Category: Brain Teasers

Trivia: What is the narrow strip of land that connects North and South America?

Panama Peninsula
Panamanian Coastal Range
South American Strait
Isthmus of Panama

The correct answer is Isthmus of Panama

So why is this answer correct? : An isthmus refers to a narrow strip of land that connects two larger landmasses, separating two large bodies of water in the process. The Isthmus of Panama, which unites North and South America, is the site of one of the world’s most famous trade routes, the Panama Canal, which allows passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Trivia: What is the smallest country in South America?

Ecuador
Chile
Uruguay
Suriname

The correct answer is Suriname

So why is this answer correct? : A former Dutch colony, Suriname is the smallest South American country both in size (63,252 square miles) and population (581,000 people). The country borders the Atlantic Ocean, Guyana, French Guiana, and Brazil. Suriname gained independence in 1975, and Dutch is still the official language of the country today.

Trivia: With 22 million people, what is the largest metro area in South America?

São Paulo, Brazil
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Caracas, Venezuela
Bogota, Colombia

The correct answer is São Paulo, Brazil

So why is this answer correct? : The population of the greater São Paulo metropolitan area is 21.7 million people, making it the 12th-largest in the world. That is almost five times greater than that of Brasília, the actual capital of Brazil. Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, is the continent’s second-most populous metropolitan area, with nearly 15 million residents.

Trivia: Which country has a city that proclaims itself “the end of the earth”?

Argentina
Chile
Uruguay
Paraguay

The correct answer is Argentina

So why is this answer correct? : The Patagonian city of Ushuaia, Argentina, calls itself the “end of the earth” (“el fin del mundo” in Spanish) — a moniker you’ll see all over hotels, restaurants, and attractions in town. Ushuaia is the closest major city to Antarctica, which is located 620 miles south, though the settlement of Puerto Williams, Chile, has challenged its assertion as the southernmost city in the world.

Trivia: Which country has the longest coastline in South America?

Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Venezuela

The correct answer is Brazil

So why is this answer correct? : Brazil instantly conjures an image of vast rainforests and a diverse array of animal and plant life — but its 4,600-mile-long coastline also boasts impressive sights and more than its fair share of biodiversity. Brazil’s coastal region is home to six significant coral reefs that span some 1,800 miles and contain several species of coral that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Trivia: Which First Lady spun records as a guest DJ for WNYC?

Eleanor Roosevelt
Pat Nixon
Hillary Clinton
Michelle Obama

The correct answer is Eleanor Roosevelt

So why is this answer correct? : In 1957, Eleanor Roosevelt stepped into the sound booth at New York Public Radio to help advertise upcoming talent shows benefiting the March of Dimes (an organization founded two decades earlier by her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt, to fight polio). She played songs by Elvis Presley and Harry Belafonte — requests from a group of young people who joined her in the studio.

Trivia: Besides Antarctica, South America is the continent with the fewest what?

Countries
Lakes
People
Glaciers

The correct answer is Countries

So why is this answer correct? : Although it’s the fourth-largest continent, South America has the fewest number of nations on the map, with only 12 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Australia is both a country and a continent, but Oceania — which encompasses countries such as New Zealand, Micronesia, and Polynesia — is included in the continent’s country count, bringing its total up to 14.

Trivia: Who was the first First Lady born outside of the United States?

Louisa Adams
Melania Trump
Abigail Adams
Jane Pierce

The correct answer is Louisa Adams

So why is this answer correct? : In 1795, British-born Louisa Adams met her future husband, John Quincy Adams, at her parents’ London home. They married in 1797, and she accompanied him on his diplomatic postings abroad, even making a harrowing 2,000-mile journey from Russia to London to join him in a new posting. Though Louisa was supportive of her husband, she was often geographically estranged from him during his one term in office.

Trivia: Which South American city is the world’s highest-altitude capital?

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Bogota, Colombia
Lima, Peru
La Paz, Bolivia

The correct answer is La Paz, Bolivia

So why is this answer correct? : Located at an elevation of 11,942 feet in the Andes Mountains, Bolivia’s capital of La Paz is higher than any other world capital. As the seat of government, La Paz is considered the country’s de facto capital, but Bolivia’s official capital, Sucre, isn’t far behind in elevation at 9,022 feet.

Trivia: Who was the youngest First Lady?

Jacqueline Kennedy
Julia Tyler
Edith Roosevelt
Frances Cleveland

The correct answer is Frances Cleveland

So why is this answer correct? : When she married President Grover Cleveland in 1886, Frances Cleveland became the first First Lady to marry in the White House, and the youngest First Lady ever, aged 21. She was also the first First Lady to have her spouse serve two nonconsecutive presidential terms. During Grover’s second term in 1892, Frances gave birth to daughter Esther, the first presidential baby born in the White House.