Question map
Not attempted Correct Incorrect ★ Bookmarked
Loading…
Q51 (IAS/2014) Geography › Maps & Locations › World political geography Official Key

Turkey is located between

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

Turkey is located between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea[3]. This geographical positioning is further confirmed by references to coastal Turkey being part of the Mediterranean region in Europe, Africa and Asia Minor[4], and coastal areas of Asia Minor (coastal Turkey) being part of the Mediterranean agricultural typology[5].

The other options are incorrect because:
- The Caspian Sea lies to the east of Turkey, with countries like Azerbaijan and Iran in between
- The Gulf of Suez is located in Egypt, far south of Turkey
- The Gulf of Aqaba and Dead Sea are located in the Levant region (Jordan, Israel area), which is south of Turkey

Turkey's strategic location between two major water bodies - the Black Sea to its north and the Mediterranean Sea to its south - has historically made it a crucial geographical and geopolitical bridge between Europe and Asia.

Sources
  1. [4] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 3: MAJOR BIOMES > 5. Mediterranean or Sclerophyllous Biome > p. 11
  2. [5] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 10: Locational Factors of Economic Activities > mediterranean type of agriculture > p. 17
How others answered
Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
Community Performance
Out of everyone who attempted this question.
75%
got it right
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest preview
Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Turkey is located between [A] Black Sea and Caspian Sea [B] Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea [C] Gulf of Suez and Mediterranean Sea [D…
At a glance
Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 · 0/10
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This is a classic 'Sitter' derived from basic Atlas work, not obscure text. While NCERTs mention Turkey's Mediterranean climate, the visual memory of the Anatolian Peninsula (Asia Minor) sandwiched between the Black Sea (North) and Mediterranean (South) is the primary solver. It tests your mental map of West Asia.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Is Turkey located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 13: Imperialism and its Onslaught > The Balkan Wars > p. 200
Strength: 4/5
“Turkey was a powerful country in the south-west of Europe in the first half of eighteenth century. Its empire extended over the Balkans and across Hungary to Poland. (Balkans is a region in south-eastern Europe between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.) Taking advantage of the political and economic instability of the Turkish Empire from the second half of the eighteenth century, Greece, followed by others, began to secede, one after another, from Turkish control.”
Why relevant

Places Turkey in south‑west Europe and links the Balkans to the Black Sea, implying Turkey's historical territory bordered the Black Sea region.

How to extend

A student could check a map of Europe/Asia Minor to see Turkey's position relative to the Black Sea and assess whether it also lies toward the Caspian.

FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Transport and Communication > The Volga Waterway > p. 65
Strength: 5/5
“Russia has a large number of developed waterways, of which the Volga is one of the most important. It provides a navigable waterway of 11,200 km and drains into the Caspian Sea. The Volga-Moscow Canal connects it with the Moscow region and the Volga-Don Canal with the Black Sea.”
Why relevant

Notes that the Volga drains into the Caspian and that canals connect the Volga to the Black Sea, indicating the Black Sea and Caspian are distinct but regionally linked bodies of water to the north/east of Eurasia.

How to extend

Using a regional map, a student could locate the Volga/Caspian and the Black Sea to judge where Turkey lies in relation to both seas.

Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 3: Geological Time Scale The Evolution of The Earths Surface > Miocene (23.03 mya to 5.33 mya) > p. 49
Strength: 3/5
“• The Tethys Sea finally closed with the creation of the Arabian Peninsula and in its wake left the Black, Red, Mediterranean and Caspian Seas. This only increased aridity.”
Why relevant

States that the closure of the Tethys left both the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, grouping them as neighbouring remnant seas in the same broader region.

How to extend

A student could infer both seas are part of the same Eurasian region and consult a map to see whether Turkey lies between them.

Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 3: The Beginnings of European Settlements > The Beginnings of European Settlements > p. 47
Strength: 3/5
“TNDIA'S trade relations with Europe go back to the ancient days of the Greeks. During the Middle Ages trade between Europe and India and South-East Asia was carried on along several routes. One was by sea along the Persian Gulf, and from there overland through Iraq and Turkey, and then again by sea to Venice and Genoa. A second was via the Red Sea and then overland to Alexandria in Egypt and from there by sea to Venice and Genoa. A third The old trading routes between the East and the West came under Turkish control after the Ottoman conquest of Asia Minor and the capture of Constantinople in 1453.”
Why relevant

Describes historic overland routes passing through Turkey (Asia Minor) between the Persian Gulf and Europe, implying Turkey/Asia Minor is a land bridge region connecting east–west routes.

How to extend

By combining this with a map showing the Black Sea and Caspian positions, a student could judge whether Turkey/Asia Minor occupies a corridor between those seas.

Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 33: Ocean temperature and salinity > Marginal Seas > p. 519
Strength: 2/5
“• The North Sea, in spite of its location in higher latitudes, records higher salinity due to more saline water brought by the North Atlantic Drift. Baltic Sea records low salinity due to the influx of river waters in large quantities.• The Mediterranean Sea records higher salinity due to high evaporation. Salinity is, however, very low in the Black Sea due to the enormous freshwater influx by rivers.”
Why relevant

Discusses the Black Sea as a distinct marginal sea (with specific properties), reinforcing that the Black Sea is a recognizable regional feature to be located on a map.

How to extend

A student could use this reminder to locate the Black Sea on an atlas and then compare Turkey's geography relative to the Caspian Sea.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

How to study

This tab shows concrete study steps: what to underline in books, how to map current affairs, and how to prepare for similar questions.

Login with Google to unlock study guidance.

Micro-concepts

Discover the small, exam-centric ideas hidden in this question and where they appear in your books and notes.

Login with Google to unlock micro-concepts.

The Vault

Access hidden traps, elimination shortcuts, and Mains connections that give you an edge on every question.

Login with Google to unlock The Vault.

✓ Thank you! We'll review this.

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

CAPF · 2008 · Q108 Relevance score: -0.49

Which of the following are connected by over 1700 km-long BTC oil pipe-line ?

CDS-II · 2019 · Q115 Relevance score: -0.86

Which one of the following mountains separates Black Sea and Caspian Sea?

IAS · 2008 · Q31 Relevance score: -1.84

In which one of the following is Malta located?

IAS · 2005 · Q102 Relevance score: -1.84

Where are the Balearic Islands located?

IAS · 2019 · Q36 Relevance score: -1.95

Consider the following pairs : Sea Bordering country 1. Adriatic Sea : Albania 2. Black Sea : Croatia 3. Caspian Sea : Kazakhstan 4. Mediterranean Sea : Morocco 5. Red Sea : Syria Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?