Sights to See in South America Quiz

Answer: It is the world's largest salt flat.

The salt flat at Salar de Uyuni was formed by a number of prehistoric lakes. There are a few metres of salt crust on the Salar, plus a pool of brine underneath. The brine is a very rich source of lithium.

Answer: The most beautiful church in Colombia.

This is a church that was built in a Colombian canyon early in the 20th century. It was the site of a purported miracle in the 1700s. From that point on, a shrine has existed on the site. The current church is a beautiful building, rising over 300 feet from the bottom of the canyon, and connected to the opposite canyon wall with a bridge. Definitely a destination for your list if you are travelling to South America.

Answer: The River of Five Colours

The actual translation of this is "Crystal Chanel". The river is known as the "River of Five Colours" because from July through November, the riverbed is covered with various plants that are coloured yellow, green, blue, black, and red. This makes for an amazing splash of colour in this Colombian river.

Answer: The captain of HMS Beagle.

This mountain, which sits on the border between Argentina and Chile, was discovered in 1877. It was named after Robert Fitzroy, the captain of HMS Beagle. He had sailed the ship up the Santa Cruz River in 1843, and was responsible for charting much of the Patagonian coastline.

Answer: Mid-1700s

Charles Marie de La Condamine was the first person to explore the Amazon River in 1743. A true scientist, he made contributions to the fields of botany, astronomy, and geography (specifically topography) while on his exploration. He even contributed to the field of medicine by noting that quinine is a potential treatment for malaria.

Answer: Pan-American Highway

In 1937, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Canada, and the United States signed a convention to build a road to connect the two continents. The most northerly point is unofficially in Alaska where various highways head south through Canada to join the official Pan American Highway.

The southern end is in Tierra del Fuego National Park in Argentina. There is a small gap that is not navigable by car due to a rainforest, but the rest of the highway is navigable. That's some road trip!

Answer: 18

Besides the 18 main islands, there are also a number of minor islands. The Galapagos are part of Ecuador. It makes sense, then, when you learn that the islands are spread on either side of the equator. A sight to behold with all of the interesting plant and animal life on the islands.

Answer: Iguazú Falls

The Iguazú Falls are part of the the Iguazú River system. The river mostly lies in Brazil, but the falls mostly lie in Argentina. There is a legend that they were created when a god was set to marry a beautiful woman who eloped with a common man in a canoe.

The god became enraged and split the river, forming the falls, and condemning the couple to an eternal fall. The Iguazú Falls are the largest waterfall system in the world.

Answer: Sacred Valley of the Incas

The Sacred Valley of the Incas is where you will find Machu Picchu. The valley also has many other archeologically significant areas alongside more modern towns and sites. This may be the most popular sight to see in Peru. Sightseeing was tracked in 2013 when it was found that an estimated 1.2 million people visited the valley, of which about 800,000 of them were tourists from outside of Peru.

Answer: True

On average, the rainfall is about a half inch per year in this desert. However, there are some areas with as little as about a tenth of an inch of rain per year, and some weather stations that have recorded no rain over a four year period. Every now and then, the winds shift and bring snow to the higher altitudes, and flooding to the lower altitudes, but that only occurs very rarely. Tourists include astronomers, and those who engage in all-terrain sports, as well as those who race solar cars. A site for you if you are into one of those things, or simply want to head to a very dry spot.