UPPSC 2021 Prelims GS Paper-I · Question 100 of 150

Correct — A, Syria. The Black Sea is bordered by exactly six countries: Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia. Syria is NOT one of them — it lies on the eastern Mediterranean coast (its port cities Latakia and Tartus are on the Mediterranean), separated from the Black Sea by the entire landmass of Turkey. Of the four options, Turkey, Georgia and Bulgaria all have Black Sea coastlines, so the country that is NOT on the Black Sea is Syria → option (a).

• (b)Turkey — Wrong (it IS on the Black Sea) — Turkey forms the entire southern shore of the Black Sea and controls the Bosphorus-Dardanelles straits linking it to the Mediterranean.
• (c)Georgia — Wrong (it IS on the Black Sea) — Georgia sits on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, with ports such as Batumi and Poti.
• (d)Bulgaria — Wrong (it IS on the Black Sea) — Bulgaria lies on the western Black Sea coast, with ports such as Varna and Burgas.

The Black Sea is an inland sea of the Atlantic drainage, connected to the Mediterranean through the Turkish Straits (Bosphorus, then the Sea of Marmara, then the Dardanelles). Its six littoral states — Turkey (south), Bulgaria and Romania (west), Ukraine (north), Russia (north-east) and Georgia (east) — are a standard fact for map-based prelims questions. Syria, by contrast, is a Mediterranean-coast country; confusing the two is the trap this question sets.

Elimination is the fastest route: of the options, Turkey, Bulgaria and Georgia are all well-known Black Sea littorals, leaving Syria as the odd one out. Anchor Syria to the Mediterranean (ports Latakia and Tartus) and the answer is immediate. Since the question asks which is NOT on the Black Sea, the non-littoral country (Syria) is the answer, giving option (a).

• Six Black Sea littoral countries: Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia.
• The Black Sea connects to the Mediterranean via the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles (the Turkish Straits).
• Syria borders the Mediterranean Sea (ports Latakia, Tartus), NOT the Black Sea.
• In its north-east the Black Sea also links to the Sea of Azov through the Kerch Strait.

• Confusing Syria's coast (Mediterranean) with the Black Sea
• Forgetting Georgia and Bulgaria among the Black Sea littorals, or over-counting non-littoral neighbours

UPSC and UPPSC frequently ask 'which country is NOT on sea X' or match seas to their bordering countries — memorise the littoral list for the Black, Mediterranean, Red and Caspian Seas.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Which of the following pairs of countries both have a Black Sea coastline?

  • (a)Syria and Lebanon
  • (b)Romania and Bulgaria
  • (c)Greece and Italy
  • (d)Egypt and Israel

  Answer(b) Romania and Bulgaria — both lie on the western shore of the Black Sea.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The Black Sea is connected to the Mediterranean Sea through which of the following?

  • (a)The Strait of Hormuz
  • (b)The Strait of Gibraltar
  • (c)The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles
  • (d)The Suez Canal

  Answer(c) The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles — the Turkish Straits (via the Sea of Marmara) link the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.