El Dorado legends inspired expeditions across which continent?

• A. South America
• B. Europe
• C. Africa
• D. Asia

Answer: (A)

El Dorado represents a legendary city of gold that fueled explorers’ quests across South America. The stories began with the Muisca people in the highlands of what is now Colombia, describing a ritual where a leader was covered in gold dust and offerings were thrown into a lake. When these tales reached European explorers in the 16th century, they sparked expeditions sweeping through northern and central parts of the continent—regions that are today Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Peru, and Brazil—in hopes of locating the fabled city of gold. This connection to a South American origin and the subsequent explorations there is why the continent in question is South America.