UPPSC 2023 Prelims GS Paper-I · Question 72 of 150

Correct — A, 'Onega - Canada' is the wrong match. Lake Onega lies in northwestern Russia (Republic of Karelia / Leningrad Oblast) and is Europe's second-largest lake, after neighbouring Lake Ladoga (also in Russia) — it is not in Canada. Because the question asks for the pair that is NOT correctly matched, (a) is the answer.

• (b)Baikal - Russia — Correctly matched — Lake Baikal, in Siberia, is the world's deepest and oldest freshwater lake; a valid pair, so not the answer.
• (c)Maracaibo – Venezuela — Correctly matched — Lake Maracaibo, in Zulia state, northwestern Venezuela, is a large brackish lake and major oil region; a valid pair.
• (d)Michigan – United State of America — Correctly matched — Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake lying wholly within the United States; a valid pair.

World lakes and their locations. Onega and Ladoga — Europe's two largest lakes — are both in northwestern Russia, and Baikal (Siberia) is the deepest and oldest. Lake Maracaibo (Venezuela) is among South America's largest waterbodies and a major oil region. Of the five North American Great Lakes, only Lake Michigan lies entirely within the USA; the others sit on the US–Canada border.

A 'find the wrong pair' item — three pairings are correct and one is the trap. The Canada distractor tempts because Canada is famously lake-rich (Great Bear, Great Slave), but Onega is a Russian lake, so (a) is the odd one out.

• Lake Onega — northwest Russia; Europe's 2nd-largest lake (after Ladoga, also in Russia).
• Lake Baikal — Siberia, Russia; world's deepest (~1,642 m) and oldest lake.
• Lake Maracaibo — Zulia, Venezuela; large brackish lake and major crude-oil region.
• Lake Michigan — the only Great Lake entirely within the USA.

• Assuming any very large lake must be in lake-rich Canada.
• Confusing Onega with Ladoga, or thinking Maracaibo is a sea (it opens to the Gulf of Venezuela).

Lake↔country / feature↔location matching, usually as a 'not correctly matched' pair.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Which is the deepest lake in the world?

  • (a)Lake Baikal
  • (b)Lake Tanganyika
  • (c)Caspian Sea
  • (d)Lake Superior

  Answer(a) Lake Baikal (~1,642 m), in Russia.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Lake Maracaibo, a major oil-producing region, is located in:

  • (a)Brazil
  • (b)Venezuela
  • (c)Colombia
  • (d)Argentina

  Answer(b) Venezuela.