Rivers of Time Quiz | World Sites

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Rising in the Serra do Mar mountains of Brazil, the Rio Igua�u roams through the state of Paran� before marking the border with a neighbouring country and forming the spectacular Iguazu Falls. Which two countries share the falls?

Answer: Brazil and Argentina

The Iguazu Falls are protected as UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites on both sides of the river in the Parque Nacional Iguaz� (Argentina) and the Parque Nacional do Igua�u (Brazil), between them comprising an area of nearly 2,400 km2. The two national parks were both established in the 1930s, and received their UNESCO World Heritage status in 1984 and 1986, respectively.

The spectacular falls have between 150 and 300 separate waterfalls and cascades (depending on the water level) in a large horseshoe shape (nearly three kilometres long) with the majority (about 80%) on the Argentinian side.

While the first European to see the falls was the Spanish Conquistador �lvar N��ez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541, the name comes from the native Guaran� language, translating as 'great water'.

2. At one time, the R�o Huatanay was the source of life for the city at the heart of the Inca Empire, but it became a highly polluted waterway through Peru's seventh-largest city. What city?

Answer: Cusco

Located in the southeast of present-day Peru, the City of Cusco is the capital of the province (and region) of the same name, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountains. The R�o Huatanay is a tributary of the Urubamba, and is itself formed from the confluence of the R�o Huancaro and R�o Saphy.

By the mid 2010s, the Huatanay was so polluted it could not sustain living organisms. Later in the decade, however, a restoration project was initiated to clean the river and to try to prevent the continuation of practises that led to the horrendous pollution levels at its worst.

As the capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th century until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, the historical significance of Cusco is unparalleled in the history of South America.

Cusco earned the title of the "Archaeological Capital of the Americas" in 1933 and was later declared a "Cultural Heritage of the World" in 1978. In 1983, the city was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

3. In an isolated part of Argentina's Patagonia, the R�o Pinturas flows along a deep canyon and past a cave famous for its prints of hands from those who lived there between 9,500 and 13,000 years ago. What is the apropos name for these caves, in Spanish?

Answer: Cueva de las Manos

The Cueva de las Manos, R�o Pinturas is considered to be one of the most important sites of its kind, featuring much more than just the hand prints depicted here. The collection of ancient artwork also includes pictures of animals and hunting scenes that provide a glimpse into the Patagonian hunter-gatherer culture of the era. The well-preserved site has been a favourite of archaeologists for many years, and was established as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Cueva de las Manos translates as 'Cave of the Hands', while the other choices were arms (los brazos), feet (los pies), and legs (las piernas).

4. Over the centuries, the R�o Cachimayo has witnessed the evolution of this 'City with Four Names', at different times called Charcas, La Plata, and Chuquisaca before taking on the name of a hero of the War of Independence in 1839. What is the name of this city, the constitutional capital of Bolivia?

Answer: Sucre

Sucre was originally founded as Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo by the Spanish in 1538, part of Peru at the time. It was only since 1839 that the city has borne the name Sucre in honour of Antonio Jos� de Sucre y Alcal�, the Grand Marshal of Ayacucho, for his role in the War of Independence against Spain. He was one of Sim�n Bol�var's closest friends, and followed him as the second president of the new country of Bolivia.

In 1809 the city, then known as Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo (and just La Plata for short), was where the first uprising of any Spanish colony took place. And in 1825, The Republic of Bolivar became the last country liberated from Spanish rule.

The aptly titled 'Historic City of Sucre' was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

5. South America's second-longest river extends for 4,880 km through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Within this river valley in Paraguay can be found the remnants of two Jesuit Missions that were established in 1685 and 1706, respectively, and named UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1993. What is the name of the river valley?

Answer: R�o Paran�

The Jesuit Missions of La Santisima Trinidad de Paran� (1706) and Jes�s de Tavarangue (1685) are a mere 10 km apart. They were two of a series of 30 of such missions in the R�o de la Plata basin, of which seven were in Paraguay (the remainder were in Brazil and Argentina).

The particular historical significance of these missions lies in their methods. Unlike the programs of assimilation that other Christian missions attempted in other regions of the world, the Jesuits worked to Christianize the native peoples of the region while also encouraging the retention of their indigenous traditions and protecting them from the Spanish colonial labour system of encomienda.

6. Los Kat�os National Park is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site of about 720 km2 that is known for its biodiversity. A significant portion of the park is comprised of the wetlands of the R�o Atrato floodplains. In which country, that touches both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, can it be found?

Answer: Colombia

Los Kat�os National Park was named a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1994. It is located adjacent to the border with Panama at the Dari�n Gap, a large, forested area in both countries. Panama's (much larger) Dari�n National Park is also a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.

Due to its location, Los Kat�os is also the only place in South America to have a large representation of Central American flora and fauna, while also typifying the purely South American species. It is considered to be one of the "world's most species-rich areas of moist lowland and highland rainforest, with exceptional endemism". (UNESCO website)

7. Colonia del Sacramento was founded by the Portuguese in 1680 as a strategic outpost at the mouth of the R�o de la Plata, across from Buenos Aires. The site was fought over for nearly 150 years, with the governance of the town changing 11 times before the Treaty of Montevideo finally settled things with the creation of a new country. In which modern-day country is Colonia del Sacramento located?

Answer: Uruguay

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, the Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento is a testament to the history of its changing ownership in its early years of existence. Even though the Spanish took control of the town within a year of its establishment by the Portuguese, the Spanish habit of a grid-like urban plan never materialized. Instead, the topography and the military function of the site took precedence.

Even as a focal point for the establishment of the border between Portuguese and Spanish colonial claims in the region, it's incredible how often 'ownership' of Colonia del Sacramento changed:

1680 (Jan-Aug) - Portugal
1680-81 - Spain
1681-1705 - Portugal
1705-13 - Spain
1714-62 - Portugal
1762-63 - Spain
1763-77 - Portugal
1777-1811 - Spain
1811-17 - Liga Federal
1817-22 - United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves
1822-28 - Brazil
1828-Present - Uruguay

8. In Venezuela's Canaima National Park atop the largest of its many tepuis (rock plateaus) the R�o Gauja tumbles over the edge to form the tallest uninterrupted waterfall on the planet, known in Spanish as Salto �ngel. After whom were the falls named?

Answer: Jimmie Angel, US aviator

The first non-native believed to have visited the falls was Venezuelan explorer Ernesto Sanchez la Cruz, who found them in 1912, but it was the American pilot Jimmie Angel who crash-landed his plane on Auy�n-tepui above the falls in 1937 whose name became attached to them.

Angel first sighted the falls, called Kerepakupai Mer� by the native Pemon tribes, in 1933 while doing aerial surveying. On his return, he attempted to land on the tepui, but crashed instead. His plane remained on the tepui for 33 years before being recovered and restored for the Aviation Museum in Maracay.

Established in 1962, Canaimo National Park is the sixth-largest national park in the world at 30,000 km2. It was declared a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1994.

9. The Historic Inner City of Paramaribo is situated along the banks of the Paramaribo River in Suriname. Limited by the Sommelsdijkse Kreek to the north and the Viottekreek to the south, one of the highlights of this sector of the city is Fort Zeelandia, established in 1640 as a wooden fort by the French, then redeveloped under British colonial rule in 1650 as Fort Willoughby. Which colonial power took over the fort in 1667, renaming it in the process?

Answer: The Netherlands

The Dutch had already established a small trading post in the region in 1651 after the British established a small colony around Fort Willoughby, but over the next few years they increased their presence and strength until forcibly taking control of the colony in 1667. The British troops only held out for three hours.

Over the next century, Fort Zeelandia slowly fell into disrepair, and its usefulness was especially in question after Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam was constructed at the confluence of the Suriname and Commewijne Rivers in 1747 in response to the buccaneer attacks of 1712.

Demolition of Fort Zeelandia was given consideration in 1772, but it would have cost more to destroy it than (somewhat) maintain it. For most of the 1800s and early 1900s it acted as a prison, then in 1968 it was fully restored by the government with completion in 1972. Shortly thereafter (in 1975), Suriname gained its independence from the Netherlands, and the fort was used to house political prisoners and was the location of the "December Murders" of 1982.

Today, Fort Zeelandia houses the Suriname Museum, and is also the home of the Nola Hatterman Art Academy. The Historic Inner City of Paramaribo is more than just Fort Zeelandia, and its rich multicultural history was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.

10. It began with the Ja� National Park in 2000, then expanded to include the Anavilhanas National Park, Aman� Sustainable Development Reserve, and Mamairau� Sustainable Development Reserve in 2003. Together, these four sites protect more than 60,000 km2 of one of the richest regions of biodiversity in the world, surrounded by the largest river basin in South America. What is its name?

Answer: Central Amazon Conservation Complex

The Central Amazon Conservation Complex is the largest protected area of the Amazon Basin, primarily located around the confluence of the Negro and Solim�es (Upper Amazon) Rivers, near Manaus.

Ja� National Park was established in 1980, and it did not take long to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, just 20 years after its creation. Since 2003, the larger complex has been an exemplar of the vast diversity of ecosystems found in the Amazon as a whole.

Source: Author reedy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Rivers of Time Trivia Quiz

Step back in time and travel along these South American rivers that will take you to both natural and man-made locations that today are protected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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