UPSC Prelims 2005 Q137: Geography – World Political Geography & Borders
Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
Current Name - Old Name
- (a) Harare - Salisbury
- (b) Ethiopia - Abyssinia
- (c) Ghana - Dutch Guiana
- (d) Kinshasa - Leopoldville
Answer: (c) Ghana - Dutch Guiana
Explanation
Current names and old names
| Current name | Old name |
|---|---|
| Harare | Salisbury — correct |
| Ethiopia | Abyssinia — correct |
| Kinshasa | Leopoldville — correct |
| Ghana | Gold Coast, not Dutch Guiana (now Suriname) — wrong |
Ghana was earlier the Gold Coast; Dutch Guiana is the old name of Suriname.
Answer: (c) Ghana - Dutch Guiana.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Harare was Salisbury.
- (b) Incorrect. Ethiopia was Abyssinia.
- (c) CORRECT. Ghana was the Gold Coast, so this pair is wrong.
- (d) Incorrect. Kinshasa was Leopoldville.
Key point
Renamed: Ghana (Gold Coast), Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), Suriname (Dutch Guiana), Sri Lanka (Ceylon).
Remember
Ghana was formerly the Gold Coast.
Common mistakes
- Linking Ghana with South America.
- Mixing Dutch Guiana with the Dutch East Indies.
- Reading the question as asking for a correct pair.
Exam tip
Dutch Guiana = Suriname; Gold Coast = Ghana.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Ghana
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Suriname