The FP Quiz

Think you know the world? Then test your global knowledge with 8 questions that are sure to surprise.

1. How many of the 10 richest people in the world are American?

1. How many of the 10 richest people in the world are American?

  1. 3
  2. 5
  3. 7


2. Which country has the highest use of modern contraceptives among women?

  1. China
  2. Denmark
  3. The United States


3. Union membership is lowest in which country?

  1. Brazil
  2. France
  3. South Korea


4. How many people in the world meet their energy needs with wood, straw, or manure?

  1. 1.2 billion
  2. 2.4 billion
  3. 3.6 billion


5. Which country has the highest percentage of its population under the age of 15?

  1. India
  2. Saudi Arabia
  3. Uganda


6. Students in which country go to school the longest, at 20 years on average?

  1. Australia
  2. Germany
  3. Japan


7. How many of the world’s 10 most populous cities sit on or near earthquake fault lines?

  1. 4
  2. 6
  3. 8


8. Which country is the United States’ second-largest trading partner, after Canada?

  1. China
  2. Japan
  3. Mexico

Answers

1) A, 3. Five years ago, nine of the world’s top 10 wealthiest people hailed from the United States. Today, just Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Sheldon Adelson, who owns the Las Vegas Sands Corp., represent America in the world’s most exclusive club of billionaires.

2) A, China. The one-child policy prompts more than 80 percent of Chinese women to use contraception, more than in any other country.

3) B, France. Labor movements have been losing members steadily for decades, particularly in France, where just 8 percent of workers belong to a union. That’s down from 22 percent in 1970.

4) B, 2.4 billion. More than a third of the planet’s population relies on archaic energy sources for heating, cooking, and fuel.

5) C, Uganda. Because the average woman in Uganda gives birth to seven children in her lifetime, half the citizens in the East African country are under the age of 15, the highest proportion in the world.

6) A, Australia. From primary school to college, Australians hit the books longer than students in any other country.

7) C, 8. Only two of the world’s biggest cities–Buenos Aires and São Paulo–are safe from earthquakes. Calcutta, Jakarta, Mexico City, Mumbai, New Delhi, New York, Shanghai, and Tokyo stand on shakier ground.

8) A, China. U.S.-China annual trade has nearly doubled since 2003, and last year, China replaced Mexico for the first time as the United States’ second-largest trading partner. But, with trade between the two countries valued at $343 billion, it’s still a distant second to U.S.-Canada trade, valued at more than $530 billion.

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