Which country lies below sea-level for much of its land area?
- (A) Norway
- (B) Netherlands
- (C) Switzerland
- (D) New Zealand
- (B) Netherlands
THE Netherlands is the country that is well known for having a large area of land below sea level. About a third of the country is below sea level, with some areas as much as 7 meters (23 feet) below. This is due to an extensive system of dikes, canals, and pumping stations.
“The Spirit of Islam” book was written by:
- (A) Maulana Zafar Ali Khan
- (B) Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
- (C) Syed Ameer Ali
- (D) Allama Muhammad Iqbal
- (C) Syed Ameer Ali
Syed Ameer Ali was a learned Muslim scholar and writer, and in his work “The Spirit of Islam,” he sought to explore the history, philosophy, and ethics of Islam and embrace the rational and progressive ideas of the religion. In the work, the author discusses the life of the prophet, the basic principles of Islam, and the contributions of the religion.
Akhori Dam is located in:
- (A) Punjab
- (B) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- (C) Sindh
- (D) Balocihstan
- (A) Punjab
THE Akhori Dam would be located along the Nandna Kas, an inflow stream of the Haro River, near Akhori Village in the Attock District of Punjab Province, Pakistan. The dam would be located 28 kilometers to the east of Attock and would be an off-channel storage dam.
Taklamakan Desert is situated in:
- (A) Mongolia
- (B) Russia
- (C) Kazakhstan
- (D) China
- (D) China
The Taklamakan Desert in position within China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is carved into the great Tarim Basin. It is encircled by major mountain chains: the Tian Shan up north, the Kunlun to the south, and the Pamir westward.
To which country did Khalil Gibran actually belong?
- (A) America
- (B) Lebanon
- (C) Syria
- (D) Turkey
- (B) Lebanon
Khalil Gibran was born in 1883 in the Ottoman-ruled town of Bsharri in the Mount Lebanon region and is often considered a Lebanese-American writer, poet, and artist. His family moved to the United States when he was 12, but he later spent most of his life in Boston and New York and never lost his roots: he wrote much in Arabic, remained strongly attached to Lebanon, and even wanted his remains laid to rest in that country.
Where is the headquarters of World Economic Forum (WEF) located?
- (A) United States
- (B) Switzerland
- (C) France
- (D) United Kingdom
- (B) Switzerland
THE location of the World Economic Forum is at the site of Cologny, near Geneva, Switzerland. It was formed in the year 1971 and operates from its campus near Geneva, Switzerland. Every year, the illustrious meeting of politicians and captains of industry takes place at Davos, the popular Swiss ski resort, under the aegis of the World Economic Forum, with offices at New York, San Francisco, and Beijing too.
Qutab-ud-Din Aibak, ruler of the Indian Sub-continent, died which playing:
- (A) Polo (Chaugan)
- (B) Hockey
- (C) Kabaddi
- (D) Buzakashi
- (A) Polo (Chaugan)
Qutb-ud-Din Aibak, who started the Mamluk (Slave) Dynasty in the Indian subcontinent, died in 1210 AD after receiving mortal injuries from a fall while playing Chaugan, (an old version of Polo). This unfortunate incident occurred when he was riding his horse in Lahore.
Where is Babur’s tomb situated?
- (A) Delhi, India
- (B) Lahore, Pakistan
- (C) Kabul, Afghanistan
- (D) Tehran, Iran
- (C) Kabul, Afghanistan
Babur’s resting place is in the Gardens of Babur (Bagh-e Babur) in Kabul, Afghanistan. This was in keeping with his last wishes to rest in an open-sky grave in one of his cherished gardens, even though his final resting place had initially been in Agra.
Babur came to India originally from:
- (A) Ferghana
- (B) Kandahar
- (C) Kabul
- (D) Khiva
- (A) Ferghana
Babur was born in the Fergana Valley, in what is modern-day Uzbekistan, in Central Asia. Babur rose to power in a small kingdom when he was only 12 years old, in 1483. Before he set out for India, he consolidated his power in present-day Afghanistan in the city of Kabul.
Which Mughal King is NOT buried in the Indian Sub-continent?
- (A) Jahangir
- (B) Akbar
- (C) Babur
- (D) Aurangzeb
- (C) Babur
THE founder of the Mughal Empire, Babur, was buried in Agra. Later, according to his will, he was reburied in the Gardens of Babur, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Summary of Final Resting Places:
- Babur: Kabul, Afghanistan
- Humayun: Delhi, India
- Akbar: Agra, India
- Jahangir: Lahore, Pakistan
- Shah Jahan: Agra, India
- Aurangzeb: Khuldabad, India
- Bahadur Shah Zafar: Yangon, Myanmar