The Former Soviet Republics Trivia Quiz

Answer: Georgia

Georgia is regarded as one of the world's oldest wine producing regions. Evidence points to wine making in the region dating back to the Neolithic period which makes this over 8,000 years old. Traditional wine making techniques include the fermentation and storing of grapes in large earthenware jars called kvevris or qvevris.

The wine is also aged in these vessels. In 2013, this wine making method was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Answer: Kazakhstan

The Aral Sea is not actually a sea, but a lake. It lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. "Aral" translates to "Sea of Islands" and was so named because at one time, there were over a thousand islands within this body of water. At one time, it was the fourth largest lake in the world.

However, in the 1960s, the Soviet Union set up many irrigation projects and diverted the water from this lake towards them. This led to the shrinking of the sea and by the 2010s, it had almost fully dried up.

Answer: Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan straddles two continents stretching from Western Asia to Eastern Europe. At over 90%, Azerbaijanis are the largest ethnic group and Azerbaijani is also the official language of the country. In 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed its independence becoming the first Muslim majority secular state.

A year later, it became one of the first Muslim states to grant women equal voting rights. However, this independent state was short-lived and in 1920 it was incorporated into the Soviet Union, until it finally became independent again in 1991.

Answer: Belarus

Belarus was one of three Slavic republics included in the Soviet Union. The other two were Russia and Ukraine. The name Belarus translates to "White Russia". Many different theories have been floated to explain the etymology. One of these is that the colour white was associated with the west and Belarus is located towards the west of Russia.

Another theory states that it was so named after the white attire of the indigenous people.

Answer: Tajikistan

Tajikistan is located in Central Asia and is landlocked. The national language is Tajik, named after the Tajik people who make up the largest ethnic group in the country. Tajik is a form of Persian. The other two countries with Persian or its variants as national languages are Iran (Persian) and Afghanistan (Dari). Linguistic scholars are divided over whether Tajik can be classified as a separate language or a dialect of Persian.

Answer: Armenia

Armenia, whose capital is Yerevan, is the smallest former Soviet Republic in terms of area. It borders Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, and Georgia. The Kingdom of Armenia existed as a monarchy from 331 BC to 428 AD. In 301, it became the first state to adopt Christianity as its official religion. The Armenian Apostolic Church is considered the world's oldest national church.

Answer: Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is one of the least densely populated countries in all of Asia. This is a result of the Karakum desert which covers most of the country. The Akhal-Teke horse breed is believed to have originated in Turkmenistan. It is nicknamed the "Golden Horse" due to its shiny mane.

The Akhal-Teke features on the national emblem of Turkmenistan, as well as the country's currency notes and stamps.

Answer: Lithuania

Lithuania, along with the other two Baltic States (Latvia and Estonia), was part of the Soviet Union before its breakup. Of the Baltic States, Lithuania is the largest. Located on the shores of the Baltic Sea, it shares land borders with Russia, Poland, Belarus, and Latvia.

Answer: Uzbekistan

Located in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country. It is named after the Uzbeks, who are the largest ethnic group of the country. This region flourished during the Islamic Golden Age which ranged from the 8th to 13th century. Major cities like Samarkand and Khiva achieved prominence as they were located on the historic Silk Route, a key trading route of the time.

Answer: Moldova

Moldova and Ukraine are the two former Soviet Republics that border the Balkan peninsula/states. Moldova is one of the smallest former Soviet Republics, and Ukraine is the largest country that is completely in Europe.