What river flows through the large artificial lake in the heart of Canberra?

  • A. Yarra
  • B. Murray
  • C. Molonglo
  • D. Darling

💡 Need a hint?

Australia’s capital is neither Sydney nor Melbourne, but a city that was specifically designated as the political centre. The river you are looking for was dammed to create a large artificial lake in the heart of that city.

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The correct answer is C. Molonglo.

Australia’s capital is Canberra, and the Molonglo flows through it. Part of this river was dammed, creating a large artificial lake right in the middle of the city that dominates the centre of Canberra. Many people automatically guess Sydney or Melbourne, but neither of them is the capital.

📚 More background information

Canberra is a classic trick question. The city was designed in the early twentieth century as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne, both of which wanted to become the capital and argued fiercely over it. The result was an entirely planned city, laid out more or less precisely between those two rivals.

The other answer options are all real Australian rivers, which makes them especially treacherous. The Yarra flows through Melbourne. The Murray and the Darling are among the longest rivers on the continent and together form a vast river system that drains a large part of the interior. But none of the three has anything to do with Canberra.

Australia is not the only country where the most famous city is not the capital, incidentally. Brasília and Ottawa are comparable cases. Once you know that, you look at these kinds of questions differently.