In what year did Burma's military government officially renamed the country Myanmar?

Geography

Which country's government was among those refusing for decades to officially recognize Myanmar's 1989 name change from Burma?

Myanmar's name change in 1989 was so controversial that Western countries refused to recognize it officially for decades, still calling it Burma.

Geography

Dahomey abandoned its colonial name in 1975, renaming itself after an ancient kingdom. What is that country called today?

Bénin abandoned its colonial name Dahomey in 1975 after a Marxist coup, choosing the name of an ancient kingdom to reject its colonial past entirely.

Geography

What natural behavior of the Rio Grande made it necessary for the US and Mexico to legally fix its historical channel as their shared border?

The Río Grande between USA and Mexico shifts constantly. A 1963 treaty requires both nations to maintain its exact historical channel, even as the river moves.

Geography

What distinctive hydrological result comes from the Congo River crossing the equator twice on its path across Africa?

The Congo River crosses the equator twice, making it the only major river on Earth to do so, creating a unique mirror-image hydrological system.

Geography

The Atacama Desert is considered Earth's driest non-polar desert. Approximately how long have some of its regions gone without measurable rainfall?

The Atacama Desert hasn't seen measurable rainfall in some regions for over 400 years, making it Earth's driest inhabited place.

Geography

Which three East African nations border Lake Victoria, whose center lacks an internationally agreed maritime boundary?

Lake Victoria's three bordering nations (Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya) have no agreed maritime boundary lines in the lake, making ownership of its center legally undefined.