Important Seas of the World

1. The “Northern Sea Route” is a shipping route that connects the Atlanti

The “Northern Sea Route” is a shipping route that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through which one of the following regions ?

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Arctic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Mediterranean Sea
South China Sea
This question was previously asked in
UPSC Combined Section Officer – 2021-22
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The correct answer is Arctic Ocean.
The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is a shipping route defined in Russian legislation as extending from the Novaya Zemlya archipelago to the Bering Strait. It primarily runs along Russia’s Arctic coast through the Arctic Ocean.
The NSR is gaining attention due to climate change melting Arctic ice, potentially making it a viable commercial shipping route that significantly shortens transit times between Europe and Asia compared to traditional routes through the Suez Canal.

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2. Which of the following countries are not situated along the coast of t

Which of the following countries are not situated along the coast of the Baltic Sea ?

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Latvia and Poland
Latvia and Russia
Sweden and Russia
Sweden and Norway
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2023
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Norway is not situated along the coast of the Baltic Sea.
Countries bordering the Baltic Sea include Sweden, Finland, Russia (specifically its exclave Kaliningrad and the coast near St. Petersburg), Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, and Denmark.
Norway has an extensive coastline but faces the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, and the Barents Sea, not the Baltic Sea. Sweden borders the Baltic Sea on its east coast.

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3. Which of the following cities are not situated along the Persian Gulf

Which of the following cities are not situated along the Persian Gulf ?

  • 1. Doha
  • 2. Dubai
  • 3. Jeddah
  • 4. Yanbu

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1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
2 and 3 only
3 and 4 only
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2023
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The correct answer is D, which corresponds to options 3 and 4.
Doha (1) is the capital of Qatar, located on the coast of the Persian Gulf. Dubai (2) is a major city in the United Arab Emirates, also located on the coast of the Persian Gulf. Jeddah (3) is a major port city in Saudi Arabia, located on the Red Sea coast. Yanbu (4) is also a major port city in Saudi Arabia, located on the Red Sea coast. Therefore, Jeddah and Yanbu are not situated along the Persian Gulf.
The Persian Gulf is an extension of the Arabian Sea, located between Iran (Persia) and the Arabian Peninsula. Countries bordering the Persian Gulf include Iran, Oman (via the Musandam exclave), United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq. The Red Sea is a different body of water, separating the Arabian Peninsula from North-East Africa.

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4. Consider the following statements : The Red Sea receives very little

Consider the following statements :

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  • The Red Sea receives very little precipitation in any form.
  • No water enters the Red Sea from rivers.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

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1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2024
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The correct option is C, as both statements are correct.
Statement 1 is correct because the Red Sea region is characterized by an arid to semi-arid climate with very low average annual precipitation. Statement 2 is also correct because the land areas surrounding the Red Sea are predominantly desert, lacking any major perennial rivers that would flow into the sea. The primary source of water input to the Red Sea is through exchange with the Gulf of Aden and evaporation is very high, leading to high salinity.
Due to limited precipitation and lack of riverine input combined with high evaporation rates, the Red Sea is one of the warmest and saltiest seas in the world. The primary water exchange occurs at its southern end through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, connecting it to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

5. Consider the following statements: Statement-I : Sumed pipeline is a s

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I :
Sumed pipeline is a strategic route for Persian Gulf oil and natural gas shipments to Europe.
Statement-II :
Sumed pipeline connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ?

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Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2024
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The correct option is A, as both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II explains Statement-I.
Statement-I correctly identifies the Sumed pipeline as a strategic route for oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf to Europe. Statement-II correctly describes the Sumed pipeline’s function, stating that it connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea. This geographical connection is precisely what makes it a strategic route for Persian Gulf energy exports to Europe, as it bypasses the need for tankers to navigate around the southern tip of Africa (Cape of Good Hope) or allows supertankers too large for the Suez Canal to transfer oil.
The Sumed pipeline (Suez-Mediterranean Pipeline) runs from Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea to Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean Sea coast of Egypt. It serves as a vital alternative and supplementary route for transporting oil, particularly for very large crude carriers (VLCCs) that cannot fully traverse the Suez Canal. The oil is offloaded at the Red Sea terminal, transported via pipeline, and reloaded onto tankers at the Mediterranean terminal for onward shipment to Europe and North America.

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6. Consider the following pairs: Sea Bordering country

Consider the following pairs:

SeaBordering country
1. Adriatic SeaAlbania
2. Black SeaCroatia
3. Caspian SeaKazakhstan
4. Mediterranean SeaMorocco
5. Red SeaSyria

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

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1, 2 and 4 only
1, 3 and 4 only
2 and 5 only
1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2019
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The correct answer is B) 1, 3 and 4 only.
The question asks to identify the correctly matched pairs of Sea and its bordering country.
1. Adriatic Sea borders Albania: Correct. The Adriatic Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania.
2. Black Sea borders Croatia: Incorrect. Croatia is located on the Adriatic Sea, not the Black Sea. Countries bordering the Black Sea include Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia.
3. Caspian Sea borders Kazakhstan: Correct. The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water, bordering Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia.
4. Mediterranean Sea borders Morocco: Correct. The Mediterranean Sea borders numerous countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa, including Morocco in North Africa.
5. Red Sea borders Syria: Incorrect. Syria is located on the eastern Mediterranean coast, not the Red Sea. Countries bordering the Red Sea include Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Eritrea, Sudan, Egypt, Djibouti, Israel, and Jordan.
Understanding the geographical locations and borders of major seas and countries is essential for geography questions in UPSC. The pairs confirmed as correct are 1 (Adriatic Sea and Albania), 3 (Caspian Sea and Kazakhstan), and 4 (Mediterranean Sea and Morocco). Therefore, only statements 1, 3, and 4 are correctly matched.

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7. Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries ?

Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries ?

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  1. Jordan
  2. Iraq
  3. Lebanon
  4. Syria

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1, 2 and 3 only
2 and 3 only
3 and 4 only
1, 3 and 4
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2017
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The correct answer is C) 3 and 4 only.
The Mediterranean Sea borders various countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Among the listed countries, only Lebanon and Syria have a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. Jordan and Iraq are not bordered by the Mediterranean Sea.
Jordan is primarily landlocked, with its only coastline being on the Gulf of Aqaba, which is part of the Red Sea. Iraq has a small coastline on the Persian Gulf and is not connected to the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon and Syria are situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, bordering it directly.

8. Turkey is located between

Turkey is located between

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Black Sea and Caspian Sea
Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea
Gulf of Suez and Mediterranean Sea
Gulf of Aqaba and Dead Sea
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2014
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Turkey is geographically located between the Black Sea to its north and the Mediterranean Sea to its south.
The question tests knowledge of the geographical location of Turkey relative to major surrounding water bodies.
Turkey is a transcontinental country, located mainly in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is bordered by the Black Sea to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Aegean Sea to the west. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus strait, and the Dardanelles strait connect the Black Sea and the Aegean/Mediterranean Seas and separate European Turkey from Asian Turkey.

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9. Which meridian forms the boundary line between the Indian Ocean and th

Which meridian forms the boundary line between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean ?

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The meridian of Cape of Tasmania
The meridian of Cape Town
The meridian of Wellington
The meridian of Perth
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2014
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The meridian of Cape of Tasmania (approximately 147°E) is used as part of the boundary definition between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) defines the boundaries of oceans and seas. According to the IHO definition (specifically S-23, Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd Edition, 1953), the meridian of 146°55′ E running south from the southern extremity of Tasmania forms part of the boundary between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean (separating the Great Australian Bight from the Tasman Sea). Cape of Tasmania is the southern point of Tasmania.
Cape Town is located near the boundary between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Wellington is in New Zealand, well within the Pacific Ocean. Perth is on the west coast of Australia, situated on the Indian Ocean coast. The boundaries of oceans can be complex and are defined by various international bodies or conventions, often following geographical features or lines of longitude/latitude.

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10. Which one among the following is a landlocked water body ?

Which one among the following is a landlocked water body ?

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Mediterranean Sea
Black Sea
Red Sea
Caspian Sea
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2024
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A landlocked water body is one that is completely surrounded by land and has no natural connection to the ocean. The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Strait of Gibraltar. The Black Sea is connected to the Mediterranean Sea via the Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, and Dardanelles. The Red Sea is connected to the Indian Ocean via the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water by area, completely surrounded by land, and has no natural outlet to the ocean. Thus, the Caspian Sea is a landlocked water body.
Landlocked water bodies are inland seas or lakes without natural connections to the global ocean system.
The Caspian Sea is often considered the world’s largest lake, though due to its size and salinity, it is also referred to as a sea. Its salinity varies across different parts. Other large landlocked bodies include the Aral Sea (though it has shrunk dramatically) and the Great Lakes of North America (freshwater).

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