World Facts and Geography

Mount Vesuvius is located in Italy, near the city of Naples. It is famous for its eruption in 79 AD that destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Japan, Korea, and Sweden are not the location of this volcano.

Britain purchased control of the Suez Canal from Egypt in 1875 through the acquisition of shares from the Khedive Ismail Pasha, who needed money to pay off Egypt's debts. Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli arranged the purchase, giving Britain a crucial strategic interest in the route to India. China, India, and Russia did not acquire the canal at that time.

Singapore is a sovereign city-state and island nation in Southeast Asia. It gained independence in 1965 and is a full member of the United Nations. Malaya was a historical federation that became part of modern Malaysia. China and Greece are both independent nation-states but are not the answer being sought here.

Despite being covered in ice, Antarctica is considered the driest continent because it receives extremely low precipitation - averaging less than 50mm annually in interior regions. This qualifies it as a desert based on the technical definition of deserts by precipitation levels, making the statement in option A factually correct.

Thailand has been the world's largest producer of natural rubber for decades, contributing approximately one-third of global production. The country's tropical climate and extensive rubber plantations support this dominant position in the rubber industry.

Thailand is one of the world's largest rubber producers, along with Indonesia and Malaysia. All three Southeast Asian countries produce natural rubber from rubber plantations. Thailand has consistently been the top global producer in recent decades.

The 49th parallel north forms the border between the United States and Canada, originally established by the Oregon Treaty of 1846. It runs from the Northwest Angle of Minnesota westward to the Pacific Ocean, separating the two nations along that latitude.

The Bastille was a fortress-prison in Paris, France, famously stormed on July 14, 1789, during the French Revolution. This event is considered a pivotal moment in French history and is celebrated annually as Bastille Day.