In what year did the New Hebrides gain independence and become the nation of Vanuatu?

Geography

What was the colonial-era name of the Pacific island nation now called Vanuatu, used until its 1980 independence?

Vanuatu's original name New Hebrides was so tied to colonial rule that locals refused to use it; independence in 1980 brought an indigenous Bislama name instead.

Geography

In what year did a Marxist coup lead Dahomey to rename itself Benin, rejecting its colonial-era name?

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 resource funded Nauru's wealth before poor investments like the musical 'Leonardo's Dream' helped bankrupt the country?

Nauru, a Pacific island nation, nearly went bankrupt after investing its phosphate wealth in a Australian musical 'Leonardo's Dream'—the show flopped immediately.

Geography

Which country's government legally prohibits anyone from entering North Sentinel Island to protect its indigenous inhabitants?

North Sentinel Island's indigenous Sentinelese people remain officially uncontacted; India legally forbids entry, making it Earth's most isolated human population.

Geography

Despite Mount Elbrus being taller, which peak is popularly regarded by many Europeans as the continent's true highest summit?

Mount Elbrus in Europe's Caucasus straddles two continents yet most Europeans consider the continent's true peak to be Mont Blanc instead.

Geography

Which mountain, the highest peak in Africa, has seen its ice cap shrink from roughly 12 square kilometers in 1912 to about 1 square kilometer in recent surveys?

Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro loses its ice cap so rapidly that glaciers covering 12 square kilometers in 1912 now cover barely one square kilometer.