Explore North & South America Physical Geography - Take the Quiz!
Feeling confident? Dive into our American geography trivia quiz now!
This North and South America geography quiz helps you practice rivers, mountains, and landforms across both continents so you can spot gaps before a test or trip. Warm up with the North America round, then try the South America countries round and see how your score improves.
Study Outcomes
- Identify Major Landforms -
Learn to pinpoint key rivers, mountains, and deserts across North and South America on a map with confidence.
- Recall Geography Vocabulary -
Memorize essential physical geography terms used in American geography trivia and continental geography quizzes.
- Analyze Landform Distribution -
Understand how mountains, plateaus, and basins are spread throughout the Americas and what influences their locations.
- Compare Regional Features -
Contrast the geographic characteristics of North American and South American regions to appreciate their unique landscapes.
- Apply Spatial Reasoning -
Enhance your ability to use map clues and spatial context to locate geographic features accurately.
- Evaluate Quiz Performance -
Assess your strengths and knowledge gaps in North and South America geography quiz results to guide further learning.
Cheat Sheet
- Major River Systems -
When tackling the north and south america quiz, focus on the Amazon (the world's largest by discharge) and the Mississippi - Missouri system (over 6,275 km long). Use the mnemonic "AMZ - MIS" to recall Amazon and Mississippi easily. Data from the US Geological Survey and National Geographic ensure you've got accurate flow rates and basin areas at your fingertips.
- Andean and Rocky Mountain Formation -
These ranges formed through plate tectonic collisions: the Nazca Plate subducting under South America created the Andes, while the Laramide Orogeny uplifted the Rockies. Remember "SUB+COLLIDE = HEIGHT" as a simple formula linking subduction and collision to mountain uplift. University geology departments like those at Stanford and UNAM document the stratigraphy and uplift rates for deeper study.
- Continental Divides and Watersheds -
The Continental Divide in North America (along the Rockies) and its South American counterpart (along the Andes) determine whether rivers drain to the Pacific, Atlantic, or Arctic. A quick way to visualize this is "high ridge → split flow," helping you trace river paths on maps. Official watershed maps from the USGS and Brazil's ANA provide authoritative boundary details.
- Desert Biomes of the Americas -
The Atacama Desert (Chile) is the driest nonpolar desert, thanks to a rain shadow and cold Humboldt Current, while the Sonoran Desert (Mexico/USA) features bimodal rainfall. Memorize Köppen codes BWh and BWk to classify these climates in any american geography trivia challenge. Resources from the Köppen - Geiger climate classification and NASA's Earth Observatory give precise precipitation and temperature data.
- Latitudinal Zonation & Biomes -
From tropical rainforests at the equator to tundra near the poles, biomes shift predictably with latitude due to solar insolation and atmospheric circulation. Use the phrase "Equator Hot, Poles Not" to recall temperature and biome changes. Detailed biome maps from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and peer-reviewed geomorphology journals help you link vegetation types to climatic zones.