Physical Map of North America Quiz at a Glance
A physical map of North America shows the land itself: rivers, mountains, deserts, seas and lakes. This one has 12 great rivers, 13 mountain ranges, deserts and plains, and 20 seas, oceans and lakes. Click any of them to see its name, then play a round: a name appears and you click it on the map. Free, with no sign-up.
- On the map
- 45 places
- Rivers
- 12
- Longest river
- Missouri, about 3,770 km
- Highest peak
- Denali, 6,190 m
- Biggest lake
- Lake Superior
- Biggest bay
- Hudson Bay
How to Play the quiz
- Click any river, mountain range, desert, sea or lake to see its name before you start.
- Pick a round: Rivers (12), Mountains & deserts (13) or Seas & lakes (20). A name appears and you click it on the map. Whole map asks all 45 once each.
- Rivers are thin lines, so a click on or just beside the line counts. On a phone, a tap where several features meet opens a magnifier; tap the right one inside it.
- After every answer the right place turns green, so a wrong click still shows you where it is.
Rivers of North America
The Mississippi and its tributaries drain about 40 per cent of the contiguous United States. The Missouri is slightly longer than the Mississippi itself. In the north the Mackenzie runs to the Arctic and the Yukon crosses Canada and Alaska to the Bering Sea. The St. Lawrence carries the Great Lakes to the Atlantic, and the Colorado carved the Grand Canyon.
Mountains, deserts and lakes
Denali in the Alaska Range, 6,190 m, is the highest peak on the continent. Between the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada lies the dry Great Basin, and further south the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts reach into Mexico. The five Great Lakes hold about a fifth of the world's fresh surface water; Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake by area.
The Rivers in the Quiz, Longest First
Lengths are of the main river, rounded to 10 km; sources give slightly different figures.
| # | River | Length | Flows into | On its banks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missouri | about 3,770 km | Mississippi River | Bismarck, Omaha, Kansas City |
| 2 | Mississippi | about 3,730 km | Gulf of Mexico | Minneapolis, St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans |
| 3 | Yukon | about 3,190 km | Bering Sea | Whitehorse, Dawson City |
| 4 | Rio Grande | about 3,050 km | Gulf of Mexico | Albuquerque, El Paso |
| 5 | Arkansas | about 2,360 km | Mississippi River | Wichita, Tulsa, Little Rock |
| 6 | Colorado | about 2,330 km | Gulf of California | Grand Canyon, Las Vegas (Lake Mead) |
| 7 | Columbia | about 2,000 km | Pacific Ocean | Portland |
| 8 | Mackenzie | about 1,740 km | Beaufort Sea | Fort Simpson, Inuvik |
| 9 | Ohio | about 1,580 km | Mississippi River | Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville |
| 10 | Fraser | about 1,380 km | Pacific Ocean | Prince George, Vancouver |
| 11 | St. Lawrence | about 1,200 km | Gulf of St. Lawrence | Montreal, Quebec City |
| 12 | Nelson | about 640 km | Hudson Bay | Thompson |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the longest river in North America?
The Missouri, about 3,770 km, just ahead of the Mississippi (about 3,730 km). Together, the Missouri and lower Mississippi make one of the longest river systems in the world.
What is the highest mountain in North America?
Denali, in the Alaska Range, 6,190 m.
What are the five Great Lakes?
Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario. Only Lake Michigan lies wholly in the United States.
Which mountains run down the west of North America?
The Rocky Mountains, from British Columbia and Alberta to New Mexico, then the Sierra Madre ranges through Mexico. Closer to the Pacific run the Coast Mountains, the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada.
What does a physical map show?
The land itself rather than countries: rivers, mountains, deserts, plains, seas and lakes. This one shows the borders faintly for reference, and the quiz asks for the natural features.
Made by Kashif Sulehria in Lahore, Pakistan. Updated October 31, 2026.