World Heritage Sites of South America Quiz

Answer: Brasilia

Brazil's capital until 1960 was Rio de Janeiro, situated on the coast of the country. The plan for a new capital city was first put forward in 1827 and was included in the country's constitution in 1891, but it was not until 1957 that Costa's draft plans for Brasilia were accepted. The construction of the city then raced ahead, with the official inauguration being in 1960.

The photo shows Brasilia's Cathedral, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, who was the architect for many of the public buildings in the capital.

Answer: Timber

There are sixteen churches listed on the World Heritage site, receiving their status in 2000. Dating from the time of Spanish colonisation, the churches are a combination of European and native skills. Wood was used for constructing the churches, as they needed to withstand the climate of the region, which has humidity and rainfall.

Originally, there were hundreds of small churches as the Jesuit missionaries built small churches wherever they went.

Answer: Cataratas del Iguazú

The Portuguese version of the name, as used in Brazil, is Cataratas do Iguaçu, with the English version being the Iguazu Falls. Given UNESCO World Heritage status in 1984, for the Argentinian Park, and in 1987 for the Brazilian Park, the falls are the largest system in the world, and a major tourist attraction.

Answer: Argentina

The artwork in the caves, which includes depictions of animals as well as the hands for which the caves are named, dates back at least 9,000 years, with some as old as 13,000 years. The pictures are stencilled, using natural pigments such as iron oxides and kaolin.

The remains of blowpipes have been found, aiding in the dating of the pictures, showing that the pigment was blown onto the hands, leaving an outline on the rocks.

Answer: Simon Bolivar

Although he was born in Venezuela, in Caracas, Bolivar raised an army from Santa Cruz de Mompox in 1812. He is reported to have said 'If to Caracas I owe my life, then to Mompox I owe my glory'. Bolivar was the main man in the liberation of many countries of South America from Spanish rule, including Venezuela, Peru and Bolivia.

The World Heritage status applies to the historic central areas of the town. Buildings dating from the sixteenth century include churches and a hospital.

Answer: Sugar cane

The Portuguese settlement of Olinda began in 1535, with the production of sugar cane being the dominant source of income, aided by slave labour from Africa. Its location on the Atlantic coast made the town a target for other nations, with the Dutch taking over many of the plantations in the 1630s.

Although the Portuguese regained control, Olinda's heyday had passed. The colonial buildings in the town were granted World Heritage status in 1982, with most of them dating from the eighteenth century, when the town was rebuilt.

Answer: Machu Picchu

Macchu Pichu was left undisturbed by the Spanish, with historians concluding that they never discovered the site. It became known to the wider world in the early twentieth century, when the American explorer Hiram Bingham visited the area. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and is also on the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

The picture shows an Intihuatana, a form of clock, used by the Incas to identify the date of the Winter Solstice, one of the most important dates in the year.

Answer: Nature reserve

The peninsula extends into the Atlantic Ocean and was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Among the wildlife which makes its home here and the surrounding waters are elephant seals, orcas and baleen whales. On land, the reserve provides homes for rheas, maras (Patagonian hares), dwarf armadillos and gray foxes. Birds include penguins and Antarctic pigeons, with sources saying as many as 180 different species, mostly migratory, can be seen in the reserve.

Answer: Netherlands

If you know that Paramaribo is the capital of Suriname, and that this country is the only Dutch speaking country in South America, you should have been able to answer the question, even if the Dutch style of architecture escaped you.

Answer: Uruguay

The industrial complex was built in 1859 to deal with the processing of meat products, in particular corned beef, which was sold under the name of Fray Bentos. Production ceased in the 1960s, but the buildings have been retained to form a museum. The area became Uruguay's second World Heritage Site in 2015 - the other is the historic centre of Colonia del Sacramento, which is possibly more picturesque.