2022 GS Paper I, all questions
UPSC Prelims 2022 · GS Paper I
Question 26: Geography
The term “Levant” often heard in the news roughly corresponds to which of the following regions ?
aRegion along the eastern Mediterranean shores
bRegion along North African shores stretching from Egypt to Morocco
cRegion along Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa
dThe entire coastal areas of Mediterranean Sea
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (a).
The Levant is the historic region along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, roughly today's Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Jordan, sometimes with parts of Turkey and Cyprus. It is not the whole Mediterranean coast, the North African coast, or the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa coasts.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Correct. The Levant is the eastern Mediterranean seaboard.
- (b) That describes the Maghreb and Egypt along North Africa, not the Levant.
- (c) The Persian Gulf and the Horn of Africa lie far from the Levant.
- (d) Too broad: the Levant is only the eastern part of the Mediterranean coast.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2022, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.