Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Victoria Falls - Australia
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question tests detailed world geography knowledge by asking you to match famous waterfalls with their correct locations. Well known waterfalls often appear in atlases and travel documentaries, and each has a distinct continental setting. The task is to identify which pair in the list is incorrect, meaning that the waterfall is not located in the country mentioned in that option.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Niagara Falls lies on the border between Canada and the United States, but it is correct to associate it with Canada, since part of the falls are in the Canadian province of Ontario. Angel Falls is the worlds highest uninterrupted waterfall and is located in Venezuela. Iguazu Falls lies on the border between Argentina and Brazil, and describing it as in Argentina is acceptable in basic questions. Victoria Falls, however, lies on the Zambezi River on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa, not in Australia. Therefore the pair Victoria Falls - Australia is the incorrectly matched one.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Victoria Falls is located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River, between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Step 2: Compare this with the option Victoria Falls - Australia, which suggests that the falls are in Australia. This does not match the actual African location.
Step 3: Remember that Niagara Falls lies between Canada and the United States, so connecting it with Canada is reasonable.
Step 4: Remember that Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall, is in Venezuela.
Step 5: Recall that Iguazu Falls stretch between Argentina and Brazil, so saying Iguazu Falls - Argentina is acceptable in simple matching questions.
Verification / Alternative check:
Visualise each waterfall on a world map. Victoria Falls is in Africa, Niagara Falls in North America, Angel Falls in northern South America, and Iguazu Falls in southern South America. Only Australia is out of place in this list, as it is a continent often associated with other natural features such as the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru, not Victoria Falls. This mental picture confirms that Victoria Falls - Australia is the mismatched pair.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, Niagara Falls - Canada, is acceptable because part of the falls lie within Canada. Option C, Angel Falls - Venezuela, correctly matches a world famous waterfall with the country that contains it. Option D, Iguazu Falls - Argentina, is also acceptable because a substantial part of the falls and tourist facilities are on the Argentine side, even though the falls also extend into Brazil. Therefore these pairs are correct or nearly correct for exam purposes.
Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to assume that Victoria Falls must be in Australia because the name might sound English and Australia is an English speaking country. Another pitfall is not remembering that several of these waterfalls lie on borders and could be associated with more than one country. To avoid confusion, link each waterfall with its continent first; once you know that Victoria Falls is African while Australia is in Oceania, the mismatch becomes obvious.
Final Answer:
The waterfall that is NOT correctly matched with its country is Victoria Falls - Australia.
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