Question map
Not attempted Correct Incorrect ★ Bookmarked
Loading…
Q98 (IAS/2017) Geography › Maps & Locations › Indian physical geography Official Key

Which of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar ?

Result
Your answer: —  Âˇ  Correct: A
Explanation

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are strategically located, bifurcating the Bay of Bengal from the Andaman Sea, and are in proximity to the Strait of Malacca.[3] Great Nicobar is the southernmost island of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. Geographically, Sumatra (Indonesia) lies directly across the narrow channel south of Great Nicobar, separated by a distance of approximately 150 kilometers at the closest point. This makes Sumatra significantly closer than the other options. Sri Lanka is located far to the west in the Bay of Bengal, while Borneo lies to the southeast and Java is positioned much further south in the Indonesian archipelago. The proximity of Great Nicobar to Sumatra is strategically significant, as both flank the vital Strait of Malacca shipping route.

Sources
  1. [1] https://www.orfonline.org/research/ports-and-geopolitics-the-case-of-sino-indian-rivalry-in-the-bay-of-bengal
  2. [2] https://www.orfonline.org/research/ports-and-geopolitics-the-case-of-sino-indian-rivalry-in-the-bay-of-bengal
  3. [3] https://www.orfonline.org/research/ports-and-geopolitics-the-case-of-sino-indian-rivalry-in-the-bay-of-bengal
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.
63%
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. Which of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar ? [A] Sumatra [B] Borneo [C] Java [D] Sri Lanka
At a glance
Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 ¡ 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 'Atlas-Derived' question. Standard books (NCERT/Majid Husain) mention Indira Point and the strategic location near Malacca, but no text explicitly compares distances to these four options. It penalizes 'text-only' readers and rewards those who actively visualize the 'Mental Map' of the Indian Ocean Region.

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
What is the shortest distance between Great Nicobar (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India) and the island of Sumatra (Indonesia)?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > Islands of the Bay of Bengal > p. 66
Strength: 5/5
“The main islands of the Bay of Bengal are the Andaman and Nicobar groups. The Andaman and Nicobar islands are separated by the Ten Degree Channel. The shortest distance of the Andaman Islands from the mainland (Bay of Bengal Head) is about 2000 km and the extreme southern point is the Indira Point—the southern most point of the Great Nicobar Island (Fig. 2.23).”
Why relevant

Identifies Indira Point as the extreme southern point of Great Nicobar, providing a concrete reference location on Great Nicobar that should be used when measuring to Sumatra.

How to extend

A student can take Indira Point as the precise endpoint on Great Nicobar and then use a map or coordinates to measure the nearest distance to Sumatra.

CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: India Size and Location > LOCATION > p. 1
Strength: 4/5
“India is a vast country. Lying entirely in the Northern hemisphere (Figure 1.1) the main land extends between latitudes 8°4'N and 37°6'N and longitudes 68°7'E and 97°25'E. The Tropic of Cancer (23° 30'N) divides the country into almost two equal parts. To the southeast and southwest of the mainland, lie the Andaman and Nicobar islands and the Lakshadweep islands in Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea respectively. Find out the extent of these groups of islands from your atlas. • The southernmost point of the Indian Union– 'Indira Point' got submerged under the sea water in 2004 during the Tsunami.”
Why relevant

Gives India's southern latitude extent (about 8°4'N), indicating Great Nicobar lies very near the southern limit of India and hence relatively close to equatorial/SE Asian islands like Sumatra.

How to extend

Use the latitude hint plus a world map or atlas to locate Great Nicobar relative to Sumatra and estimate/compute the shortest separation (e.g., via latitude/longitude differences or map scale).

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 15: Regional Development and Planning > The Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar (Population: 380,581–2011) > p. 90
Strength: 3/5
“There are 556 islands in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Out of these 36 are permanently inhabited. Most islands are in the Andaman group, 26 of which are inhabited. The Nicobar islands comprises 22 main islands (10 inhabited). The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are separated by the Ten Degree Channel, about 150 km wide. The total area of Andaman Islands is about 6408 sq km, and that of Nicobar Islands approximately 1841 sq km. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are endowed with tropical rainforest. These forests consists of a mixed flora with elements from Indian, Malaysian, and Myanmarese floral strains.”
Why relevant

States the Ten Degree Channel separates Andaman and Nicobar groups and gives a channel width (~150 km), illustrating that channel distances between nearby island groups are measured and reported in these sources.

How to extend

By analogy, a student can look for similar reported channel or sea-gap measurements (or measure on a map) between Great Nicobar (Indira Point) and Sumatra to obtain the shortest distance.

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

IAS ¡ 2014 ¡ Q3 Relevance score: 0.73

Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the 'Ten Degree Channel'?

IAS ¡ 1996 ¡ Q48 Relevance score: -1.22

‘Saddle Peak’, the highest peak of Andaman and Nicobar islands, is located in

NDA-I ¡ 2008 ¡ Q83 Relevance score: -2.22

Port Blair-the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is located in which one of the following islands?

IAS ¡ 2008 ¡ Q49 Relevance score: -2.24

Which one of the following cities is nearest to the equator?

IAS ¡ 1995 ¡ Q69 Relevance score: -2.91

Which one of the following does not belong to biosphere reserves set-up so far?