Which one of the following mountains lies in between Caspian Sea and Black Sea?
- (a)Caucasus
- (b)Carpathians
- (c)Apennine
- (d)Elburz
Correct — A, Caucasus. The Caucasus Mountains run roughly west-to-east across the isthmus that separates the Black Sea from the Caspian Sea, and are often taken as part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. Their highest peak, Mount Elbrus (about 5,642 m), is the highest mountain in Europe.
- (b)Carpathians — The Carpathians form a great arc across Central and Eastern Europe (Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Romania), well to the north-west of the Black Sea, not between the two seas.
- (c)Apennine — The Apennines are the mountain spine running the length of the Italian peninsula in Southern Europe — nowhere near the Caspian or Black Sea.
- (d)Elburz — The Elburz (Alborz) range lies along the southern shore of the Caspian Sea in northern Iran; it borders only the Caspian and does not stretch across to the Black Sea. This is the tempting near-miss.
The Caucasus is a young fold-mountain belt lying on the land bridge between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. It is divided into the Greater Caucasus and Lesser Caucasus and hosts Mount Elbrus. The region is culturally significant as a traditional dividing line between Europe and Asia.
Two options sit near the Caspian, so precise placement matters: the Caucasus spans the gap between both seas, whereas the Elburz hugs only the Caspian's southern edge. The Carpathians and Apennines are European ranges far from either sea.
- The Caucasus lies between the Black Sea (west) and the Caspian Sea (east).
- Mount Elbrus (about 5,642 m) in the Caucasus is Europe's highest peak.
- The Caucasus is often treated as part of the Europe-Asia boundary.
- The Elburz (Alborz) is a separate range along the southern Caspian shore in Iran.
- Confusing the Caucasus with the Elburz because both are near the Caspian.
- Placing European ranges (Carpathians, Apennines) into a West-Asian setting.
Asked as 'which range lies between/near X and Y' — pin the range to the two water bodies it separates.
Consider the following information: Region — Name of the mountain range — Type of mountain: 1. Central Asia — Vosges — Fold mountain; 2. Europe — Alps — Block mountain; 3. North America — Appalachians — Fold mountain; 4. South America — Andes — Fold mountain. In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) Only three
- (d) All four
Answer(b) Only two
Same skill — locating and classifying world mountain ranges. UPSC 2024 tests region-and-type matching; this NDA item asks which range sits between the Caspian and Black Seas (the Caucasus).
- practice — not a real PYQ
Mount Elbrus, the highest peak of Europe, is located in which mountain range?
- (a)The Alps
- (b)The Caucasus
- (c)The Carpathians
- (d)The Pyrenees
Answer(b) The Caucasus — Elbrus (about 5,642 m) is its highest summit.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Elburz (Alborz) mountain range runs along the southern shore of which sea?
- (a)The Black Sea
- (b)The Caspian Sea
- (c)The Mediterranean Sea
- (d)The Aral Sea
Answer(b) The Caspian Sea — the Elburz lies in northern Iran along the Caspian's southern edge.