World Geography and Politics

Pakistan was readmitted to the Commonwealth in 2004 after its suspension following the 1999 military coup. Nepal and Myanmar were never suspended from the Commonwealth (Nepal was never a member, Myanmar never applied).

Bhutan's official currency is the ngultrum, abbreviated as BTN. It is pegged to the Indian rupee. The question shows 'Bhutan' and asks for its currency - ngultrum is the correct answer. Other options are currencies from different countries: paisa (generic unit), kuna (Croatia), riel (Cambodia).

Malaysia's official currency is the ringgit (RM). The dalasi is used in Gambia, won in South Korea, and pound in the UK and other countries.

Brazilian Republic Day is celebrated on November 15th, commemorating the proclamation of the republic in 1889 when Emperor Dom Pedro II was overthrown. September 7th is Independence Day, April 21st is Tiradentes Day, and February 2nd is not a major national holiday.

Dacca is the historical spelling of Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. The name was officially changed to Dhaka after Bangladesh's independence in 1971.

Siam was the historical name of Thailand until 1939, and briefly again from 1945-1949. The country officially became known as Thailand, which means 'land of the free.'

Zimbabwe was formerly known as Southern Rhodesia during British colonial rule, and later simply Rhodesia after its Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965. The name changed to Zimbabwe upon gaining majority rule in 1980.

Rangoon (now Yangon) in Burma (Myanmar) was a major center where Indians donated substantial amounts of money and jewelry to support the Azad Hind Sena. Netaji Bose received significant contributions from the Indian community in Rangoon to fund the independence movement.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is believed to have died on August 18, 1945, when his plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Taipei (Taiwan, then Formosa). He was traveling to Japan via Taiwan to seek continued support for India's independence. The exact circumstances remain disputed, but Taiwan is the widely accepted location.

In 1943, Subhash Chandra Bose undertook a perilous submarine journey from Germany to Japan to seek support for India's independence. He traveled from Kiel, Germany on U-180 to the Indian Ocean, then transferred to a Japanese submarine (I-29) to reach Sumatra and eventually Tokyo. This was one of the most audacious submarine journeys of WWII.

India has indeed maintained a historical record of never invading another country in its modern history. This principle is consistent with India's foreign policy emphasis on non-aggression and peaceful coexistence, though historical debates exist about ancient conflicts.

Taiwan was known as Formosa ('beautiful' in Portuguese) during the 16th-19th centuries under Portuguese and Dutch colonial influence. The name was used officially until the mid-20th century. Hong Kong, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan were never known as Formosa.

Uzbekistan borders Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan, but not Russia. Russia is separated from Uzbekistan by Kazakhstan. Russia borders only Kazakhstan and the other Central Asian republics directly.