CAPF AC 2022 Q74: Current Affairs – International Relations & Treaties
- (a) Aral Sea
- (b) Baltic Sea
- (c) Caspian Sea
- (d) Sea of Azov
Answer: (d) Sea of Azov
Explanation
Mariupol
How to think: Mariupol is a port city in south-eastern Ukraine.
It lies on the Sea of Azov, a shallow sea north of the Black Sea.
| Sea | Location |
|---|---|
| Sea of Azov | Between Ukraine and Russia; joined to the Black Sea by the Kerch Strait |
| Black Sea | South of Ukraine; ports of Odesa and Sevastopol |
| Baltic Sea | Northern Europe |
| Caspian Sea | Between Europe and Asia; a landlocked lake |
| Aral Sea | Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan; largely dried up |
Why it was in the news: Russian forces besieged Mariupol from February to May 2022.
The last defenders held out in the Azovstal steel plant.
Its capture gave Russia a land bridge to Crimea.
Answer: (d) Sea of Azov.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. The Aral Sea is in Central Asia.
- (b) Incorrect. The Baltic Sea is in northern Europe, far from Ukraine's coast.
- (c) Incorrect. The Caspian Sea does not touch Ukraine.
- (d) CORRECT. Mariupol is a port on the Sea of Azov.
Key point
Ukraine: capital Kyiv; Black Sea ports Odesa, Mykolaiv; Sea of Azov ports Mariupol, Berdyansk. Kerch Strait joins the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea; the Crimean Bridge crosses it. The Sea of Azov is the shallowest sea in the world.
Remember
Mariupol and Azovstal: Sea of Azov.
Common mistakes
- Marking the Black Sea in the mind and then not finding it among the options.
- Mixing up Mariupol (Sea of Azov) with Odesa (Black Sea).
- Placing Ukraine on the Baltic or Caspian coast.
Exam tip
Educated guess: the defenders of Mariupol were the Azov regiment and they held the Azovstal plant. Both names come from the Sea of Azov.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Mariupol, Ukraine; Sea of Azov
- BBC News — Mariupol: Why the city is so important to Russia's plan (March 2022)