UPSC Prelims 2000 Q28: Geography – Economic & Mineral Geography
- (a) I - C, II - A, III - D, IV - B
- (b) I - C, II - A, III - B, IV - D
- (c) I - A, II - C, III - B, IV - D
- (d) I - A, II - C, III - D, IV - B
Answer: (a) I - C, II - A, III - D, IV - B
Explanation
Minerals and their major producers
| Mineral | Major producer in the list |
|---|---|
| Mineral oil | Venezuela — Lake Maracaibo and the Orinoco belt; a founder member of OPEC |
| Copper | Zambia — the Copperbelt on the border with the Congo |
| Manganese | Gabon — the Moanda mine, one of the world's largest |
| Bauxite | Guyana — Linden and the Berbice, near the Caribbean coast |
Venezuela is a leading mineral oil producer and was a founder member of OPEC in 1960.
Zambia earns most of its export income from copper mined in the Copperbelt.
Gabon in west-central Africa is among the top manganese producers, from the Moanda deposit.
Guyana has long been an important bauxite producer, like its neighbours Suriname and Jamaica in the Caribbean region.
So the match is I-C, II-A, III-D, IV-B.
Answer: (a) I - C, II - A, III - D, IV - B.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Oil-Venezuela, copper-Zambia, manganese-Gabon, bauxite-Guyana.
- (b) Incorrect. It swaps manganese and bauxite, giving manganese to Guyana and bauxite to Gabon.
- (c) Incorrect. It gives oil to Zambia and copper to Venezuela.
- (d) Incorrect. Oil and copper are swapped between Venezuela and Zambia.
Key point
Copperbelt = Zambia; Moanda manganese = Gabon; Guianas and Jamaica = bauxite.
Remember
Venezuela oil, Zambia copper, Gabon manganese, Guyana bauxite.
Common mistakes
- Swapping Gabon and Guyana because the names look alike.
- Giving copper to Venezuela by confusing it with Chile.
- Forgetting that Guyana is in South America, not Africa.
Exam tip
Fix the two easy ones (Venezuela oil, Zambia copper), then Gabon-manganese, Guyana-bauxite.
Sources
- G.C. Leong — Certificate Physical and Human Geography (Oxford University Press)
- United States Geological Survey — Mineral Commodity Summaries 2000 (manganese, bauxite, copper)