1. Hong Kong
   China
2. North Korea
   South Korea

After its victory in the Opium Wars, the United Kingdom gained control over Hong Kong from China. Hong Kong returned to Chinese control in 1997 and became a Special Administrative Region.

1. Qatar
   Kuwait
2. Israel
   United Arab Emirates

In May 1948, DAvid Ben-Gurion became the first prime minister of Israel. He was also the country's first defense minister and oversaw the development of Israel's infrastructure and military.

1. Japan
   Vietnam
2. Singapore
   Taiwan

The majority of Japan's land mass is comprised of Hokkaido, Honshu, and Shikoku. The four islands make up approximately 98 percent of the country's area. The country's capital, Tokyo, is located on Honshu.

1. Qatar
   Israel
2. Turkey
   Palestine

A small portion of Turkey, approximately 5 percent of the countries land, is called East Thrace and is part of Europe. However, Thrace is not entirely within Turkey. The remainder of the area makes up part of Bulgaria and Greece.

1. Indonesia
   Canada
2. Malta
   Mexico

Indonesia's population is approximately 86 percent Muslim, making it the largest Muslim country. However, Indonesia is a secular state. The country's other major religions are Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

1. Spain
   Ireland
2. Holy See
   Monaco

In 589, Roman Catholicism became Spain's official religion. It remained the state religion until 1936. During the Spanish Civil War, Spain had no state religion. Once in power, Francisco Franco restored the religions previous status. Since 1978, Spain has not had a state religion.

1. Algeria
   Egypt
2. Saudi Arabia
   Libya

In Ancient Egypt, both men and women wore makeup. At the time, lead, copper, and other materials were used in cosmetics. The Ancient Egyptians also used perfumes and breath mints.

1. Vanuatu
   Samoa
2. Fiji
   Australia

While no one knows for sure how the Australia's pink lakes get their color, Lake Hillier is home to 10 species of bacteria that live in saline and are pink colored. These bacteria are the most probable source of the lake's color.

1. Vietnam
   China
2. North Korea
   Taiwan

On September 9, 1948, Kim Il Sung founded North Korea. When he died, his son Kim Jong Il took his place. Currently, Kim Jong Un, who gained power in 2011, is the North Korean leader.

1. Estonia
   Russia
2. Azerbaijan
   Estonia

In 1613, Mikhail Romanov becomes Tsar. The Romanov Dynasty lasted over 300 years. In 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution takes over the government and forms the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

1. Finland
   Ireland
2. United Kingdom
   Canada

Canada also used to be home to the longest road in the world. However, the "Guinness Book of Records" removed the title because Yonge Street was being conflated with the rest of Highway 11.

1. Kenya
   Nigeria
2. Egypt
   South Africa

South Africa has 11 official languages. They are Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, Sepedi, Sesotho, Siswati, Xitsonga, Setswana, Tschivenda, isiXhosa, and isiZulu. Most South Africans are able to speak more than one language.

1. Finland
   Norway
2. Sweden
   Switzerland

Fewer than half of one percent of Switzerland's population speaks Romansh. The language may have evolved from a language spoken by a tribe that arrived in the region around 500 B.C.

1. France
   Spain
2. Scotland
   Greece

In 1707, Scotland, England, and Wales became one state known as the United Kingdom or Great Britain. This alliance was made official through the Act of Union. The monarch at the time was Queen Anne.

1. Wales
   Indonesia
2. Australia
   Fiji

Kava is a bitter beverage made from the powder root of piper methysticum, which is in the pepper family. While the drink is known to make people feel more relaxed, some claim it can cause hallucinations.

1. Yemen
   China
2. Thailand
   Japan

Geographically, China should have five time zones, but only has one. As a result of this gap, people in Beijing may be eating breakfast at 7 am, while people on the other side of the country are in the middle of the night at 4 am.

1. Panama
   Mexico
2. Guatemala
   Belize

The Estados Unidos Mexicanos consists of 31 different states and the Federal District. Officially, Mexico City and the Federal District are the same. However, Mexico City's metropolitan area is larger than the district.

1. Fiji
   New Zealand
2. Papua New Guinea
   Samoa

In 2001, New Zealand became the first country with Helen Clark was prime minister and Dame Silvia Cartwright as Governor General. At the same time Sian Elias was Chief Justice and Margaret Wilson served as Attorney General.

1. Italy
   Norway
2. France
   Portugal

During World War I, Italy fought alongside the United Kingdom and the United States. After the war, Italy was left in poverty and Benito Mussolini became leader. When World War II broke, Italy took the side of Germany and Japan.

1. Cambodia
   Bulgaria
2. Libya
   Czechoslovakia

From 1940 to 1943, World War II battles occurred between the Axis and Allied forces in Libya, which was under Italian control. Once Italy was defeated, France and the United Kingdom gained control of Libya.

1. Pakistan
   Indonesia
2. China
   India

Approximately 125 million people, which is around 10 percent of the population, in India speak English. The only country with more English speakers is the United States. Over the next decade, India's English-speaking population is expected to quadruple.

1. Yemen
   Jordan
2. Iraq
   Iran

Jordan's official name is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country is an absolute monarchy. However, it has a Prime Minister, a Council of Ministers, a House of Deputies, and a House of Notables.

1. Peru
   Panama
2. Pakistan
   Portugal

When the United Kingdom gave the Indian subcontinent independence on August 16, 1947, it split the land into three countries: India, West Pakistan, and East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh.

1. Poland
   Germany
2. Italy
   Ukraine

In 1939, Swedish parliament member E.G.C. Brandt nominated Adolf Hitler for the Nobel Peace Prize. The Swedish politician, who was antifascist, did not expect the nomination to be taken seriously because he intended for it to be satire.

1. Japan
   China
2. Singapore
   Vietnam

Until the end of the 13th century, Vietnamese poetry was written in Chinese. The following two centuries saw the rise of Chu nom, a writing system used to write vernacular Vietnamese.

1. Jordan
   Georgia
2. Yemen
   Turkey

Prior to being elected president, Salome Zourabichvili was appointed foreign minister. Currently, the presidency in Georgia is mostly a ceremonial post because the country also has a prime minister.

1. Nigeria
   Kenya
2. Morocco
   Ghana

The constitution provides the framework for a 68-member senate and a 350-member National Assemble. Twenty of the senate seats are not elected. Instead, they are filled with representatives from the political parties with an elected presence in the senate.

1. Panama
   Peru
2. Uruaguay
   Chile

In 1993, the Peruvian constitution was put into effect. The constitution states that Peru is to be led by a president, who is elected every five-years, and that person appoints a Council of Ministers. Peru also has two elected vice presidents and a Congress with one chamber.

1. Poland
   Greece
2. Romania
   Slovakia

In English, Poland's national anthem is often called "Poland is Not Yet Lost." Between Jul. 16 and Jul. 19 1797, Józef Wybicki wrote the lyrics and set them to a Polish folk tune.

1. Cuba
   Haiti
2. Mexico
   Guyana

In 1915, United States President Woodrow Wilson sent his country's military to restore order to Haiti. The United States would remain in Haiti until 1934. Once the United States left, Haiti's military officers took control of its government.

1. Samoa
   Palau
2. New Caledonia
   Tonga

New Zealand ruled Samoa from 1914 to 1962. While the country became independent of New Zealand on January 1, 1962, the country celebrates Independence Day on June 1. Even though the country is no longer under New Zealand's rule, it is still part of the British Commonwealth.

1. El Salvador
   Uruguay
2. Peru
   Chile

After El Salvador became independent from Spain, it formed the United Provinces of Central American in 1923. The union of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador lasted until 1840.

1. Lebanon
   Yemen
2. Iraq
   Kuwait

On May 22, 1990, the Republic of Yemen was formed with Ali Abdullah Saleh as its president. It is the result of the unification of North Yemen, the Yemen Arab Republic, and South Yemen. The official name of South Yemen was the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.

1. United States
   Greenland
2. Canada
   Puerto Rico

In the 10th century, Vikings landed on Greenland from Iceland. During the 18th century, the Danish colonized Greenland. The country would not get a separate government until 1979, the year its parliament was created.

1. Honduras
   Belize
2. El Salvador
   Panama

On November 3, 1903, Panama separated from Colombia. The United States backed the new Panamanian government, so that it could build a canal. In 1904, construction began on the canal.

1. Norway
   Switzerland
2. France
   Greenland

Bouvet Island is 19 square miles, most of which is covered by a glacier. At one point, Norway and the United Kingdom had claims to the Island. In 1930, the island was officially declared part of Norway.

1. Belarus
   Estonia
2. Latvia
   Ukraine

Ukraine is home to seven World Heritage Sites. They include the 11th century Saint-Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, the forests of Carpathians, the Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans and the ancient city of Chersonesus.

1. Ecuador
   Colombia
2. Argentina
   Brazil

Fura is the largest emerald in the world. It is 11,000 karats and weighs almost five pounds. In 1999, the precious stone was found alongside Esmeralda Tena in Muza, Colombia, a town known for its emeralds.

1. Austria
   Pakistan
2. Saudi Arabia
   Germany

In 1939, Saudi Arabia declared itself a neutral country in World War II. The country would remain neutral until Feb. 1945 when it declared war on Germany and Japan. Later that year, Saudi Arabia became a founding member of the United Nations.

1. Afghanistan
   Jordan
2. Georgia
   Iraq

In October 1959, Saddam Hussein attacked the motorcade of then-prime minister of Iraq, Abd al-Karim Qasim. Hussein escaped to Syria and Egypt. He returned to Iraq in 1963. Sixteen years later, he became president.