Geography Quiz

Quote: pew

Antarctica by far.

So "dry" means "lack of precipitation." Or so it seems. after all, there's more fresh water in Antarctica than most other places on earth.

Quote: Nareed

So "dry" means "lack of precipitation." Or so it seems. after all, there's more fresh water in Antarctica than most other places on earth.

Unfortunately, it's all in big blocks of penguin killing ice.

Quote: Wizard

How is it that Europe and Asia are two continents but the "Americas" are one?

Latin "terra continens" means "continuous land" which is why many academics use the term Eurasia. For that matter, there is no real reason not to call Australia a big island instead of a little continent.

I know it's frustrating to you that the world is not logical, but I do know that in France, Italy, and Spain they usually teach five or six continents. I am not sure what they teach in Mexico.



A desert is an area of land that receives 25 centimeters or less of precipitation per year. By this definition Antarctica is the world's largest desert.

If it were up to me, these would be the continents:

Eurasia
Africa
North America
South America
Antarctica
and, hesitantly, Australia

An interesting and hotly debated question comes up to those attempting to do the "Seven Summits." What is the highest mountain in the continent of Australia/Oceania. Arguments have been made for:

Mount Kosciuszko -- Highest mountain in Australia (7,310 feet)
Mount Wilhelm -- Highest mountain in Papua New Guinea. (14,793 feet)
Puncak Jaya -- Highest mountain in New Guinea (on the Indonesian side, which is considered part of Asia) (16,024 feet)

By most academic accounts, the island of New Guinea is split in half between the continents of Australia/Oceania and Asia. To me, think makes no sense whatsoever. This is almost as bad as a chess set with all white pieces. I don't think continents should be defined by man-made boundaries -- except sometimes you have to draw a line somewhere. I'm still not sure if the Sinai peninsula is part of Africa or Asia, for example, but it should be in one or the other.

Quote: Pacomartin

I also passed. We are not random people. I think most people on the forum, particularly the ones that took the test are inclined towards geography anyway. Had it been a quiz on the Kardashians, most of us wouldn't have even tried.

I'd have blocked the thread.

Quote: Wizard

If it were up to me, these would be the continents:
Eurasia
Africa
North America
South America
Antarctica
and, hesitantly, Australia

I have heard the argument that the Chivela pass through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico is a more natural break for North and South America than Panama. Central America is really fairly recent geologically.

If there was a single tropical ocean, that really throws a kink into the seven seas.




Note the lack of Florida.

Quote: AZDuffman

I'd have blocked the thread.

I'd have blocked the poster too.