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Q90 (IAS/2018) Geography › Maps & Locations › World political geography Official Key

Consider the following pairs : Regions sometimes mentioned in news Country 1. Catalonia - Spain 2. Crimea - Hungary 3. Mindanao - Philippines 4. Oromia - Nigeria Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 3 (1 and 3 only) based on the following geographical and political facts:

  • Pair 1 is correctly matched: Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, frequently in the news due to its high-profile independence movement and referendum controversies.
  • Pair 3 is correctly matched: Mindanao is the second-largest island in the Philippines. It has been a focal point of news regarding insurgencies and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
  • Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: Crimea is a peninsula located on the northern coast of the Black Sea. It was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014; it has no territorial connection to Hungary.
  • Pair 4 is incorrectly matched: Oromia is the largest regional state in Ethiopia, inhabited primarily by the Oromo people. It is not located in Nigeria.

Therefore, only pairs 1 and 3 are accurate, making Option 3 the right choice.

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Q. Consider the following pairs : Regions sometimes mentioned in news Country 1. Catalonia - Spain 2. Crimea - Hungary 3. Mindanao - Phili…
At a glance
Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 0/10
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This is a pure Current Affairs question disguised as Geography. It rewards the 'Atlas Habit'—whenever a conflict, referendum, or disaster hits the headlines (Catalonia referendum, Marawi siege, Crimea annexation), you must locate the specific province on a map, not just the country.

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
Which country is the region Catalonia (a region often mentioned in news) part of?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Political Theory, Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Nationalism > DEMAND FOR NATIONAL SELF-DETERMINATION IN BASQUE > p. 105
Strength: 5/5
“Demands for national self-determination have been raised in different parts of the World. Let us look at one such case. Basque is a hilly and prosperous region in Spain. This region is recognised by the Spanish government as an 'autonomous' region within the Spanish federation. But the leaders of Basque Nationalist Movement are not satisfied with this autonomy. They want this region to become a separate country. Supporters of this movement have used constitutional and, till recently, violent means to press for this demand. Basque Nationalists say that their culture is very different from the Spanish culture. They have their own language that does not resemble Spanish at all.”
Why relevant

Describes Basque as a hilly region in Spain recognised as an 'autonomous' region within the Spanish federation, illustrating that Spain contains named subnational regions with distinct identities.

How to extend

A student could infer Spain has multiple autonomous regions and check a map or list of Spanish autonomous communities to see whether Catalonia is one of them.

Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Regional Aspirations > Accommodation and National Integration > p. 131
Strength: 4/5
“Even in smaller countries like the United Kingdom there are regional aspirations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Spain faces secessionist movement from the Basques and so does Sri Lanka from the Tamils. A large and diverse democracy like India must deal with regional aspirations on a regular basis. Nation building is an ongoing process.”
Why relevant

Mentions Spain facing secessionist movements (Basques) alongside examples of regional aspirations in other countries, highlighting that regions in Spain can seek autonomy or independence.

How to extend

Use this pattern (regions in Spain with secessionist movements) and compare news about Catalonia to see if it is discussed in the same national context (Spain) and as an autonomous region.

Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: FEDERALISM > Title I: On Federal Belgium, its components and its territory. > p. 174
Strength: 3/5
“Article 1 : Belgium is a Federal State made up of communities and regions. Article 2 : Belgium is made up of three communities: The French Community, the Flemish Community and the German Community. Article 3 : Belgium is made up of three regions: The Walloon region, the Flemish region and the Brussels region. Article 4 : Belgium has four linguistic regions: The Frenchspeaking region, the Dutch-speaking region, the bilingual region of Brussels Capital and the German-speaking region. Each «commune» (county borough) of the Kingdom is part of one of these linguistic regions. …….. Article 5 : The Walloon region is made up of the following provinces: The Walloon Brabant, Hainault, Liege, Luxemburg and Namur.”
Why relevant

Explains a federal country (Belgium) is made up of named regions and communities, providing a general rule that some European countries are divided into regions with legal recognition.

How to extend

Apply the same reasoning to Spain: look for whether Spain is divided into legally recognised regions (autonomous communities) and check if Catalonia appears among them on a basic political map or list.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 87: National Integration > III Regionalism > p. 604
Strength: 3/5
“Regiona lism refers to sub-nationalism and sub-territorial loyalty. It implies the love for a particular region or state in preference to the country as a whole. There is also subregionalism, that is, love for a particular region in preference to the state of which the region forms a part. Regionalism is "a subsidiary process of political integration in India. It is a manifestation of those residual elements which do not find expression in the national polity and national culture, and being excluded from the centrality of the new polity, express”
Why relevant

Defines 'regionalism' as sub-national or sub-territorial loyalty and notes subregions form parts of states, giving a conceptual frame for interpreting news about distinct regions within countries.

How to extend

With this concept, a student can treat Catalonia as a sub-national region and then verify which state it is part of by consulting standard references or maps that list sub-national units.

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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

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Statement analysis

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