Question 1

True or false: Iguazu Falls is located entirely within Argentina.

Accepted Answer

False. About 80% is in Argentina, 20% in Brazil, with the border running through the falls.

Question 2

True or false: The Devil's Throat is the smallest and least powerful cascade at Iguazu.

Accepted Answer

False. It's the largest and most powerful, with a U-shaped chasm pouring 1,500 cubic meters of water per second.

Question 3

True or false: The name 'Iguazu' means 'big water' in the local Guarani language.

Accepted Answer

True. Guarani words 'y' (water) and 'guasu' (big) literally translate to 'big water'.

Question 4

True or false: Iguazu Falls is located on the border between Argentina and Brazil.

Accepted Answer

True. Iguazu Falls straddles the border of Argentina and Brazil, with most of the falls on the Argentine side but the best panoramic views from Brazil.

Question 5

True or false: Iguazu Falls was discovered by European explorers in the 17th century.

Accepted Answer

False. Spanish explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca first saw it in 1541, not the 1600s.

Question 6

True or false: The falls have more individual cascades than any other waterfall on Earth.

Accepted Answer

True. Iguazu consists of 275 separate drops, more than any other major waterfall system in the world.

Question 7

True or false: Iguazu Falls is taller than Niagara Falls but not as wide.

Accepted Answer

False. Iguazu Falls is both taller and wider. Its tallest drop, Devil's Throat, is 82 m compared to Niagara's 51 m. Iguazu stretches 2.7 km wide, while Niagara's combined width is about 1.2 km.

Question 8

True or false: Iguazu Falls consists of approximately 275 individual waterfalls.

Accepted Answer

True. The number of cascades at Iguazu Falls varies with water flow, but it is commonly cited as having around 275 distinct waterfalls.

Question 9

True or false: Iguazu Falls is the tallest waterfall in the world.

Accepted Answer

False. Angel Falls in Venezuela is the tallest at 3,212 feet, while Iguazu Falls is about 269 feet tall, far from the tallest.

Question 10

True or false: Iguazu Falls freezes over in winter.

Accepted Answer

False. The falls are in a subtropical climate and do not normally freeze. Rare ice formations have occurred only in extreme–once-in-decades–cold snaps, so a general claim of winter freezing is false.

Question 11

True or false: Iguazu Falls was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984.

Accepted Answer

True. The Argentine side of Iguazu Falls, Iguazú National Park, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984; the Brazilian side followed in 1986.

Question 12

True or false: Iguazu Falls lies on a basaltic plateau formed by volcanic activity during the Cretaceous period.

Accepted Answer

True. Basalt lava flows from volcanic activity created the plateau, which erosion then carved into the falls.

Question 13

True or false: Iguazu Falls was discovered by European explorers in the 19th century.

Accepted Answer

False. Spanish explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca first recorded Iguazu Falls in 1541, not the 1800s.

Question 14

True or false: Iguazu Falls is taller and wider than Niagara Falls.

Accepted Answer

True. Iguazu Falls is 269 feet tall and 1.7 miles wide, while Niagara Falls is 167 feet tall and 0.6 miles wide, making it larger in both dimensions.

Question 15

True or false: Eleanor Roosevelt once said 'Poor Niagara' after seeing Iguazu Falls.

Accepted Answer

True. The U.S. First Lady reportedly exclaimed this in 1954, amazed by Iguazu's grandeur compared to Niagara.

Iguazu Falls Trivia Questions