- 1. Table Mountain is an iconic flat-topped mountain that majestically overlooks the vibrant city of Cape Town in South Africa. With its distinctive silhouette and breathtaking views, Table Mountain is part of the Table Mountain National Park and is recognized as one of the New7Wonders of Nature. Rising approximately 1,086 meters (3,563 feet) above sea level, it offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes, including the Cape Peninsula and the Atlantic Ocean. Visitors to the mountain can explore an extensive network of hiking trails that wind through its rich biodiversity, home to over 1,500 species of plants, many of which are endemic to the region. The peak can also be accessed by a modern cableway, which provides an exhilarating ride and allows easy access for those who prefer not to hike. The summit is often adorned with a blanket of clouds, affectionately known as the 'tablecloth,' which adds to its mystique and allure. Both a symbol of natural beauty and a prime tourist destination, Table Mountain holds cultural significance for the local communities, offering a serene escape into nature and a space for various recreational activities. Its stunning sunsets and unique geological formations make it a photographer's paradise, while its rich history and indigenous flora contribute to its status as a treasured heritage site.
What is the height of Table Mountain?
A) 900 meters
B) 1,086 meters
C) 1,200 meters
D) 1,000 meters
- 2. What city is Table Mountain near?
A) Cape Town
B) Johannesburg
C) Durban
D) Port Elizabeth
- 3. What type of ecosystem is primarily found on Table Mountain?
A) Fynbos
B) Desert
C) Savanna
D) Rainforest
- 4. Which cable car operates on Table Mountain?
A) Sky Cabin
B) Cable Express
C) Mountain Lift
D) Table Mountain Aerial Cableway
- 5. When was the Table Mountain National Park established?
A) 1998
B) 1990
C) 1985
D) 2000
- 6. What is the primary rock type of Table Mountain?
A) Granite
B) Limestone
C) Basalt
D) Sandstone
- 7. What is the most common form of transportation to the top of Table Mountain?
A) Bicycle
B) Cable car
C) Train
D) Bus
- 8. What is the highest point on Table Mountain?
A) Devil's Peak
B) Maclear's Beacon
C) Signal Hill
D) Lion's Head
- 9. Which cultural site is located near Table Mountain?
A) District Six Museum
B) Castle of Good Hope
C) Robben Island Museum
D) Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden
- 10. What is the name of the popular walking trail on Table Mountain?
A) Skeleton Gorge
B) Cecilia Forest
C) Platteklip Gorge
D) India Venster
- 11. What is the main threat to the ecosystem of Table Mountain?
A) Tourism
B) Overgrazing
C) Invasive species
D) Mining
- 12. Which of the following is a common animal found on Table Mountain?
A) Tiger
B) Dassie
C) Kangaroo
D) Bear
- 13. How many people can the cable car hold at a time?
A) 65
B) 50
C) 75
D) 40
- 14. What is the flat top of Table Mountain called?
A) The peak
B) The summit
C) The cliff
D) The plateau
- 15. Which activity is popular on Table Mountain?
A) Cycling
B) Hiking
C) Skiing
D) Surfing
- 16. What type of climate does Table Mountain experience?
A) Desert
B) Continental
C) Mediterranean
D) Tropical
- 17. What year did the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway first open?
A) 1945
B) 1929
C) 1935
D) 1950
- 18. During which season is Table Mountain usually the most visited?
A) Summer
B) Autumn
C) Winter
D) Spring
- 19. Which organization manages Table Mountain National Park?
A) South African National Parks
B) National Geographic Society
C) World Wildlife Fund
D) Cape Nature
- 20. What is the local Khoekhoe name for Table Mountain?
A) Tafelberg
B) Huriǂoaxa
C) Suidpunt
D) Kaptein Berg
- 21. What percentage of plant species on Table Mountain are fynbos?
A) 90%
B) Around 80%
C) 60%
D) 50%
- 22. What geological period do the rocks of Table Mountain date back to?
A) Jurassic
B) Triassic
C) Ordovician
D) Cretaceous
- 23. What natural phenomenon often covers the top of Table Mountain?
A) Fog
B) Orographic clouds
C) Mist
D) Rainclouds
- 24. In which hemisphere is the constellation Mensa visible?
A) Eastern Hemisphere
B) Southern Hemisphere
C) Western Hemisphere
D) Northern Hemisphere
- 25. What is the elevation of the Pipe Track at Oudekraal Ravine?
A) About 400 m
B) About 320 m
C) About 470 m
D) About 300 m
- 26. Who made the first recorded ascent of Table Mountain in 1503?
A) Van Hunks
B) António de Saldanha
C) Sir Thomas Maclear
D) Hendrik Biesheuvel
- 27. What weather conditions can descend without warning on Table Mountain?
A) Strong winds
B) Heavy rain and thunderstorms
C) Snow and ice
D) Dense mist, cold weather, or extreme heat
- 28. Which constellation is named after Table Mountain?
A) Mensa
B) Orion
C) Cassiopeia
D) Ursa Major
- 29. What was the outcome of the Quagga Project launched in 1987?
A) The project was abandoned after a decade
B) The quagga was successfully reintroduced into the wild
C) A foal considered to be quagga-like due to reduced striping was born on January 20, 2005
D) No significant results were achieved
- 30. What is the name of the mountain that lies to the east of Table Mountain?
A) Devil's Peak
B) Lion's Head
C) Hout Bay
D) Signal Hill
- 31. When can the constellation Mensa be seen around midnight?
A) Mid-October
B) Mid-July
C) Mid-March
D) Mid-January
- 32. What is the name of the formation that was once on top of Table Mountain but has eroded away?
A) Malmesbury shales
B) Graafwater Formation
C) Pakhuis Formation
D) Cape Granite
- 33. What does the Dutch word 'bosch' mean?
A) Mountain
B) Tree
C) Forest
D) Wood
- 34. What type of climbing is allowed on Table Mountain?
A) Traditional climbing
B) Bolting
C) Sport climbing
D) Free soloing
- 35. What is the original name given by António de Saldanha to Table Mountain?
A) Taboa do Cabo
B) Majestic Cape
C) Ocean's Peak
D) Cape Giant
- 36. When was the last lion in the area around Table Mountain shot?
A) Around 1700
B) During World War II
C) In the 1900s
D) Circa 1802
- 37. Which group of people were the dominant local inhabitants when Europeans first arrived in Table Bay?
A) !Ora nations
B) !Ui speakers
C) Khoe-speaking peoples
D) !Uriǁʼaekua (Goringhaiqua)
- 38. What was one of the reasons early European settlers felled indigenous forests on Table Mountain?
A) To build residential areas
B) To clear land for agriculture
C) To create grazing land
D) For fuel for lime kilns during construction
- 39. What is the legend associated with the 'table cloth' of cloud on Table Mountain?
A) A race to climb the mountain
B) A competition to build the highest cairn
C) A smoking contest between the Devil and a local pirate called Van Hunks.
D) A battle between two ancient tribes
- 40. Which orchid is relatively common in the perennially wet areas of Table Mountain and blooms from January to March?
A) Protea grandiceps
B) Leucospermum vestitum
C) Disa uniflora
D) Aulax umbellata
- 41. What is the name of the formation that consists of maroon-colored mudstones?
A) Malmesbury shales
B) Graafwater Formation
C) Cape Granite
D) Peninsula Formation Sandstone
- 42. What is a key factor in maintaining fynbos diversity on Table Mountain?
A) Soil composition
B) Regular fires
C) High altitude
D) Frequent rainfall
- 43. Which invasive plant is considered one of the worst invaders on Table Mountain's eastern slopes?
A) Rooikrans
B) Port Jackson
C) Black wattle
D) Cluster pine
- 44. Which side of Table Mountain does Kasteelspoort overlook?
A) Atlantic side
B) City side
C) North face
D) Southern Suburbs side
- 45. What is the starting elevation of the Contour Path at Constantia Nek?
A) 400 m
B) 320 m
C) 470 m
D) 250 m
- 46. How many blockhouses were ordered by Major-General Sir James Craig in 1796?
A) Two
B) Three
C) Five
D) Four
- 47. What is the area in square kilometers that comprises Table Mountain and the Back Table?
A) 57 km2
B) 100 km2
C) 75 km2
D) 30 km2
- 48. Who recommended that SANParks be appointed to manage the CPPNE in 1995?
A) James Craig
B) Nelson Mandela
C) Prof. Brian Huntley
D) Frank Kahn
- 49. What is the name of the mountain that forms part of Table Mountain's flanking peaks to the west?
A) Devil's Peak
B) Lion's Head
C) Signal Hill
D) Hout Bay
- 50. What is the official name for the quagga-like zebras born from the Quagga Project?
A) Rhodes quaggas
B) Rau quaggas
C) Cape quaggas
D) Zebra hybrids
- 51. Which trail can be joined from below by at least five paths from Kirstenbosch?
A) Pipe Track
B) Smuts Track
C) Bridle Path
D) Contour Path
- 52. What is a popular pastime on Table Mountain?
A) Mountain biking
B) Stargazing
C) Caving
D) Rock climbing
- 53. Where is the best place to view Disa uniflora blooms on Table Mountain?
A) At Maclear's Beacon
B) On Devil's Peak
C) Near Skeleton Gorge
D) In the 'Aqueduct' off the Smuts Track
- 54. What is the name of the trail that traverses the front of Devil's Peak and Table Mountain at 500 m?
A) Pipe Track
B) Upper contour path
C) Apostles Path
D) Lower contour path
- 55. What is the elevation of Tafelberg Road where Platteklip Gorge starts?
A) About 320 m
B) About 250 m
C) About 400 m
D) About 470 m
- 56. How often do intervals between fires promote the proliferation of larger Protea species?
A) 20–25 years
B) 5–7 years
C) 30–35 years
D) 10–15 years
- 57. In what year was Table Mountain named one of the New7Wonders of Nature?
A) 2006
B) 2011
C) 1989
D) 1998
- 58. What happened to the Verreaux's eagle nest near the cable station in 2006?
A) It was destroyed by human activity
B) It was abandoned
C) It was relocated by conservationists
D) It produced a record number of chicks
- 59. How many breeding pairs of Verreaux's eagles were reported to fledge a chick each year during the period 1950–1990?
A) Five pairs
B) Three pairs
C) At most two pairs
D) One pair
- 60. What is the length of the Cape Fold Mountain range that includes Table Mountain?
A) 70 kilometres
B) 50 kilometres
C) 30 kilometres
D) 90 kilometres
- 61. What is the width of the Cape Fold Mountain range?
A) Roughly ten-to-fifteen-kilometre-wide
B) Roughly fifteen-to-twenty-kilometre-wide
C) Roughly three-to-five-kilometre-wide
D) Roughly six-to-ten-kilometre-wide
- 62. What is the meaning of the Dutch word 'hout'?
A) Tree
B) Shrub
C) Wood
D) Forest
- 63. What type of vegetation is fynbos adapted to?
A) Flood
B) Drought
C) Fire
D) Cold
- 64. Which species was wiped out on the Peninsula by more frequent fires?
A) Aulax umbellata
B) Leucospermum vestitum
C) Protea burchellii
D) Protea grandiceps
- 65. Which family do the silky-haired pincushion and red sugarbush belong to?
A) Proteaceae
B) Orchidaceae
C) Asteraceae
D) Rosaceae
- 66. Which species' decline is believed to be linked to the dassie population crash?
A) Peregrine falcon
B) African fish eagle
C) Verreaux's eagle
D) Booted eagle
- 67. How many Verreaux's eagles were observed on the Peninsula in early 2017?
A) A pair
B) Three
C) None
D) A single female
- 68. What structure did the Portuguese navigator carve into the rock of Lion's Head?
A) A map
B) A great cross
C) A flag
D) A ship
- 69. Which blockhouse on Table Mountain is still in good condition today?
A) The Duke of York blockhouse
B) The Prince of Wales blockhouse
C) The King's blockhouse
D) None of the blockhouses
- 70. What was used to ferry materials and manpower to the top of Table Mountain during the dam construction?
A) A cable car
B) A road
C) A ropeway ascending from Camps Bay via Kasteelspoort ravine
D) A tunnel
- 71. Where is the well-preserved steam locomotive from the dam construction period housed?
A) In the Cape Town Museum
B) In the SANParks headquarters
C) In the Rhodes Memorial
D) In the Waterworks Museum near the Hely-Hutchinson dam
- 72. When did the Cape Peninsula Protected Natural Environment (CPPNE) area get established?
A) In 1989
B) In 1998
C) In 1995
D) In 1935
- 73. Who was appointed to reach consensus on a plan for rationalising management of the CPPNE after the 1991 fire?
A) António de Saldanha
B) Brian Huntley
C) Nelson Mandela
D) Attorney General Frank Kahn
- 74. Which organization was recommended to manage the CPPNE in 1995?
A) The Cape Times
B) SANParks
C) The Khoe-speaking peoples
D) The British government
- 75. Who was suspected of starting the January 2006 fire on Table Mountain?
A) A South African official
B) A British man
C) An American tourist
D) A local resident
- 76. Which company was awarded the original cableway construction?
A) Doppelmayr Garaventa Group
B) Adolf Bleichert & Co. of Leipzig, Germany
C) Cableway Construction Ltd.
D) Garaventa AG – CWA
- 77. Which company manufactured the 'Rotair' gondola introduced during the significant reconstruction?
A) Rotair Gondola Corp.
B) Adolf Bleichert & Co.
C) Garaventa AG – CWA (Doppelmayr Garaventa Group)
D) Cableway Construction Ltd.
- 78. What feature allows passengers to have a panoramic view during their journey?
A) The cableway has a glass floor
B) The gondolas rotate through 360 degrees
C) The cableway stops at scenic points
D) The cableway has large windows
- 79. What type of accommodation is available at the Smitswinkel Tented Camp?
A) Luxury hotel rooms
B) Private cabins
C) Self-catering with communal facilities
D) Hostel dormitories
- 80. Which trail on the Cape Peninsula Mountain Chain is no longer undertaken with an official SANPARKS guide?
A) Bridle Path
B) Platteklip Gorge
C) Kasteelspoort
D) Hoerikwaggo Trails
- 81. What is the starting point of the Bridle Path or Jeep Track?
A) Kirstenbosch
B) Cecilia Park
C) Constantia Nek
D) Newlands Forest
- 82. Which trail starts from Kloof Nek and runs at an elevation of about 300 m?
A) Kasteelspoort
B) Bridle Path
C) Pipe Track
D) Contour Path
- 83. What is the starting point of the Hoerikwaggo Trails?
A) Kirstenbosch
B) Cape Point
C) Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
D) Constantia Nek
- 84. Which trail is known for its ascent from the Southern Suburbs side and is named after a South African statesman?
A) Bridle Path
B) Kasteelspoort
C) Platteklip Gorge
D) Smuts Track
- 85. What is the name of a very steep jeep track on Table Mountain popular among mountain bikers?
A) Plum Pudding Hill
B) Lion's Head
C) Signal Hill
D) Cape Point
- 86. What activity is offered commercially from the upper cable station on Table Mountain?
A) Abseiling
B) Hiking
C) Mountain biking
D) Rock climbing
- 87. What type of caves are most commonly found in the world?
A) Marble caves
B) Sandstone caves
C) Granite caves
D) Limestone caves
|