From: tool@panix.com   
      
   Mark Brader  wrote:   
      
   > ** Game 9, Round 9 - Geography & History - Countries of the World   
      
   > 1. Between 1990 and 1992 it ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist   
   >    rule and established a multi-party democracy.  The transition has   
   >    proven challenging, as successive governments have tried to deal   
   >    with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated   
   >    physical infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks,   
   >    and combative political opponents.  It has made progress in   
   >    its democratic development since first holding multi-party   
   >    elections in 1991.  Admitted to NATO in 2009, and formally   
   >    applied for EU membership that same year.   
      
   Romania   
      
   > 2. Great Britain formally acquired possession of it in 1814.   
   >    It staunchly supported the UK through both World Wars, and   
   >    remained in the Commonwealth on becoming independent in 1964.   
   >    A decade later it became a republic.  Since about the mid-1980s,   
   >    it has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point,   
   >    a financial center, and a tourist destination.  It became an   
   >    EU member in May 2004 and adopted the euro in 2008.   
      
   Malta   
      
   > 3. Broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent   
   >    history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and   
   >    countercoups.  Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982,   
   >    but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty,   
   >    social unrest, and illegal drug production.  In December 2005,   
   >    the people elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo Morales   
   >    president by the widest margin of any leader since civilian   
   >    rule was restored in 1982, after he ran on a promise to change   
   >    the country's traditional political class and empower the   
   >    nation's poor majority.  Morales was re-elected in 2009 by a   
   >    wide majority.   
      
   Colombia   
      
   > 4. Formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish   
   >    conquest in 1533.  The capital became a seat of Spanish   
   >    colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of   
   >    New Granada in 1717.  The territories of the Viceroyalty   
   >    gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a   
   >    federation known as Gran Colombia.  When it withdrew in 1830,   
   >    the traditional name was abandoned in favor of the current name.   
   >    Although it marked 30 years of civilian government in 2009,   
   >    the period has been marred by political instability, including   
   >    a 2010 police revolt sparked by austerity cuts.   
      
   Venezuela; Ecuador   
      
   > 5. In 1865, Britain and this place signed the Treaty of Sinchulu,   
   >    under which it would receive an annual subsidy in exchange   
   >    for ceding some border land to British India.  Under British   
   >    influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; 3 years later, a   
   >    treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere   
   >    in internal affairs and it allowed Britain to direct its foreign   
   >    affairs.  In 2007, the country made the transition from absolute   
   >    monarchy to constitutional monarchy, holding its first general   
   >    election shortly thereafter.  Around the same time, King Jigme   
   >    Singye Wangchuck abdicated in favor of his son.   
      
   Nepal   
      
   > 6. In 1951, the monarch ended the century-old system of rule by   
   >    hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of   
   >    government.  Reforms in 1990 established a multi-party democracy   
   >    within the framework of a constitutional monarchy.  A Maoist   
   >    insurgency, launched in 1996, gained traction and threatened   
   >    to bring down the regime.  2008 elections for the constituent   
   >    assembly overwhelmingly favored the abdication of the monarch   
   >    and the establishment of a federal multi-party representative   
   >    democratic republic.  The first president was sworn in on July   
   >    23, 2008.   
      
   Laos   
      
   > 7. This country is still rebuilding itself after a civil war that   
   >    went on from its independence in 1975 for 27 years until 2002.   
   >    Peace seemed imminent in 1992 when national elections were   
   >    held, but the opposition renewed fighting after being beaten   
   >    at the polls.  Up to 1,500,000 lives may have been lost and   
   >    4,000,000 people displaced in the quarter century of fighting.   
   >    Although the first legislative elections in 16 years were held   
   >    in 2008, observers reported serious electoral irregularities.   
   >    Diamonds and oil make up 60% of the country's economy.   
      
   Angola   
      
   > 8. Formed from the merger of the two British colonies, it   
   >    gained independence in 1957.  A long series of coups resulted   
   >    in the suspension of its third constitution in 1981 and a ban   
   >    on political parties.  A new constitution, restoring multi-party   
   >    politics, was approved in 1992.  John Kufuor, who defeated former   
   >    Vice President John Atta-Mills in a free and fair election,   
   >    became president in 2000.  Atta-Mills regained the presidency   
   >    in 2009, securing the country's status as a stable democracy.   
   >    The country is one of the world's top producers of gold and   
   >    cocoa.   
      
   Ghana   
      
   > 9. Its roots are in the ancient kingdom of Lan Xang, established in   
   >    the 14th Century under King Fa Ngum.  After centuries of gradual   
   >    decline, it came under the control of a neighbor from the late   
   >    18th century until the late 19th century when it became part   
   >    of French Indochina.  In 1975, the local Communist Party took   
   >    control of the government, ending a 6-century-old monarchy and   
   >    instituting a strict socialist regime.  A gradual return to   
   >    private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment   
   >    laws began in 1986.  It became a member of ASEAN in 1997.   
      
   Cambodia   
      
   > 10. A unified kingdom was established in the mid-14th century.   
   >    It is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken   
   >    over by a European power.  A bloodless revolution in 1932   
   >    led to a constitutional monarchy.  It was in alliance with   
   >    Japan during World War II, but became a US ally afterwards.   
   >    It is currently facing separatist violence in its southern   
   >    ethnic Malay-Muslim provinces, and is just emerging back as a   
   >    democracy after a 2006 coup.   
      
   Thailand   
      
   > ** Game 9, Round 10 - Challenge Round   
      
   > * A. Canadian Lakes   
      
   >    A1. Name the Canadian lake which is the deepest lake in North   
   >        America and about the 9th-largest in the world (depending   
   >        on how you count).   
      
   Great Bear Lake; Great Slave Lake   
      
   >    A2. Name the largest lake that lies entirely within the   
   >        boundaries of the Province of Ontario.   
      
   Great Slave Lake; Great Bear Lake   
      
   > * B. Noble Gases   
      
   >    B1. Helium is the lightest of the noble gases.  Name the next   
   >        lightest, whose atomic number is 10.   
      
   argon   
      
   >    B2. This noble gas, atomic number 86, """is""" the heaviest   
   >        of the noble gases.  It """is""" the only gas that only   
      
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