Leave the Past Behind Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was established in 1922, and during its existence was the largest country in the world by area. It spanned two continents - Europe and Asia, and covered eleven time zones. It emerged after the Russian Empire was overthrown. A key proponent of communist states, the Soviet Union tried to create a new world order, competing with the USA for global supremacy. Though it managed to establish itself as a leading superpower for many decades, it ultimately was dissolved in 1992, resulting in 15 independent countries.

After World War II, Germany was split into two parts. East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic, was the communist part, and aligned itself with the Soviet Union. On 3 October 1990, it reunited with West Germany and ceased to exist as an independent country.

Yugoslavia was formed in 1918 after the end of World War I, when territories that had been under the rule of the Ottoman and Hapsburg Empires for centuries achieved sovereignty with the dissolution of these kingdoms. Yugoslavia literally translates to 'Land of the South Slavs'. Located in Central Europe and covering most of the Balkan Peninsula, this country existed until 1992 when individual regions declared their independence, a process that began in 1989 with revolutions following periods of economic distress.

Czechoslovakia was a landlocked country in Central Europe. It was formed in 1918 after World War I when it declared independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Captured by Germany during the Second World War, it regained its independence after the war ended. However, it was another casualty of the unrest in Central Europe in the 1980s-90s brought on by economic challenges and revolt against the ruling parties. Unlike other neighbouring countries though, it split peacefully into two separate countries, Czech Republic and Slovakia, on 31 December, 1992.

Biafra was a short-lived state in western Africa that existed for barely three years from 1967 to 1970. It was formed when the Eastern Region governor Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu unilaterally declared independence from the rest of Nigeria, citing violence against the Igbos. He declared himself president of the new country. Biafra was only recognized by some African countries as an independent country though it did receive some unofficial support from others like France, Portugal, and Israel. Nigeria attempted to recapture Biafra, which resulted in the Nigerian Civil War. After 3 years, Ojukwu fled and sought asylum in the Ivory Coast. His successor, Philip Effiong, oversaw the surrender of Biafra to Nigeria.

In 1954, Vietnam was partitioned following the decisions taken at the 1954 Geneva Conference by all involved stakeholders. The northern part of the country was communist, while the south was not. South Vietnam, officially known as the Republic of Vietnam, came into existence due to this partition. It lasted until 1976 when both parts of the country united again to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Among the countries in this quiz, the People's Republic of Zanzibar lasted for the shortest time, being a mere three months. The Zanzibar Revolution began in January 1964 and was successful in overthrowing the sultan and his government. The country voluntarily decided to unite with neighbouring Tanganyika. The merged country was initially called United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, but a year later changed its name to the United Republic of Tanzania.

While Tibet was incorporated into the Qing Empire in the early 18th century, it still functioned as a largely independent territory. When the Qing dynasty collapsed, Tibet established itself as an independent country in 1912. This claim was not accepted by China and ultimately China annexed Tibet in 1951. The Tibetan leader at the time, the 13th Dalai Lama, escaped to India seeking asylum and established a government in exile.

The Kingdom of Sikkim was a monarchy that exited for almost three centuries after its establishment in 1642. In April 1975, it was annexed by India and shortly thereafter declared a state of India.

The United Arab Republic was formed in 1958 when Egypt and Syria united. The union was considered the first step towards creating a pan-Arab republic across the Middle East. However, in 1961, a coup in Syria resulted in the country exiting the union. Egypt stayed as the lone country under the name UAR till it reverted to Egypt in 1971.