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Q54 (IAS/2017) Geography ā€ŗ Maps & Locations ā€ŗ World physical geography Official Key

Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries ? 1. Jordan 2. Iraq 3. Lebanon 4. Syria Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Result
Your answer: ā€”  Ā·  Correct: C
Explanation

Syria sits on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea[1], making it a Mediterranean coastal country. Lebanon borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west[2], confirming it too has a Mediterranean coastline.

In contrast, Jordan shares a border with Syria to the south[1], placing it inland without Mediterranean access. Similarly, Iraq borders Syria to the east[1], which also positions it as a landlocked country in relation to the Mediterranean Sea. Iraq has coastline only on the Persian Gulf, not the Mediterranean.

Therefore, among the four countries listed, only Lebanon (3) and Syria (4) are bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, making option C (3 and 4 only) the correct answer.

Sources
  1. [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cwy8xzxe0w7t?page=7
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Donā€™t just practise ā€“ 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. Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries ? 1. Jordan 2. Iraq 3. Lebanon 4. Syria Select the correct answer usingā€¦
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 Ā· 7.5/10
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This is a classic 'Atlas-based' question triggered by the Syrian Civil War (2011ā€“present). While NCERT History explicitly places Syria on the Mediterranean, the question demands a holistic mental map of the Levant. You cannot clear Prelims without obsessively mapping conflict zones; text-based reading is insufficient here.

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
Does the Mediterranean Sea border Jordan?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 4/5
"countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine/Israel, southwestern Turkey)"
Why this source?
  • Lists countries that border the Mediterranean Sea (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine/Israel, southwestern Turkey) without mentioning Jordan.
  • Implying the coastal countries in that region are Syria, Lebanon and Israel rather than Jordan.
Web source
Presence: 3/5
"Syria... sits on the east coast of the Mediterranean sea, sharing borders with Turkey to the north, Lebanon and Israel to the west and southwest, Iraq to the east and Jordan to the south."
Why this source?
  • States Syria sits on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea and explicitly places Jordan to the south of Syria.
  • If Syria (to the north) borders the Mediterranean and Jordan is south of Syria, this implies Jordan does not have that Mediterranean coastline.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"* [Israel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel) * [Italy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy) * [Lebanon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon) * [Libya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libya)"
Why this source?
  • Provides a list of sovereign states of the Mediterranean Sea which includes Israel, Lebanon, Syria, etc.
  • Jordan is not listed among the countries named as Mediterranean coastal states in this passage.

Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 9: Divergent Boundary > 9.2. The Great Rift Valley > p. 129
Strength: 5/5
ā€œā€¢ The Great Rift Valley runs north to south for around 6,400 kilometres from northern Syria to central Mozambique in East Africa.ā€¢ The northernmost part of the rift forms the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon. Farther south, the valley is the home of the Jordan River which continues south through the Jordan Valley into the Dead Sea on the Israeli-Jordanian border. From the Dead Sea southward, the Rift is occupied by the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea.ā€¢ The Afar Triangle of Ethiopia and Eritrea is the location of a triple junction. The Gulf of Aden is an eastward continuation of the rift, and from this point, the rift extends south-eastward as part of the midoceanic Aden Ridge.ā€¢ In a southwest direction, the fault continues as the East African Rift, which split the older Ethiopian highlands into two halves.ā€
Why relevant

Describes the Great Rift Valley continuing southward into the Dead Sea on the Israeliā€“Jordanian border and then into the Gulf of Aqaba and Red Sea, linking Jordan geographically to the Dead Sea and Red Sea rather than the Mediterranean.

How to extend

A student could use a map to note that the Dead Sea and Gulf of Aqaba lie south/east of Israel and Jordan, implying Jordan's seacoast access is to the Red Sea, not the Mediterranean.

Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 9: Lakes > LAKES FORMED BY EARTH MOVEMENT > p. 81
Strength: 4/5
ā€œWater collects in these troughs and their floors are often below sea-level. The best known example is the East African Rift Valley which runs through Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, and extends along the Red Sea to Israel and Jordan over a total distance of 4800 km (3000 miles)ā€
Why relevant

States the East African Rift extends along the Red Sea to Israel and Jordan, reinforcing Jordan's connection to the Red Sea corridor rather than the Mediterranean coastline.

How to extend

Combine this with a regional map to see that the Red Sea/Gulf of Aqaba are far south of the Mediterranean, so Jordan's coastal contact is with the Red Sea.

Themes in world history, History Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: An Empire Across Three Continents > AN EMPIRE ACROSS THREE CONTINENTS > p. 39
Strength: 4/5
ā€œIf you look at the map, you will see that the continents of Europe and Africa are separated by a sea that stretches all the way from Spain in the west to Syria in the east. This sea is called the Mediterranean, and it was the heart of Rome's empire. Rome dominated the Mediterranean and all the regions around that sea in both directions, north as well as south. To the north, the boundaries of the empire were formed by two great rivers, the Rhine and the Danube; to the south, by the huge expanse of desert called the Sahara.ā€
Why relevant

Defines the Mediterranean as the sea stretching from Spain in the west to Syria in the east, naming Syria (and by extension nearby Lebanon/Israel) on its eastern end.

How to extend

Check a map to see which Levant countries touch the Mediterranean (Syria, Lebanon, Israel) and compare their positions to Jordan's inland location east of Israel.

FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Primary Activities > Mediterranean Agriculture > p. 31
Strength: 3/5
ā€œsea in Europe and in north Africa from Tunisia to Atlantic coast, southern California, central Chile, south western parts of South Africa and south and south western parts of Australia. This region is an important supplier of citrus fruits. Viticulture or grape cultivation is a speciality of the Mediterranean region. Best quality wines in the world with distinctive flavours are produced from high quality grapes in various countries of this region. The inferior grapes are dried into raisins and currants. This region also produces olives and figs. The advantage of Mediterranean agriculture is that more valuable crops such as fruits and vegetables are grown in winters when there is great demand in European and North American markets.ā€
Why relevant

Lists the Mediterranean region's coastal extent in Europe and North Africa and names the sea's adjacent lands, without listing Jordan among Mediterranean coastal areas.

How to extend

Use this omission plus a map to infer which Near Eastern states are Mediterranean littoral states and whether Jordan appears among them (it does not).

FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: World Climate and Climate Change > Mediterranean Climate (Cs) > p. 93
Strength: 2/5
ā€œAs the name suggests, Mediterranean climate occurs around Mediterranean sea, along the west coast of continents in subtropical latitudes between 30Ā° - 40Ā° latitudes e.g. ā€” Central California, Central Chile, along the coast in south eastern and south western Australia. These areas come under the influence of sub tropical high in summer and westerly wind in winter. Hence, the climate is characterised by hot, dry summer and mild, rainy winter. Monthly average temperature in summer is around 25Ā° C and in winter below 10Ā°C. The annual precipitation ranges between 35 - 90 cm.ā€
Why relevant

Explains 'Mediterranean climate occurs around Mediterranean Sea' and names coastal zones; again it implies the Mediterranean rim is coastal and distinct from inland areas.

How to extend

A student could check Jordan's climate/position relative to the Mediterranean coast on a map to judge whether Jordan lies on that coastal rim.

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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