UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on member countries of OPEC, Area 51 and more (Week 150)

(b) 2, 3, 4 and 6

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 6

Relevance: OPEC is a major intergovernmental organization influencing global crude oil prices, directly impacting India’s energy security and import bill. Questions often test factual clarity on member countries, headquarters (Vienna), and distinctions between OPEC and OPEC+.

Explanation

— The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent intergovernmental organization of oil-exporting developing countries that coordinates and unites their respective petroleum policies.

— OPEC tries to stabilise oil prices in international oil markets in order to eliminate damaging and unnecessary swings, while always keeping in mind the interests of oil-producing nations and the importance of ensuring a consistent income for them.

— OPEC was founded on September 14, 1960, following a meeting in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad attended by the Organization’s five founding members: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.

— Currently, the Organisation has a total of 12 Member Countries. These countries are: Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Source: http://www.opec.org)

QUESTION 2

‘Area 51’ was recently in the news. It is a:

(a) a highly classified US military testing facility in the United States

(b) a commercial space launch center operated by NASA

(c) a nuclear power generation site located in Las Vegas

(d) a joint military base of the United States and Canada

Relevance: Area 51 often features in discussions on advanced defence technologies, secrecy, and strategic military research, which are relevant for internal security and science & technology segments of the syllabus. Such topics help in understanding global security dynamics and the role of technological superiority in geopolitics.

Explanation

— The name Area 51 instantly conjures images of flying saucers, hidden autopsies and little green beings. As per official records, Area 51 is a highly classified US military testing facility in Nevada, US. But decades of secrecy have helped transform it into the planet’s most enduring ‘alien’ legend.

(Photo: Unsplash@oliverpacas)

— ‘Area 51’ is a map area designation deep in the Nevada desert, about 83 miles north of Las Vegas. It sits inside the vast Nevada Test and Training Range, a restricted zone long used by the United States Air Force for flight testing.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Which of the following is closest to the Great Nicobar Islands?

(a) Northern tip of Sumatra, Indonesia

(b) Tamil Nadu Coast, India

(c) Western coast of Sri Lanka

(d) Eastern coast of Malaysia

Relevance: Great Nicobar lies near the Malacca Strait, a critical global maritime chokepoint, making it strategically important for India’s Indo-Pacific policy. The island is also in news due to infrastructure and strategic projects under India’s island development plans, linking geography with security and economic interests.

Explanation

— The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Monday cleared the way for the government’s Rs 81,000-crore Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project, noting its “strategic importance” and observing that there were “adequate safeguards” in the project’s environmental clearance.

— Approximate distances from Great Nicobar Island:

Sumatra – 150–200 km

Tamil Nadu coast – 1,200–1,300 km

Sri Lanka – 1,100–1,200 km

Malaysia – 700–900 km

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Consider the following statements:

1. This nation is India’s largest trade partner in Latin America.

2. Recently, India and this nation firmed up an agreement on critical minerals and rare earth.

3. In 2025, bilateral trade between India and this nation surpassed $15 billion for the first time, registering a 25% growth over 2024.

The above-mentioned statements refer to:

(a) Chile

(b) Argentina

(c) Brazil

(d) Bolivia

Relevance: Growing trade, especially in critical minerals and energy, links to India’s strategic resource security and economic diplomacy. Such questions test awareness of current trade data, bilateral relations, and regional groupings — common themes in UPSC Prelims under international relations and economic geography.

Explanation

— This was the most pointed reference to the rising trade and tariff tensions between the US and China. Incidentally, Brazil and India were two countries hit with 50 per cent tariffs last year by US President Donald Trump.

— The partnership between India and Brazil on the global stage has been strong and influential. As democratic countries, we will continue to advance the priorities and aspirations of the Global South.

— The two countries firmed up an agreement on critical minerals and rare earth, a joint declaration on digital partnership and signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) for cooperation in the areas of mining, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), healthcare and traditional knowledge system.

— Indian evolution in cutting edge sectors such as information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and space exploration… creates a lot of cooperation opportunities with Brazil.

— Brazil is India’s largest trade partner in Latin America. The countries have agreed last year to increase our trade flow to $20 billion by 2030 in 2025, bilateral flow surpassed $15 billion for the first time in history, a growth of 25% in relation to 2024.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

The ‘Emission Gap Report’ is published by:

(a) United Nations Environment Programme

(b) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

(c) International Energy Agency

(d) World Meteorological Organisation

Relevance: The Emissions Gap Report is directly linked to global climate commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. UPSC often tests knowledge of who publishes key global reports, making such questions scoring and elimination-friendly.

Explanation

— The UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2025, headlined “Off Target,” warns that existing climate commitments are insufficient to reach the Paris Agreement’s goals, with the globe on course to warm by 2.3-2.5°C this century. Global emissions reached a new high in 2024, and to stay below 1.5°C by 2030, emissions must be reduced by 26%.

— The Emissions Gap Report 2025 indicated that even if countries keep their climate pledges, the world will rise by 2.3 to 2.5°C by the end of the century, causing huge damage.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Source: http://www.unep.org)

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 145)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 150)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 150)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 150)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 149)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 149)

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