2024 GS Paper I, all questions
UPSC Prelims 2024 · GS Paper I
Question 5: Geography
Which of the following countries are well known as the two largest cocoa producers in the world ?
aAlgeria and Morocco
bBotswana and Namibia
cCôte d'Ivoire and Ghana
dMadagascar and Mozambique
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (c).
Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, both on the West African coast of the Gulf of Guinea, are the world's two largest cocoa producers and together supply well over half of global output. Cocoa needs a hot, humid, rainy climate close to the equator, which this coast provides. The other pairs listed are not major cocoa growers. Remember: West Africa is the cocoa heartland, and Côte d'Ivoire leads.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong: Algeria and Morocco are North African countries with dry or Mediterranean climates, unsuited to cocoa.
- (b) Wrong: Botswana and Namibia are dry southern African countries, unsuited to cocoa.
- (c) Right: Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana are the top two cocoa producers.
- (d) Wrong: Madagascar and Mozambique grow only small amounts of cocoa.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2024, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.