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About This Quiz
Since the beginning of written history, landforms have captivated humans, as they have marveled at the inspiring beauty of the landscape. These landforms have not only been explored by adventure seekers but have also become the center of various cultures. Some of them have housed ancient civilizations, where remnants of their societies still remain. Others were revered as works of the gods, occasionally being described as gods themselves. Whether their role in society has changed or not, landforms still have an intricate relationship with humans that can't be ignored.
What exactly are landforms, though? Merriam-Webster's dictionary describes a landform as "a natural feature of a land surface." In science, these features include major types like mountains, hills, plateaus and plains. Other minor types are canyons, valleys, basins and buttes. All of these landforms are created by the movement of tectonic plates.
Do you know the most popular landforms across the planet created by this plate movement underneath the earth? From the highest mountains to plains that stretch thousands of miles, these landforms define continents by determining everything from agriculture to the boundaries of countries.
When you're ready, explore the landforms in the quiz and prove you know the continent where each of them is located.
North America
Of the 180 million acres of land that makes up what's considered the Northern Great Plains, around half of it is privately owned, mainly by ranchers. Many of the families who work this land have been there for over a century.
Asia
Europe
Africa
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South America
Australia
Asia
For thrill seekers, there's no greater challenge than climbing to the summit of Mount Everest, which stands over 29,000 feet in height. The first two people confirmed to have reached the summit are Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
Antarctica
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Asia
North America
Europe
Antarctica
Antarctica is divided into East and West Antarctica, with the Polar Plateau being located in East Antarctica. This part of the continent makes up two-thirds of the region and contains ice that's over a mile thick.
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Africa
Europe
During the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, Hannibal famously crossed the Alps into Italy, where he led several successful campaigns against Roman armies. The feat was particularly impressive because Hannibal brought along war elephants, which made the trek over the Alps much more difficult.
South America
Australia
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Australia
South America
Europe
Africa
Located in South Africa, the Blyde River Canyon is filled with wildlife unique to the area. Visitors to the region have the chance to run across an array of animals like the Samango monkey, Chacma baboon, Oribi and Taita falcon.
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Africa
South America
The Amazon basin is the result of a river system that flows through South America, with the Amazon River being the primary source for the basin. The basin makes up about 40 percent of South America, which would cover most of the mainland United States.
North America
Asia
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Africa
South America
North America
Because of its beautiful scenery, Monument Valley has been used widely as a backdrop for filming purposes. It can be seen in Marlboro cigarette ads, Western films and even in "Forrest Gump."
Europe
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Australia
It takes a 4 1/2-hour drive from Melbourne, Australia to reach Mount Hotham, which is located in Bogong National Park. The mountain is a popular destination for people who want to ski because of its powder snow and downhill slopes.
Africa
South America
Asia
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Australia
Europe
Over the past 2 million years, glacial ice has spread into the Cheshire Plain on several occasions, including during the last ice age. When the ice melted away, it left behind glacial till, which covers much of the plain.
North America
Asia
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South America
Though Mount Roraima sits on the border of Guyana and Brazil, around 75 percent of it is located in Venezuela. It is commonly hit by rain throughout the year and produces random waterfalls at different points in the plateau due to this rainfall.
Asia
Antartica
North America
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Europe
Africa
Asia
Skiing in the Solang Valley is a popular activity during the winter months, but the thick snow doesn't last year-round. However, when summer does melt the snow, other activities become popular in the area like parachuting and zorbing.
Australia
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Europe
Australia
North America
Antarctica
Mount Vinson was the last of the seven summits found on each of the continents to be both discovered and climbed. That's due to its remote location, as it sits only 750 miles from the South Pole.
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South America
Asia
North America
Mesmerizing to hikers who stand atop its cliffs, the Grand Canyon stretches 277 miles in length. The Colorado River has carved the canyon out over millions of years, and some of the oldest rock in the canyon dates back around 2 billion years.
Africa
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South America
Europe
Africa
Asia
In 2013, the Chinese military pushed its luck in the Depsang Plain by crossing into land controlled by India. India did little to stop the incursion, instead handling it through negotiations. When China defended the move, it said the Line of Actual Control was in dispute.
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Australia
Europe
The Pannonian Basin gets its name from a province in the ancient Roman Empire called Pannonia. Though part of the province did meet the Pannonian Basin, it did not make up the entire region where the basin is located.
South America
Africa
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Africa
The Giza Plateau contains three of the most famous ancient pyramids — Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. The Great Sphinx is located just east of these pyramids and is believed to have been connected to them as part of a larger complex on the plateau at one point in history.
North America
Asia
Antarctica
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South America
North America
Recognized on Sept. 4, 1915, the Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest elevated national park in the United States. Credit for the creation of the park can be traced to Enos Mills, who spent his life educating others about nature preservation after moving to Colorado at the end of the 19th century.
Europe
Australia
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Europe
Africa
South America
The Punilla Valley is home to the Cosquin Folk Festival, held annually throughout Argentina's natural wonder. The festival is the largest of its kind held in Argentina and consists of singing and dancing around bonfires throughout the valley.
North America
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Australia
Asia
South America
Africa
The Serengeti, which means "endless plain" in Maasai, stretches 12,000 square miles across Africa. Each year, the Serengeti hosts the largest mammal migration in the world, known as the Great Migration, as millions of animals move across its plains.
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Asia
Mount Fuji has important ties to those who follow the Shinto faith throughout Japan, a religion that dates back to the 7th century. All along the base of the mountain are Shinto shrines, and many of these shrines honor Princess Konohanasakuya, who is the primary deity of the mountain.
South America
North America
Europe
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South America
Africa
Asia
Australia
Hancock Gorge has many captivating sites, but it takes a journey into the canyon to get to one of the most popular attractions known as Kermit's Pool. However, hikers have to navigate a Class 5 trail before they reach the pool's popular green waters.
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Europe
In 79 A.D., Mount Vesuvius erupted, causing one of the most devastating natural disasters in human history. The eruption destroyed both Pompeii and Herculaneum, two Roman cities, and killed an estimated 30,000 people.
North America
South America
Asia
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Europe
North America
South America
Lying primarily in Venezuela, Los Llanos is located where the Andes ridge crosses the Caribbean ridge. The region is flooded during the rainy season, especially along the floodplain of the Orinoco, one of the longest rivers in South America.
Africa
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Asia
Antarctica
Even though Mount McClintock is located in Antarctica, it's actually part of the territory of Australia. Officially, it's the highest point of elevation located in territory controlled by Australia.
Africa
North America
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Australia
South America
Asia
Made up of steep limestone ridges, Tiger Leaping Gorge was created by the Jinsha River, which flows along its base. The gorge gets its name from a legend that describes a hunter who chased a tiger throughout the gorge until it escaped by leaping over the Jinsha River.
Africa
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North America
Considering Mount Saint Helens had erupted more than any volcano in the Cascade Range over the past 4,000 years, scientists were not surprised by the eruption in 1980. However, the way it erupted was unique in that it blew laterally, destroying 230 square miles of forest.
Europe
Australia
South America
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Asia
Africa
Several of South Africa's major cities are located on the Highveld, including Johannesburg, the largest city in the country. The area is rich in gold, and much of the gold mined since the end of the 19th century comes from the Highveld.
North America
Europe
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Asia
Australia
Europe
South America
Running 4,500 miles long throughout seven countries in South America, the Andes Mountains is the longest mountain range in the world. The highest elevation of the mountains can be found in Argentina, which stands 22,841 feet tall.
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Europe
Due to years of volcanic activity, which are now extinct, the Limagne formed with a diverse range of soil. Today, the soil across the plains of the Limagne is used primarily for growing wheat and corn.
Asia
North America
Africa
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North America
South America
Arequipa, a city located in the Colca Canyon, is a popular attraction because of its unique makeup. Known as the "White City," many of the buildings in Arequipa are made from volcanic stone that comes from the surrounding volcanoes.
Australia
Europe
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North America
Europe
South America
Australia
The clay soil found throughout the Cumberland Plain produces a diverse woodland in New South Wales. Common trees located in the woodlands of the Cumberland Plain include grey box eucalyptus and forest red gums.
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Asia
Africa
North America
The Cherokee lived in the land around Tallulah Gorge for hundreds of years before Europeans arrived in North America. By the middle of the 19th century, though, Europeans had gotten word of the gorge and its famous waterfall, which significantly increased tourism. Eventually, the Cherokee were forced out of the area as settlers moved in.
Antarctica
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Africa
There are three volcanic cones that make up Mount Kilimanjaro, but only the Kibo cone is in danger of erupting again. The last time the mountain experienced a major eruption, however, was around 360,000 years ago.
North America
Asia
South America
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Asia
Europe
Australia
The Kimberley was one of the first places in Australia that humans reached when they settled the region around 40,000 years ago. Thousands of rock art paintings from these early settlers can be found throughout the Kimberley.
North America
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North America
Europe
The Verdon Gorge was once located under the sea, at which time the limestone rock in the area was formed from a buildup of seashells and corals. Eventually, the sea floor rose due to plate movement, and the land was carved out as ice melted following a period of glaciation.
North America
South America
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North America
South America
Africa
Asia
The Indus Valley Civilization rose to prominence along the Indo-Gangetic Plain during the Bronze Age. This civilization thrived along the floodplains of the Indus and Ganga-Brahmaputra rivers, where South Asian culture originated.
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North America
Native Americans have passed down oral stories about Devils Tower for centuries, as they have occupied the land surrounding the butte for thousands of years. These stories have held Devils Tower in reverence, demonstrating how it has become a sacred place in many Native American cultures.
Europe
Africa
Asia
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Asia
Australia
Europe
Africa
Banana farming is an important industry in the Honde Valley, where smallholder farming is the most common practice. These farmers were able to take advantage of the abundant water sources by implementing better planting practices while also finding markets in which to export the product.
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North America
Asia
The Altai Mountains run across four countries located on the Asian continent — Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. Since the mountains are tied to the cultures of these countries, they have become a place of sanctity, especially Belukha Mountain, the highest point of elevation in the mountain system.
South America
Australia
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