UPPSC 2021 Prelims GS Paper-I · Question 2 of 150

Correct — C, Madeira. Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean, lying off the north-west coast of Africa (roughly 500 km from Morocco). It is part of Macaronesia, not the West Indies, so it is the one island here that is NOT in the Caribbean Sea. The other three are all small islands of the eastern Caribbean (the Lesser Antilles).

• (a)Grenada — Grenada is a Caribbean island nation in the Lesser Antilles (the Windward Islands), squarely within the Caribbean Sea — so it does not fit 'NOT located in the Caribbean'.
• (b)Montserrat — Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean Sea (famous for the Soufrière Hills volcano) — it is in the Caribbean.
• (d)Anguilla — Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean Sea — also inside the Caribbean, so not the answer.

The question asks you to separate the West Indian (Caribbean) islands from an Atlantic look-alike. Grenada, Montserrat and Anguilla belong to the Lesser Antilles, the arc of small islands enclosing the eastern Caribbean Sea. Madeira, by contrast, belongs to Macaronesia — the group of North Atlantic archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, Cape Verde) lying off Europe and Africa.

All four names sound like small tropical islands, which is the trap. Anchor the location by continent-side: the three Caribbean options sit near the Americas, while Madeira sits off north-west Africa in the Atlantic, is Portuguese, and its capital is Funchal — a strong tell that it is not in the Caribbean.

• Grenada, Montserrat, Anguilla — Lesser Antilles, in the Caribbean Sea
• Madeira — Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic, off NW Africa (capital Funchal)
• Madeira is part of Macaronesia (with the Azores, Canary Islands and Cape Verde)
• Caribbean island groups: Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles (Leeward + Windward), Lucayan Archipelago

• Assuming every small tropical-sounding island is 'Caribbean'
• Confusing Madeira (Atlantic, Portugal) with a West Indian island

UPSC/UPPSC world geography often gives a 'which one is NOT located in sea/region X' set — you must place islands by their sea or ocean (e.g. 'Where are the Balearic Islands located?').

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The Madeira and Canary Islands both lie in which ocean?

  • (a)Indian Ocean
  • (b)North Atlantic Ocean
  • (c)Caribbean Sea
  • (d)Mediterranean Sea

  Answer(b) the North Atlantic Ocean (both are part of Macaronesia off NW Africa).

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The Lesser Antilles are divided into which two groups?

  • (a)Greater and Lucayan Islands
  • (b)Leeward and Windward Islands
  • (c)Balearic and Canary Islands
  • (d)Azores and Cape Verde Islands

  Answer(b) the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands.