UPSC CSE Prelims
Asia Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — Only two pairs

This question tests knowledge of geographical regions and their corresponding countries. Out of the four given pairs, only Anatolia–Turkey and Amhara–Ethiopia are correctly matched, while Cabo Delgado belongs to Mozambique (not Spain) and Catalonia is in Spain (not Italy).

✅ Pair 1 (Anatolia – Turkey) – Correct: Anatolia is the Asian portion of Turkey, a historic peninsula at the crossroads of Asia and Europe.

✅ Pair 2 (Amhara – Ethiopia) – Correct: Amhara is a region in northwestern Ethiopia, homeland of the Amhara people and location of Lake Tana.

❌ Pair 3 (Cabo Delgado – Spain) – Incorrect: Cabo Delgado is the northernmost province of Mozambique, not Spain; it has been affected by Al-Shabab extremist attacks since 2017.

❌ Pair 4 (Catalonia – Italy) – Incorrect: Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, not Italy; it has been in news due to separatist movements and protests.

📝 Short Notes: Important Global Regions

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — 3, 4 and 5 only

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia that shares borders with six countries. Among the given Central Asian republics, only Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan share borders with Afghanistan to its north and northwest.

❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Azerbaijan is located in the Caucasus region on the western shore of the Caspian Sea and does not share a border with Afghanistan.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Kyrgyzstan is located to the north of Tajikistan and does not share a border with Afghanistan.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Tajikistan shares a long border (approximately 1,357 km) with Afghanistan to the north and northeast.
✅ Statement 4 – Correct: Turkmenistan shares a border (approximately 804 km) with Afghanistan to the northwest.
✅ Statement 5 – Correct: Uzbekistan shares a short border (approximately 144 km) with Afghanistan to the north.

📝 Short Notes: Afghanistan's Neighbors

• Afghanistan is completely landlocked with no access to the sea.
• The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow strip of territory that connects Afghanistan to China.
• Among Central Asian republics, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan do NOT share borders with Afghanistan.
• The Durand Line marks the disputed border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Detailed Explanation:

Jakarta (Indonesia) is located at approximately 6°S latitude, making it the southernmost city.

Singapore lies at approximately 1°N latitude, just north of the equator.

Bangkok (Thailand) is situated at approximately 13°N latitude.

Hanoi (Vietnam) is located at approximately 21°N latitude, making it the northernmost city.

Therefore, the correct south-to-north sequence is: Jakarta → Singapore → Bangkok → Hanoi (3-4-1-2).

Detailed Explanation:

Turkey is a transcontinental country strategically located between the Black Sea to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.

It also borders the Aegean Sea to the west, while the Caspian Sea lies far to the east (beyond the Caucasus), the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba are part of Egypt/Israel region, and the Dead Sea is located between Israel and Jordan.