Countries and Life Expectancies Quiz

Answer: Monaco

The average life expectancy of somebody born in Monaco was an amazing 87.2 years in 2013 data. The actress Grace Kelly left Hollywood to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956.

Answer: Japan

The average life expectancy of somebody born in Japan was 84.6 years in 2013. The bullet train is a high-speed rail link in Japan where train speeds can reach up to 200 mph.

Answer: Chile

The average life expectancy of a Chilean was 79.5 years in 2013. Chile has more volcanoes than any other country in the world except for Indonesia. Fortunately, most of them are dormant or extinct. There are more than thirty volcanoes on the active list, but as many as 500 are potentially active.

Answer: Mauritius

In 2013, the average life expectancy of a native of Mauritius was 75.2 years. Mauritius has a chequered history. It was discovered by the Portuguese in 1507, settled by the Dutch about 130 years later and became a French colony just a few years after that. The British took control in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars. It gained independence in 1968.

Answer: Sierra Leone

The life expectancy of somebody from Sierra Leone was just 47.5 years in 2013. Its economy is based on mining diamonds and the production of titanium, bauxite (the main source of aluminum) and gold.

Answer: Canada

In 2013, the life expectancy of somebody from Canada was 84.5 years. The largest country in the world by area is Russia.

Answer: Australia

Australia itself came in at number 11 on the WHO list in 2013. The average life expectancy was 83 years at the time. New Zealand was 81.7 years. Tonga dropped down to 74.5 years and Samoa was 74 years. Willem Janszoon tried to settle in Australia, but eventually gave up and returned home after fighting against the Aborigines.

The British first sighted Australia in 1622, and it was the Englishman Captain James Cook who claimed Australia for Britain in 1770 when he made landfall near what became Sydney.

The first colony was started some 18 years later when eleven ships under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip landed in 1788.

Answer: United Arab Emirates

The life expectancy of somebody from the United Arab Emirates was 79.2 years in 2013. It consists of seven emirates, each of which has a different hereditary ruler who is a member of a Supreme Council responsible for setting general policies and federal legislation of the seven member emirates.

The emirate members are: Abu Dhabi (which serves as the capital), Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain.

Answer: Iceland

In 2013, the life expectancies of the five Scandinavian countries were: Iceland 83.3 years, Sweden 83 years, Norway 81.9 years, Finland 81 years and Denmark 79.5 years. The 'Cod War' of the 1970s revolved around the amounts of fish caught in the seas near Iceland by British fishing boats. Icelandic Coast Guard ships started to use net cutters against British boats who returned later with British Navy Frigates for protection.

The situation was eventually settled by agreement between the two nations.

Answer: Russia

In 2013, the disparity between men and women's life expectancies was: Russia (12 years); Latvia (9 years); Lithuania (10.2 years); Georgia (8.6 years). The average age at death for men in Russia was 64 years and for women 76 years, which is a startling difference to my mind.

The cathedral referred to in the question is, of course, in Red Square, Moscow, and is called St. Basil's Cathedral.