World History MCQs

Notes:
The Shatt al-Arab waterway was the main factor in the Iran-Iraq War. The Shatt al-Arab is formed by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The southern end of the river forms the border between Iran and Iraq. The Shatt al-Arab was an important channel for oil exports for both countries. The dispute over the Shatt al-Arab lasted from 1936 until 1975. Iran rejected the demarcation line established in the Anglo-Ottoman Convention of Constantinople of November 1913. Iran wanted the border to run along the thalweg, the deepest point of the navigable channel. The Iran-Iraq War lasted from September 1980 until August 1988. The war was also called the First Persian Gulf War or the Imposed War in Iran.

Notes:
Gold Coast was a region in West Africa that is now known as the country Ghana. The region was named the Gold Coast because of its large supplies of gold and the market for it during the transatlantic slave trade. The Gold Coast was also a trade hub for slaves.
The Portuguese named the area Mina, which means “mine”, after finding so much gold between the Ankobra and Volta rivers in the 15th century. The English colonists later adopted the name Gold Coast.
The Gold Coast was a British colony. In 1957, the Gold Coast gained independence from Britain and became the country Ghana. Kwame Nkrumah led the independence movement and became Ghana’s first prime minister and president.

Notes:
The Tunisian Revolution is also called the Jasmine Revolution. It was an intensive 28-day campaign of civil resistance. It led to the ousting of longtime president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011.

Notes:
Both Argentina and United Kingdom raise their claim of sovereign rights over the Falkland Islands. Since 1833, the UK is exercising control over the islands in practical terms. The dispute escalated in 1982 when Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. This lead to a war when the UK retaliated which lead to its victory. Present-day Falkland Islanders prefer to identify themselves as British.

Notes:
The diplomatic relations between China and the United States of America of the early 1970s were known as “Ping-pong Diplomacy”. Ping-pong is the Chinese word of Table Tennis. It involves the exchange of table tennis players between the United States of America and China in the early 1970s. This particular gesture boosted the Sino-American Relations with the visit of President Richard Nixon to Beijing in 1972.

Notes:
The religious beliefs and inspirations held by Egyptians made them the first and foremost builders in the world. Their belief in life after death, led them to build tombs and these royal tombs were the Pyramids. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid and the tomb of Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu. It was built in 26th century BC and is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is located in Greater Cairo, Egypt.

Notes:
The Yellow River or Huang He is the second-longest river in China. The ‘Yellow River’ passed through rich yellow soil and made the land very fertile. The river is sometimes called “Sorrow of China” because of the devastating floods.

Notes:
The Han dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty. They ruled China from 206 BCE to 220 AD. The Han dynasty was known as a golden age in Chinese history.

Notes:
The Chinese were the first inventors of the Mariner’s compass. It was invented in China during the rule of the Han Dynasty between the 2nd century BC and 1st century AD.

Notes:
Naval competition with ancient Phonicians turned the Greeks into good mariners. Gradually they were able to conquere and colonize the whole of the Mediterranean region. This region came to be known as ‘Magna Grecia’ or Greater Greece.