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Most Recent Country To ...

Can you name the most recent country to do these things?
Gold indicates a country which no longer exists
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: January 5, 2024
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First submittedJanuary 13, 2017
Times taken46,895
Average score60.0%
Rating4.23
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Most recent country to …
Year
Country
Surpass 1 billion in
population
1998
India
Surpass 100 million in
population
2022
D. R. Congo
Become a nuclear power
2006
North Korea
Suffer a 9.0 earthquake
2011
Japan
Host the Winter Olympics
2022
China
Join NATO
2023
Finland
Join the United Nations
2011
South Sudan
Join the EU
2013
Croatia
Invade British territory
1982
Argentina
Stop recognizing the British
monarch as head of state
2021
Barbados
Most recent country to …
Year
Country
Be annexed
1990
East Germany
Be annexed by China
1951
Tibet
Gain "observer" status to the
United Nations
2012
Palestinian
Territories
Control the entire Mediterranean
395
Roman Empire
Be settled by human beings
1770
Seychelles
Be settled by human beings
(Europe)
874
Iceland
Officially execute a former leader
2006
Iraq
Capture Moscow
1812
France
Make slavery illegal
1981
Mauritania
Re-establish foreign relations
with the United States
2015
Cuba
+13
Level 77
Jan 13, 2017
I am somewhat surprised by the low percentage on "to be annexed". Must be a high percentage of facepalms going around.
+23
Level 86
Jan 13, 2017
Well, technically, it is an annexion. Anyway, the spirit was to reunify a split country, not to conquer or subjugate.
+4
Level 79
Apr 2, 2020
annexation*
+8
Level 92
Jan 5, 2024
Though annexation is more common, annexion isn't wrong.
+2
Level 40
Jan 8, 2024
Right
+10
Level 77
Jan 13, 2017
I had figured Kuwait, but that was a few months earlier in 1990
+7
Level 75
Jan 14, 2017
The two countries were West Germany and East Germany beforehand, so how could either be "annexed" into the other? The Germans describe it as unification.
+20
Level 74
Jan 14, 2017
Technically, the GDR ("East Germany") dissolved in five countries, who then joined the FRG ("West Germany"). It's really a little bit wierd to read it as an annexation.
+7
Level 72
Apr 2, 2020
Yeah, that seems like a bit of a stretch to me too. Bonn is not the capital of a Greater West Germany today. The two became one. I suppose one could argue that the political system of the west was maintained after unification, but that still seems to be stretching the definition.
+29
Level 78
Apr 2, 2020
The confusion about this topic likely stems from the fact that the two countries are colloquially known as "West" and "East" Germany internationally. Technically though, they were the Federal Republic and the Democratic Republic. Modern-day Germany retains the name Federal Republic, its Basic Law, and its political system. In the minds of Germans, it was a unification because the people were unified. But to quote Wikipedia: "The post-1990 united Germany is not a successor state, but an enlarged continuation of the former West Germany."
+8
Level ∞
Jan 5, 2024
This exactly.
+1
Level 68
Feb 9, 2024
Couldn't have said it better!
+2
Level 35
Feb 12, 2024
Yes, but "annexation" is a unilateral process, usually by force. Here, we have a merger or joining, but certainly NOT an annexation.
+5
Level 69
Jan 14, 2017
If we're going by the dictionary definition of "annex" (and if we're using the word, I don't see why we wouldn't), it means "to add (territory) to one's own territory by appropriation" (appropriation: the action of taking something for one's own use, typically without the owner's permission). I therefore don't see how "annex" fits here, since: (1) W. Germany did not *acquire* E. Germany "for its own use", as W. Germany ceased upon unification to exist, and the new country officially became just "Germany"; (2) The "without the the owner's permission" obviously does not apply, as the E. German parliament agreed wholeheartedly and participated fully. (3) It was completed via treaty. (I know some actual annexations had treaties were forced to be signed, but this one was obviously not done under duress).
+2
Level 68
Feb 9, 2024
"West Germany" is a colloquial name. It's the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland), and it very much still exists.
+3
Level 48
Feb 9, 2024
Agreed with both - samiamco and dunkinggandalf. I would not call this an annexation due to reasons 2) and 3).

Reason 1) is wrong as FDR still exists and West Germany was never an official name. Still would not call it annexation for reasons 2) and 3).

+1
Level 35
Feb 12, 2024
The GDR does not exist anymore, the FRG does, albeit it is now the Berlin republic, not the Bonn republic.
+7
Level ∞
Jan 14, 2017
I don't think that hostile intent is implied. For example, the incorporation of Texas into the United States is described as an annexation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_annexation

+9
Level 82
Jan 15, 2017
It was annexation in the sense that they didn't form a new country together. The Federal Republic of Germany, previously commonly known as West Germany, continued to exist in enlarged form with the same name, laws, constitution, EU membership etc, which were gradually applied also in the eastern part.
+1
Level 57
Apr 28, 2017
How about "voluntarily merge into another country".
+3
Level 80
Apr 28, 2017
Perhaps we're splitting hairs, but I grew up in (West) Germany and have never thought of it as, nor heard it describe as, an "annexation."
+2
Level 66
Oct 28, 2017
And the Annexation of Hawaii... well that was sort of Hostile...
+3
Level ∞
Jan 5, 2024
An annexation can be hostile. Or it can not be.
+1
Level 35
Feb 12, 2024
Nope, it is always hostile. Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory.
+2
Level 70
Apr 20, 2018
I think the Mexicans might have regarded it as hostile.
+6
Level 63
Apr 2, 2020
By the time Texas became part of the US, it was independent from Mexico, so Mexicans wouldn't have any standing to say something about it.
+2
Level 66
Apr 28, 2017
What Arp said. I never viewed it as an annexion, that's why I missed it. Definitely facepalmed.
+1
Level 70
Feb 9, 2024
I just kept typing South Yemen for a while, and then recalled DDR.
+2
Level 68
Feb 9, 2024
It has been very well explained how the Reunification of Germany was technically an annexation, and that was very much intentional. There were suggestion, in 1989-1990 to form a new State that would be the product of a true unification, and that would retain what each of the states did better than the other. The GDR ("East Germany") for instance had much more developped child care, and in general the system was less biased against women. There were suggestions for a new flag, a new national anthem, a new Constitution... The CDU, who was in power in the FRG, refused all of it. In time, I think it was a mistake, as it has fuelled a lot of resentment in the East.
+3
Level 65
Jan 13, 2017
Very nice idea! Keep these coming as a series!
+2
Level 72
Jan 8, 2024
Quizmaster says he doesn't want to, so I made one. https://www.jetpunk.com/user-quizzes/1699940/most-recent-country-to-2
+6
Level 70
Jan 13, 2017
Mauritania still turns a blind eye to slavery. Wikipedia has an entire page just about it.
+2
Level 60
Apr 20, 2022
Yes, it was only criminalized once in 2007 and again in 2015.
+3
Level 69
Jan 14, 2017
Is it required that the *entire* country on the receiving end be annexed? Because Ukraine…
+2
Level 60
Jan 14, 2017
Apparently so
+1
Level 67
Apr 28, 2017
Republic of Crimea
+2
Level 60
Apr 20, 2022
Wasn't independent as Republic of Crimea at the time, though. It's not like we need another ROC...
+1
Level 62
Feb 5, 2017
What is the definition of an annexation. Is Iraq on Kuwait not included
+4
Level 60
Apr 28, 2017
You will note that Kuwait remains a separate country.
+4
Level 61
Apr 28, 2017
Apparently the annexation of Kuwait happened a few months too early for it to be included in this quiz.
+2
Level 95
Feb 20, 2017
Gadafi (sp?) was executed in Libya during the Arab Spring rebellions since Saddam Hussein was executed in Iraq.

Though I guess it wasn't technically an execution because he was never put up for trial. He was hunted down and killed by a mob. Not sure if that is considered an execution or not.

+7
Level ∞
Feb 21, 2017
I think you answered your own question!
+1
Level 65
Apr 2, 2020
Executed execution style?
+2
Level 45
Apr 28, 2017
I only got 8 but tbh that's better than I thought. I accidentally got Iraq
+3
Level 29
Apr 28, 2017
Roman Empire is not a "country"... Just saying...
+3
Level 29
Apr 28, 2017
Palestinian Territories is not a country either...
+18
Level 62
Apr 28, 2017
Well Palestine is a country to 136 countries.
+3
Level 60
Apr 20, 2022
But not to JetPunk.
+1
Level 37
Apr 28, 2017
I agree, I even tried Italy...which is a country
+3
Level 65
Apr 29, 2017
My first instinct, on seeing the instructions, was this quiz should be the yellow box format....having done it I can see why it is not. Tough. Nice one, well done.
+2
Level 65
Apr 29, 2017
I'm surprised so many people remembered the Falklands War. I would've thought the answer was Ireland, for their conflict with Northern Ireland.
+2
Level 55
May 1, 2017
We're famous for fighting those Brits for what's ours
+2
Level 83
Feb 9, 2024
If we're going by what the people there want, then they're 99.9% British. If we're going by who got there first, then they're French, which would be a great compromise that everybody could complain about together.
+1
Level 60
Apr 20, 2022
I thought of the Netherlands.
+3
Level 54
Dec 10, 2023
The Irish government has not fought a war on British soil since the 1920s.
+3
Level 87
Jan 9, 2024
We weren’t fighting the Irish, Northern Ireland was an internal UK conflict
+1
Level 14
Dec 6, 2017
Can you please add Italy to Roman Empire? XD I kept saying "It's ITALY DANGIT!"
+1
Level 55
Jan 16, 2018
Don't you mean 4 of these countries no longer exist. Palestine once existed...
+4
Level ∞
Jan 5, 2024
Palestine still exists. It's just not fully independent.
+2
Level 82
Jan 5, 2024
The same could be said of Tibet
+2
Level 72
Jan 6, 2024
But Tibet is not partially independent like Palestine
+2
Level 78
Apr 6, 2019
Palestine should've been accepted
+3
Level ∞
Mar 15, 2020
It is
+2
Level 66
Jan 21, 2020
Last country to be annexed is Western Sahara. They were annexed before they even got a chance to vote for their freedom. It is still illegally annexed by Morocco, and Morocco is profiting from resources that belong to the Sahrawis.
+6
Level 56
Apr 2, 2020
1. It was not independent. 2. Happened in the 70s and 80s, before Germany.
+3
Level 70
Apr 2, 2020
Great quiz. Why not make it a series?
+3
Level ∞
Jan 5, 2024
Too tough to find new questions!
+2
Level 72
Jan 8, 2024
I made one if you want to try it.

https://www.jetpunk.com/user-quizzes/1699940/most-recent-country-to-2

+2
Level 41
Apr 2, 2020
Can you accept Germany for East Germany? I know they are not the same thing but I suppose a lot of people (like me) tried Germany for the last annexed one and thought it wasn't DDR
+1
Level 85
Apr 2, 2020
Germany was not annexed, the GDR (East Germany) was annexed.
+1
Level 55
Apr 2, 2020
smh i didnt know about winter olympics
+1
Level 70
Apr 2, 2020
Great idea!
+3
Level 65
Apr 2, 2020
My first reaction, pre-taking it, was this should be yellow boxed. Then I did the quiz! Thank god it wasn't. PS Great quiz, thanks
+4
Level 71
Apr 2, 2020
It says "Most recent country to control the entire Mediterranean" as though other countries/empires controlled the entire Mediterranean.
+3
Level 78
Apr 2, 2020
I think it might perhaps be humour
+3
Level 71
Apr 2, 2020
I thought it was kinda funny, I just wasn't sure if that was the intent or not
+3
Level 65
Apr 12, 2020
Great quiz! I got a lot of these by guessing an answer to the wrong question.
+3
Level 69
Feb 20, 2022
Needs an update for the Winter Olympics question. Barbados also might count for the "get rid of their monarchy" question (though it's not really *their* monarchy)
+1
Level ∞
Feb 21, 2022
Updated
+4
Level 73
Mar 6, 2022
Yes, I think Barbados should be there too! The monarch, despite being British, was the Queen of Barbados as well, simultaneously holding the title of the Queen of the UK and 14 other nations.

Commonwealth realms are all independent nations and their monarchies are really *theirs*. No one calls Elizabeth II the Queen of the United Kingdom in Australia or New Zealand. She just happens to hold all these titles despite those countries being independent.

In short, the monarch is the same person, but hold legally distinct and separate titles in 15 different countries.

+2
Level 71
May 11, 2023
Barbados abolished its monarchy in 2021.
+1
Level 57
Jun 6, 2023
Ukraine's been annexed more recently.

As has Barbados with regards to abolishing the monarchy.

+6
Level 80
Jan 5, 2024
I think this refers to the whole country. Only parts of Ukraine have been annexed.
+16
Level 72
Jan 5, 2024
Um... is it supposed to be "Gain "observer" status to the United Nations"?
+3
Level 59
Jan 5, 2024
yep was about to say
+3
Level 89
Jan 5, 2024
I was thinking the same thing.
+2
Level 68
Jan 5, 2024
Yeah this needs to be updated. Should be observer status to UN not US
+2
Level ∞
Jan 5, 2024
Fixed
+2
Level 88
Jan 5, 2024
The year of the most recent country to get to 1 billion population needs to be corrected.
+2
Level 49
Feb 9, 2024
Why?
+1
Level 72
Feb 9, 2024
That’s the year India reached one billion
+2
Level 78
Jan 6, 2024
Is it possible to accept "Eastern Germany" as well?
+2
Level 68
Feb 9, 2024
East Germany was anything but annexed.
+1
Level 48
Feb 10, 2024
I kept thinking (and wanting to think) Pitcairn Islands for last place to be settled by humans.

(remember, remember, it's not a country!)