If You're Not a True North American Geography Expert, Don't Even Bother With This Quiz

North America is the world’s third-largest continent, behind Asia and Africa. It sprawls for about 9.4 million square miles.

The mighty Mississippi River is more than 2,300 miles long, and its watershed includes 31 U.S. states and parts of Canada, too. At the end of its journey it empties into the Gulf of Mexico, near New Orleans.

There are five Great Lakes. They are Lakes Superior, Michigan, Ontario, Erie and Huron, five of the biggest bodies of water anywhere.

The Adirondack Mountains are located in New York State. At their highest point, they soar to about one mile above sea level.

Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes. By surface area, it is absolutely monstrous — the biggest freshwater lake on Earth.

The Great Divide is North America’s major continental divide. The watershed on the west side of the Divide drains into the Pacific Ocean; the east side drains into the Atlantic.

The Canadian Shield is a huge area of exposed ancient rock that covers nearly half the country. Much of the shield is dusted with a thin layer of soil.

The Appalachian Mountains on the east side of North America are shorter and older than the younger and more dramatic Rocky Mountains. The Appalachians formed more than 400 million years ago; the Rockies may only be around 55 milllion years old.

North America makes up just under 17% of the world’s land area. More than 560 million people live in the countries of North America — and the United States makes up the bulk of that number.

The Great Divide runs north-south along the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. It is by far the biggest continental divide in North America, extending from the tip of Alaska through Central America.

Newfoundland and Labrador make up the most eastern province of Canada. The vast majority of the area’s population lives on the island of Newfoundland ... while Labrador is very sparsely populated.

The Great Plains are a vast area of plains mostly located in the Midwest portion of North America. Much of the area was originally covered by grasses that are now plowed into fields.

There are 23 countries that make up North America. The United States and Canada are by far the biggest countries on the continent.

Badwater Basin has the lowest elevation of any place in North America, and it is located in Death Valley National Park in California. The Basin is 282 feet below sea level.

The Aleutian Islands are a remote set of islands included as part of Alaska. They’ve been a point of strategic maneuvering between the U.S. and Russia - and Japan, too during WWII.

The Rocky Mountains run all the way from New Mexico to northern British Columbia, a distance of over 3,000 miles. Mount Elbert, at14,440 feet, in Colorado, is the range’s highest peak.

The Ozarks are mountains located in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas. On a topographical map they may look short, but in real life they make for a tough hike.

It used to be called Mount McKinley, but it’s now known as Denali, and at 20,310 feet, it’s the tallest peak in North America. It’s also the third most prominent peak on Earth.

The bison roamed the Great Plains by the millions in the early 1800s, easily the most iconic animal of the area. Hunters, often supplied by the U.S. Army and paid nearly $3 a hide by private industry, nearly led to the species going extinct. The intentional removal of the buffalo also denied Native Americans their historic food sources, forcing them into conflict with white settlers.

It’s true, thanks to its varied geography and vastness of latitude, North America has the most varied climates on Earth. It has everything from frigid Arctic tundra to tropical jungles.

The Canadian Shield covers vast portions of the north and east side of the country. Very few people live on the Shield... but mining opportunites are plentiful.

Death Valley is one of the hottest places on the planet. The hottest temperature ever recorded there was 134 degrees Fahrenheit, in 1913.

The Great Plains are truly massive, spreading their plains-y goodness all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian Arctic. Canadians call this area the "Prairies."

By surface area, Superior is the world’s biggest freshwater lake, but by volume it ranks third, behind Lakes Baikal and Tanganyika.

The Rio Grande is a legendary river of the Southwest, and it is more than 1,800 miles long. Some of that length creates a border between Texas and Mexico.

The Isthmus of Panama is the skinny bit of land that connects North and South America. It is also home, of course, to the Panama Canal, which allows ships to take a shortcut across the isthmus.

At 12,972 feet, Mount Robson towers over many parts of other peaks in British Columbia. On a clear day, you can see its snowy peaks from nearby Yellowhead Highway.

It’s true - the Caribbean islands, although they are separated from the mainland by a lot of sea, are still considered part of North America.

In the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, you’ll find Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the entire contiguous United States. The peak is 14,505 feet high.

In 1913, four climbers mastered Denali via the South Summit route. By comparison, Mount Everest — the world’s tallest peak — wasn’t summited until 1953.