Exploring South America Quiz

Question: What name is given to the vast plain extending westward across central Argentina?

Answer: The Pampas is the name of the vast plain extending westward across central Argentina from the Atlantic coast to the Andean foothills. The name comes from a Quechua Indian word meaning “flat surface.”

Question: Which South American city is overlooked by a granite peak known as Sugar Loaf?

Answer: The city of Rio de Janeiro lies on a strip of Brazil's Atlantic coast, on an inlet at the entrance to which is the landmark peak called Sugar Loaf.

Question: Where is the University of St. Francis Xavier, one of the oldest universities of South America?

Answer: The University of St. Francis Xavier is in Sucre, Bolivia. Founded in 1624, it is one of the oldest universities in South America.

Question: What is the southernmost point of South America?

Answer: Cape Horn, the southernmost point of South America, is a steep, rocky headland on Hornos Island of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago; it is in the Magallanes y La Antarctica Chilena region of southern Chile.

Question: Which South American country does not border the Pacific Ocean?

Answer: Brazil faces the Atlantic Ocean along 4,600 miles (7,400 km) of coastline. It does not border the Pacific Ocean.

Question: In South America, what is the Gran Chaco?

Answer: The Gran Chaco is a lowland alluvial plain in interior south-central South America. The name is of Quechua origin, meaning “hunting land.”

Question: What is the highest peak in South America?

Answer: Mount Aconcagua, located in Argentina, is the highest peak in South America and commonly regarded as the highest summit in the Western Hemisphere. Its exact height is disputed.