Credo Reference Friday Brainteaser – Independence
Many nations used to be colonised by other countries but have won their independence. See if you can answer these questions about independence.
1. Which nation was created when it adopted the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776?
2. Jamaica became independent from which country in 1962?
3. In which year did the Soviet Union break up after declarations of independence by many of its constituent republics: 1981, 1991 or 2001?
4. Until 1822, was Brazil a colony of Spain, Portugal or Italy?
5. Until 1816, was Argentina a colony of Spain, Portugal or Italy?
6. Which Mediterranean island became an independent country in 1960 with Archbishop Makarios as president?
7. What was Zimbabwe called before it gained independence in 1980?
8. Which country, whose capital is Helsinki, became independent from Russia in 1917?
9. In 1971, East Pakistan broke away from West Pakistan to become which independent country?
10. Burkina Faso (or Upper Volta) achieved independence from which country on August 5, 1960?
How did you do?
0 – 1 Mmmm, not exactly brilliant.
2 – 5 A reasonable stab.
6 – 8 A good showing. But there’s still room for improvement!
9 – 10 You really know your stuff. Well done!
Questions set by Tony Augarde (www.augardebooks.co.uk)
Surely the answer to 2. is the United Kingdom. Great Britain is not a country, it’s an island containing three countries. The State is called the UK and includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
This is the first time I got them all right ! Yippee !
Zimbabwe was previously known as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia (from 1978 -1980). Prior to that it was called Rhodesia (from 1965 – 1978). And prior to that it was called Southern Rhodesian (when it was part of the federation of Rhodesia and Nayasaland). Your citation reference needs to be updated!
This should have been saved for the July 4th, Indepenedence Day Holiday!
Question 7. Zimbabwe was called Rhodesia not Southern Rhodesia before independence in 1980 (the Southern part of the name was dropped in 1968 at the time of UDI, although not surprisingly the British didn’t recognise the change).
Two Queries – Wasn’t UDI in 1966? I can remember waiting outside a building near Trafalgar Square (was it Rhodesia House?) and that was 1966.
By which you mean “then called Upper Volta” I presume. The name changed in 1984, but it wasn’t until (probably) the early 90s that I came across the new name.