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Q18 (IAS/2022) Geography › Maps & Locations › Places in news Official Key

Consider the following pairs : Region often mentioned in the news Country 1. Anatolia - Turkey 2. Amhara - Ethiopia 3. Cabo Delgado - Spain 4. Catalonia - Italy How many pairs given above are correctly matched ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 2 (Only two pairs). The evaluation of the pairs is as follows:

  • Pair 1 is correctly matched: Anatolia, also known as Asia Minor, constitutes the large peninsula that forms the westernmost protrusion of Asia and makes up the majority of modern-day Turkey.
  • Pair 2 is correctly matched: Amhara is a regional state in Ethiopia. It has been frequently in the news due to internal regional conflicts and its involvement in the Tigray war.
  • Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Cabo Delgado is the northernmost province of Mozambique, not Spain. it is often mentioned due to the ongoing Islamist insurgency in the region.
  • Pair 4 is incorrectly matched: Catalonia is an autonomous community in Spain, not Italy. It is famous for its distinct cultural identity and the prominent secessionist movement.

Since only pairs 1 and 2 are accurate, the answer is "Only two pairs."

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Q. Consider the following pairs : Region often mentioned in the news Country 1. Anatolia - Turkey 2. Amhara - Ethiopia 3. Cabo Delgado - …
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 · 5/10

This question is a hybrid of 'Static GK' (Anatolia, Catalonia) and 'Hardcore Current Affairs' (Amhara, Cabo Delgado). It punishes aspirants who only read headlines ('War in Ethiopia') without noting the specific province ('Amhara'). Fairness is high for newspaper readers; low for pure static book readers.

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 Anatolia, a region often mentioned in the news, located in Turkey?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > europe and central Asia > p. 7
Presence: 5/5
“• 10. Caucasus Region Stretching over the mountainous regions of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, the Caucasus Biodiversity Hotspot contains a large number of endemic plant species. Te over-interference of man in this region has threatened the endemic species of fauna and fora.• 11. Iran-Anatolia Region Sprawling over the plateau of Anatolia (Turkey), Kurdistan (northern Iraq) Elburz Mountain and the central parts of Dasht-e-Kavir ( desert of Iran), this biodiversity hotspot has numerous endemic species of plants and animals. Many of these plants and animals of this region are not found anywhere in the world.• 12. Te Mediterranean Basin and its Eastern Coastal Region Tis biodiversity hotspot contains more than 22,500 endemic plant species and numerous species of animals.• 13.”
Why this source?
  • Directly refers to 'Anatolia (Turkey)' when describing the Iran-Anatolia region.
  • Places the plateau of Anatolia within the territorial context of Turkey.
Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 10: Locational Factors of Economic Activities > mediterranean type of agriculture > p. 17
Presence: 4/5
“Te Mediterranean agricultural typology is confned to the coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, Asia Minor (coastal Turkey), Valley of California, Cape Province of South Africa, Central Chile, Tasmania and coastal Victoria (Australia) and southern New Zealand. Te Mediterranean region records hot summer and mild-rainy winters. Tis region is known for the cultivation of citrus fruits, fg, olive, vine, cork, cereals and fodder crops. Wheat is the important cereal crop, followed by barley, oats, oilseeds and fodder crops. Te fragmentation and small size of holdings are the main problems of the Mediterranean agriculture.”
Why this source?
  • Uses the synonym 'Asia Minor (coastal Turkey)', equating Asia Minor with parts of Turkey.
  • Links the Mediterranean coastal agricultural zone to Asia Minor in coastal Turkey, reinforcing the geographic mapping.
Statement 2
Is Amhara, a region often mentioned in the news, located in Ethiopia?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"In Ethiopia, above‑average rains between June and September benefited vegetation conditions and boosted yields in key producing areas of the western highlands. The resumption of fighting in late August in Tigray Region and in neighbouring areas of Amhara Region caused disruptions to agricultural operations with negative effects on the cereal output."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly discusses events 'In Ethiopia' and then refers to 'neighbouring areas of Amhara Region', linking Amhara to Ethiopia.
  • Shows Amhara as a named region adjacent to Tigray within the Ethiopian context.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"in northern Tigray Region and in adjacent areas of Amhara and Afar regions, with 5.3 million people estimated to be severely food insecure in the Tigray Region alone."
Why this source?
  • Refers to 'northern Tigray Region and in adjacent areas of Amhara and Afar regions', placing Amhara alongside other Ethiopian regions.
  • Context discusses severe food insecurity in Tigray and adjacent Amhara/Afar areas, implying these are subnational regions in the same country.

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
“• The Great Rift Valley runs north to south for around 6,400 kilometres from northern Syria to central Mozambique in East Africa.• 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.• 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.• In a southwest direction, the fault continues as the East African Rift, which split the older Ethiopian highlands into two halves.”
Why relevant

Mentions the Afar Triangle and 'the East African Rift, which split the older Ethiopian highlands into two halves' — showing that named sub‑regions (like Afar) are identified as parts of Ethiopia.

How to extend

A student could consult a standard map of Ethiopia or a list of Ethiopian administrative regions to check whether Amhara is similarly named and located within Ethiopia.

Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 9: Divergent Boundary > 9.1. Formation and Evolution of Rift Valleys, Rift Lakes, Seas, and Oceans > p. 128
Strength: 4/5
“The rifting started in the Afar Triple Junction region in northern Ethiopia around 30 mya and propagated southwards towards Zimbabwe. (It's unzipping Africa!)• On the continents, rifting is followed by flood basalt volcanism in some places that spread around the rift creating plateaus and highlands (Ethiopian Highlands, Kenya Dome).• Narmada and Tapti Rift Valleys (fault zones) are formed from a mechanism different from the one explained above. They are formed due to the bending of the northern part of the Indian plate during the formation of the Himalayas.”
Why relevant

Identifies the 'Ethiopian Highlands' as a distinct geographic unit within Ethiopia, indicating that Ethiopia contains internally named regions and highland provinces.

How to extend

Use basic geographic knowledge or a map of Ethiopian highlands to see if Amhara corresponds to one of these internal regional names.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 6: Environmental Degradation and Management > dESErtIfIcatIon or dESErtISatIon. > p. 17
Strength: 3/5
“In countries where desertifcation is particularly extensive and severe are Jordan, Lebanon, Somalia, Ethiopia, Southern Sudan, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Western Sahara. Te Sahel region of Africa sufers severe drought after every two years. In the decade of 1990 it recorded one of the worst drought as a result of which the crop production was minimal and thousands of people died because of starvation. Te resulting threat of starvation spurs population of the afected areas to increase their farming and livestock pressure on the denuded land, further contributing to their desertifcation. It has been suggested that Mali may be the frst country in the world rendered uninhabitable by environmental destruction.”
Why relevant

Lists Ethiopia among countries suffering desertification, treating Ethiopia as a recognizable nation with named internal areas in regional discussions.

How to extend

Cross‑reference country‑level mentions with a political map or administrative list to determine if 'Amhara' is an internal region of that country.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 6: Environmental Degradation and Management > SoIl EroSIon. > p. 18
Strength: 2/5
“Te worst afected areas of soil erosion have been shown in Fig. 6.7. Tese areas include: 1. USA Grainlands (Prairies), 2. Central Mexico, 3. North-East Brazil, 4. North Africa (Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco), 5. Sahel region of Africa stretching over Somalia, Ethiopia, southern Sudan, Chad, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, and Western Sahara, 6. Botswana and Namibia, 7. Middle-East, 8. Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, etc.), 9. Mongolia, 10. Yangtze-Hwang Ho basins of China, 11. Himalayan region (Siwalik and Lesser Himalayas), 12. Baluchistan, 13. Rajasthan (Tar Desert), and 14. the desert and semi-arid regions of Australia.”
Why relevant

Includes Ethiopia within the Sahel/related regional grouping in a geographic inventory, reinforcing that Ethiopia appears in standard regional lists and inventories.

How to extend

Compare such regional inventories with administrative maps to verify whether Amhara appears as a named subnational unit of Ethiopia.

Statement 3
Is Cabo Delgado, a region often mentioned in the news, located in Spain?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Mozambique ... insecurity in the northern province of Cabo Delgado continues to impact livelihoods"
Why this source?
  • The passage explicitly names Cabo Delgado as a province in the context of Mozambique.
  • It refers to insecurity in the 'northern province of Cabo Delgado', linking the region to Mozambique rather than Spain.

Political Theory, Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Nationalism > DEMAND FOR NATIONAL SELF-DETERMINATION IN BASQUE > p. 105
Strength: 4/5
“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

Shows that Spanish internal regions (e.g., Basque) are described as 'regions in Spain' and have distinctive names and autonomy status.

How to extend

A student can check whether 'Cabo Delgado' appears among known Spanish autonomous regions (it does not) or instead matches names of regions in other countries on a world map.

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

Notes that Spain is a European country with internal regional aspirations (Basques, Catalonia), implicitly framing what counts as 'regions in Spain'.

How to extend

Use a basic world map to see whether Cabo Delgado lies within the geopolitical boundaries of Spain (Europe) or elsewhere (Africa/other continent).

History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 10: Modern World: The Age of Reason > Spain as Nation-State > p. 144
Strength: 3/5
“Major parts of Spain were under the control of the Moors, Muslim Saracens, the descendants of the Arab conquerors. There were two important kingdoms: Aragon and Castile. A turning point in the history of Spain was the King Ferdinand of Aragon marrying Queen Isabella of Castile. Together they worked hard to drive away the Moors and unite Spain. The king and queen took power in their hands (1479) and controlled the nobles by eliminating them from the royal councils. Both Ferdinand and Isabella, who jointly ruled Spain, were devout Catholics. During the rule of the Moors, the Jews who controlled the economy of Spain enjoyed considerable freedom.”
Why relevant

Provides historical/geographical context about Spain (kingdoms of Aragon and Castile, location in Europe) reinforcing Spain's European identity.

How to extend

Compare the European setting of Spain described here with the continental location of Cabo Delgado on a world map to judge if they coincide.

Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 19: The Warm Temperate Western Margin (Mediterranean) Climate > Fis.19.3(b) > p. 183
Strength: 3/5
“In Iberia, the central Meseta and other Sierras of the peninsula present an effective barrier to the oncoming Westerlies. As a result, the Portuguese coast is much wetter than eastern Spain. Rain in Mediterranean Europe normally begins in September, reaching its peak somewhere in October (127 mmls inches in Rome). Though the downpours are infrequent, they are often very torrential and in mountainous districts, destructive floods occur. The floods come so suddenly that there is practically no time to do anything about it. The disastrous flood of Lisbon in 1967 came in the middle of the night and caused great damage and loss of life in a few hours!”
Why relevant

Describes Iberia (Spain/Portugal) and coastal climate patterns—an indicator that Spain and its named geographic features are in the Iberian/European region.

How to extend

A student can contrast Iberian Peninsula features with geographic features where Cabo Delgado is reported (e.g., African coastline) using a map.

Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > Canary Current – Cold > p. 492
Strength: 2/5
“• The southerly branch of the North Atlantic Current flows between Spain and Azores as the cold Canary current. This current finally joins the north equatorial current completing the circuit in the North Atlantic. The Sargasso Sea, lying within this circuit, is full of large quantities of seaweed and is an important geographical feature.”
Why relevant

Mentions ocean currents flowing between Spain and Atlantic islands (Azores), locating Spain in the North Atlantic/Mediterranean European maritime zone.

How to extend

Use this European maritime placement to check whether Cabo Delgado (if located on a different ocean/continent) could plausibly be part of Spain.

Statement 4
Is Catalonia, a region often mentioned in the news, located in Italy?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe > 4.2 Italy Unified > p. 20
Strength: 4/5
“Like Germany, Italy too had a long history of political fragmentation. Italians were scattered over several dynastic states as well as the multi-national Habsburg Empire. During the middle of the nineteenth century, Italy was divided into seven states, of which only one, Sardinia-Piedmont, was ruled by an Italian princely house. The north was under Austrian Habsburgs, the centre was ruled by the Pope and the southern regions were under the domination of the Bourbon kings of Spain. Even the Italian language had not acquired one common form and still had many regional and local variations. During the 1830s, Giuseppe Mazzini had sought to put together a coherent programme for a unitary Italian Republic.”
Why relevant

Lists the historical political and regional divisions that made up Italy and names several constituent regions and states.

How to extend

A student could check a modern map or list of Italian regions to see whether 'Catalonia' appears among named Italian regions; if not, that suggests it is not in Italy.

History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 12: Europe in Turmoil > Unification of Italy > p. 184
Strength: 4/5
“France played a central role in unifying Italy. To its east, Lombardy and Venetia were under the control of the Austrian Empire. It also controlled a few smaller states such as Tuscany, Parma, and Modena. The Papal States were located in the middle under the control of the Roman Catholic Church. In the south was the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies or Naples, which was under the control of a family of Bourbon dynasty. The Napoleonic rule, for the first time, provided Italy with a sense of unity through uniform administration. The nationalistic aspirations of the Italians were dashed when the Congress of Vienna restored the old monarchies in the various Italian principalities.”
Why relevant

Gives specific examples of places under control in and around Italy (Lombardy, Venetia, Tuscany, Papal States, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies), illustrating what typical Italian regional names look like.

How to extend

Compare these Italian regional names with the name 'Catalonia' on a Europe map or in a list of countries/regions to see if it matches Italian toponyms or appears elsewhere.

India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe > 2 The Making of Nationalism in Europe > p. 8
Strength: 5/5
“If you look at the map of mid-eighteenth-century Europe you will find that there were no 'nation-states' as we know them today. What we know today as Germany, Italy and Switzerland were divided into kingdoms, duchies and cantons whose rulers had their autonomous territories. Eastern and Central Europe were under autocratic monarchies within the territories of which lived diverse peoples. They did not see themselves as sharing a collective identity or a common culture. Often, they even spoke different languages and belonged to different ethnic groups. The Habsburg Empire that ruled over Austria-Hungary, for example, was a patchwork of many different regions and peoples.”
Why relevant

Notes that mid-eighteenth-century Europe was divided into many distinct kingdoms/regions and suggests using maps to identify where named regions are located.

How to extend

Use a contemporary map of Europe (as recommended by the snippet's emphasis on maps) to locate Catalonia and determine whether it falls within Italy's geographic boundaries.

Themes in world history, History Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Changing Cultural Traditions > ACTIVITY 1 > p. 109
Strength: 5/5
“Locate Venice on the map of Italy, and look carefully at the painting on p. 108. How would you describe the city, and in what ways was it different from a cathedral-town?”
Why relevant

Directs the reader to 'Locate Venice on the map of Italy', implying the usefulness of locating cities/regions on maps to identify national affiliation.

How to extend

Apply the same procedure: locate Catalonia on a Europe map and compare its position to Italy's borders to judge if it is inside Italy.

Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 31: Settlements and Towns > Location of settlements > p. 317
Strength: 3/5
“military significance in the past. Rome located on the Tiber River and the seven hills was the ancient Roman capital of the world. Castles and fortresses were built on the many small hills to defend parts of the city. Today, it contains the Vatican, ecclesiastical capital of the Roman Catholic world and is the capital of Italy, but its economic importance has slipped well behind that of industrial Milan in the north. 9. River-borne sites. These include a vast number of sites carved out by a river on its course from source to mouth. (a) Where a river passes through a gap.”
Why relevant

Describes Rome as the capital of Italy and emphasises geographic identification of important Italian sites.

How to extend

A student could note Rome's position as a reference point and check whether Catalonia is geographically near Rome or within Italian territory on a map.

Pattern takeaway: UPSC pairs a famous static region (Anatolia) with an obscure conflict zone (Cabo Delgado). The testing logic is: 'Do you know where the world is burning right now?'
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Balanced. Anatolia & Catalonia are Sitters (General Awareness/NCERT); Amhara & Cabo Delgado are Current Affairs specific (The Hindu/IE).
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Places in News: Conflict Zones, Separatist Movements, and Resource Wars.
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize these siblings: Tigray (Ethiopia), Darfur (Sudan), Donbas/Zaporizhzhia (Ukraine), Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan), Rakhine (Myanmar), Idlib (Syria), Balochistan (Pakistan).
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When reading international news, perform the 'Dateline Check'. If an article mentions a crisis, circle the *Province/Region* name, not just the Country. Map it instantly.
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Anatolia / Asia Minor corresponds to (western) Turkey
💡 The insight

Anatolia, also called Asia Minor, is identified with the Turkish plateau and coastal Turkey.

High-yield for contemporary and historical questions because the term frequently appears in news, geopolitics and history; helps map regional references to a modern state (Turkey) and resolves synonym-based distractors in MCQs.

📚 Reading List :
  • Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > europe and central Asia > p. 7
  • Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 10: Locational Factors of Economic Activities > mediterranean type of agriculture > p. 17
🔗 Anchor: "Is Anatolia, a region often mentioned in the news, located in Turkey?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Historical/geographic regions can span modern states
💡 The insight

Regional labels such as the Iran–Anatolia region cover parts of Turkey, northern Iraq and Iran.

Crucial for UPSC map and polity/geopolitics questions; many historical or ecological regions cross current borders, so recognising this aids interpretation of treaties, conflicts, and biodiversity discussions.

📚 Reading List :
  • Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > europe and central Asia > p. 7
🔗 Anchor: "Is Anatolia, a region often mentioned in the news, located in Turkey?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Physical-geography labels link to modern political units
💡 The insight

Climatic and agricultural typologies list Asia Minor as coastal Turkey, tying physical-region names to present-day states.

Useful across geography, environment and economy topics; helps connect climatic zones and agricultural patterns with specific countries, supporting answer elimination and integrated answers in mains and prelims.

📚 Reading List :
  • Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 10: Locational Factors of Economic Activities > mediterranean type of agriculture > p. 17
🔗 Anchor: "Is Anatolia, a region often mentioned in the news, located in Turkey?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Great Rift Valley & East African Rift
💡 The insight

The Great Rift Valley runs through East Africa and splits the Ethiopian highlands, making rift dynamics central to Ethiopian geography.

High-yield for UPSC physical geography and environment questions: explains regional landforms, volcanism, seismic risk and implications for human settlement and resources; links to disaster management, geology and regional development questions.

📚 Reading List :
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 9: Divergent Boundary > 9.2. The Great Rift Valley > p. 129
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 9: Divergent Boundary > 9.1. Formation and Evolution of Rift Valleys, Rift Lakes, Seas, and Oceans > p. 128
🔗 Anchor: "Is Amhara, a region often mentioned in the news, located in Ethiopia?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Afar Triangle (Afar Triple Junction)
💡 The insight

The Afar Triangle is a tectonic triple junction in northern Ethiopia where the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and East African Rift converge.

Important for understanding plate boundary interactions, rift evolution, geothermal potential and related hazards; useful for questions on geodynamics, natural resources and regional geopolitics.

📚 Reading List :
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 9: Divergent Boundary > 9.1. Formation and Evolution of Rift Valleys, Rift Lakes, Seas, and Oceans > p. 128
  • Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 9: Divergent Boundary > 9.2. The Great Rift Valley > p. 129
🔗 Anchor: "Is Amhara, a region often mentioned in the news, located in Ethiopia?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Desertification and the Sahel including parts of Ethiopia
💡 The insight

Parts of the Sahel region that affect Ethiopia suffer severe desertification and recurrent droughts, impacting livelihoods and land use.

Relevant for UPSC topics on environment, agriculture, rural distress and disaster management; connects climate change, migration and development policy questions.

📚 Reading List :
  • Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 6: Environmental Degradation and Management > SoIl EroSIon. > p. 18
  • Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 6: Environmental Degradation and Management > dESErtIfIcatIon or dESErtISatIon. > p. 17
🔗 Anchor: "Is Amhara, a region often mentioned in the news, located in Ethiopia?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Autonomous regions and secessionist movements
💡 The insight

Regions can be administratively part of a state while having active demands for greater autonomy or independence, as with the Basque region in Spain.

High-yield for UPSC mains and prelims: helps answer questions on federalism, regionalism, internal security and identity politics. Links polity (autonomy, constitutional mechanisms) with history and current affairs (secessionist movements). Enables pattern recognition in questions asking whether a named region is a separate country or part of a state.

📚 Reading List :
  • Political Theory, Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Nationalism > DEMAND FOR NATIONAL SELF-DETERMINATION IN BASQUE > p. 105
  • 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
🔗 Anchor: "Is Cabo Delgado, a region often mentioned in the news, located in Spain?"
🌑 The Hidden Trap

Basque Country (Spain). The provided NCERT source explicitly discusses the 'Basque' region's demand for self-determination in Spain alongside Catalonia. This is the immediate logical sibling for a future match.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

The 'Football & History' Heuristic: 'Catalonia' is famously associated with Barcelona (FC Barcelona) and its independence referendum from Spain, not Italy. Knowing Pair 4 is wrong eliminates 'All four pairs'. Anatolia (Asia Minor) is basic history (Turkey), so Pair 1 is correct. You are now 50/50 on the middle two.

🔗 Mains Connection

GS-3 Energy Security: Cabo Delgado (Mozambique) is critical because Indian PSUs (ONGC Videsh, OIL) have invested billions in LNG projects there. The insurgency directly threatens India's energy security.

✓ Thank you! We'll review this.

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 2018 · Q90 Relevance score: 6.02

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 ?

IAS · 2014 · Q36 Relevance score: 4.71

Consider the following pairs : Region often in news Country 1. Chechnya : Russian Federation 2. Darfur : Mali 3. Swat Valley : Iraq Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

IAS · 2018 · Q37 Relevance score: 3.90

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 ?

IAS · 2023 · Q93 Relevance score: 3.14

Consider the following pairs: | Regions often mentioned in news | Reason for being in news | | ------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | | 1. North Kivu and Ituri | War between Armenia and Azerbaijan | | 2. Nagorno-Karabakh | Insurgency in Mozambique | | 3. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia | Dispute between Israel and Lebanon | How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

IAS · 2023 · Q97 Relevance score: 3.14

Consider the following pairs : Area of conflict mentioned in news Country where it is located . Donbas : Syria Kachin : Ethiopia Tigray : North Yemen 1. 2. 3. How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?