Mulled Over Moldova Trivia Quiz

Answer: Soviet Union

Most of the territory of present-day Moldova was part of the Principality of Moldavia from the 14th century to 1812, when it was ceded to the Russian Empire, and took the name of Bessarabia. In 1918, this historical region became part of Romania, which in 1940 ceded it to to the Soviet Union. From 1940 to 1990, Moldova was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union with the name of Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic - formed from parts of Bessarabia and parts of the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (an autonomous republic within Ukraine). Following the failed coup d'état against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev of 19-22 August 1991, Moldova declared its independence on 27 August 1991.

In August 1990, the region east of the Dnieper River, known as Transnistria - home to a large Russian-speaking population - proclaimed its independence. Transnistria, however, has not been recognized as an independent state by any of the members of the United Nations. On the other hand, Moldova was recognized by the UN in 1992, and joined the Council of Europe in 1994. In June 2022, Moldova and its neighbour Ukraine were officially granted the status of candidates for European Union membership.

Answer: Yugoslavia

Croatia has existed as a state since 879 AD, when the first Duke of Croatia was recognized by Pope John VIII. In 925, Croatia became a kingdom; it was ruled by Hungary from 1102 to 1527, then by the House of Habsburg until 1918, when the First Yugoslavia was created. From 1945 to 1991 it was a federal unit (Socialist Republic of Croatia) of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. When Croatia declared its independence on 25 June 1991, war broke out with the Yugoslav People's Army, controlled by Serbia. The war ended in 1995 with a decisive victory for the Croatian Army, known as Operation Storm.

Since the end of that troubled period in its history, Croatia has been engaged in becoming an active member of the international community. Accepted as a member of the United Nations in 1992, it formally applied to join the European Union in 2003, and became the Union's 28th member on 1 July 2013. On 1 January 2023 Croatia adopted the euro as its currency, and also became a member of the border-free Schengen Area. Croatia has also been a member of NATO since 2009.

Answer: Other

Bulgaria is one of the oldest European states, since it was first created in 681 AD as First Bulgarian Empire, which included a sizable part of the Balkan Peninsula. Conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1396, it remained under Turkish rule for over 500 years, In 1878, following the Russo-Turkish War, Bulgaria became a Principality, a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire - finally declaring its independence on 5 October 1908.

In 1946 Bulgaria (where the monarchy had been abolished in 1944) became a one-party socialist republic in the Soviet sphere of influence. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in the autumn of 1989, Bulgaria began its transition to a democratic system, holding the first free elections in 1990. It joined NATO in 2004, and the European Union in 2007.

Answer: Soviet Union

The territory of present-day Estonia was divided among various Northern and Central European powers (such as Denmark, Sweden, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) for much of the Middle Ages and the early modern period. During the Great Northern War (1700-1721), it was conquered by the Tsardom of Russia (later to become the Russian Empire). On 24 February 1918 Estonia declared itself independent, and managed to fend off Soviet Russia's attempts to recapture it. However, this first bout of independence was short-lived, as the country was forced to accept Russia's sovereignty in 1940, and was annexed by the Soviet Union as the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Estonia declared restoration of independence from the Soviet Union on 20 August 1991, during the attempted coup in Moscow. It joined the European Union and NATO in 2004, and became a member of OECD in 2010. On 1 January 2011, the euro became Estonia's official currency.

Answer: United Kingdom

Inhabited for thousands of years, Malta was ruled by many powers until 1530, when the small Mediterranean archipelago was given in perpetual lease to the Order of Knights of the Hospital of St John in Jerusalem (also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta). Briefly captured by Napoleon in 1798, Malta became a British colony under the Treaty of Paris of 1814. It gained independence from the United Kingdom on 21 September 1964.

Like other Commonwealth countries, Malta initially retained the UK sovereign as its head of state, but on 13 December 1974 it became a republic within the Commonwealth. The day of the withdrawal of the last British troops and the Royal Navy from the islands (31 March 1979) is celebrated as Freedom Day. Malta joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, and adopted the euro as its currency in 2008.

Answer: Yugoslavia

The present-day Republic of North Macedonia is the northeastern part of the larger historical region that was once ruled by Alexander the Great. Ruled by the Byzantines, the Bulgars, and the Serbians in the Middle Ages, the region was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the late 14th century, and remained under Turkish sovereignty until 1913; most of its territory was annexed by Serbia with the name of Vardar Macedonia. At the end of WWII, the Socialist Republic of Macedonia - one of the six federal republics of Yugoslavia - was established. The transition from socialist state to parliamentary democracy at the end of 1990 was peaceful; independence was formally declared on 25 September 1991. Independence Day, however, is celebrated on 8 September - the date of the referendum in which over 95% of the country's population voted in favour of independence.

After independence, the country was known for some time as FYR (Former Yugoslav Republic) Macedonia. To put an end to the long-drawn dispute with Greece over the name, under the Prespa agreement of 2018 it agreed to change its name to Republic of North Macedonia, and discontinue the public use of the solar symbol known as the Vergina Sun, associated with ancient Macedonia. Thanks to the Prespa agreement - which put an end to the Greek veto - Macedonia was finally accepted as the 30th member of NATO in 2020.

Answer: Other

Officially the Slovak Republic, Slovakia (whose name means "Land of the Slavs") did not exist as a country before 1918, when the state of Czechoslovakia was created after the demise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the Early Middle Ages, the present territory of Slovakia was part of various Slavic states (such as Great Moravia), and was subsequently ruled by Hungary, Poland, the Ottoman Empire, and the Austrian Empire. Slovakia became briefly independent in 1939, a few months before the German invasion of Poland. Czechoslovakia was restored by the Allies in 1945, and in 1948 - after a coup in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia seized power - became a satellite state of the Soviet Union.

The Communist Party was ousted in November 1989 by the "Velvet Revolution", which led to the first free elections in Czechoslovakia since 1948. In 1992, the two components of Czechoslovakia agreed to the peaceful dissolution of the state (which was nicknamed the "Velvet Divorce"). The Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic proclaimed their existence on 1 January 1993. In 2004, Slovakia joined both NATO and the European Union, and the euro was adopted as its currency in 2009.

Answer: Other

Much of the area of present-day Finland was colonized by Sweden in the 12th and 13th centuries. It remained part of the Kingdom of Sweden until 1809, when Sweden was defeated by the forces of the Russian Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. Finland became an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire, at first enjoying a remarkable degree of autonomy. Things, however, deteriorated towards the end of the 19th century, when oppressive Russification policies created a strong current of resentment in the Finnish population. On 6 December 1917, taking advantage of the unrest due to the October Revolution, Finland declared its independence from Russia.

During the Cold War, Finland remained neutral - occupying a grey area between the Western countries and the Soviet bloc. After the collapse of the Soviet Union (which was Finland's biggest trading partner), Finland experienced a deep recession - which prompted its decision to apply for membership of the European Union. Finland joined the EU in 1995, and the Eurozone in 1990. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine of 24 February 2022, Finland also applied for NATO membership, and became the 31st member of the organization on 4 April 2023.

Answer: Soviet Union

Like other former Soviet countries, Belarus was originally created from lands controlled in the past by various European powers - such as Kievan Rus', the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire. During the Russian Revolution there were several short-lived attempts to form a Belarusian state - culminating in the creation of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1920. Two years later, the new state became one of the founding members of the USSR. The western part of modern Belarus, however, remained part of the Second Polish Republic until it was annexed to the Byelorussian SSR during WWII.

After the devastation of the war, Byelorussia saw a period of strong growth due to concerted reconstruction efforts. Support for independence grew in those decades, until the country - renamed Republic of Belarus - declared itself independent from the Soviet Union on 25 August 1991. Unlike most of the former Soviet republics in Europe, however, Belarus has remained in Russia's sphere of influence even after the dissolution of the USSR. At the time of writing, the country is ruled by an authoritarian regime led by Vladimir Lukashenko, who was elected president in 1994 in the first and only free elections held in Belarus since independence.

Answer: Other

First settled in the late 9th century by Norse colonists, Iceland boasts one of the world's oldest functioning parliaments, the Althing. The volcanic island was ruled by Norway for most of the Middle Ages; when the Kalmar Union of Sweden, Norway and Denmark broke up in 1523, Iceland remained part of the union of Denmark and Norway. In 1918, the Kingdom of Iceland was established - an independent country that, however, still retained a personal union with the Danish monarch. The last ties with Denmark were officially severed on 17 June 1944, following a referendum in which over 95% of voters approved the termination of the union and the establishment of a republic.

The new Republic of Iceland joined NATO in 1949, albeit not without strong domestic opposition. Though not a member of the European Union, Iceland has been a member of the European Economic Area since 1994. Together with Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Iceland is part of the EFTA (European Free Trade Area), participating in the European Single Market and the Schengen Area.

Answer: Soviet Union

Georgia is a transcontinental nation located in the Caucasus region, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. In the Middle Ages, the Kingdom of Georgia was created from the unification of a number of smaller states. Having reached the peak of its power in the 11th-13th centuries, the Kingdom of Georgia eventually disintegrated in a number of smaller entities that came under the control of various powers - until they were annexed by the Russian Empire during the 19th century. In 1917, Georgia became an independent republic under German protection, but was invaded and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1922. It seceded from the USSR on 9 April 1991 after a referendum held at the end of March.

Georgia's restoration of independence was deeply troubled, culminating in a bitter civil war (1991-1994) and the secession of two regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia (both in 1992) - whose independence, however, has not recognized by the vast majority of the international community. Georgia was also engaged in a military conflict against Russia in 2008. In spite of this turmoil, Georgia has been pursuing a steady pro-Western course. It applied for EU membership in March 2022, but - unlike Ukraine and Moldova - it was not granted candidate status.

Answer: Yugoslavia

Slovenia is often confused with Slovakia - not surprisingly, since both of these countries' names mean "Land of the Slavs". The territory of present-day Slovenia has been part of many different states throughout history - including the Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Republic of Venice, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When the latter collapsed at the end of WWI, the State of Slovenes, Croat and Serbs was established in October 1918. The new state soon afterwards merged with Serbia, and in 1929 was renamed Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In November 1945, the Socialist Republic of Slovenia - one of the six constituent states of Yugoslavia was created.

Slovenia started its transition to a parliamentary democracy in 1989, almost two years before its declaration of independence on 25 June 1991. A brief armed conflict with the Yugoslav People's Army ensued, known as the Ten-Day War. Slovenia joined the United Nations in May 1992, and in 2004 became a member of the European Union and NATO. It was also the first transition country to join the Eurozone, on 1 January 2007.

Answer: United Kingdom

Ireland's road to independence was long and fraught with difficulties and strife. Consisting of 26 out of the 32 counties on the island of Ireland, the Republic of Ireland (known as Éire in Irish) as it is today was officially born on 19 April 1949: however, Ireland had already begun the process of separation from the United Kingdom over two decades earlier. The island of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1801 (date of the Act of Union) to 1922, with the creation of the Irish Free State - which came four years after the Easter Rising (24-29 April 1916), when Irish independence was declared for the first time. In 1937, a new constitution was adopted, effectively declaring Ireland a republic even though it was still technically a Dominion of the British Empire.

Because of its neutral stance during WWII, Ireland was denied membership of the United Nations until 1955. In 1973 it joined the European Union, and was one of the nations that adopted the euro when the currency was first introduced in 1999. Due to its continuing neutrality, Ireland is not a member of NATO, though it is a member of the Partnership for Peace programme. Unlike most other former territories of the British Empire, Ireland is not a member of the Commonwealth.