NewsTracker Answers for week of May 13, 2013

Q: In a Save the Children ranking of 176 countries, Finland was the nation where mothers and children fare best and Democratic Republic of Congo was the place where they face the greatest hardships. Where is Finland on this map?

Circle the area on this map

Q: In DR Congo, one in 30 women die from pregnancy-related causes, whereas in Finland it is one in 12,200. DR Congo is located in . . .

A. North Africa

B. Southwest Asia

C. Sub-Saharan Africa

D. Southeast Asia

C. The charity says that lack of nutrition is key to high mother and infant mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa, with 10-20 percent of mothers underweight. After DR Congo, the next nine worst countries also were in sub-Saharan Africa: Somalia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Niger, Central African Republic, The Gambia, Nigeria, Chad and Ivory Coast.

Q: On the best list, Finland was followed by its neighbors Sweden and Norway. Norway is on which of Finland's borders?

A. North

B. East

C. South

D. West

A. Finland is bordered by Sweden to the west, Norway to the north and Russia to the east, while Estonia lies to the south across the Gulf of Finland.

Q: The United States ranked 30th on the list and had the highest death rate in newborns in the industrialized world, with 11,300 babies dying on the day they are born each year. Which region of the world has 24 percent of the world's population but recorded 40 percent of the world's newborn deaths?

A. Africa

B. South America

C. South Asia

D. Middle East

C. Babies die in greater numbers in South Asia than in any other region with an estimated 423,000 babies dying on the day they are born each year. India also has more maternal deaths than in any other country with 56,000 per year.

Q: What factor separates the best and worst nations for mothers and children?

A. Wealth

B. Birthrates

C. Education

D. All of the above

D. DR Congo has the poorest population in the world while Finland, Sweden and Norway have some of the wealthiest populations. Niger and Mail have the highest birthrates in the world compared with very low rates in the Nordic countries. A woman in Somalia has about two years of schooling on average. In Finland, the average woman can expect to receive 18 years of education.