Thursday Trivia

By FederalDaily Staff

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In approximated miles, which is the longest?

A. Great Wall of China
B. Amazon River
C. Pacific Crest Trail
D. U.S. Route 20

 

 

<< scroll down to see the answer >>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A. Great Wall of China (4,160 miles)

The Great Wall is the world's longest human-made structure, stretching over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles) from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 6,700 km (4,160 miles) in total. It is also the largest human-made structure ever built in terms of surface area and mass. (www.greatwall-of-china.com/51-90/the-great-wall-of-china.html)

The Amazon River is approximately 4,000 miles long and is the second longest river in the world. (Nile River is approximately 4,184 miles long.) Information from multiple sources on the Amazon River mentioned lengths ranging from around 3,900 miles to around 4,100 miles. The Amazon River carries more water than any other river in the world. In fact, the Amazon River is responsible for about one-fifth (twenty percent) of the fresh water that flows into the world's oceans. No bridge crosses the river along its entire length.  

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is a 2,650-mile national scenic trail that runs from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington. This trail boasts the greatest elevation changes of any of America's National Scenic Trails, allowing it to pass through six out of seven of North America's ecozones including high and low desert, old-growth forest and alpine country. Indeed, the PCT is a trail of diversity and extremes -from scorching desert valleys in Southern California to rain forests in the Pacific Northwest.  (www.pcta.org/about_trail/faqs.asp)

In 1963, U.S. 20 became the longest road in the USA. U.S. 20 is 3,365 miles long according to the 1989 log. The route begins in Boston at a junction with Massachusetts Route 2 and ends in Newport, Oregon, at a junction with U.S. 101. Because U.S. numbered highways are not designated with National Parks, U.S. 20 is divided into an East Section ending at the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park and a West Section beginning at the west entrance to the park. (www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/longest.cfm)

 

Posted by Jeff Rae on Nov 10, 2011 at 6:23 AM