UPSC Prelims 2026 · GS Paper I
Question 39: Geography
Which of the following statements with reference to Lake Turkana is/are correct ?
- 1.It is the largest desert lake in the world.
- 2.The lake is situated in South Sudan along the eastern fringe of the Sahara desert.
- 3.The lake is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also referred to as the ‘Jade Sea’.
Select the answer using the code given below :
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).
Lake Turkana, in northern Kenya and reaching into southern Ethiopia, is the world's largest permanent desert lake. Its greenish waters earn it the name 'Jade Sea'. Lake Turkana National Parks are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake is in Kenya and Ethiopia, not South Sudan, so statement 2 is wrong.
- 1. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake.
- 2. It lies in Kenya and Ethiopia, not South Sudan.
- 3. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is called the Jade Sea.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (c) and (d) go: each of them includes 2.
What you needed to know: It lies in Kenya and Ethiopia, not South Sudan.
- Then, if you were sure statement 3 is correct, (a) goes: it leaves 3 out.
What you needed to know: It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is called the Jade Sea.
Only (b) is left. You didn’t need statement 1.
This follows UPSC’s provisional key; the final key could change it.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incomplete: statement 3 is also correct.
- (b) Right: largest desert lake, and a World Heritage Site known as the Jade Sea.
- (c) Wrong: statement 2 puts the lake in the wrong country.
- (d) Wrong: statement 2 is incorrect.
Only the provisional key (27 May 2026) was found; the final key replaces it when found.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.