Consider the following pairs : Sea : Bordering country 1. Adriatic Sea : Albania 2. Black Sea : Croatia 3. Caspian Sea : Kazakhstan 4. Mediterranean Sea : Morocco 5. Red Sea : Syria Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only ✓ UPSC's answer
(c) 2 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Why the answer is (b)

• Pair 1 is correct: Albania lies on the Adriatic (and Ionian) coast.

• Pair 3 is correct: Kazakhstan has the longest Caspian Sea coastline.

• Pair 4 is correct: Morocco borders both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.

• Pair 2 is wrong: Croatia is on the Adriatic, not the Black Sea (bordered by Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey).

• Pair 5 is wrong: Syria is on the Mediterranean; the Red Sea borders Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jordan and Israel.

• Hence 1, 3 and 4 only, option (b).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only: Pair 2 is wrong: Croatia is not on the Black Sea.
(c) 2 and 5 only: Pairs 2 and 5 are both wrong.
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5: Pairs 2 and 5 are wrong.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2019, held on 2 June 2019. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.