Can You Identify All of These Countries in the Americas From an Outline?



By: Tasha Moore

6 Min Quiz

Image: ideabug/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Let's survey the Americas in this map quiz. ID the countries outlined before you to confirm and/or augment your base of knowledge on countries. Stick to North and South American nation guesses to simplify things; we're only looking for American lands.

The Americas are regarded as the New World, as most recorded history concerning that part of the world doesn't start until the 15th and 16th centuries when Spanish explorers set the earliest conquests in motion. Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer commissioned by Spain, set sail to the Americas four individual times, as you'll notice in this quiz. After the Spanish came the French and the Dutch, along with the rest of Old-World Europe to carve out and claim just about every inch of the New World—which was already inhabited by native people, as should always be pointed out. 

The United States and Canada take up most of the real estate in North America, and Latin American countries permeate the South American region. Over the years, Europe eased its grip on territories of the Americas, but not without quite a few fights. Revolutions are very much part of the recent history of the Americas; many Latin American countries did not achieve independence from Spain until the 19th century, and some places, like the Caribbean island of St. Barths, continue to embrace distinctly European culture.

Cuddle up to the geography quiz we've crafted especially for you on this digital excursion of the Americas!

Do you recognize this Caribbean country from the outline?

Of the 700 islands in the Bahamas, only 23 are inhabited. The Caribbean nation is home to 12 national parks and 5 percent of the world's coral reefs. Morton Salt Co. yields one million pounds of salt each year from the island of Great Inagua in the Bahamas.


This region of the Americas was once an isolated island. Can you make out which nation it is?

Cuba emerged from international isolation as one of the world's top travel destinations in the 21st century. The city capital of Havana and Varadero, a resort town, together reap roughly 60 to 70 percent of the country's tourism revenue.


Which nation celebrates a huge festival during the same time as Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana?

Every year, Haiti holds carnival on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, just like New Orleans, Louisiana does for its Mardi Gras celebration. As with Mardi Gras, Haiti's celebration features giant floats. Close to 800,000 revelers attend the Haiti carnival event.


This nation enhanced its electrical system considerably in 2016. Are you confident that you can ID the right place?

In 2016, the European Investment Bank partnered with the Dominican Republic to ameliorate the electrical system in the island nation. The $100 million, three-year loan project aimed to enhance the country's distribution system, which services the country's 680,000 households.


Can you choose the country in North America that's been battling a major air-pollution problem?

Respiratory events from emissions and air pollution are leading causes of hospitalization in Jamaica. Hospitalization rates from lung disease are expected to increase, especially in urban centers, as the small nation continues to grapple with climate change and the effects of greenhouse gases.


This country's jazz festivals boost its tourism revenue. Where is this place?

Established in 1992, the St. Lucia Jazz Festival is a key source of the sovereign island's tourism revenue. The St. Lucia Tourist Board uses the event, in part, to welcome travelers to experience the island firsthand so that they might better promote their experiences to future visitors.


There are mountains and rainforests in ________?

The small island nation of Grenada has a population of roughly 105,000 people. Grand Anse is the island's most famous beach and features white sands and a wide selection of hotels. Grenada also has a mountainous-terrain interior that includes rain forests.


Sugar has been big business for which Caribbean country?

The sugar boom in Barbados began in the 1640s when Dutch planters from Brazil taught Barbadian farmers how to cultivate the crop successfully. Holland poured resources into the territory, which helped establish a thriving sugar-plantation system based on African slave labor.


A famous world explorer reached this place for the first time in 1498. Do you recognize the country?

"In 1942, [Christopher] Columbus sailed the ocean blue," and then on his return voyage in 1493, Columbus brought a fleet of 17 ships that reached the shores of the West Indies. On his third voyage to the Western Hemisphere in 1498, he landed at Trinidad. His final trek was to Venezuela.


It's one of the biggest countries in the world. Where is it?

Brazil is the fifth-largest country in the world by territory and population. Over 55 percent of the country's population inhabits 304 of its 5,570 municipalities. Approximately 87 million Brazilians populate the South American nation's 25 biggest metropolitan districts.


How well do you know the shape of this country?

U.S. Congressman George E. Brown Jr. founded the US-Mexico Foundation for Science in 1993. Science and business experts pilot the venture, which emanated from North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations.


Which of these Latin American places experiences strange weather patterns from time to time?

On February 25, 2019, the skies in Bogota, Colombia were clear blue before 2:30 p.m. Then hail battered the city's streets. Weather experts say the phenomenon happens when high morning temperatures vaporize surface liquids, which forms clouds that elevate from fierce vertical air streams.


Economists have high hopes for this region of the world. Do you know the name from the outline?

Income increases between $10,000 and $25,000, especially among middle-income households, is expected to boost consumption in Argentina, especially in the retail sector. Argentina's e-commerce market is one of the largest in Latin America.


This country's wildlife populations are dwindling rapidly. Try to guess the nation's name?

As of July 2018, 186 animal species in Peru are in danger of extinction, with 64 of them considered critically endangered. Two hundred and three of Peru's animal species are classified as vulnerable due to declines in species populations.


A serious oil shortage has plagued this place. Can you ID the correct country?

Venezuela used to be one of the world's top oil producers, but the nation has suffered a serious fuel shortage. In 2017, the country produced upwards of 2 million barrels of crude oil per day, but production levels dropped to 1.53 million barrels in 2018, which is the lowest in seven decades.


When it comes to security, few Latin American nations can compare to this place. What's the label for this image?

Robust security measures in Chile have enticed international companies to seek investment opportunities in the region. Chile's law-enforcement bureaus tend to take a proactive approach when responding to financial crimes, cyber threats and terrorism, which are major concerns for businesses.


You'll find Volcan de Fuego in ________?

On June 5, 2018, the Volcano of Fire ("Volcan de Fuego," in Spanish) in Escuintla, a city in south-central Guatemala, erupted, emitting searing clouds of smoke and ash along with hot lava. The disaster scorched homes nearby.


Use United States currency when visiting this nation in the Americas. Do you see the correct country?

Ecuador uses the United States dollar as its main currency, which has attracted international trade and commerce. The country's foreign-car sector, in particular, has rapidly expanded in recent years, mainly due to a rise in regional and non-regional free-trade agreements.


Do you know this country by its outline?

In an effort to bolster measures combating drug trafficking, Bolivia purchased a military defense system from Thales, a French company, for 191 million euros ($216 million) in 2016. The Bolivian government contracted Thales to set up the system, which includes air-traffic controllers and 13 radars.


Water-filtration systems are improving clean-water supplies for which Latin American nation?

Founded in 1999, Vermont-based Pure Water company ventures to the Caribbean and Central America to install water-filtration systems to residents in countries that lack clean-water resources. The company has worked to establish a gravity-set mountain pipeline in Honduras.


This North American nation values its top athletes. Where on Earth can you find it?

Canada invests nearly $16 million yearly in the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network. The North American country has organized a national network that includes seven sports institutes that train and support the country's best athletes, as well as coaches.


"Leader of the Free World" is another way to describe which place (or its president)?

In recognition of World Wildlife Day March 3, 2019, the U.S. Department of State vowed to work with private, domestic and foreign groups to protect the world's wildlife populations. The United Nations began the world day to increase awareness of plants and animals around the world.


Try to guess the name of the place that once serenaded a dictator?

Images of Paraguay military dictator Alfredo Stroessner were everywhere during his rulership. Airports, sports complexes, hospitals and other facilities were named after him. On any given day, his advocates would serenade him outside of his palace with his most cherished tune, "Forward, My General."


Earthquakes keep hitting the nation outlined here. Do you recognize it?

El Salvador has suffered a string of considerable earthquakes in recent years. A November 2016 quake registered 7.2 on the Richter scale and shook adjacent countries. An April 2017 incident in the nation registered 5.1, and an April 2018 earthquake registered 6 on the Richter scale.


Mark Twain had a few choice words for this place in the 19th century. Where did Twain travel?

While on a New York-bound journey from San Francisco in 1866, Samuel Clemens, otherwise known as Mark Twain, traveled across Nicaragua, a popular 19th-century route. Of the nation's coastal hills, the author remarked, "... so enchanting, so altogether lovely, as do these that lie here within pistol-shot of us."


Based on this outline, how hard is it for you to choose the correct destination in the Americas?

The government of Costa Rica took control of the Venezuelan embassy in San Jose on February 20, 2019. Costa Rican officials entered the embassy "as thieves" and a "group of strangers," according to Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza.


The sport of karate is widely practiced in this country. Is it challenging for you to guess the right one?

Panama kicked off 2019 karate championships on March 20. Athletes from throughout the North and South Americas are slated for the competition, which helps to determine participants who move on to compete in The Pan American Games of Lima in July and August 2019.


Clean energy is a top priority for which nation depicted here?

To qualify for Certified Emission Reductions, or carbon credits, Uruguay constructed a wind farm at Sierra de los Caracoles in the nation's eastern region, where the wind travels at a speed of 9 meters per second, on average. The World Bank's Spanish Carbon Fund issues the carbon credits.


Bananas are an important export here. Can you ID the exact region?

The French territory of Guadeloupe depends heavily on agriculture and tourism for yearly revenue. The Guadeloupe Islands Tourist Board held a preview event of its March 2019 Saint-Georges International Music Festival at Harlem, New York's Schomburg Research Center in January 2019.


How well do you know the nation from the outline?

Suriname's geography consists of lowlands, interior highlands and savannas. Approximately 563,000 people live in the South American country, which spans 101,793 square miles. Paramaribo is the nation's capital city.


Who made a 2018 renewable-energy deal with India?

Foreign Minister of the Co-operative, Guyana Carl B. Greenidge, and India Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi signed the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in Renewable Energy in 2018. The countries aim to foster a cooperative union regarding renewable-energy issues.


Exotic fish gravitate to this area of the world. What's the label for this nation?

Bonaire measures 179 square miles and lies near Curacao, approximately 43 miles off Venezuela's coast. Bonaire is renowned for having more species of fish in its waters than any other Caribbean destination.


"France" and "flowers" are words that well describe which country?

At the height of the Haitian revolution in 1802, many people from Haiti, Martinique and Guadeloupe French island territories fled to the city of New Orleans in the United States. Martinique is regarded as the "island of flowers."


There's a space station near the jungle of ________?

Kourou, French Guiana is home to Guiana Space Center, otherwise known as The Spaceport. Established in 1968, the space center employees nearly 1,000 people. The location sits along a narrow strip at the edge of the French Guiana jungle.


It makes up one half of a whole island. Where is this place on the map?

Saint Martin (French) and Sint Maarten (Dutch) are two parts of the same island in the Caribbean Sea. Sint Maarten comprises the southern half, where the official languages are English and Dutch. Inhabitants also speak an English-based Creole dialect.


Is the name "Ouanalao" enough of a hint for you to correctly identify this nation in the Americas from its outline?

Saint Barthelemy, or St. Barths, is called "Ouanalao" by its indigenous inhabitants. The distinctly French isle is only accessible by ferry or a small plane. St. Barths lies along on the eastern edge of the French Caribbean island group.


This place is not very big, but its mountains are sizable. Where can you see high peaks?

The tiny island of Dominica is home to nearly 73,000 people. Dominica boasts clear green waters that fill 365 mountain rivers and numerous waterfalls. Two of this mountainous island's highest peaks ascend beyond 4,500 feet.


Can you guess the country in the Americas that implemented an ambitious infrastructure plan?

In recent years, St. Vincent officials have sought to improve the territory's infrastructure. Endeavors such as the Effective Community Engagement and Integrated Community Development Project are offshoots of the nation's progressive 2013 to 2025 National Economic and Social Development Plan.


This area was intended to be a nation of orange groves. Do you solve this outline riddle?

Spanish explorers landed on the Dutch island of Curacao in 1499 to plant Valencia oranges. Today, oil refineries, foreign banks and synagogues dot much of the island, which has a desert climate most suitable for the cacti that grow abundantly there.


A mass evacuation happened here in 1995. Try to guess the correct country label?

The volcano that lies at Soufriere Hills in Montserrat, a British Overseas Territory, exploded in 1995, 300 years after remaining inactive. The eruption led to a mass evacuation of 7,000 people from the island; nearly 4,000 of those who fled escaped to the United Kingdom.


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