World Trivia 1

Answer: E. Papua New Guinea

---

Despite a population of just 8.8 million, Papua New Guinea comes in first with a total of 840 languages spoken across the country. To put things into perspective, that’s almost 12% of the world’s languages spoken in an area that’s roughly the size of California. – Visual Capitalist

---

Why does Papua New Guinea have so many languages?

Since the communities were isolated from one another by mountains and forests, each of them developed their own language and contributed to Papua New Guinea becoming the world’s most linguistically diverse country. - World Atlas

Answer: D. Italy

---

The country with the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites is Italy This seat of the Roman Empire has dramatic and nearly continuous Mediterranean coastlines everywhere save for its northern reaches, where the European Alps instead soar into the frame. Is it any wonder that such a place would have so many treasures? Of the 59 sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, 53 are cultural, and six are natural. Some of the standouts include the Archeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum, and Torre Annuziata, the Historic Center of Rome, the CostieraAmalfitana, aka the Amalfi Coast (all of which fall into the cultural category), as well as the Dolomites (natural)—a dramatic subrange of the Alps. - World Atlas

1. Italy: 59
2. China: 57
3. France: 52
4. India: 42
5. Mexico 35

Answer A: China

---

China currently maintains the largest army in the world, commanded by a single country, with 2.18 active military personnel. India, the United States, and Russia each maintain 1.45 million, 1.33 million, and 1.32 million active military personnel, respectively. Additionally, NATO operates with an estimated force of 3.5 million active personnel, but because it is the result of an alliance between 31 countries, it cannot be considered a single army.

Answer: Antarctica

---

Before booking a ticket to a gulag in Siberia, you might consider a trip to a research station in Antarctica, whose minimum temperature is -93 C.

In Siberia, with the minimum of 72 С., people live, work, give birth and raise children. There may be places in Siberia that are colder than coastal Antarctica due to much higher altitude and continentality. However, Antarctica overall, is located at much higher latitude, higher altitude than Siberia, gets lesser intensity of sunlight with relatively clearer sky that makes the outward radiation escape. The permanent ice cover in Antarctica has higher albedo (ratio of insolation reflected to the total insolation received). Siberia, on other hand lies at lower latitude compared to Antarctica. The temperate cyclonic circulation at these latitudes causes cloud cover that reflects back the outward radiation that keeps it warmer than Antarctica.

Answer: E. Iran

---

Here are the countries World Population Review lists as the oldest in the world by date:

1. Iran - 3200 BCE.
2. Egypt - 3100 BCE.
3. Vietnam - 2879 BCE.
4. Armenia - 2492 BCE.
5. North Korea - 2333 BCE.
6. China - 2070 BCE.
7. India - 2000 BCE.
8. Georgia - 1300 BCE.