1998 General Studies, all questions

UPSC Prelims 1998 · General Studies

Question 12: International Relations and Current Affairs

‘MERCOSUR’ consists of a group of countries of

aAfrica
bAsia
cLatin America
dSouth-East Asia

AnswerThe answer is (c).

MERCOSUR (Mercado Comun del Sur, the Southern Common Market) is a trade bloc of Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It was created by the Treaty of Asuncion in 1991 and began operating as a customs union in 1995. It is not African, Asian or South-East Asian. Match blocs with regions: ASEAN is South-East Asia, NAFTA is North America, the EU is Europe.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) No African country belongs to MERCOSUR.
  • (b) It is not an Asian grouping.
  • (c) Right: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, all in Latin America.
  • (d) Not South-East Asian; that region has ASEAN.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1998, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.