What a State! Trivia Quiz

Answer: India

The majority of India is divided into 29 states, each of which has its own elected government. In addition to these states, India contains seven so-called 'union territories' that are ruled centrally and do not have their own government. Examples of union territories include the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the formerly French region of Puducherry (Pondicherry).

As can perhaps be expected from a country containing over one billion people, several of the states have populations exceeding the majority of the countries in the world. As of 2011, three states have populations of over 100 million: Uttar Pradesh in the north (home to Lucknow and Kanpur), Maharashtra in the west (home to Mumbai) and Bihar in the east (home to Patna).

The three states mentioned in the question demonstrate the diversity of culture that India has to offer. Odisha is found in east of the country and the majority of its residents speak Odia, Kerala is in the south where most people speak Malayalam and Haryana is in the north where Hindi predominates. All three are official languages, along with a whopping 19 others.

Answer: Australia

Despite being one of the largest countries in the world, Australia contains a mere six states; those mentioned in the question, with Tasmania and the less excitingly named Western Australia and South Australia. In addition to these six states, Australia is also home to ten territories, of which three (Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory) are located on the mainland. The seven external territories range in population from the several thousand people living on both Norfolk Island and Christmas Island, to the uninhabited Heard Island and McDonald Islands.

The vast majority of the Australian population live on the Eastern side of the country in one of Victoria, New South Wales or Queensland. The most populous state is New South Wales, home to Sydney, the largest city in the entire continent of Oceania. The second most populous state, home to the second biggest city in Oceania, is Victoria (home to Melbourne). The trend continues further, with the third and fourth most populous states (Queensland and Western Australia) being home to Oceania's third and fourth largest cities (Brisbane and Perth) respectively. This trend is testament to how low population density is outside of the major cities, with less than 0.1 people per square kilometre across the majority of the country.

Answer: Federated States of Micronesia

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is one of the smallest countries in the world, both in terms of land area and population. The country comprises around 600 different islands arranged into four states: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae (from west to east).

Despite having a land area of less than a quarter of the size of Rhode Island, the FSM has more than 2.5 million square kilometres of ocean in its jurisdiction, making it the 14th largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world.

Answer: Mexico

Slightly more straightforward than the subdivisions of India or Australia, Mexico consists exclusively of states, 31 of them to be precise. Well, almost exclusively. The capital, Mexico City is not located within a state and is not itself a state, though it does have a similar level of autonomy. Each state is then further divided into municipalities. Confusingly, the most populous state in Mexico is also called México (note the accent on the 'e'!), with a population of around 15 million in 2010, almost twice that of the second and third largest states Veracruz and Jalisco.

Of the 31 states, the majority came into existence within 15 years of the 'Cry of Dolores' that marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence in 1810. Only four of the states entered the union in the 20th century, the most recent being Quintana Roo in the east and Baja California Sur in the west, both of which joined in 1974.

Answer: Nigeria

As with Mexico, Nigeria is completely divided into states with the exception of the capital city. There are 36 states, along with the Federal Capital Territory, or 'FCT-Abuja' after the name of the capital city. The subdivisions of Nigerian states are known as Local Government Areas, of which there are 774 in total. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and one of the fastest growing economies in the world, overtaking South Africa as the largest GDP on the continent in 2014. The 2006 census counted 140 million people but by 2015 this number was estimated at almost 190 million.

The three states mentioned in the question are spread across Nigeria. Ogun in located in the far southwest of the country, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and surrounding the small but highly populated state of Lagos. Ogun forms part of the border with neighbouring Benin, with the Beninese capital of Porto-Novo very nearby. Yobe is found in the north of Nigeria on the border with Niger, while Taraba is located in the east of the country on the border with Cameroon.

Culturally, Nigeria is incredibly diverse. While the official language is English, large populations speak a variety of languages, with Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba all being spoken by more than 20 million people. Over 500 different languages are spoken in total, making Nigeria the third most linguistically diverse country in the world after Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

Answer: United States of America

Fun fact - there are 50 states in the U.S.A.. Oh, you knew that one?

Being one of the largest and most powerful countries in the world means that accounting for the entirety of the United States is no simple matter. There are 48 contiguous states (on the mainland), plus two (Alaska and Hawaii) further afield. These states are not just overseen by the federal government; they share sovereignty. In addition to these states, there is one federal district, 'Washington D.C.', the capital of the U.S.A.. With me so far?

After that we have 16 territories, those areas which are directly under the jurisdiction of the federal government. Of these 16, only five are permanently inhabited, namely Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa. The remainder are islands or atolls located either in the Caribbean Sea or the Pacific Ocean, many of which have disputed ownership. The majority of these territories are not incorporated into the U.S. (i.e. not part of the U.S. 'proper') and are thus often termed 'possessions'. How confusing!

Answer: Palau

Palau is one of the world's smallest countries, with an area around two-thirds that of the Federated States of Micronesia and a population only one-fifth the size. Roughly 250 islands are divided into 16 states, by far the most populous of which is Koror, the location of the former capital. In 2006, Koror was replaced as capital by the purpose-built town of Ngerulmud in Melekeok state, which, as of 2016, was home to a mere 400 people.

The area of the Pacific Ocean under Palauan jurisdiction has borders with Indonesia, the Philippines and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Answer: Venezuela

Venezuela consists of 23 states, of which two, Amazonas and Bolivar, make up almost half of the total area. However, these two states are relatively sparsely populated and are home to many of the indigenous peoples of Venezuela. In addition to these 23 states, Venezuela has a Capital District covering the capital city of Caracas and 12 Federal Dependencies located in both the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Venezuela.

Carabobo is located in the north of Venezuela and is one of the most populous states in the country, being home to the key industrial city of Valencia (not to be confused with Valencia in Spain!). Aragua is also located in the north, directly to the east of Carabobo. Whilst also densely populated, Aragua is home to Venezuela's first National Park, Henri Pittier. Zulia is the westernmost state in Venezuela and is also the most populated. It includes the large city of Maracaibo, located on the strait connecting Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela.

Answer: Sudan

The Republic of Sudan has seen some states change during the 21st Century, largely as a result of the independence of South Sudan in 2011. Prior to the split, Sudan consisted of 25 states, but when South Sudan became independent they took the southern 10 states with them, leaving Sudan with 15. Two additional states, Central and East Darfur, were created in 2012, and West Kurdufan was reestablished in 2013 to bring the total number of states to 18.

Kassala is located in the east of the country, one of two states (along with Red Sea) in the traditional province of the same name. White Nile state ('An Nil al Abyad' in Arabic) is found in the south of Sudan in Sennar Province. Al Jazirah is also located in Sennar Province, to the north and east of White Nile.

Answer: Malaysia

Malaysia is divided into 13 states (known as 'negeri') and three federal territories. It is often split into 'West Malaysia', consisting of that part of the country found on the Malay Peninsula, and 'East Malaysia', which shares the island of Borneo with Indonesia and Brunei. Despite occupying over half of the country's area, East Malaysia contains only two states, Sarawak and Sabah, and one federal territory, Labuan.

Despite being smaller in size, the most populous states in Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan and Johor Darul Ta'zim, are found in the west. The capital city of Kuala Lumpur is also found in West Malaysia and exists outside of the states in its own federal territory. The other state mentioned in the question, Malacca, is unsurprisingly located on the Strait of Malacca that separates the Malay Peninsula from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is named for the Malacca Sultanate that ruled the region in the 15th and early 16th centuries.