Critical Minerals in Africa
The Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) focuses on the mineral and metal supply chains most relevant for which of the following?
A. Global security
B. Clean energy technologies
D. Weapons technologies
D. Economic gains
Of the five countries in which they reside, Kurds in 2 of them have attempted to establish autonomous Kurdish regions. Which 2 countries?
A. Armenia and Syria
B. Iraq and Syria
C. Armenia and Iraq
D. Turkey and Syria
Recent US Census data shows an increase in imports from Mexico and a decrease from China. One driver of this is:
A. Undercounting US imports of Chinese goods
B. A significant growth in “green” auto tech in Mexico
C. A decrease in tariffs on electronic vehicles
D. A decrease in traditional energy exports from Mexico
One of the first defense agreements the U.S. entered into was the 1947 Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, also known as the:
A. IRA Treaty
B. Northern Alliance
C. Rio Treaty
D. Western Treaty
What is unique about the new President of Mexico, sworn in October 2nd?
A. The first female President of Mexico
B. The first President of Mexico from the Green Party
C. The first son of a prior President of Mexico
D. The first President of Mexico fewer than 50 years old
In addition to being one of the world’s most resource-rich countries, this country has also suffered from over 250 armed groups fighting for territory and illegal mines in its five easternmost provinces.
A. Democratic Republic of Congo
B. Zambia
C. Gabon
D. South Africa
The 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness prohibited all but one of the four causes. Which one was NOT included in this treaty?
A. Discriminatory citizenship laws
B. Changing borders
C. Gender-based discriminatory citizenship laws
D. Revoking citizenship
The effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement on US-Mexican agricultural trade include all of the following EXCEPT:
A. A significant increase in Mexican avocado exports to the US
B. A significant increase in cheaper US corn exports to Mexico
C. A reduction in deforestation in Mexico
D. The US consumes twice as much fruit from Canada now
The U.S. ensured that no commitment of military forces or military stationing in Europe was included in the 1947 Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance until:
A. Eisenhower sent the Military Assistance Advisory Group to train the South Vietnamese Army in 1955
B. North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950
C. The start of the Arab Israeli War in 1948
D. None of the above
The German government fell in November 2024 when Chancellor Olaf Scholz kicked cabinet members of which party out of his coalition
A. Alliance for Germany (AfD)
B. Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
C. Free Democratic Party (FDP)
D. The Green Party
Even though this country only has around 36% of the world’s known rare earth reserves, it controls more than 70% of the world’s extraction capability and nearly 90% of the world’s processing capacity.
A. Democratic Republic of Congo
B. South Africa
C. Chile
D. Peoples Republic of China
Kim Jong Un declared in January 2024 that peaceful unification with South Korea is no longer possible. Which of the following describes why he made this declaration?
A. North Korea’s economy has improved so that the country can afford to win an all-out war.
B. Most South Koreans will accept a “hostile two-state system.”
C. An acknowledgement that North Korea has lost the unification competition.
D. He will likely receive ICBM technology from Russia.
Which US President gave asylum to over 3 million undocumented immigrants then living in the USA?
A. Ronald Reagan
B. George H.W. Bush
C. Bill Clinton
D. Barack Obama
The idea that groups of actors from different European countries can cooperate on various levels through differentiated integration is called:
A. Assisted geometry
B. Differentiate geometry
C. Synometrics
D. Variable geometry
In September 2024, what did China do for the first time since 1978?
A. Open the first Chinese emperor’s palace to the public
B. Voluntarily leave a disputed island chain near Japan
C. Open diplomatic relations with Vatican City
D. Raise the retirement age of its citizens
This type of African mining site, considered nonindustrial and informal, have sometimes been overtaken by corrupt criminal enterprises with profits being used for personal gain or to finance violent conflict.
A. Private
B. Artisanal
C. Shell
D. Community
India was partitioned in August 1947 when Britain granted India independence. Which of the following is NOT a reason it was partitioned?
A. Partitioning was a quick and simple solution.
B. Muslim Indians became worried about being ruled by a Hindu majority.
C. Religion had become a factor in politics.
D. Gandhi and Nehru both insisted on having a unified country
President Trump’s 2020 renegotiation of NAFTA had bipartisan support because of:
A. Strong tariffs and sanctions on unfair Mexican trade policies
B. Greater intellectual property protections for US pharmaceuticals
C. Reduction in the Trade Adjustment Assistance program
D. Stronger enforcement of labor protection
According to the article, If the U.S. were indifferent to NATO, Russia would be incentivized to reclaim all of these countries, EXCEPT:
A. Belarus
B. Estonia
C. Latvia
D. Lithuania
At his first Commonwealth Head of State Meeting as monarch on October 25th, King Charles addressed what controversial issue in his opening speech?
A. Human trafficking
B. Reparations
C. Fossil fuel elimination
D. His possible abdication
Copper, chromium, and molybdenum are minerals used across a wide variety of clean energy and storage technologies and therefore have stable demand conditions. These types of minerals are known as what?
A. Concentrated minerals
B. Cross-cutting minerals
C. Primary minerals
D. Secondary minerals
What significant event resulted in the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P)?
A. The Rwandan Genocide
B. Syrian Civil War
C. Civil War in Sudan
D. Saddam Hussein’s use of chemical weapons
In 2023, the estimated value of US-Mexico trade was around _____, making Mexico the most important US trading partner.
A. $2 trillion
B. $1 trillion
C. $800 billion
D. $700 billion
There is a common budget for NATO operations, of which Germany and the U.S. currently each pay what percent of the total?
A. 9.8%
B. 12.9%
C. 15.9%
D. 22.4%
Japan named a new Prime Minister in October 2024. What is his name?
A. Fumio Kishida
B. Shigeru Ishiba
C. Shinzo Abe
D. Shinjiro Koizumi