Q 01/05

The Great Barrier Reef lies off the coast of which Australian state?

A) Queensland

B) New South Wales

C) Western Australia

D) Victoria

Answer · why

A) Queensland

It sits in the Coral Sea, separated from the mainland by a channel up to 160 km wide.

Q 02/05

Roughly how many individual reefs make up the Great Barrier Reef?

A) About 300

B) Over 10,000

C) About 1,000

D) Over 2,900

Answer · why

D) Over 2,900

It also includes about 900 islands and stretches more than 2,300 km.

Q 03/05

The reef is described as the world's biggest single structure made by what?

A) Wave erosion

B) Living organisms

C) Human hands

D) Volcanic activity

Answer · why

B) Living organisms

It was built by billions of tiny coral polyps and can be seen from outer space.

Q 04/05

In which year was the Great Barrier Reef selected as a World Heritage Site?

A) 2007

B) 1997

C) 1981

D) 1992

Answer · why

C) 1981

CNN named it one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World in 1997.

Q 05/05

Which explorer was the first European to encounter the Great Barrier Reef, in 1770?

A) Abel Tasman

B) Matthew Flinders

C) Louis de Bougainville

D) James Cook

Answer · why

D) James Cook

His ship Endeavour ran aground on 11 June 1770 near today's Cooktown and took seven weeks to repair.