Islands of South America Trivia Quiz

Answer: Parana

The Parana is the second-longest river in South America, extending almost 5000 km through Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. As it reaches the ocean, the Parana creates an enormous delta, branches of which join with the Uruguay river to form the River Plate.

It is within this vast delta that the Ibicuy Islands can be found. The capital, Villa Paranacito, is home to just 4,000 people, but remains a popular tourist spot as it is less than 200 km from Buenos Aires.

Answer: Blanquilla Island

This question is made much easier if you happen to know that the colour 'white' is 'blanco' in Spanish. Blanquilla Island is located not far off of the coast of Venezuela, within the southern portion of the Caribbean Sea. Whilst nobody lives on the island, the white sand beaches and black coral diving opportunities in the surrounding sea make it a popular tourist destination.

Answer: San Andrés Island

The coastline of Colombia is split almost equally between the Pacific Ocean (1,448 km, west of the Panamanian border) and the Caribbean Sea (1,760 km, east of the Panamanian border). However, of the options listed, only San Andrés can be found in the Caribbean. Despite the fact that it is owned by Colombia, the closest country to the island is actually Nicaragua in Central America, a fact that has led to minor disputes between the two countries over the years.

The name 'San Andrés' is the Spanish for Saint Andrew. The North American fault line to which the picture hinted is known as the San Andreas Fault, a variant spelling of the more standard San Andrés.

Answer: Galapagos Islands

Of the four island groups given as possible answers, the Galapagos are the only islands found west of Ecuador, far out in the Pacific Ocean. The picture clue shows a beagle, hinting at the boat used by Charles Darwin when he studied the islands in the 19th Century.

Both the Falkland Islands and the South Sandwich Islands are found in the South Atlantic and are British Overseas Territories. The Rosario Islands are located just off of the coast of Colombia, close to the city of Cartagena.

Answer: Margarita Island

Venezuela is made up of 23 states, a capital district, and some federal dependencies. The federal dependencies are most of the Venezuelan islands in the Caribbean Sea, though the three islands of Nueva Esparta are an exception as they form a state (albeit the smallest state). The three largest states in the country, the southern states of Bolivar, Amazonas and Apure, comprise more than 50% of the land.

Margarita Island is the most substantial of the three islands that make up Nueva Esparta, covering over 1,000 square kilometres and home to around half a million people. The name 'Nueva Esparta' translates as 'New Sparta', due to the bravery shown by the residents of the state during the Venezuelan War of Independence.

Answer: Rio de Janeiro

Ilha Grande (meaning 'Big Island') has seen a varied history despite the fact that it has never been fully developed. The island was once used a leper colony, and was subsequently home to Candido Mendes High Security Prison - often called the 'Brazilian Alcatraz'. Since the prison closed the island has seen a rise in tourism, and is popular for hiking, beaches and rare animals and plants.

The photo clue shows the view of the city of Rio de Janeiro from the peak of Corcovado, location of the statue of Christ the Redeemer.

Answer: Hanga Roa

Despite being home to only a few thousand people and being over 3,500 km away from the Chilean mainland, Hanga Roa has many amenities, including restaurants, hotels, internet cafes and ATMs. As with many of Chile's Pacific Ocean territories, Easter Island is administratively part of the region of Valparaiso. Other island groups in Valparaiso include the Desventuradas Islands and the Juan Fernández Islands, both of which are closer to the mainland coast than Easter Island.

The (perhaps somewhat tenuous) picture clue shows a plane in a hangar, a large building used to host aircraft.

Answer: Palomino Islands

The Palomino Islands are found to the southwest of San Lorenzo, the largest island in Peru. Consisting of four small land masses, the Palomino Islands are uninhabited by humans but see huge seasonal populations of both sea lions and a variety of seabirds. One of the islands is home to a lighthouse, used to guide seafarers into the nearby port of Callao.

The horse in the picture shows palomino colouring, meaning that it has a golden coat with a white mane and tail.

Answer: Lake Titicaca

As Bolivia is landlocked it is not home to a huge number of islands. Those that do exist are necessarily lake islands, of which Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca is a notable example. Despite the rugged terrain, the island is thought to have been inhabited for at least several millennia, and is still home to several thousand people.

Of the incorrect answers, Lake Maracaibo is the largest lake by surface area in South America and can be found in Venezuela, Lake Poopo is in Bolivia and Lake Pantanal doesn't exist (the Pantanal is a wetland area largely in Brazil). The photo shows a blue tit getting cold feet as it walks over some snow.

Answer: Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego

Tierra del Fuego, or 'Land of the Fire' is the region that forms the southernmost part of the continent of South America. Home to a large number of islands and shared between Argentina and Chile, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego is unsurprisingly the largest island in the region. Around 61% of the island is owned by Chile with the remainder under Argentinian control.

The island is home to Ushuaia, often called 'the world's most southerly city'.