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WorksheetsSouth America - Location
Total questions: 80
Worksheet time: 40mins
Which hemispheres best describe where most of South America is located?
Eastern and Southern hemispheres
Western and Southern hemispheres
Eastern and Northern hemispheres
Western and Northern hemispheres
Which statement correctly describes South America’s position across hemispheres?
Entirely in the southern hemisphere
Mostly in the southern hemisphere
Evenly split between both hemispheres
Mostly in the northern hemisphere
A small portion of South America lies in which hemisphere?
Northern hemisphere
Eastern hemisphere
Western hemisphere
Arctic hemisphere
Which ocean borders South America on its western side?
Southern Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Which directions does the Atlantic Ocean border South America?
To the north and east
To the west and south
To the north and west
To the east and south
Which bodies of water or lands border South America to the northwest?
The Arctic Ocean and Europe
The Atlantic Ocean and Africa
The Pacific Ocean and Antarctica
North America and the Caribbean Sea
Select all statements that are true about South America’s location.
It lies mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.
It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean only to the south.
It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west.
It is part of the Western Hemisphere.
Which pair correctly matches each side of South America with its bordering ocean?
West–Atlantic, North/East–Pacific
West–Pacific, North/East–Atlantic
West–Pacific, North/East–Indian
West–Indian, North/East–Atlantic
How many sovereign countries are in South America?
Sixteen sovereign countries
Fourteen sovereign countries
Twelve sovereign countries
Ten sovereign countries
Which list shows only South American sovereign countries?
Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Peru
Brazil, Chile, Guyana, Peru
Brazil, Chile, Portugal, Peru
Spain, Chile, Peru, Canada
Which country is the largest by land area within South America?
Colombia is the largest
Peru is the largest
Brazil is the largest
Argentina is the largest
Which pair of countries are both landlocked in South America?
Guyana and Chile
Uruguay and Paraguay
Paraguay and Bolivia
Ecuador and Bolivia
Select all countries that border Brazil.
Argentina
Peru
Guyana
Uruguay
Chile
Which country lies along the long western coast of South America?
Venezuela runs along the west coast
Guyana runs along the west coast
Argentina runs along the west coast
Chile runs along the west coast
In terms of land area, what is South America’s rank among continents?
Third largest continent
Second largest continent
Fourth largest continent
Fifth largest continent
Which sequence correctly lists the four largest continents by land area from largest to smaller?
Asia, Africa, North America, South America
Africa, Asia, North America, South America
North America, Asia, Africa, South America
Asia, North America, Africa, South America
Which country is NOT a sovereign country of South America?
Ecuador is not one
Suriname is not one
Paraguay is not one
Uruguay is not one
Which countries are in the top three by land area within South America?
Peru
Argentina
Colombia
Venezuela
Brazil
Which country ranks eighth in the world by land area and is in South America?
Venezuela ranks eighth
Colombia ranks eighth
Peru ranks eighth
Argentina ranks eighth
Which country is smaller by land area than Peru but larger than Ecuador, according to the world ranks shown?
Paraguay fits that position
Suriname fits that position
Guyana fits that position
Colombia fits that position
Which statement best describes South America’s population rank among continents?
It is the sixth most populous continent
It is the fifth most populous continent
It is the third most populous continent
It is the fourth most populous continent
Which continent has more people than South America? Choose all that apply.
Asia has more people
Africa has more people
Europe has more people
Australia/Oceania has more people
North America has more people
About how many people live in South America?
Around 434 million people
Around 596 million people
Around 745 million people
Around 1.4 billion people
Which pair correctly matches the country with its capital city?
Chile — Bogotá
Brazil — Buenos Aires
Argentina — Buenos Aires
Peru — Quito
Which country has two capitals listed: La Paz and Sucre?
Uruguay
Ecuador
Paraguay
Bolivia
Brasilia is the capital of which South American country?
Argentina
Venezuela
Brazil
Colombia
Buenos Aires is the capital of which country?
Chile
Argentina
Uruguay
Peru
Which cities are capitals in the Andean region? Choose all that apply.
Montevideo
Quito
Lima
Bogotá
Asunción
Which capital is correctly matched with a smaller country by population ranking on the list?
Georgetown — Guyana
Santiago — Paraguay
Paramaribo — Bolivia
Caracas — Uruguay
Which country ranks first in South America by population on the list?
Colombia
Argentina
Brazil
Peru
Which country-capital pair is incorrect?
Uruguay — Montevideo
Venezuela — Caracas
Paraguay — Asunción
Suriname — Lima
Which statement about continental populations is true?
Europe has more people than Africa
North America has fewer people than South America
Australia/Oceania has fewer people than South America
Antarctica ranks sixth in population
Which of the following lists the two non-sovereign territories located in South America?
French Guiana and Aruba
French Guiana and Falkland Islands
Suriname and French Guiana
Falkland Islands and Galápagos
French Guiana is best described as which type of political unit?
A territory of the United Kingdom
An independent South American country
A province of Brazil
An overseas department of France
Which statement about the Falkland Islands is most accurate?
They are a shared territory with Uruguay
They are governed by Chile as a region
They are part of Argentina without disputes
They are a British overseas territory with disputes
Select all statements that are true about Tierra del Fuego.
It is owned entirely by Argentina
It is an archipelago near South America's southern tip
Its name in Spanish means Land of Fire
It lies across the Strait of Magellan
The Strait of Magellan separates mainland South America from which island group mentioned here?
Caribbean Antilles
Galápagos archipelago
Falkland Islands group
Tierra del Fuego archipelago
Tierra del Fuego is politically divided between which two countries?
Argentina and Chile
Argentina and Uruguay
Brazil and Argentina
Chile and Peru
Which pairing correctly matches territory with its administering country?
Falkland Islands — Argentina
French Guiana — United Kingdom
Falkland Islands — Chile
French Guiana — France
Which description distinguishes the Falkland Islands from Tierra del Fuego?
Island chain across the Strait of Magellan
Remote British territory in the South Atlantic
Spanish-named islands meaning Land of Fire
Large archipelago split by Argentina and Chile
Which statement best describes the Amazon River?
It freezes for most months of the year
It carries the most water of any river
It flows through only one small country
It is the shortest river on the continent
What does discharge mean when talking about the Amazon River?
Number of fish living in the river
Speed boats travel on the river
Color of water seen from space
Amount of water flowing in the river
The Amazon River is considered which of the following in terms of length?
Either first or second longest river
Always the third longest river
Never among the longest rivers
Only the tenth longest river
Why do scientists debate the Amazon River’s exact length?
They cannot measure water temperature
They have no maps of South America
They disagree on its true source point
They argue about boat traffic rules
Which statement about the Amazon Rainforest is true?
It exists only on islands in the ocean
It is the smallest rainforest on the planet
It is the largest tropical rainforest on Earth
It grows only in cold mountain climates
What does biodiversity mean when describing the Amazon Rainforest?
Only trees with the same species
Very few kinds of plants and animals
A great variety of living species
One type of animal in each area
Most of the Amazon Rainforest is located in which country?
Brazil
Chile
Argentina
Uruguay
How much of the world’s remaining rainforests does the Amazon represent?
Over half of the world’s total
About one tenth of the total
Less than one hundredth of it
Exactly one quarter of it
Which statement best describes Lake Titicaca’s location?
In the Andes on Peru–Bolivia border
On an island in the Caribbean Sea
In the Amazon Basin near Brazil
On the coast of northern Venezuela
Lake Titicaca holds which distinction in South America?
Highest rainfall around its shores
Saltiest lake connected to an ocean
Largest lake by surface area
Largest lake by volume of water
Which pair correctly matches water body with country or region?
Lake Maracaibo — Venezuela
Lake Titicaca — Chile and Argentina
Lake Maracaibo — Peru and Bolivia
Lake Titicaca — Colombia and Ecuador
What is unusual about how people classify Lake Maracaibo?
It is seen as bay, lagoon, or lake
It is both river and glacier
It is desert oasis or wetland
It is underground sea or cave
As a lake, Lake Maracaibo would be considered what in South America?
Freshest by water salinity
Deepest by average depth
Largest by surface area
Smallest by shoreline length
Which feature is most associated with Lake Titicaca in the Andes?
High elevation and deep waters
Tidal waves and coral reefs
Active volcanoes and lava flows
Desert dunes and scarce rivers
Which statements are correct about these South American lakes?
Lake Titicaca lies between Peru and Bolivia
Lake Maracaibo contains brackish water
Lake Titicaca is largest by surface area
Both lakes sit within the Andes Mountains
Lake Maracaibo connects to the Gulf of Venezuela
A geographer compares two “largest” titles. Which is the accurate match?
Both Titicaca and Maracaibo—largest by area
Both Titicaca and Maracaibo—largest by volume
Titicaca—largest by area; Maracaibo—largest by volume
Titicaca—largest by volume; Maracaibo—largest by area
Which statement best describes the Andes in South America?
They are a small volcanic chain near Central America
They are the longest continental mountain range worldwide
They are a short range on the eastern Brazilian coast
They are the tallest mountain range located within Asia
About how long is the Andes mountain range?
About 1,500 miles in total length
About 12,000 miles in total length
About 800 miles in total length
About 4,300 miles in total length
Where along the continent is the Andes mountain range located?
Across the northern edge of South America
Along the west coast of South America
Along the east coast of South America
Through the center of South America
Which mountain is the highest in South America?
Mt. Aconcagua
Mt. Everest
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Mt. Denali
Mt. Aconcagua holds which two distinctions?
Highest mountain in South America
Lowest high point of any continent
Highest mountain not located in Asia
Highest volcano on the Pacific Ring
In which country is Mt. Aconcagua located?
Argentina, within the Andes range
Chile, within the Rocky Mountains
Brazil, within the Appalachian range
Peru, within the Alps range
Which comparison is accurate about the Andes and Mt. Aconcagua?
Neither the Andes nor Aconcagua are in South America
Both the Andes and Aconcagua are single peaks
The Andes are a range, while Aconcagua is a single peak
Aconcagua is a range, while the Andes is one peak
A student claims that the Himalayas are the longest continental range. What corrects this claim?
The Himalayas are longest only in South America
The Rockies are the longest continental range
The Alps are the longest continental range
The Andes are the longest continental range
Where is the Atacama Desert located in relation to the Andes mountains?
Far north of the Andes in Central America
West of the Andes in South America
East of the Andes in South America
Across the Andes on both sides
Which statement best describes the Atacama Desert?
A rainforest plateau with heavy rains
The driest non-polar desert on Earth
A wetland plain beside the Amazon River
A polar desert covered in ice year-round
Choose all phrases that correctly describe the Atacama Desert.
East of the Andes mountains
Located in South America
Driest non-polar desert
A plateau landform
What landform type is the Atacama Desert mainly known as?
A plateau area with high elevation
A chain of volcanic islands
A coastal swamp with mangroves
A river valley with fertile silt
Which route explains how the earliest settlers reached the Americas before migrating south into South America?
Canoed along the Amazon River upstream
Walked across a land bridge from Europe
Crossed the Bering land bridge, then moved south
Sailed across the Atlantic Ocean directly
About how long ago do scholars think humans first inhabited South America?
Around 5,000 years ago
At least 15,000 years ago
Roughly 2,000 years ago
Nearly 25,000 years ago
By 2000 B.C., what development had occurred in the Andes region?
Hunter-gatherers avoided high altitudes
Large coastal empires had formed
Many agricultural communities had settled
Nomads dominated the grasslands
Which civilization became highly developed and dominated the Andes during the 1400s and early 1500s?
Inca civilization in the Andes
Maya civilization in Yucatán
Olmec civilization along rivers
Aztec civilization in Mexico
During which years did the Inca civilization dominate the Andes region?
1200 to 1350
1000 to 1200
1438 to 1533
1500 to 1600
About how many people were ruled by the Inca at their height?
Between 9 and 14 million people
Between 1 and 3 million people
Between 20 and 25 million people
Fewer than 500,000 people
What feature helped connect the Inca Empire across difficult terrain?
Underground rail tunnels
A networked road system
Large river canals
Extensive ocean ports
Which statement best describes the migration pattern of early settlers into South America?
They moved directly from Europe to Peru
They crossed from Asia into North America first
They arrived from Africa by sailing west
They came from Australia through the Pacific
Which region served as the core of the Inca Empire?
Caribbean coastal islands
Andes mountain region
Amazon rainforest basin
Patagonia lowlands
Which development marks a change from hunter-gatherer life in the Andes by 2000 B.C.?
Spread of bronze weapon making
Growth of settled farming villages
Start of transatlantic voyages
Rise of nomadic herding bands
Select all facts that accurately describe the Inca Empire.
It ruled between 9 and 14 million people
It dominated the Andes from 1438 to 1533
It was centered on Caribbean islands
It relied on a road system to connect regions
Which sequence shows a plausible timeline of key developments in South America?
European conquest, then first migration
Bering crossing to Americas, then Inca rule
Agricultural settlements, then Bering crossing
Inca rule, then first human arrival
