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National Founders

These people are sometimes considered to be the "founder" of a country. For each person, name the country they helped establish.
Answer must correspond to highlighted box.
This quiz does NOT suggest that they are the only national founder or that this is an any way official. Don't be obtuse.
Quiz by
stormcrow
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Last updated: December 5, 2019
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First submittedNovember 28, 2012
Times taken83,097
Average score68.2%
Rating4.39
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Leader
Country
George Washington
United States
Mao Zedong
China
Ho Chi Minh
Vietnam
Genghis Khan
Mongolia
Otto von Bismarck
Germany
Ivan the Terrible
Russia
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
Mexico
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Turkey
Toussaint Louverture
Haiti
Cyrus the Great
Iran
Mohammad Ali Jinnah
Pakistan
Leader
Country
Ferdinand and Isabella
Spain
Mahatma Gandhi
India
David Ben-Gurion
Israel
Clovis
France
Prince William of Orange
Netherlands
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Italy
Stephen I
Hungary
Pedro I
Brazil
Sukarno
Indonesia
Harald Fairhair
Norway
Lee Kuan Yew
Singapore
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92 Comments
ecp
+47
Level 43
Jul 9, 2014
Suuuuuure, Mao Zedong "founded" China, if by "founded" you mean "kicked out the existing government and replaced it with death and famine". He founded the People's Republic of China (a government) (but was not a founding member of its ruling party!), but China existed for a long time before Mao started massacring for pleasure, and I'm certain it will continue to exist even after the totalitarian government finally collapses.
LarryLovage
+12
Level 55
Mar 15, 2015
To make sure I was answering the question correctly, I typed "PRC" in answer to Mao Zedong, and it was accepted!
kalbahamut
+46
Level 80
Mar 16, 2019
The modern-day nation-state of The People's Republic of China (aka China) was founded by Mao, but there have been many other different states that existed in the same geographical area. Some of them have been called China by English-speakers, or some variation of that. That doesn't make them all the same thing. This is part of the nationalist fallacy.
RoadmanM
+18
Level 57
Mar 3, 2020
Well a lot of them are quite disputable. If China was founded by Mao, you might as well say Germany was founded by Helmuth Kohl or France by Charles De Gaulle.
GollossalKitty
+1
Level 44
May 1, 2025
yeah thats the real problem with the quiz, not that anything is wrong, it's just very inconsistent
kalbahamut
+12
Level 80
May 26, 2020
^ that would make pretty good sense, though it would also make sense to date the modern German state back to 1949. Those peddling nationalist fiction would have you believe that the French Republic is somehow that same thing as the Kingdom of Francia, Gallia, or the Frankish Empire, and that the FRG is one and the same with Prussia or the Holy Roman Empire. That's silly. Reality does not conform to humanity's desire to see narratives with neat divisions, simplistic categories, and unbroken continuity.
RockmanYoshi
+24
Level 54
Jun 3, 2019
The government Mao replaced wasn't exactly a great place to be under, either.
giantsteps
+4
Level 32
Mar 3, 2020
two wrongs
kalbahamut
+9
Level 80
Dec 6, 2020
Two Wongs don't make a White.
jkabq
+7
Level 67
Jan 22, 2024
still funny.
NattKing
+12
Level 75
May 2, 2021
First of all, from what I can gather, Mao was indeed one of the founding members of the CCP.

Second, it's a pretty funny reasoning to say Mao replaced the preceding governments with famines. What do you think the country had before Mao ? To quote Wikipedia : "Between 108 BC and 1911 AD, there were no fewer than 1,828 recorded famines in China, or once nearly every year in one province or another". 1911-1949 was all of the same. Mao's precisely the guy under whose leadership China got rid of famines ! The Great Leap Forward famine was the last one for a reason (in part, ironically, because of GLF policies, namely the colossal work that was put into reparing and extending the irrigation system and terracing the land for future mechanization)

We may also mention that life expectancy casually rose from 35 to 65 years, and that by the end of the Cultural Revolution even Chinese peasants had access to basic free healthcare. Not someone I would spontaneously associate with death.

kalbahamut
+6
Level 80
Aug 7, 2022
His famine may not have been the first but it was certainly the best.
MrBuzz
+3
Level 40
Aug 7, 2022
another CCP bot...
bestanford
+14
Level 73
Aug 7, 2022
This needs to be viewed in the global context. Agricultural productivity had dramatically increased around the world. New technologies were available which ended natural famine almost everywhere. His famine is notorious because it was not natural, but needless and caused by political mismanagement.
AlmostAGenius
+3
Level 88
Jan 22, 2024
The idea that causing a famine is a good way to end famines is ridiculous. I guess if your intention is to kill a lot of people so there’s more food to go around, but I think that is generally frowned upon.
Philippelebel
+1
Level 78
Apr 3, 2024
I think the quiz is more about which people are mythologized today as the founding father, rather than historical accuracy. Many of the other countries on the quiz also have a long history (India, Turkey...) and many of the people being treated as heroes weren't particularly humane either (Genghis Khan, etc).
otissaroke
+5
Level 31
Sep 2, 2014
I really enjoyed that quiz but I only got 14/20
grecoroman
+16
Level 57
Jan 30, 2015
Persia really should be accept for Cyrus the Great

Especially because it wasn't commonly called Iran until midway thru the 20th century

Quizmaster
+2
Level ∞
Jun 24, 2015
Okay
Sulps
+3
Level 55
Aug 24, 2015
Chlodovech (known in English as Clovis) didn't found France, he founded Frankia/Francia/Frankish (Empire) or whatever you call it. I tried all of those, none were accepted.
GeographyGeek42
+19
Level 65
Feb 15, 2019
Clovis united the Frankish kingdoms, becoming what is now France
PolPetrol
+2
Level 59
Apr 29, 2025
By that logic, he's also the founder of Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and half of Italy... The empire completely dissolved by the 10th century.
quizwhizz
+16
Level 73
Aug 24, 2015
Guy who founded Iran must have came in like a wrecking ball.....
redsplat
+16
Level 72
Mar 17, 2019
Not sure what you mean. Cyrus administered a huge empire in a pretty enlightened way (e.g. respecting the local religions/customs of those he ruled). He codified protections for diversity into his statecraft -- not common 2500 years ago. His legacy impacted Athenian conceptions of human rights, among others. History does not record if he could twerk, if that's what you're getting at...
samiamco
+12
Level 68
Mar 27, 2019
r/whoosh
kalbahamut
+23
Level 80
Jun 1, 2019
I wouldn't hold it against splat that when he reads Cyrus the first thing he thinks of is Persian history and not Miley.
ander217
+10
Level 74
Jun 1, 2019
I didn't get the reference, either, since I don't listen to Miley Cyrus. (Thank you, Kal.) Funny one, Quizwhizz.
Jacktheguy
+2
Level 93
Aug 7, 2022
But the real question is, did someone hurt his achy breaky heart?
Sifhraven
+11
Level 76
Jun 1, 2019
@samianco...read his entire comment ...
zimbabwe12
+3
Level 52
Aug 25, 2015
No Aeneas for Italy? haha :P
Kenny123
+5
Level 40
Apr 22, 2016
Surely Alfred the Great can't be left out? The man who created England.
kalbahamut
+4
Level 80
Mar 16, 2019
I thought he created MAD Magazine.
onegonecat
+2
Level 72
Oct 4, 2016
It would make more sense to refer to Ivan IV as the founder than Peter.
Quizmaster
+2
Level ∞
Mar 16, 2019
Agreed. Changed it to that.
richiesyxx
+1
Level 74
Apr 29, 2025
Unfortunately I think this is still wrong. The title of ‘founder’ is much better suited to Ivan IV’s grandfather, Ivan III (Ivan the Great). He is the first to use the title of Sovereign of all Russia and the first to use the title ‘tsar’ in dealings with foreign states. He is known as the ‘gatherer of the Russian lands’ because of the significant expansion and consolidation of Russian territory, and laid the foundations of the centralised Russian state, raising Russia from a principality to a fully fledged, sovereign state.
ruimateus
+1
Level 77
Nov 5, 2016
Almost didn't guess Pedro I for Brazil because I always saw him as Pedro IV in Portugal
brandybuck96
+4
Level 83
Jan 26, 2018
Why do I always forget who Ataturk is despite the stonking great clue in his name? *facepalm*
ubsaral
+2
Level 85
Mar 16, 2019
It means "Father of Turks" in Turkish. Maybe this would help for the next time:)
samiamco
+7
Level 68
Mar 27, 2019
I think probably if we miss the TURK in AtaTURK, the translation isn't going to help much. (brandybuck96 ~ I do it too!)
QUIZMAESTRO
+2
Level 53
May 17, 2018
Nice quiz. But surprised to know that only 31% people know Jinnah as the founder of Pakistan
Quizmaster
+20
Level ∞
Mar 16, 2019
I would be surprised if even 3% of people in the western world are familiar with Jinnah. JetPunk users are much more knowledge than average.
Nathaniel
+3
Level 77
Mar 16, 2019
true that
ander217
+10
Level 74
Jun 1, 2019
I'd never heard of him, but I started typing Muslim countries and eventually got there.
NV1
+2
Level 55
Jun 24, 2020
I know A LOT about Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
CanadianGeo96
+2
Level 61
Mar 17, 2019
The name sounded familiar but I guessed Ethiopia and Somalia before moving onto the next.
Djilas
+1
Level 86
Mar 17, 2019
I've heard of him before but this time I just guessed some Muslim countries that would be important enough, skipping those whose founders I knew.
Damangio
+1
Level 64
Jun 23, 2020
I tried every country in the Middle East and several in Africa but I neglected South Asia.
Nathaniel
+6
Level 77
Mar 16, 2019
I don't think Ghandi would like to be known as founder of India, for he wanted Pakistan and India to be united.
JackintheBox
+3
Level 82
Jun 1, 2019
Gandhi* :)
SIMULATION
+5
Level 60
Sep 5, 2019
This quiz is flawed. I think with founder the quizmaster wanted to ask about the person who has been instrumental on founding/forming the modern meaning of their respective nations. Jinnah-Pakistan is no doubt applicable in this sense but the idea of India was established through the Islamic and British rule and influence of 1000 years while the concept of the nation has been here for millennia. Gandhi is just a small piece of the civilization. Again it's all my view. Peace. :)
AbhishekNS
+1
Level 59
Jun 24, 2020
@SIMULATION That's what happens when you expose yourself too much to the right wing extremism. Mahatma Gandhi was one of the greatest personalities to take birth in the Subcontinent.
JetPunker180
+1
Level 55
Jan 28, 2024
Same happens with Israel too. I don't think Ben Gurion deserve the title as the movement started much before
jennyfleur
+13
Level 65
Jun 1, 2019
"Don't be obtuse" should be a standard direction for pretty much everything. I love it!
Hollywood
+9
Level 61
Jan 1, 2020
Yeah! You shouldn’t be a quadrilateral parallelogram either
Damangio
+7
Level 64
Jun 23, 2020
Please simmer down and keep your comments under 90 degrees. Thank you.
Dimby
+4
Level 83
Jan 22, 2024
I added “don’t be obtuse” to my wedding vows.
WingedHussar77
+1
Level 53
Jun 1, 2019
Did anyone else guess for most of them and get 100%
100Greats
+1
Level 56
Jun 1, 2019
Great Quiz! Used google only for Persia, Hungary.
100Greats
+1
Level 56
Jun 1, 2019
- and Brazil:))
HinesBrothers
+3
Level 77
Jun 1, 2019
Definitely needs the disclaimer
mikeb
+2
Level 65
Jun 2, 2019
First tried "Portugal" for Pedro I, then went through all of South and Central America but skipping Brazil somehow! Should have stuck with the Portuguese.
Ryanlee
+2
Level 77
Dec 18, 2019
It was the first emperor thousands of years ago who founded China, not Mao.
Sifhraven
+1
Level 76
Mar 3, 2020
Perhaps another idea for a quiz? First known ruler(s) of the regions of present day countries? I am sure the comment section would explode haha. (Besides the fact that it is a massive job)
kalbahamut
+1
Level 80
Mar 3, 2020
As stated above, not all kingdoms/states/nations that exist in roughly the same geographic area are the same thing. Qin Shi Huang could be considered a founder of China. So could Mao TseTung.
MaxStickies
+1
Level 80
Apr 20, 2020
Its kind of alluded to in the description that these are simply figures that at least some people consider as the founders of each country, even if they may not been.
SpartanLlama
+1
Level 78
Mar 3, 2020
sad I didn't even get Pakistan and I'm Pakistani I really need to brush up on my history
armood008
+1
Level 31
Mar 20, 2020
Don't worry
vasco
+2
Level 65
Oct 27, 2020
Good quiz. How about another version with some of the founders of African nations?
EcceHomo
+2
Level 85
Nov 18, 2020
Everyone has read the rubric, and most, I would guess, understand the nature of the quiz. I despair at some folk.
CFeng
+4
Level 47
Feb 26, 2021
There seems to be a lot of inconsistencies. You say Mao founded China, while he only founded the modern-day People's Republic. Meanwhile, Cyrus the Great supposedly founded Iran, but if we were going with the modern-day country like you did with China, then it would probably be Ruhollah Khomeini.
Quizmaster
+2
Level ∞
Jun 16, 2022
You must not have read the caveats.
GlassMonkeyOLD
+2
Level 69
Mar 3, 2025
I did read the caveats. This seems to be a case of coming up with answers that people will get and then working the caveats around those answers. It doesn't seem particularly well thought through.
ogamer
+1
Level 63
May 26, 2021
I was expecting Afonso Henriques to be included. Well, maybe on the next. :)
Geekfan
+1
Level 45
Aug 5, 2021
What about Sir John A MacDonald
TheRatmeister
+1
Level 95
Aug 12, 2021
North Vietnam should be accepted for Vietnam since Ho-Chi-Minh was dead by unification.
kalbahamut
+1
Level 80
Aug 7, 2022
by the same logic used on the site that Germany is the same state as West Germany, Vietnam is the same state as North Vietnam.
stevediverse
+3
Level 87
Nov 1, 2021
I like this quiz on who founded countries.

I would like to see a quiz on who losted them.

kalbahamut
+2
Level 80
Aug 7, 2022
Soviet Union: Gorbachev

Russian Empire: Nikolai II

Confederate States of America: Davis (or maybe credit for that should go to Lincoln)

Aztec Empire: Moctezuma

Yugoslavia: Tito

Incan Empire: Atahuallpa

Ptolemaic Egypt: Cleopatra

United States of America: Trump

MCdoesgeography
+4
Level 74
Jan 22, 2024
Stfu
richiesyxx
+1
Level 74
Apr 29, 2025
So you went with the last ruler of the Russian Empire, instead of the founding ruler? Perhaps you were also doing the same with the last one?
jbro
+1
Level 75
Aug 9, 2022
Where is Kim il Song?!?!
kalbahamut
+2
Level 80
Aug 11, 2022
Probably at the noraebang.
Quizmaster
+2
Level ∞
Nov 4, 2023
Probably hanging out with Kim Jong-fun.
KingBardlin
+1
Level 72
Jan 22, 2024
Since when Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV) is the founder of Russia? He was the first tsar, but the founder of Russia as an independent state is Ivan the Great (Ivan III)
Seanthesheep
+1
Level 76
Feb 20, 2025
I think it's debatable between the two but let's be honest, no one is looking at that clue and thinking "Ivan the Great founded Russia, not Ivan the Terrible, so Ivan the Terrible must have founded some other country I'm not aware of". So who really cares?
dg48
+1
Level 71
Jan 24, 2024
Could add Simon Bolivar for a part 2 quiz!
JetPunker180
+1
Level 55
Jan 28, 2024
Can u accept Mongol Empire for Chengiz Khan
SpartanLlama
+1
Level 78
Nov 29, 2024
Hungary took me a while, 1:45 used
Pontiac
+1
Level 60
Feb 25, 2025
George Washington did not found the USA the Founding Fathers did. He didn't even sign the Declaration of Independence
richiesyxx
+1
Level 74
Apr 29, 2025
But George Washington WAS a Founding Father, so this is silly. And, no, Washington didn’t sign the DoI, but why would he? It was signed by delegates from the 13 colonies. Washington was a general at the time and was therefore, er, busy… Jefferson signed as a representative of Virginia, Adam’s did so as a representative of Massachusetts Bay. Washington was not a representative of any states, so it wasn’t necessary for him to sign it.
GlassMonkeyOLD
+2
Level 69
Mar 3, 2025
Why is it Cyrus for Iran but Mao for China? That is inconsistent. Either make in Qin Shi Huang for China or Ruhollah Khomeini for Iran.
Badeghut
+1
Level 73
Oct 9, 2025
It seems kinda silly to me to keep so many of the controversial/objectively incorrect answers when they could quite easily be replaced with founders of postcolonial states where it's a lot easier to determine who the "national founder" is. IMO at least Mao, Bismarck, Ivan IV and Garibaldi should be removed and could be replaced with Macdonald (Canada), Kenyatta (Kenya), Ibn Saud (Saudi Arabia) and Kim Il Sung (North Korea)
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