World Geography and Politics

President Pratibha Patil visited UAE and Syria during November 21-29, 2010, during which various agreements and pacts were signed with both nations to strengthen bilateral ties.

Pratibha Patil, the then President of India, undertook a state visit to the United Arab Emirates and Syria in November 2010 to strengthen bilateral ties and sign several agreements.

Bhutan is known as the 'Land of the Thunder Dragon' (Druk Yul in Dzongkha). The thunderbolt reference relates to the thunder dragon symbolism central to Bhutanese culture, appearing on their flag and representing the country's spiritual heritage.

Before independence in 1971, Bangladesh was known as East Pakistan, part of Pakistan created during the 1947 partition of British India. It was separated from West Pakistan by over 1,600 km of Indian territory.

Rabindranath Tagore composed 'Jana Gana Mana' for India and 'Amar Sonar Bangla' for Bangladesh. He is the only person to have written national anthems for two different nations.

Maitri is India's second permanent research station in Antarctica, built and finished in 1989. Dakshin Gangotri was the first (now abandoned), and Bharati is the third. Thus, Maitri is the correct active Indian research base listed.

The 38th Parallel is the line of latitude that approximately divides North Korea and South Korea. It was established as the boundary after World War II and became the demarcation line after the Korean War.

The Radcliffe Line is the border demarcation line between India and Pakistan, drawn by Sir Cyril Radcliffe in 1947 during the partition of British India. It divided Punjab and Bengal provinces between the two nations.

The McMahon Line (also spelled Mac Mohan Line) is the demarcation line between Tibet (China) and India, established by the 1914 Simla Convention between British India and Tibet. China disputes this boundary, claiming territory south of it (Arunachal Pradesh), which led to the 1962 Sino-Indian War. The Siegfried Line was a German WWII defense, the Radcliffe Line partitioned India-Pakistan, and the Oder-Neisse Line separated Germany and Poland.

The Durand Line is the 2,640 km international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, established in 1893 through an agreement between Sir Mortimer Durand (British India) and Abdur Rahman Khan (Afghanistan). It divides the Pashtun tribal region and remains disputed by Afghanistan, which historically rejected the colonial-era demarcation. The Siegfried Line was German WWII fortification, Mac Mohan Line is between India and China, and the Hindenburg Line was a WWI German defensive position in France.

Nepal is the only country in the world with a non-quadrilateral national flag. The Nepalese flag is a unique two-pennant shape, unlike the standard rectangular or square flags of other nations.

Among Champions League finals hosting Manchester United, only the 2009 final at Stadio Olimpico (Rome) saw United lose 2-0 to Barcelona. The other venues listed hosted United victories: Camp Nou (1999 win), Luzhniki (2008 win), and Wembley (2011 win).

India is the world's largest democracy with over 900 million eligible voters. Its democratic system, regular elections, and commitment to democratic principles since independence in 1947 make this statement factually true.