NDA (I & II) 2020 GAT Q120: Which one of the following countries does NOT have direct

Q: What is the answer to NDA (I & II) 2020 GAT Q120?

D. Correct — D, Armenia. Armenia is a landlocked country of the South Caucasus, bordered by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey, with no coastline on any sea or ocean. The other three all touch a sea, so Armenia is the odd one out.

NDA (I & II) 2020 General Ability Test · Question 120 of 148

Question text verified against the official NDA question paper.

Which one of the following countries does NOT have direct access to the sea/ocean?

(a)Syria
(b)Jordan
(c)Azerbaijan
(d)Armenia

Answer

Why

Correct — D, Armenia. Armenia is a landlocked country of the South Caucasus, bordered by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey, with no coastline on any sea or ocean. The other three all touch a sea, so Armenia is the odd one out.

Why the others are wrong

(a)Syria — Syria has a Mediterranean Sea coastline in the west, with ports such as Latakia and Tartus.
(b)Jordan — Jordan has a short coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba (an arm of the Red Sea) at the port of Aqaba, giving it direct sea access.
(c)Azerbaijan — Azerbaijan fronts the Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland water body, with its capital Baku on that coast — the question treats this as sea access.

Concept

A landlocked country has no coastline on an ocean or sea. In the Caucasus and West Asia the coastlines are subtle: Azerbaijan reaches the Caspian, Jordan has only a tiny Red Sea outlet at Aqaba, and Syria fronts the Mediterranean — leaving Armenia as the only fully landlocked state among the four.

The Caspian is technically an endorheic lake, but in this question Azerbaijan's Caspian frontage counts as sea access. That leaves Armenia, hemmed in by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey, as the country with no coast at all.

Key facts

Armenia is landlocked, bordered by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey.
Syria fronts the Mediterranean Sea (ports Latakia and Tartus).
Jordan's only sea outlet is the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) at Aqaba.
Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea, with Baku on its coast.

Sea access of the four countries

Armenia→Landlocked — no coastline (borders Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey)

Syria→Mediterranean Sea coast (Latakia, Tartus)

Jordan→Gulf of Aqaba / Red Sea outlet at Aqaba

Azerbaijan→Caspian Sea coast (Baku)

Only Armenia has no sea or ocean coastline.

Study next

Landlocked countries of Asia and the CaucasusThe South Caucasus states — Armenia, Azerbaijan, GeorgiaWhether the Caspian is a sea or a lake, and its bordering statesWest Asian coastlines — Mediterranean, Red Sea and Persian GulfDoubly landlocked countries (Liechtenstein, Uzbekistan)

Common traps

Assuming Azerbaijan is landlocked — it fronts the Caspian Sea.
Overlooking Jordan's small Red Sea outlet at Aqaba.

Asked as 'which country is landlocked / lacks sea access' — check each option's coastline, including inland seas.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following South Caucasus countries is landlocked?
- (a)Georgia
- (b)Azerbaijan
- (c)Armenia
- (d)Turkey
Answer(c) Armenia — it has no sea coastline, unlike Georgia (Black Sea) and Azerbaijan (Caspian Sea).
practice — not a real PYQ
Jordan's only direct outlet to the sea is at the port of Aqaba on which body of water?
- (a)The Mediterranean Sea
- (b)The Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea)
- (c)The Persian Gulf
- (d)The Caspian Sea
Answer(b) The Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) — Jordan's short southern coastline.