UPSC Prelims 2018 Q90: Current Affairs – International Conflicts & Security
- (a) 1, 2 and 3
- (b) 3 and 4 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 2 and 4 only
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Explanation
Contested Regions and Their Countries
| Pair | Actual Country | Correct? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Catalonia - Spain | Catalonia is a NE Spanish region, capital Barcelona; held 2017 unilateral independence referendum (declared illegal by Madrid). | YES |
| 2. Crimea - Hungary | Crimea is a peninsula on the northern Black Sea coast, historically part of Ukraine, annexed by Russia in March 2014. NOT Hungary. | NO |
| 3. Mindanao - Philippines | Mindanao is the second-largest island of the Philippines, in the south; site of Moro separatist insurgency and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. | YES |
| 4. Oromia - Nigeria | Oromia is the largest regional state in Ethiopia, home of the Oromo people. NOT Nigeria. | NO |
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Pair 2 wrongly places Crimea in Hungary - Crimea belongs to Ukraine (annexed by Russia 2014).
- (b) Incorrect. Pair 4 wrongly places Oromia in Nigeria - Oromia is in Ethiopia.
- (c) CORRECT. Catalonia-Spain and Mindanao-Philippines are correctly matched; Crimea is Ukraine/Russia and Oromia is Ethiopia.
- (d) Incorrect. Both pairs 2 and 4 misidentify the country.
Key point
Contested regions: Catalonia = Spain. Crimea = Ukraine (annexed by Russia 2014). Mindanao = Philippines. Oromia = Ethiopia. Kurdistan = spread across Turkey/Iraq/Iran/Syria. Xinjiang/Tibet = China. Kashmir = India/Pakistan.
Remember
Catalonia is a Spanish region (site of the 2017 independence referendum), and Mindanao is the second-largest island of the Philippines (with a Moro separatist history and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region). Crimea belongs to Ukraine (annexed by Russia in 2014), not Hungary. Oromia is Ethiopia's largest regional state (home of the Oromo people), not Nigeria.
Common mistakes
- Placing Crimea in Hungary - Crimea is on the Black Sea, part of Ukraine (annexed by Russia), nowhere near Hungary.
- Placing Oromia in Nigeria - Nigeria's ethnic zones are Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa-Fulani; Oromia is Ethiopia's largest region.
- Missing that Mindanao has been in news for the Moro separatism and Marawi crisis (2017).
Exam tip
Ethnic/regional flashpoints: Spain (Catalonia, Basque), UK (Scotland, N. Ireland), Belgium (Flanders/Wallonia), Ukraine (Crimea, Donbas), Ethiopia (Oromia, Tigray), Philippines (Mindanao), China (Xinjiang, Tibet, HK).
Sources
- UN Security Council - Resolutions on Crimea and Ukraine Territorial Integrity
- MEA India - Country Briefs on Spain, Philippines, Ethiopia