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About This Quiz
Do you know which countries make up North America? Can you name the continent's most iconic mountain ranges, rivers and canyons? Know what landmark serves as a natural border between the U.S. and Mexico? If you consider yourself a geography expert, take our quiz to test your knowledge of the countries and landmarks of North America!
A 2002 National Geographic study revealed that around 11 percent of young people couldn't find the U.S. on a world map. While that's not great news, it does mean that around 9 out of 10 Americans are able to locate their homeland. Yet even those who can find their native country on a map can forget that the U.S. is just one small part of the North American continent. In fact, the continent is made up of more than 20 countries, and extends all the way from Panama to the Arctic Circle.Â
Beyond its borders and people, North America is home to geographic wonders found nowhere else on Earth. From wondrous waterfalls to mighty mountains, roaring rivers and canyons that cut through the landscape, the continent is rich in incredible sites and locales.Â
Think you can ace this quiz on the geography of North America? Take our quiz to find out!
Which natural landmark divides the United States and Mexico?
Lake Superior
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande flows from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico, serving as a natural border between the U.S. and Mexico. Despite its name, which means big river in Spanish, the Rio Grande is only around 60 feet at its deepest point and is really only used by smaller vessels.
Grand Canyon
Hudson Bay
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What is the highest mountain in North America?
Mount Kiliminjaro
Mount Everest
Mount Washington
Mount McKinley
At 20,000 feet above sea level, Alaska's Mount McKinley -- also known as Denali -- is the tallest peak in North America. Mount Logan in the Yukon ranks second, while Mexico's Pico de Orizaba comes in third.
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More than half of all the lakes in the world are located in this North American nation.
Canada
Canada is home to around 30,000 lakes -- about 60 percent of all lakes on Earth. About 10 percent of the entire area of the nation is covered with freshwater.
United States
Mexico
Panama
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What percentage of all the land in North America is made up of just the United States and Canada?
30 percent
50 percent
80 percent
North America is home to more than two dozen countries and territories, yet a staggering 80 percent of all the land on the entire continent is made up of the United States and Canada. The United States is the largest nation in North America by population, while St. Kitts and Nevin in the Caribbean is the smallest.
99 percent
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Which U.S. state is home to the lowest point in North America by elevation?
New York
Florida
California
Located in eastern California, Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the lowest spot in all of North America at 282 feet below sea level. It's also one of the hottest spots on the planet, with temperatures in excess of 130 degrees Fahrenheit reported over the years.
Texas
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What body of water separates Florida and Mexico?
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico lies between Mexico and Florida. Five U.S. states, including Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas border the Gulf, which also touches the island nation of Cuba.
Bay of Fundy
Colorado RIver
Hudson Bay
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This largest island in the world is typically considered part of North America.
Haiti
Greenland
Though culturally part of Europe, Greenland is generally considered a geographical part of North America. Measuring more than 836,000 square miles, it is home to around 56,000 people.
Bermuda
Iceland
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What is the longest river in North America?
Rio Grande
Yukon River
Missouri RIver
While the mighty Mississippi gets all the attention, the Missouri is actually the longest river in North America at 2,341 miles. In terms of length, it's followed by the Mississippi, the Yukon, the Rio Grande and the Colorado.
Mississippi River
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Mount Elbert is the highest peak in this mountain range.
Appalachian
Cascade
Rocky
The Rocky Mountains run 3,000 miles from British Columbia all the way to New Mexico, serving as the continental divide for the continent. Colorado's Mount Elbert, at 14,440 feet, is the Rockies' highest peak.
Sierra Madre
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A canal cut through this nation lets sailors avoid the scary Cape Horn.
Panama
The Panama Canal serves as a divide between North and South America. Before the canal opened in 1914, sailors were forced to sail around the dangerous Cape Horn at the tip of South America, adding major risks and plenty of time to their journeys.
Cuba
Bermuda
Mexico
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What is the largest North American country by land area?
United States
Mexico
Canada
In terms of total area, Canada is the largest country in North America. It's also the second largest country in the entire world after Russia.
Dominican Republic
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The Bering Strait connects Alaska to this country.
Russia
The first humans in North America entered the continent more than 16,000 years ago. They crossed a land bridge from Russia to Alaska across the Bering Strait, which is now under water.
Mexico
England
China
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The deepest lake in North America in terms of average depth, Crater Lake is located in this U.S. state.
Maine
Michigan
Pennsylvania
Oregon
While the Great Slavic Lake in the Northwest Territories has deeper points than Crater Lake, Crater Lake in Oregon has is the deepest lake in North America in terms of average depth. It is 1,500 feet deep on average, compared to Great Slavic Lakes' average depth of 135 feet.
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Which U.S. has the longest coastline?
Florida
Hawaii
Alaska
Alaska has more than 6,600 miles of coastline, more than any other U.S. state or even the entire country of Mexico. Canada stomps these stats with more than 150,000 miles of coastline.
California
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Which country is home to the tallest waterfall in North America?
Canada
United States
The United States is home to the tallest waterfall in North America, but it's not Niagara. While Niagara Falls tops out at 170 feet, Hawaii's Olo'opena Falls is around 3,000 feet tall.
Mexico
Belize
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How many landlocked countries are in North America?
0
Believe it or not, North America and Australia are the only continents in the world with no land-locked countries. South America has two -- Bolivia and Paraguay.
2
4
10
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The Hoover Dam controls the flow of which mighty river?
Missisippi
Missouri
Colorado
Dedicated in 1935, the Hoover Dam controls the flow of the Colorado River and sits on the border of Nevada and Arizona. Originally known as the Boulder Dam, it is the largest concrete dam in the U.S.
Rio Grande
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What is the largest lake in North America in terms of surface area?
Lake Mead
Lake Michigan
Lake Erie
Lake Superior
With more than 31,000 miles of surface area, Lake Superior is the largest lake in North America. It's also the third largest lake in the world by volume and straddles the border between Canada and the U.S.
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What is the largest city in North America in terms of population?
Mexico City
With just shy of 9 million people, Mexico City is the largest city in North America by population. It's followed by New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto.
Los Angelos
Vancouver
Chicago
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How many of the world's five oceans border North America?
1
2
3
North America is bordered by the Atlantic to the east, Pacific to the west and Arctic to the north. The only oceans that don't border the continent are the Indian and the Southern, or Antarctic.
4
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Which river carved out the Grand Canyon over the past million years or so?
Rio Grande
Missouri River
Chicago RIver
Colorado RIver
The Colorado River carved out the majesty of the Grand Canyon as it rushed over rocks for more than a million years. At 277 feet and more than a mile deep it places, it's the longest canyon in North America.
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What is the Bay of Fundy's claim to fame?
Rare owl species
Tides
The Bay of Fundy in Canada's Nova Scotia and New Brunswick provinces is famous for its tides. Its tidal range of 56 feet is one of the widest tidal ranges on the planet,.
Tropical climate
Desert terrain
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Which state is not part of the Four Corners Monument?
Texas
The Four Corners Monument, located where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah all meet, is a popular tourist attraction on western U.S. road trips. It's the only spot in the U.S. where four state borders meets.
Arizona
Colorado
Utah
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Which U.S. state is home to the Sierra Madre Mountains?
Maine
North Dakota
Minnesota
California
The Sierra Madre Mountains run through California. This range continues down through Mexico and even into Central America.
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What kind of terrain would you expect to find in the Great Plains?
Rainforest
Desert
Steppe
The Great Plains run from central Canada through the central U.S. as far south as Texas. The terrain here is described as steppes or prairies.
Tundra
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You'll find the tallest tree species on Earth in California. What's the species name?
Redwoods
The tallest trees in the world can be found in California's Redwood National Park. At 380 feet, the sky-scraping Redwoods dwarf the world's second tallest trees -- the Mountain Ash of Australia.
Elms
Black Oaks
Pines
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What separates Baja California from Mexico?
River
Gulf
The Mexican state of Baja California is separated from mainland Mexico by the Gulf of California. This Pacific state is home to cities like Tijuana and Cabo San Lucas.
Lake
Ocean
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The hottest desert in North America is....
Sahara
Mojave
Located in southern California and home to Death Valley, the Mojave Desert is the hottest desert in North America. At 22,000 square miles, it is dwarfed in size by the much larger Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts in Mexico.
Sonoran
Chihuahua
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How many islands make up the Caribbean?
70
700
7,000
The Caribbean, which is part of North America, is home to 70,000 islands — though most are uninhabited. The Caribbean includes around 26 nations and territories, which are geographically part of North America.
70,000
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What is the largest Caribbean nation by population?
Cuba
With a population of 11.2 million, Cuba is the largest Caribbean nation in terms of population. It's closely followed by Haiti, with just shy of 11 million residents.
Bahamas
Haiti
Dominican Republic
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What is the name of the line in the United States that marks the border between the North and South?
Equator
Tropic of Cancer
Greenwich Line
Mason Dixon Line
Since the 18th century, the Mason Dixon Line has marked the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania. It also serves as an unofficial border between north and south.
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What percentage of Canadians live within 100 miles of the U.S./Canada border?
25 percent
50 percent
75 percent
90 percent
Believe it or not, more than 90 percent of all Canadians live within 100 miles of the U.S. border. This despite the fact that Canada is the largest country by land area on the entire continent.
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Copper Canyon can be found along this mountain range.
Cascade
Rocky
Appalachian
Sierra Madre
The gorgeous Copper Canyon, named for the greenish copper color of its walls, is part of the Sierra Madre range. Located in Chihuahua, Mexico it is deeper than the Grand Canyon, but not as long.
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How many Great Lakes are there?
5
From west to east, the Great Lakes are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ohio. These straddle the U.S./Canada borders and hold 84 percent of the freshwater in North America.
8
12
16
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Mount Mitchell is the highest peak in this mountain range.
Rockies
Appalchian
The Appalachian Mountains run 1,500 miles along the eastern U.S. from Canada to Alabama. At 6,683 feet, Mount Mitchell in North Carolina is the tallest peak in the range,.
Sierra Madre
Cascade
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You Got:
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