UPSC Prelims 2018 Q37: Geography – World Political Geography & Borders
- (a) 1 and 2
- (b) 1 and 4
- (c) 2 and 3
- (d) 3 and 4
Answer: (b) 1 and 4
Explanation
Global Hotspot Towns
| Pair | Actual Country | Correct? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Aleppo - Syria | Aleppo is Syria's largest city, epicentre of the Syrian civil war | YES |
| 2. Kirkuk - Yemen | Kirkuk is in northern Iraq, an oil city disputed between Baghdad and Kurds | NO (Iraq, not Yemen) |
| 3. Mosul - Palestine | Mosul is in northern Iraq, recaptured from ISIS in 2017 | NO (Iraq, not Palestine) |
| 4. Mazar-i-Sharif - Afghanistan | Mazar-i-Sharif is Afghanistan's fourth-largest city, in northern Balkh province | YES |
Answer: (b) 1 and 4.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Kirkuk is in Iraq, not Yemen - pair 2 is wrong.
- (b) CORRECT. Aleppo-Syria and Mazar-i-Sharif-Afghanistan are correctly paired.
- (c) Incorrect. Both pairs 2 and 3 are in Iraq (not Yemen or Palestine).
- (d) Incorrect. Mosul is in Iraq, not Palestine - pair 3 is wrong.
Key point
Iraq cities in news: Baghdad, Kirkuk (oil, Kurdish dispute), Mosul (ISIS 2014-17), Basra, Erbil (Kurdistan capital). Syria: Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Raqqa (ISIS de facto capital). Afghanistan: Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad.
Remember
Aleppo is in Syria, epicentre of that country's civil war, and Mazar-i-Sharif is Afghanistan's fourth-largest city. Kirkuk and Mosul are both in northern Iraq - Kirkuk is a disputed oil city between the federal government and Kurds, and Mosul was recaptured from ISIS in 2017. The pairs assigning Kirkuk to Yemen and Mosul to Palestine are factually wrong.
Common mistakes
- Confusing Kirkuk (Iraq) with Yemen because both are Middle Eastern - Yemen's key cities are Sanaa, Aden, Taiz.
- Placing Mosul in Palestine - Mosul is northern Iraq; Palestinian cities include Jerusalem, Ramallah, Gaza.
- Missing Aleppo's centrality to the Syrian civil war (fell to Assad forces in Dec 2016).
Exam tip
West Asia city-country map: Syria (Damascus, Aleppo, Raqqa, Homs), Iraq (Baghdad, Mosul, Kirkuk, Basra), Yemen (Sanaa, Aden), Afghanistan (Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, Kandahar), Palestine (East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Gaza).
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Kirkuk
- MEA India - Travel Advisories and Country Briefs
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Mosul