "Guinness Book of Records" in 1986 as being the deepest in the world. Measurements taken by GPS in 2005 have verified the depth as 4,160 metres (13,650 feet) making it more than double the depth of the Grand Canyon in the USA. The sides are nowhere near as vertical, though, and parts of the canyon are cultivated using the traditional terraces of the area. Although the Spaniards attempted to develop the area, forcing out the local inhabitants, the region fell out of common knowledge until being re-explored in the 1930s. The area is now a tourist attraction particularly as it is home to many Andean condors who take advantage of the thermal currents to search for food.

rossian has found the air a little thin in the Andes, so is happy to move to lower ground.

Answer: Serengeti National Park

The gorge is referred to as 'The Cradle of Mankind' as the remains found there have provided evidence that the earliest humans lived in the area. The first explorations were done in 1911 and 1913 until the First World War disrupted matters. Dr. Louis Leakey and his second wife, Mary, made their important discovery in 1959. The Serengeti National Park is situated in Tanzania and Kenya and was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2006. It is also a World Heritage Site. It is famed for its annual migration when millions of animals, including zebra, gazelles, wildebeest and many others join the trek in search of fresh grazing. The Kruger Park is in South Africa and Chaimanimani Park in Zimbabwe. The Skeleton Coast Park can be found in Namibia.

playmate1111 can now move safely away from all those migrating animals.

Answer: Cordoba

Cordoba was one of the most important and prolific cultural and political centres in Europe throughout its Roman and Moorish occupations, but declined after the conquest of King Ferdinand. The Great Mosque, or Mezquita as it is better known in Cordoba, was built by the Moors in the seventh century on the site of what had originally been a pagan temple. It was converted by the Christians into a Gothic Cathedral and is still used for Christian worship in the 21st century.

szabs realises that she is not far from home, so will try walking to get back.

Answer: Greenland

Erik the Red's exile began around the year 982. His family had originally moved to Iceland from Norway as his father had been banished for manslaughter (like father, like son, it seems). One hundred years before Erik the Red came across Greenland, and decided to settle there, it had been sighted by Gunnbjörn Ulfsson when he was blown off course in a storm. Snaebjörn Galti had also tried, and failed, to establish a colony on the island several years before Erik rediscovered it. The settlements started by Erik were successful until the 15th century and, although no absolute clues have been uncovered to explain why they then failed, it is suspected that the Little Ice Age rendered the land inhospitable.

Although Erik called it Greenland, mlcmlc has discovered that the island's name is misleading so will have to try again for somewhere warmer.

Answer: Mongolia

Gerbillon was a Jesuit and worked in China from 1687 until his death in Beijing in 1707. Due to his linguistic abilities, he made many visits to Manchuria and Mongolia to act as an interpreter, and wrote accounts of his travels giving an early insight into the region. The Gobi Desert lies in the northern and north-western parts of China and the southern area of Mongolia. It is classed as a 'cold desert' and lies on a plateau several thousand feet above sea level. Temperatures range from lows of -40 degrees (both centigrade and Fahrenheit) to highs of +50 degrees centigrade (122 degrees Fahrenheit) and rapid changes can occur in the course of a day.

rossian likes temperatures to remain steady so thanks you for identifying her location, but will be moving on quickly.

Answer: Kaieteur Falls

The falls can be found in the Kaieteur National Park in the heart of Guyana. Their volume and height make them unique, with a sheer drop of 226 metres and a width varying from 100 metres to 122 metres in the rainy season. Legend says that the name derives from an Indian chief name Kai, who sacrificed himself to save his tribe from the devastating attacks of the Carib tribe, and the local name for 'falls', which is teur. Brown was a British geologist and became the first European to see the falls while carrying out surveys in what was then a British colony and called British Guiana.

szabs was starting to feel giddy standing at the top of the waterfall and is relieved to be able to move on now you've told her where she is.