Can You Pass American Geography?

EDUCATION

By: Jouviane Alexandre

6 Min Quiz

Image: Pixabay by ErikaWittlieb

About This Quiz

M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I. You might've done a little chant as you read those letters, and you aren't alone! When it came to American geography, we were all chanting to remember how to spell a state - or was it the river? It's both!

Regardless of your schooling, you've probably seen the typical map of America, with the states highlighted in various colors of red, orange, yellow and green. It always came equipped with a legend. You were shown state boundaries, major rivers and roads, and even state capitals. You were shown major cities that ranged all over the country, from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Charlotte, North Carolina. How well do you remember it? 

The third largest country in the world, the United States is made up of 50 states, over 1,000 lakes, dozens of major rivers and three major mountain ranges. With all this said, do you have enough stored in your memory to pass this quiz?

Do you remember whether it's an ocean, sea or gulf that lies between Texas and Florida? Can you pick out which countries lie at the border? With over a thousand lakes, can you name the five "Great" ones? We're putting you to the ultimate test! Let's find out if you're passing American geography by taking this quiz! 

Which of these rivers runs at the border of Texas and Mexico?

The Rio Grande begins in Colorado and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Directly between part of Mexico and Texas, it forms part of the border between the US and Mexico.

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Which lake is missing from this group of Great Lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron?

Lake Michigan lies between the four states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. The acronym commonly used to remember the five Great Lakes is HOMES.

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What is the name of the major park in Manhattan, NYC?

Central Park is the most visited public park in the US, with over 37 million visitors a year. Many movies and television shows have been filmed here, such as "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" and "Enchanted," and the TV series "Sex and the City," "Gossip Girl," and "Law and Order."

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Which state has the capital Trenton and is nicknamed the Garden State?

New Jersey is the third official state of the United States. Although it is the fourth smallest, it is the most densely populated state, with close to 9 million people.

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What is the name of the major mountain range in the eastern United States?

The Appalachian Mountains span 1,500 miles in eastern North America. This mountain range begins in Canada and spans south into Georgia and Alabama.

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Raleigh is the capital of what state?

Raleigh is the capital city of North Carolina. It was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who is known for establishing the Roanoke Colony.

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In which of these states will you find Mount Rushmore?

South Dakota, known as The Mount Rushmore State, boasts Mount Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota. The landmark has the face of four past presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

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In which state will you find the Grand Canyon?

The Grand Canyon encompasses a length of 277 miles and is formed around the Colorado River. The entire canyon lies in Northern Arizona and is thought to be over 5 million years old.

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In what state will you find Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone National Park is mostly located in northwestern Wyoming, but the park site also spans slightly into Idaho and Montana.

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Which of these combinations is the proper state capital pairing?

Hartford, Connecticut, is the only proper capital matched with its state in this list. The capitals of California, Nevada, and Florida are Sacramento, Carson City, and Tallahassee, respectively.

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Which of these cities is the capital of Texas?

Austin is the capital of Texas and the 11th most populated city in the entire country.

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Which state has the capital Salem, houses Crater Lake National Park, and is nicknamed the Beaver State?

Oregon is located in the Pacific Northwest and borders Washington, Idaho, Nevada, and California.

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What is the largest lake in the United States?

Lake Superior is the largest lake in the United States, at 31,700 square miles. It is followed by the other Great Lakes - Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario.

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Which of these states has three big cities that start with the letter C?

The three largest cities in Ohio are Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. The largest of them all - the capital - is Columbus.

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Which of the following is not one of the five boroughs of New York City?

Although Westchester is a county of New York, the five boroughs are Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

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Which state is nicknamed "The First State?"

Delaware, the first state to ratify the Constitution, is nicknamed "The First State." It is also the second smallest state, after Rhode Island.

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What is the last state that the Mississippi River passes through before it empties into the Gulf of Mexico?

Although named after the state of Mississippi, the river runs along the whole western border of the state before continuing into Louisiana and emptying at the Mississippi River Delta.

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What is the tallest mountain in the United States?

Although we kept the traditional name, Mount McKinley, for this quiz, the official name of the mountain has been changed to Denali. In 1975, Alaska petitioned to have the name changed to "Denali" and it was changed in August 2015.

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If I am travelling south from North Dakota to Texas, what are the four states I will travel through, in order?

When travelling from north to south, the states down the center of the continental United States are North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

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Which of these states borders Kansas?

Oklahoma is the only listed state that shares a border with Kansas. Kansas is also bordered by Colorado, Nebraska, and Missouri.

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Which state has the southernmost point in the continental US?

The southernmost point in the CONTINENTAL United States is Key West, Florida. The southernmost state in the entire United States would be Hawaii, which is south of the Tropic of Cancer. This is on par with the Caribbean countries south of Florida, such as Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.

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How many US states border Mexico?

Mexico is bordered by four states: California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

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Which state doesn't border the Mississippi River?

The Mississippi river rises in Minnesota and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. It passes through Minnesota and borders states like Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas.

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Which of the states listed below is the northernmost?

Although in this list Washington is the northernmost, Alaska is the northernmost state in the entire US. Minnesota is considered to have the northern-most point in the continental US, which is the town of Angle, Minnesota.

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What is the correct order, from the most populous to the least, for these four states?

The correct order is option four, according to the 2013 Census. California held the lead by more than 12 million people, at 38 million total.

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Which of these four states has the most bordering states?

Tennessee and Missouri tie with the most shared state borders at eight. Tennessee shares a border with Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina.

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What is the correct order for these four states, from smallest to largest?

Although it is thought to be small, Hawaii has the most land area out of these four states, with 6,423 sqare miles. Rhode Island is the smallest state with 1,045.

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If it is 1 a.m. in Colorado, what time would it be in California, Missouri, and New Jersey, respectively?

If you thought we were trying to trick you, you were right! If it is 1AM in Colorado, the time in California would be one hour behind at 12AM! The time zones for the continental US from west to east are Pacific Time, Mountain Time, Central Time, and Eastern Time.

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Which of these states was one of the 13 original colonies?

New Hampshire is the only state listed that was a part of the original 13 colonies. The others were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.

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How many states have a cardinal direction as a part of their name?

There are five states in the US with cardinal directions as part of their name: North and South Dakota, North and South Carolina, and West Virginia.

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How many US states border the Pacific Ocean?

There are five states that border the Pacific Ocean. The continental states are Washington, Oregon, and California, while the last two are Alaska and Hawaii.

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The Rocky Mountains aren't found in which of these states?

The Rocky Mountains are 3,000 miles long, beginning in western Canada and spanning all the way south into northern New Mexico.

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How many US states border Canada?

There are 13 states that are considered to share a geographical border (land and water) with Canada. Some of the more obvious ones are Alaska, Maine, Washington, Montana, and New York.

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What is the longest river in the United States?

The Missouri River is the longest river in the United States. It begins in western Montana and continues into the Mississippi River. The Missouri River runs for 2,341 miles, while the Mississippi River is just behind it, at 2,320.

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Which of these states DOES NOT border Canada?

Wisconsin is the only state listed that doesn't share a geographical border with Canada. Minnesota shares a land border with Canada, while Ohio and Pennsylvania share a water border with the country through Lake Erie.

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