World Heritage Sites of Central America Quiz

Answer: Antigua

Literally meaning 'Ancient Guatemala', Antigua was established in the 1500s and was a powerful and influential city until an earthquake destroyed much of the city in 1773. Antigua Guatemala was declared a World Heritage Site in 1979 and it is especially popular during the Holy Week leading up to Easter.

Answer: Belize

The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System was classified as an endangered site by UNESCO in 2009 because of encroaching development and mangrove cutting. One popular diving site in the Belize Barrier Reef is the Great Blue Hole which was visited by Jacques Cousteau, who helped create public awareness of its beauty.

Answer: Cocos Island

Interestingly, the government of Costa Rica does not allow visitors on Cocos Island other than park rangers. Off the coasts of Cocos Island there are large populations of hammerhead sharks, dolphins, and rays. Approximately 30% of plant species and 15% of animal species found on Cocos Island are endemic.

Answer: Forts

The forts at Portobelo and San Lorenzo were constructed in the 17th and 18th centuries by the Spanish Empire which presided over Panama at the time. Sir Francis Drake actually died of dysentery after an unsuccessful attempt to overtake the fort at Portobelo in 1596.

Answer: Tikal

Tikal was a powerful Mayan kingdom that prospered from approximately 200 to 900 CE. For pre-Columbian sites, Tikal is considered well understood because historians have been able to find artifacts and temples of many of its rulers. Chichen Itza, Teotihuacan, and Uxmal are sites in Mexico famous for their ruins.

Answer: Río Plátano

The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve was originally called the Cuidad Blanca Archaeological Reserve when land was first set aside in the area for preservation in 1960. In addition to the diverse plant and animal life within the reserve there are also numerous archaeological sites including the place where Christopher Columbus first stepped foot on the mainland of North America.

Answer: Copán

Copán functioned as one of the capitals of the southern Mayan empire from the 5th to the 9th century. The many stelae found at the site are tall, stone mounments that were sculpted in the likeness of the leaders of Copán. Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Sacsayhuaman are all ruins of the Inca civilization located near Cusco in Peru.

Answer: Joya de Cerén

The area of Joya de Cerén was established as a farming community as far back as 1200 BCE. Massive volcanic eruptions in the year 400 CE and 590 CE buried the site under ash. In 1976 a bulldozer completing work on a government project unintentionally discovered the site.

In addition to typical human buildings like kitchens and living areas that were preserved, Joya de Cerén also had unexpected preserved plant life.

Answer: León Viejo

In 1524 León Viejo was founded by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, a Spanish conquistador. Similar to Joya de Cerén, León Viejo was buried under layers of ash from volcanic eruptions. León Viejo was discovered in 1967 complete with city walls and three monasteries.

Answer: The island is part of the province of Veraguas in Panama.

In 1919 a penal colony was built on Coiba and for many years it had a reputation for brutality and torture before the prison was closed in 2004. In addition to the island of Coiba which is 75% covered with forest land, its surrounding waters also have a protected status. Similar to many islands, Coiba has unique plant and animal life including the Coiba Island Howler monkey. Coiba has an area of 503 square kilometers whereas Long Island has an area of 3,629 square kilometers.

The location of Coiba was well beyond the known extent of the Aztecs and none of their ruins have been found on the island. Rather than being born on Coiba, Manuel Noriega was born in Panama City.