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Recently Independent Countries Quiz

Guess these countries that gained independence in 1990 or later.
Even if they were previously independent at some time in the past
Does not include Germany, which was the absorption of the East into the West
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Featured Quiz
Last updated: February 16, 2019
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First submittedApril 9, 2012
Times taken72,436
Rating4.98
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Former USSR
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Estonia
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lithuania
Moldova
Russia
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Former Yugoslavia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Kosovo
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Serbia
Slovenia
 
Former Czechoslovakia
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Since
How
Country
2011
from Sudan
South Sudan
2002
from Indonesia
East Timor
1994
from UN Trust
Palau
1993
from Ethiopia
Eritrea
1990
Merger of two countries
Yemen
1990
from South Africa
Namibia
xolkan
+93
Level 55
Apr 9, 2012
wow I feel stupid, I missed Russia :/
Cahill2
+9
Level 37
May 14, 2014
Same. A facepalm just isn't enough.
sillie
+4
Level 82
May 31, 2014
A headdesk? - Missed it as well.
tailsfan11
+3
Level 50
Jan 3, 2018
:wallbang: Also missed it.
divantilya
+3
Level 37
Jan 24, 2018
1000 demerits for me. Totally omitted Russia and couldn't spell kyrgyzstan. (still can't).
KataJ
+5
Level 40
Apr 17, 2018
@divantilya but you just spelt kyrgyzstan right
GeoNat
+1
Level 27
Oct 3, 2020
Kzgyryzgstan
Jhangeomath
+2
Level 21
Sep 11, 2014
I feel stupid too.
kalbahamut
+11
Level 81
May 28, 2015
Tricky trying to figure out countries that gained independence from themselves.
beccimoo
+3
Level 59
May 28, 2015
Thanks to all the above. I missed Russia, and it's good to know I wasn't alone. Didn't know abut Namibia, but that is easier to forgive, I think!
tom88
+5
Level 67
Mar 8, 2016
strangely enough I got namibia simply because I was guessing countries near south africa, but I still didn't get russia!
Djilas
+2
Level 78
Aug 13, 2017
But it's true, basically Russia seceded from USSR.
sillie
+15
Level 82
Aug 14, 2017
To tom88: Russia is nowhere near South Africa so your your method would fail there easily. Don't feel bad.
Adaphare
+1
Level 57
Jul 13, 2020
Sillie, i believe Tom meant to say that despite he got Namibia as he tried to guess it by writing every country around South Africa (as that is the given clue to get it), he couldn't get Russia, the most self evident answer to the USSR former countries. He didn't think, by any mean, that he would have guessed up Russia by writing down the South Africa's neighbors.
FolgoreCZ
+3
Level 55
Jul 18, 2020
Adaphare: r/whoooooosh
IvanTheNorse
+1
Level 60
May 29, 2015
I think many people missed that one.
akwildrose
+1
Level 53
Aug 3, 2015
I was about to say the exact same thing. *facepalm*
ChocolateMoose
+1
Level 35
Dec 2, 2015
people don't really think of russia because that's what the soviet union pretty much is right now
samiamco
+1
Level 72
May 11, 2016
Russian misery loves company, apparently.
Possums
+1
Level 34
Oct 11, 2016
You should
theperiodictable
+3
Level 46
Dec 27, 2016
LARGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD? IT WAS MY FIRST GUESS
akwildrose
+1
Level 53
Aug 14, 2017
I did, too! lol
starfast
+1
Level 61
Jan 3, 2018
I felt stupid for missing Russia as well, but I feel a little better reading through all these comments. Glad I wasn't the only one.
Fee
+6
Level 50
Jan 4, 2018
I can't believe I missed Palau, it made all the headlines. Remember the celebrations, all 50 Palauians asking themselves "what's happening? We're what now?"
seabird
+1
Level 60
Jan 9, 2018
Me too. I got all the other former USSR countries but Russia.
caryjames
+2
Level 5
Apr 10, 2018
Insults, vulgar language, and spam
Trepach
+1
Level 48
Mar 3, 2019
same
NINJAQKk
+1
Level 60
May 22, 2019
Same. Guessed all the other USSR countries tho :'(
ruudsje
+3
Level 73
Apr 9, 2012
completely forgot the baltic states
JHAssassin
+2
Level 32
Sep 4, 2013
those are confusing since lithuania existed with polish-lithuania empire
fitheach
+22
Level 58
Mar 24, 2017
Blimey, how old are you if the Polish-Lithuanian Empire is the first thing you think about when Lithuania is mentioned?!
lmiller
+1
Level 35
Apr 10, 2018
not old, interested in history....
Lilylee
+5
Level 69
May 28, 2015
They all existed before WW II , how they see it, they were only occupied by Soviet Union after that.
ander217
+1
Level 78
Jan 3, 2018
+1
KatMoe
+1
Level 61
Apr 9, 2012
Glad to see I'm not the only one who forgot Russia.
xolkan
+1
Level 55
Apr 9, 2012
i am also glad to see that I wasn't the only one to miss Russia lol
zoidberg
+1
Level 43
Apr 10, 2012
Missed Yemen!! 30/31 - so close
AlexDoubt
+1
Level 61
Apr 11, 2012
Dang! Missed Ukraine.. and Yemen and Palau :[
CapitalAce
+3
Level 59
Apr 24, 2012
Missed Yemen and Palau.
MayaB
+4
Level 70
Apr 5, 2018
So did I. And 80-85% of everybody who took this quiz.
CtG526
+2
Level 39
Jul 30, 2012
I didn't forget about Russia! :D
Kvkq
+1
Level 70
Sep 28, 2012
What two countries became Yemen?
bluesdjben
+3
Level 72
Nov 1, 2012
North Yemen and South Yemen, I think. I couldn't think of Yemen or Palau, even though I almost guessed Palau because I was guessing Pacific island countries for the UN trust one.
kalbahamut
+1
Level 81
Jan 10, 2013
Only missed Yemen. This happened in my life time (I was in 5th grade I guess) but I had no idea.
Findlay
+2
Level 73
Mar 13, 2018
I mean... it's not doing a very good job of being unified right now, so easy to miss.
baconator3000
+1
Level 30
Feb 22, 2013
Why does only 60% of people get Russia??
Tinu
+9
Level 43
May 17, 2014
I would guess it is because people tend to think about the old USSR as Russia and see the other former Soviet states as splitting from Russia rather than gaining independence together with it.
DavonK30
+4
Level 27
Apr 30, 2013
can you take FYR Macedonia for macedonia?
Tinu
+7
Level 43
May 17, 2014
Are you by any chance from Greece? (:
GalicianMapper
+3
Level 27
Jul 22, 2016
Or FYRoM.
kalbahamut
+2
Level 81
Jan 4, 2018
Please don't. Republic of Macedonia should work except that then you'd have to go and re-do all quizzes with countries as answers to accept the full official names... and that would be very dumb and unnecessary. If you then also accepted "FYROM".. you'd have to go and change every quiz with countries as answers to accept names that other people gave those countries out of spite. Or if you just wanted to make a special exception in this one case that would be okay as long as you also accepted "Former Ottoman Republic of Greece" and "FORoG" as a type-in for "Greece."
kalbahamut
+4
Level 81
May 22, 2019
I hope the whole "North Macedonia" thing has now laid this stupid argument to rest.
buck1017
+1
Level 72
Jul 25, 2013
Serbia? Wasn't it Serbian nationals that assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand? So was Serbia an independent nation, then lost their independence to Austria-Hungary during WWI, only to regain it later?
JHAssassin
+1
Level 32
Sep 4, 2013
yes serbia was independent after yugoslavia was disbanded, they just call it serbian because he was from the area where yugoslavia existed
Brickie
+2
Level 42
Feb 28, 2014
Sort of.

Serbia was an independent state in 1914 (freed itself from Turkey in the 19th C), and the assassination was carried out in the cause of Bosnia - then under Austrian rule - joining with Serbia. This was a popular cause among Bosnian Serbs, less so among the Croatian and Muslim populations.

World War I intervenes and, as part of Wilson's do-gooding, a new country of Yugoslavia ("South Slavs) was formed around Serbia, which dominated it in the way England dominates the UK. Fast Forward to the 1990s and Yugoslavia messily breaks up, leaving just Serbia and Montenegro calling themselves "Yugoslavia", then "Serbia and Montenegro" then finally just Serbia when Montenegro breaks away.

eurocrem
+1
Level 44
Dec 28, 2014
I'm from Serbia and i feel proud when you guys talk about us :) .

Serbia lost their independence to Austria-Hungary for only a month while Serbian soldiers were in Albania and Macedonia. After ww1 Yugoslavia mas made, and Serbia gains it's independence at 2006.

CreATive
+1
Level 50
Jan 30, 2014
Me too. I know that feel bro.
nightowl
+1
Level 52
Apr 13, 2014
Forgot Russia
Hevic
+1
Level 37
May 4, 2015
I may be wrong here, but why in the world is turkmenistan underneath the former yugoslavia nations
Symmetrik
+1
Level 58
May 28, 2015
I figured one of the 2 answers I was missing was a Pacific nation. I just didn't bother going through them all. Oh well.
takman
+1
Level 58
May 28, 2015
What about Vietnam? Isn't it a merger of South Vietnam and North Vietnam? (or was it all one country before it was split in two?)
ander217
+3
Level 78
May 28, 2015
Their reunification was in 1976. The caveat for this quiz says after 1990.
Elan
+1
Level 62
May 29, 2015
I followed the trend and missed Yemen and Palau...I had no idea of either of these.
QuizGuy2472
+1
Level 27
Jun 1, 2015
Only 60% of people get Russia, the ones that people get least are palau, yemen and namibia ansd more people guess east timor, eritrea, uzbekistan etc.
tuub
+2
Level 23
Oct 19, 2015
I´m missing Palestine.. I mean, they are considered a country by the UN.

Also, if Kosovo is on the list, shouldn´t other, simular ones, be aswell? Looking mostly at South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Somaliland ect.

ceoramalho
+1
Level 65
Dec 1, 2015
I was wondering about Palestine too, as many countries recognize it, in a similar case with Kosovo
PjotrL
+1
Level 70
Aug 14, 2017
This site follows the American version of the list of countries. Hence the ambiguous choice to accept Taiwan and Kosovo (both states of limited recognition) and the Vatican (UN observer), but not Palestine, which technically has exactly the same status as the Vatican.
Gamer1162
+2
Level 64
Aug 14, 2017
Even if Palestine was an accepted country in Jetpunk, it wouldn't make the list since it didn't gain independence in 1990 onward.
ChocolateMoose
+1
Level 35
Dec 2, 2015
So did I
yoyo541
+1
Level 28
Feb 15, 2016
The korean war isnt mentioned on here. i would get that fixed if i were u and play my quizzes today!! For free!!
samiamco
+4
Level 72
May 11, 2016
Well that was a) wrong, and b) shameless…
TheLetter5
+1
Level 20
May 1, 2016
Got all except palau and yemen
samiamco
+2
Level 72
May 11, 2016
All these gazillions of quiz questions with Czech Republic as the answer are going to have to be changed/amended to Czechia, since that's what those crazy Bohemians have gone and renamed themselves.
Beranek888
+1
Level 56
Nov 30, 2018
Not "renamed". Czechia is only the new formally accepted short name, while the Czech Republic still remains a correct full name.
GalicianMapper
+1
Level 27
Jul 22, 2016
Could you accept Czechia for Czech Republic? It's their new English name.
Supertramp
+1
Level 48
Dec 4, 2016
It is not. It's still an informal name.
ander217
+2
Level 78
Jan 3, 2018
Czechia works now.
Parinter
+1
Level 44
Oct 8, 2016
Maybe Kosovo it's in the independent countries of the right board because Kosovo was independent after that Yugoslavia was "breaking" (2008) so Kosovo was independent in an other period that all others countries former Yugoslavia. (very sorry for my English ;) )
Parinter
+1
Level 44
Oct 8, 2016
(= in French)

Peut-être que le Kosovo devrait être dans les pays du tableau de droite car le Kosovo a été indépendant après que la Yougoslavie soit disloquée (2008) donc le Kosovo a été indépendant à une autre période que tous les autres pays de l'ex-Yougoslavie.

CardinalSin
+1
Level 71
Jun 5, 2018
Vouz avez raison, mon ami.
serb381
+3
Level 27
Jan 6, 2018
Kosovo is not a country. It's still not recognized by more than 60 countries in the world including Russia, China, India, Indonesia etc.
PatoPotato
+1
Level 47
Dec 10, 2016
Only 60% got Russia? and 90% got Czech Republic?
idontkn1
+1
Level 83
Dec 27, 2016
What about the Marshall islands and Micronesia? Both did not formally become fully independent until 1990 by my quick Wikipedia inquiry.
nightmare
+1
Level 64
Dec 27, 2016
These quizzes always seem difficult to me because most of these 'recently independent countries are older than me
ander217
+1
Level 78
Jan 3, 2018
And I remember when Alaska and Hawaii weren't states, which means I have a much longer time to forget than you do. :)
marcorem451
+1
Level 19
Dec 27, 2016
Easier than I had feared...except for Palau, really had to do some digging into the atlas to get that one.
Carry
+1
Level 63
May 24, 2017
You got it from looking into an Atlas? What special kind of Atlas is that?
LongHistory3
+2
Level 24
Jan 11, 2017
kosovo?
RealTomHolland
+1
Level 58
Feb 14, 2017
I'm surprised 10% got Palau. As far as I was concerned, Oceania didn't exist in this quiz.
kolovozzz
+1
Level 33
Mar 23, 2017
That moment when you realize you actually forgot Russia :|
JCBCFC
+1
Level 43
Jul 23, 2017
Only missed Yemen and Palau on first attempt.
Shash
+1
Level 65
Jul 24, 2017
props to those that got Palau, not in a million years..
Rade
+1
Level 83
Aug 14, 2017
Kosovo separated from Serbia, not from Yugoslavia.
PjotrL
+2
Level 70
Aug 14, 2017
Kosovo was a part of the territory of Yugoslavia, even though it didn't directly declare it's independence at the same time as other, but neither did Montenegro.
ketchupkawawa
+1
Level 53
Aug 14, 2017
I only got Palau because I learned how Ngerulmud was founded, and I only got Yemen because of the "Countries of the World" song from Animaniacs, where it mentions "both Yemens"
kalbahamut
+2
Level 81
Jan 3, 2018
Latest update: QM has given in to the terrorists.
vincc
+1
Level 59
Jan 3, 2018
i KNOW there are smart people here HOWEVER Geography i happen to know a decent amount of , there is NO possible way that getting 27th percentile my first try is a representation of what i know statistically this is skewed by repetitive test taking by people who get on here and pose that they know more than they actually do going in to the test first time , some will call me a sore loser but i most assuredly am correct , i am off to score very high my second time and return to brag
kalbahamut
+2
Level 81
Jan 3, 2018
yeah you sound a bit sore. This was a pretty easy quiz for a geography nerd. If you only managed 27th percentile that probably means you missed 5 on your first try. But the 24 in the 2 left columns are all give-aways given the hints.. and the 6 in the right column aren't exactly impossible.
jmellor13
+2
Level 65
Jan 3, 2018
Yeah...you're wrong. As kal said, the hints make this a very easy quiz. Most people know what states comprised the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia.

Secondly, not everyone takes a test repeatedly to "pose that they know more than they actually do." Some people take the tests repeatedly to (gasp!) *actually learn things and commit them to memory.* Don't project your ego problems onto everyone else.

Prioctopus
+3
Level 63
Jan 3, 2018
Shouldn't Germany be in this quiz aswell?
Gassu
+2
Level 72
Jan 3, 2018
Read the description again
Henceforth516
+1
Level 78
Jan 3, 2018
Not to split hairs, but I do not believe Palau was a UN Trust - it was a "free association" with the United States though an independent republic since 1981. Completely independent in 1994, yes, so to be technically correct it ought to say independent from the US, not the UN.
betarad
+1
Level 32
Jan 3, 2018
it took awhile but i finally got russia
Dijko
+1
Level 45
Jan 3, 2018
Damm it Yemen!
bocoker
+2
Level 73
Jan 3, 2018
Where's Nambia?
Froststar101
+1
Level 66
Jan 3, 2018
Nowhere, because there's no such country.
Gassu
+3
Level 72
Jan 4, 2018
Only in Trump‘s mind
Moon101
+1
Level 41
Jan 3, 2018
Look at me getting the 2nd least guessed one without google
Sifhraven
+1
Level 67
Jan 23, 2019
You mean you usually google the answers for these quizes?
GeoGuy8
+1
Level 42
Jan 5, 2018
I got every one besides Palau and Yemen.
Nygaut
+1
Level 44
Jan 12, 2018
Hahaha only missed from former USSR : Russia ... #facepalm !
QuizzerX
+1
Level 24
Jan 21, 2018
What about India and Vietnam?
divantilya
+2
Level 37
Jan 24, 2018
What about them? - The quiz says "... 1990 or later". India became independent of the Brtitish Raj in 1946 or 1947. Pakistan became independent of India at around the same time. As for Vietnam, that

country's reunification occurred in 1975.

PastaStalin
+3
Level 31
Jan 31, 2018
Germany was a merger of two countries in 1990, why is it not here but Yemen is?
Findlay
+1
Level 73
Mar 13, 2018
Germany as it exists today is a legal continuation of 'West Germany' - East Germany just got absorbed into it.
Anzi
+1
Level 71
Feb 23, 2019
Yes, when I think about it, West Germany was also the ‘Federal Republic of Germany’ with the same flag so it’s obvious it’s just grown a bit since they knocked the wall down
Findlay
+2
Level 73
Mar 13, 2018
I am genuinely surprised at how few get Russia. I mean, I understand the confusion, but I would have thought once you had just one Soviet country left to guess, you'd eventually puzzle it out. Palau's exceptionally low guess rate, on the other hand, makes sense.
yorksguy1865
+1
Level 38
May 10, 2018
Oh god, forgot Russia...
GeographyGeek42
+1
Level 59
Jul 11, 2018
September 17, 1991: The Marshall Islands was part of the Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (administered by the United States) and gained independence as a former colony. On this date, Micronesia, previously known as the Caroline Islands, also became independent from the United States.

The source can be found here: https://www.thoughtco.com/new-countries-of-the-world-1433444

Kaz60
+1
Level 50
Aug 20, 2018
I got all the stan countries yet missed russia too!
xxdenmexx
+1
Level 33
Jan 16, 2019
Wow, I didn't know Palau independided recently
Sifhraven
+3
Level 67
Jan 23, 2019
Yea it is independone
meimei
+1
Level 70
Mar 22, 2019
1990 - Merger of 2 countries: Germany fits too.
kalbahamut
+1
Level 81
May 22, 2019
See my comment from January 3, 2018
MimaTheGreat
+1
Level 36
May 22, 2019
I'm sad. I actually missed Russia. Russia, Palau, and Yemen. I can't believe it.
driehoek25
+2
Level 57
Jun 26, 2020
You missed Russia twice, that is impressive.
Regtheledge1000
+1
Level 32
Feb 22, 2020
What about Switzerland they only became a sovereign nation in 2004 when they joined the UN
AndrewIsCoolio
+1
Level 20
Mar 7, 2020
It's when they became independent, not when they became a member of the UN. If it was by UN membership, Kosovo wouldn't count since they aren't a UN member, not even an observer like the Vatican or Palestine.
AndrewIsCoolio
+1
Level 20
Mar 7, 2020
I was 100% sure the merge one was Germany but I guess it doesn't count.
carlonian
+1
Level 54
Mar 12, 2020
Why did I miss Russia? wow.
wiifly
+1
Level 49
Sep 22, 2020
Kosovo (and you could probably say Montenegro as well) got their independence separately from the collapse of Yugoslavia. Obviously they are former Yugoslav countries, but their independence wasn't exactly a part of the collapse of Yugoslavia and took place over a decade later.
saga
+1
Level 59
Nov 9, 2020
If you have Yemen, you should also have Germany.
GrandOldMan
+1
Level 43
Nov 26, 2020
Russia? Fourth least-guessed? Really? Ah well, the comments explain it all.
CS
+1
Level 60
Dec 1, 2020
It’s the least guessed of the former USSR. I’m guessing it’s because it’s hard to think of Russia as a “new” country.
dunkinggandalf2
+1
Level 58
Dec 2, 2020
Thanks for not including Germany on this quiz! It is absolutely the right decision.
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