Countries in Memory Only Quiz | Mixed Bag

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was followed a year later by the fall of which country's government? That country then merged with its larger neighbor.

Answer: German Democratic Republic (East Germany)

East Germany was formed as a Soviet satellite following World War II, and remained under Soviet control or influence until 1989. East Germany operated as an independent country for almost a year before reunification with West Germany was accomplished.

2. Which US state was independent for fourteen years before joining the union as the fourteenth state?

Answer: Vermont

Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys helped to establish Vermont as its own entity, over the objection of the New York colony. Vermont fought on the side of the colonies in the Revolutionary War. Interestingly, Vermont's constitution was the first in North America to abolish adult slavery.

3. Which former Soviet-bloc country peacefully split into two different republics on January 1, 1993?

Answer: Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia fell under Soviet influence after World War II, but attempted to liberate itself in 1968. That revolution was quashed by Soviet military might.
After the Soviet Union fell apart, Czechoslovakia became an independent country, but the two regional factions made agreement on most issues impossible. What they did agree on was a peaceful division. The result was the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

4. Which country in North America maintained its independence from 1836 to 1845 before being annexed into its larger neighbor?

Answer: Texas

After declaring its independence from Mexico, Texas was politically torn between those who wanted to remain independent and those who wanted to join the USA as a state. By mutual agreement, Texas became the 28th state of the USA in 1845. It wasn't until the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848 that the status and borders of Texas were finally settled.

5. Which countries were formed from the former colony of Rhodesia?

Answer: Zambia and Zimbabwe

Rhodesia was named in 1895 after the British mining magnate and politician Cecil Rhodes, who was the first Prime Minister of Cape Colony. In 1911, it split into Northern Rhodesia and Southern Rhodesia which were both partially self-governing but still British protectorates in southern Africa.

In 1953, Nyasaland joined these two to form a federation. By 1964, the tribal people of what was mostly Northern Rhodesia were given full independence as the nation of Zambia, with Kenneth Kuanda as its first president. Guerrilla warfare and civil strife in the balance of the federation led to the creation of Zimbabwe, which was fully independent by 1980 with Robert Mugabe as Executive President. One of the world's natural wonders, Victoria Falls, lies on the border of the two nations, which frequently are hostile to each other.

6. Despite the help of the US military, which country in southeast Asia fell to its northern neighbor and its own insurgents in 1975?

Answer: South Vietnam

The US government tried to prop up the South Vietnamese government with money, arms, troops, and blanket bombing, but it was all for naught. The Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese army overran Saigon in April, 1975, and the entire country of Vietnam was united under communist control.

7. Which two independent nations peacefully merged in 1964 to form modern-day Tanzania?

Answer: Tanganyika and Zanzibar

Tanganyika (1961) and Zanzibar (1963) each gained independence from the UK. The agreed merger of the two was completed in 1964 with Julius Nyerere as the first Tanzanian president.

8. This country declared and maintained its independence for four years but was never formally recognized by the international community. Which country did the USA defeat in war in 1865?

Answer: Confederate States of America

Eleven US states seceded from the union in 1860/61 and formed the CSA. Abraham Lincoln refused to accept secession and used military force to return them to the union.

9. Which island nation was independent for hundreds of years before being annexed by the USA in 1898?

Answer: Hawaii

Hawaii was a monarchy until Americans living there orchestrated the overthrow of the queen in 1893. After the revolution, Sanford Dole became the President of Hawaii and lobbied the US government for annexation. The other three answers were all Spanish territories that were ceded to the USA in 1898 after the Spanish-American War.

10. Name the former country that declared its independence in 1913 but was taken over by China in 1951. Hint: It has the highest average elevation in the world.

Answer: Tibet

Of the incorrect answers, Bhutan and Nepal retain their independence, and Sikkim is now a state in northern India.

Source: Author tadpoles_uk

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Countries in Memory Only Trivia Quiz

A surprising number of countries have come and gone over history. This quiz asks about ones that disappeared after 1800.

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