Trivia: What is the name of the southern equivalent of the Northern Lights?
Antarctic Borealis
Southern Lanterns
Aurora Australis
Pacific Lights
Correct Answer: Aurora Australis
So why is this answer correct? : Also called the Southern Lights, the Aurora Australis can only be seen near the South Pole. The phenomenon is caused by collisions between solar particles and gasses in the Earth’s atmosphere, which cause the emission of vividly colored lights.
Trivia: Which country is closest to the South Pole?
Chile
Argentina
New Zealand
South Africa
Correct Answer: Chile
So why is this answer correct? : Chile is home to the region called Tierra del Fuego, which is most visitors’ final stop before journeying to Antarctica. Cape Horn Island, which is located in Chile, is home to the world’s most southernmost tree.
Trivia: What is the only continent located in all four hemispheres?
Asia
Africa
South America
Europe
Correct Answer: Africa
So why is this answer correct? : Africa is technically located in all four hemispheres, as it is crossed by both the prime meridian and the equator. The equator runs through Gabon, Sao Tome, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Ecuador, and Somalia, and the prime meridian crosses Mali, Algeria, and Ghana.
Trivia: Who is widely credited as the first man to reach the South Pole?
James Cook
Ernest Shackleton
Robert Peary
Roald Amundsen
Correct Answer: Roald Amundsen
So why is this answer correct? : Roald Amundsen and his crew of Norwegian explorers first reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911. The discovery occurred two years after Robert Peary was believed to have broken the same record at the North Pole.
Trivia: What country is the first to see the sun rise?
Australia
New Zealand
Philippines
Japan
Correct Answer: New Zealand
So why is this answer correct? : Thanks to the location of the International Date Line, the Chatham Islands, part of New Zealand, are the first place in the world to see the sunrise every day. Four hundred miles off the coast of Wellington, these tiny islands are home to about 750 people and 250,000 sheep.
Trivia: What is the most populous city in the Southern Hemisphere?
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Jakarta, Indonesia
São Paulo, Brazil
Sydney, Australia
Correct Answer: São Paulo, Brazil
So why is this answer correct? : São Paulo, Brazil is one of the most populous cities in the world and the most populous city in the Southern Hemisphere. Boasting a population of nearly 22 million people, São Paulo is by far the largest city in South America.
Trivia: Where is the exact center of the northern half of the Western Hemisphere?
Wisconsin, United States
Paris, France
Toronto, Canada
Moscow, Russia
Correct Answer: Wisconsin, United States
So why is this answer correct? : Poniatowski, Wisconsin contains a farm that is located at precisely 45 degrees latitude and 90 degrees longitude, thus making it the exact midpoint of the northern half of the Western Hemisphere. If you visit this spot in rural Wisconsin, you can sign a guest book and receive a commemorative coin.
Trivia: In what ocean do the equator and the prime meridian intersect?
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Correct Answer: Atlantic Ocean
So why is this answer correct? : In the Gulf of Guinea, about 670 miles west of Gabon, the coordinate of zero degrees longitude and zero degrees latitude meet in the Atlantic Ocean. This spot has been named Null Island, although it only contains a weather buoy to mark the intersection.
Trivia: The Northern Hemisphere is home to 90% of the world’s what?
Animals
Water
Land
People
Correct Answer: People
So why is this answer correct? : About 90% of people on Earth live in the Northern Hemisphere, likely due to the fact that North America, Europe, and parts of Asia and Africa are all located above the equator. Although the Southern Hemisphere does include some highly populated areas in South America and Australia, the overwhelming majority of Earth’s population lives above the equator.
Trivia: What line is located at 0 degrees longitude?
Prime meridian
Equator
International date line
Tropic of Cancer
Correct Answer: Prime meridian
So why is this answer correct? : The prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England, at 0 degrees longitude is the line that separates Earth’s Eastern and Western Hemispheres. The longitudinal location of any other place on Earth is measured in terms of its east-west distance from this line, which is also the reference point for Greenwich Mean Time.