General Knowledge: Countries and World Records

South China Mall in Dongguan, China, is the world's largest mall when measured by total floor area (leasable area under 6 million sq ft). The Dubai Mall is larger by gross leasable area but smaller in total area.

The Typhoon class submarine from Russia is the world's largest submarine by displacement at approximately 48,000 tons. These nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines were built during the Cold War.

Ghana, located in West Africa, was known as the Gold Coast during British colonial rule before gaining independence in 1957. The name referred to the region's gold resources.

The Airbus A380 is the world's largest passenger airliner by seating capacity (up to 853 passengers) and dimensions. It is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by Airbus.

In 1935, the government of Persia requested that the international community begin using the name 'Iran,' which is the endonym used by the local population. Iraq, Indonesia, and Israel are distinct sovereign nations with different historical origins.

The Cullinan Diamond, discovered in South Africa in 1905, is the largest gem-quality diamond ever found at 3,106 carats. It was cut into several diamonds, with the largest (Cullinan I) being part of the British Crown Jewels.

East Pakistan became Bangladesh in 1971 after the Bangladesh Liberation War. The eastern wing of Pakistan seceded and became an independent nation, with 'Bangladesh' meaning 'Land of Bengals' in Bengali.

Formosa was the historical Portuguese name given to Taiwan, meaning 'beautiful island'. The name was used during various periods of foreign influence but Taiwan has been its official name since 1945. Thailand (formerly Siam), Turkey, and Uganda are entirely different countries with no connection to the name Formosa.

Siam was the official name of Thailand until 1939, when it officially changed its name to Thailand (meaning 'land of the free'). The name changed back to Siam briefly from 1945-1949 before permanently becoming Thailand again. Taiwan, Tanzania, and Turkey are all different countries with unrelated historical names.

Mesopotamia, meaning 'land between rivers' (Tigris and Euphrates), largely corresponds to modern-day Iraq, with parts in southeastern Turkey, western Iran, and northeastern Syria. Ancient Mesopotamia was the cradle of civilization and home to Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria. Iran and Indonesia are unrelated regions.

Rhodesia was the name of Zimbabwe (and briefly Zambia) during British colonial rule and the white minority government era. Zimbabwe Rhodesia became Zimbabwe in 1980 after gaining independence and majority rule. The name Zimbabwe comes from the Great Zimbabwe ruins. Yugoslavia and Venezuela are completely unrelated.

Holland is commonly used to refer to the entire Netherlands, but technically it is the name of two western provinces (North Holland and South Holland). The country's official name is the Netherlands (meaning 'low countries'). Norway, Thailand, and Rwanda are entirely different countries.

Peking is the former romanization of Beijing, the capital of China. The city adopted the Pinyin romanization 'Beijing' as its official English name in the 1980s, replacing the Wade-Giles romanization 'Peking'. Bahrain, Belgium, and Burma are separate countries entirely.