Smarter Than the Average American? Take This USA Quiz!

WORLD

By: Kale Havervold

6 Min Quiz

Image: Pixabay by Martin Str

About This Quiz

The USA is among the largest and most well-known countries on the planet. There is a lot to know about the country, from geography, politics, the states themselves and a boatload of different statistics. However, how much do you actually know about the USA? Well, if you're like many Americans, the answer is likely not very much. While some might have some passing knowledge, many haven't learned anything new since their time in high school.

Are you like the rest, or do you feel you're smarter than the average American? If you feel you're smarter, get ready to prove it. This quiz is going to ask you a range of questions to see just how much you know about one of the greatest countries on the planet. For example, do you know what the longest river in the country is? How about which university has had the most presidents attend it?

If you can answer these types of questions, or want to learn more about the good old US of A, this quiz is for you. Without any further ado, put on your red, white and blue and get ready to challenge yourself with our quiz to test your knowledge of the USA.

Who was the very first President of the USA?

The very first President of the United States was George Washington. Before becoming a president and getting involved in politics, Washington was a military general in the War of Independence.

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Who was the first American to set foot and walk on the moon?

Only one person will ever have the distinction of being the first person to walk on the moon, and that is Neil Armstrong. He did this back in 1969 when Apollo 11 became the first spaceflight that brought humans to the moon.

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What is the national mammal in the USA?

While the USA didn't have a national mammal for a very long time, that all changed in 2016 when the bison became the national mammal. President Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act on May 9, 2016, making it official.

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When was the USA founded?

The USA was officially founded on July 4th of 1776. It became official when the people from each of the original Thirteen Colonies got together and signed the Declaration of Independence.

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The USA is home to many rivers, but which is the longest?

While it is close, the longest river in the USA is the Mississippi River. It goes for 3,778 km, which is just over 10 km longer than the next closest river. It goes from north to south and nearly spans the entire country.

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What was Abraham Lincoln arguably most famous for?

While Abraham Lincoln did many things as President, arguably his most notable was freeing the slaves. He did this when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed over 3.5 million slaves.

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What city is the capital of California?

While Los Angeles is the largest and most well-known city in the state of California, it is not the capital. That distinction goes to Sacramento, which has been the capital of the state for a long time.

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What is the name of the national anthem of the USA?

The national anthem for the USA is the "Star-Spangled Banner." The song officially became adopted as the official anthem in 1931, though its lyrics and music date back to well over 100 years before that.

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Which city was the Declaration of Independence signed in?

The Declaration of Independence, which helped to found the USA as we know it, was signed in Philadelphia back in 1776. In particular, it was signed in the State House, in Independence Hall.

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How many years is a presidential term in the USA?

In the USA, the term for a president is four years. After four years, an election will be held. A president is eligible for two terms, or eight years total. Of course, the term can be shorter if the president is impeached or passes away.

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Which American city is known as "The Big Easy"?

"The Big Easy" is a nickname for none other than New Orleans. It got this nickname because a writer in the newspaper began to call it by the name back in the 1970s to describe the easy-going living in the city.

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Which city in the USA has the highest population?

There are many American cities with millions and millions of residents, but no city has more people than New York City. It has over 8 million people and is the most densely populated city in the country.

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How many states are in the USA?

The USA is home to 50 different states, in addition to many other islands and territories. These states range in size, laws and many other ways. Fun fact, the 50 states are represented by the 50 stars on the American flag.

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If you were taking a trip to Sin City, where would you be going?

Sin City is the nickname for the city of Las Vegas, which is a hub for gambling and entertainment. It got this nickname as there are often a lot of unsavory things that take place there. The designation dates back to the early 1900s.

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Where is the Grand Canyon located?

The Grand Canyon, which is located in the state of Arizona, is one of the most popular places to visit in the country. It is truly magnificent and has millions of years of history inside of it.

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Of the Great Lakes, which is the largest?

The Great Lakes are some of the largest lakes on the planet, but the largest of them all is Lake Superior. It has an area of 31,700 square miles and is the largest freshwater lake on the planet, according to the surface area.

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When did the USA enter into World War II?

While the Second World War began in 1939, the USA didn't join into the battle until a few years later on December 7th, 1941. They did so after the terrible Pearl Harbor attacks by Japan.

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Of the following states, which was not a member of the original Thirteen Colonies?

The Thirteen Colonies existed before the USA officially became a country, and since Alaska didn't become a state until much later, it could not have been a member. Without these colonies, the USA would likely look very different than it does today.

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Which state is the oldest?

While it is a fairly low-profile state today, Delaware is the oldest state in the USA. It was the first state ratified into the Union. It became the first state on December 7th, 1787, only a few days before Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

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In what city did the horrific events of 9/11 occur?

The day of September 11th, 2001, is a day that will never be forgotten in the USA. On that day, thousands of people in New York City lost their lives to terrorist attacks. It is one of the darkest days in American history.

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Where does the president of the USA live?

While presidents have been born around the country, they all end up living in Washington, D.C. In particular, they live in the White House. Every president since 1800 has lived in the White House. Shown here are the north (top) and south (bottom) facades of the White House.

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Before being called New York, what was it called?

Before it ever became the state of New York, the state went by a different name — New Amsterdam. After New Amsterdam was captured, the name was changed to New York to honor the Duke of York.

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There are many mountains in the USA, but which is the tallest peak?

The tallest mountain that has currently been discovered in the USA is Denali. Located in Alaska, this mountain (which used to be known as Mount McKinley) stands at 6,190 meters tall.

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How many U.S. branches of government are there?

When it comes to the USA, there are three separate branches of the government. They are the Executive branch (President and other workers), the Legislative branch (Senate and House of Representatives) and the Judicial branch (Supreme Court).

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Which American sports league holds the World Series every year?

The World Series is the annual championship series that takes place to name the best Major League Baseball team of the previous season. It takes place in the fall and has been contested for more than 100 years. Shown here, the Chicago Cubs celebrate their 2016 World Series victory.

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Which American university has produced the most presidents?

While all of the mentioned schools are very prestigious and have several high-level graduates, Harvard has the distinction of graduating the most presidents. Barack Obama, John Adams, John F. Kennedy and many others attended Harvard at some point.

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Which state is Disney World in?

Disney World is without a doubt one of the most popular attractions and vacation spots in the country. It is located in Florida, near Orlando, and gets millions upon millions of visitors every year.

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What is the tallest building in the USA?

Between all the downtown areas in the USA, there are many different tall buildings. However, none are taller than the One World Trade Center in New York City, which stands at over 541 meters tall.

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Which state is the largest in terms of area?

Many of these states are quite large, but one takes the cake as the largest, and that would be Alaska. It is over 665,000 square miles, which is well over twice as large as the next closest state.

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Of all the states, which is the newest?

The newest state to enter the United States of America is Hawaii. It officially joined the Union on August 21st, 1959, which was only about eight months after Alaska joined the USA.

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Which state is home to Mount Rushmore?

Mount Rushmore is a tourist attraction and sculpture located in South Dakota. It depicts four Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

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Approximately how many people live in the USA?

The United States of America is home to around 325 million people. This makes it one of the most populous countries on the planet, trailing only China and India, who both have over 1 billion residents.

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How many armed branches does the U.S. military have?

The American military is among the largest on the planet and has six armed service branches. These are the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, and the Space Force.

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How many different people have served as the president of the USA?

While there have been 45 presidencies, only 44 different men have served as president of the country. Grover Cleveland, shown here, is the only one to serve more than one presidency, as he was the 22nd and 24th president.

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Which city is home to "The Bean"?

The Bean, which is officially called Cloud Gate, is located in Chicago. It is a large public structure that looks like a large stainless steel bean, and is visited by people all over the world.

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