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Q37 (IAS/2018) Geography › Maps & Locations › Conflict and strategic regions Official Key

Consider the following pairs : Towns sometimes mentioned in news Country 1. Aleppo - Syria 2. Kirkuk - Yemen 3. Mosul - Palestine 4. Mazar-i-sharif - Afghanistan Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is option B (1 and 4).

Aleppo is indeed located in Syria[2], as evidenced by references to Aleppo's Old Bazaar and residents providing testimony about the Syrian city. Pair 1 is correctly matched.

Pair 2 is incorrect because Kirkuk is an Iraqi city, not a Yemeni city[3]. The documents mention attacks on Kirkuk and military operations in Iraq involving this city.

Pair 3 is also incorrect as Mosul is located in Iraq, not Palestine[6]. Multiple references describe the Iraqi government's campaign to recapture Mosul from the Islamic State and Iraqi forces taking control of eastern and western parts of the city.

Pair 4 is correctly matched - Mazar-i-Sharif is indeed located in Afghanistan, making it the second correct pairing along with Aleppo-Syria.

Therefore, only pairs 1 and 4 are correctly matched, making option B the right answer.

Sources
  1. [1] https://www.icrc.org/en/document/broken-cities-virtual-journey
  2. [2] https://www.icrc.org/en/document/iraq-syria-and-yemen-five-times-more-civilians-die-city-offensives-new-report-finds
  3. [3] https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/timeline-the-rise-spread-and-fall-the-islamic-state
  4. [4] https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/timeline-the-rise-spread-and-fall-the-islamic-state
  5. [5] https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/timeline-the-rise-spread-and-fall-the-islamic-state
  6. [6] https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/timeline-the-rise-spread-and-fall-the-islamic-state
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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. Consider the following pairs : Towns sometimes mentioned in news Country 1. Aleppo - Syria 2. Kirkuk - Yemen 3. Mosul - Palestine 4…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 7.5/10
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This question rewards the 'International Page' reader. These weren't obscure villages; they were the epicenters of the global war on terror (ISIS) in 2017-18. If a city is bombed daily on BBC/Al Jazeera, it must go on your wall map immediately.

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
Towns sometimes mentioned in news: Is Aleppo located in Syria?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"***Aleppo Old Bazaar, Syria: A city's identity buried in the ruins of an historic market.***"
Why this source?
  • The passage explicitly names Aleppo and attaches 'Syria' to it.
  • It describes a specific Aleppo landmark ('Aleppo Old Bazaar') and labels it 'Syria', directly locating the city.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"The report includes testimony from residents in Syria's Aleppo, Iraq's Mosul and Yemen's Taiz,"
Why this source?
  • The report text refers to 'Syria's Aleppo', directly indicating Aleppo is in Syria.
  • It groups Aleppo with other locations in the context of conflicts in Syria, reinforcing the location.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"ICRC staff in Aleppo with a woman sitting on the ground ### [ICRC in Syria: Year in Review 2024]"
Why this source?
  • An image caption refers to 'ICRC staff in Aleppo' alongside a link titled 'ICRC in Syria', associating Aleppo with Syria.
  • The passage ties Aleppo-related content directly to Syria-focused reporting.

Themes in world history, History Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Writing and City Life > A Trading Town in a Pastoral Zone > p. 24
Strength: 5/5
“The kings of Mari, however, had to be vigilant; herders of various tribes were allowed to move in the kingdom, but they were watched. The camps of herders are mentioned frequently in letters between kings and officials. In one letter, an officer writes to the king that he has been seeing frequent fire signals at night - sent by one camp to another - and he suspects that a raid or an attack is being planned. Located on the Euphrates in a prime position for trade - in wood, copper, tin, oil, wine, and various other goods that were carried in boats along the Euphrates - between the south and the mineral-rich uplands of Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, Mari is a good example of an urban centre prospering on trade.”
Why relevant

This snippet lists 'Turkey, Syria and Lebanon' as upland regions connected by the Euphrates and notes towns located on the Euphrates prosper through trade.

How to extend

A student could check a map to see whether Aleppo lies on or near the Euphrates corridor and inside Syria's borders.

Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 31: Settlements and Towns > Location of settlements > p. 313
Strength: 4/5
“The site of a town is its topographical location in the immediate neighbourhood. Kuala Lumpur is sited at the confluence of the Sungai Kelang and its tributary the Gombak. Its position is its locational situation in relation to the rest of the region. Kuala Lumpur is situated in the 'rubber and tin belt' in central Peninsular Malaysia. Fig. 31.3 shows the site of Kuala Lumpur and Fig. 31.4 the position of Kuala Lumpur The following are some of the more favrourable combinations of site and situation which have led to the establishment and growth of settlements. l. Fertile alluvial plain.”
Why relevant

Defines 'site' and 'situation' of towns and gives river-confluence location (Kuala Lumpur) as a clear example of how towns are sited.

How to extend

Use the site/situation rule plus a map to determine Aleppo's topographical location and whether that location places it within Syria.

Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 31: Settlements and Towns > Ouestions and Exercises > p. 323
Strength: 3/5
“1. Either: Distinguish the differences between dispersed and nucleated settlements, giving examples wherever you can. Or: State the difference between site and situation by drawing sketch maps of towns that you know. • 2. With the aid of sketch maps show specific examples of the following types of towns: (a) nodal town; • (b) confluence town;• (c) gap town;• • (d) satellite town.• 3.”
Why relevant

Exercise asks students to draw sketch maps and show specific town types (e.g., confluence town, nodal town), encouraging use of maps to classify towns geographically.

How to extend

A student could draw/consult a map to classify Aleppo (e.g., riverine, nodal on trade routes) and thereby confirm which country contains it.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns > 6.1 New cities > p. 42
Strength: 3/5
“Let us retrace our steps back to the urban centres that emerged in several parts of the subcontinent from c. sixth century BCE. As we have seen, many of these were capitals of mahajanapadas. Virtually all major towns were located along routes of communication. Some such as Pataliputra were on riverine routes. Others, such as Ujjayini, were along land routes, and yet others, such as Puhar, were near the coast, from where sea routes began. Many cities like Mathura were bustling centres of commercial, cultural and political activity.”
Why relevant

States that major towns historically emerged along routes of communication (riverine, land, sea) as a general pattern for town locations.

How to extend

Apply this pattern by checking historical/commercial route maps of the Middle East to see if Aleppo is positioned on such routes within Syrian territory.

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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