What's My Name? Trivia Quiz

Answer: United Mexican States

Mexico consists of 31 states and the Federal Capital District.

Answer: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Ah, now here's a subject on which I could talk at length.

Great Britain as a nation was formed in 1707 by the union of Scotland and England. When Ireland was incorporated into the union in 1801 the name was changed to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1927, following the independence six years earlier of the southern counties of Ireland as the Irish Free State, Britain's official name was changed to the current form.

The only acceptable abbreviations are "Britain" or "the United Kingdom". Great Britain refers to the largest of the British Isles and therefore excludes Northern Ireland (the "great" refers to the geographical size of the island as the largest of the British Isles and in comparison to Brittany in France and not to any position of influence the country once had). England refers only to the largest part of Great Britain. Nothing is calculated to upset the Scots, the Welsh and the Northern Irish more than being described as English.

Answer: Socialist Republic of Vietnam

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam was formed in 1976 by the union of the Demoratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the Republic of South Vietnam (which had been formed only a year before as a communist successor to the Republic of Vietnam which itself had been formed in 1954 when Vietnam was partitioned).

Answer: Republic of South Africa

The Union of South Africa was the name used following independence from Britain in 1910. It was changed to the Republic of South Africa in 1961 and the name was kept following the end of apartheid in 1994.

Answer: Democratic People's Republic of Korea

The Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea.

Answer: Federal Republic of Germany

The Federal Republic was formed in 1949 from the parts of Germany then occupied by France, Britain and the USA. The Soviet-occupied area became the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in the same year. The two Germanies were reunited in 1990 and the Federal Republic of Germany became the name of the reunited Germany.

Answer: Russian Federation

The Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic was the largest of the constituent republics of the USSR. When the USSR dissolved in 1991 Russia became an independent nation under the name of the Russian Federation.

Answer: State of Israel

The State of Israel was formed in 1948. Israel has declared Jerusalem as its capital although most countries maintain their embassies in the original capital, Tel Aviv.

Answer: Republic of Bolivia

Bolivia is named after the South American liberator, Simon Bolivar. It gained independence from Spain in 1825 and has undergone over 200 coups since then.

Answer: Islamic Republic of Iran

Originally known as Persia, the country's official name was changed to Iran in 1935. The Islamic Revolution and the overthrow of the shah in 1979 led to the adoption of the current name.

Answer: Malaysia

The official name of the country sometimes appears as the Federation of Malaysia although it is in fact just Malaysia. Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy - the position of Supreme Leader (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) rotates every five years between the nine rulers of the Malay states.

Answer: Swiss Confederation

Swiss cantons first banded together in the 13th Century but it was not until the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 that Switerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised. The Latin form of the country's name is sometimes used to avoid selecting one of the four official languages over the others: Confoederatio Helvetica.

Answer: People's Republic of Bangladesh

Despite the fact that "people's republics" tend to have communist governments, Banglasdesh is not communist and has been a democracy since 1991. It gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, prior to which it had been known as East Pakistan.

Answer: United Republic of Tanzania

Tanzania was formed in 1964 by the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.

Answer: Islamic Republic of Pakistan

The name Pakistan is traditionally held to be an acronym of various areas of the country (the exact listing is the subject of some debate but is often held to be: Punjab, Afghania (ie North West Frontier Province), Kashmir, Indus Valley and -stan, meaning "land"). The name also translates as "land of the pure".

Answer: Arab Republic of Egypt

Egypt was briefly united with Syria under the name the United Arab Republic from 1958. Attempts were made to bring Yemen into the union but it dissolved in 1961 when Syria withdrew. Egypt continued to use the name though until 1971.

Answer: Republic of Turkey

Turkey became a republic in 1923 under the Turkish national hero, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. This followed the loss of huge swathes of land of the former Ottoman Empire in the wake of the First World War.

Answer: Federated States of Micronesia

The Federated States of Micronesia was formally part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, a UN trust under US administration. It consists of over 600 islands and became independent in 1986. Although commonly used to refer to the Federated States, Micronesia also refers to a vast number of islands in the western Pacific not necessarily part of the Federated States.

Answer: Sultanate of Oman

The Sultan of Oman retains a great deal of power, acting as his own prime minister as well as head of state.

Answer: Commonwealth of the Bahamas

The Bahamas gained independence from Britain in 1973 although Queen Elizabeth II remains head of state. Christopher Colombus first set foot in the New World in the Bahamas in 1492.

Answer: Republic of Namibia

Namibia was a previously a colony of South Africa when it was known as South-West Africa. Prior to that it was a German colony and known as German South-West Africa. It took the name of the Republic of Namibia on gaining independence from South Africa in 1990.

Answer: Federal Republic of Nigeria

When Nigeria became independent of the UK in 1960 it was a federation of three regions. It now consists of 36 states plus the federal capital territory. There are over 250 different ethnic groups in Nigeria.

Answer: Kyrgyz Republic

Kyrgytstan beame independent of the USSR in 1991. Prior to that it had been known as the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic.

Answer: Lao People's Democratic Republic

Laos became communist in 1975 when the government of the old Kingdom of Laos was overthrown.

Answer: Kingdom of Sweden

Sweden has been an independent kingdom since it left the Union of Kalmar (with Denmark and Norway) in 1523.