UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on US military bases in the middle east, countries sharing border with Iran and more (Week 152)

3. This community has its language, with its various dialects, which is a major unifying factor in their dispersion across countries.

The above mentioned statements refer to:

(a) Kurds

(b) Pashtuns

(c) Uyghurs

(d) Baloch

Relevance: Issues related to stateless nations, ethnic conflicts, and regional autonomy are important themes in international relations. Such questions test understanding of ethnic geography and political dynamics of West Asia, which are relevant for UPSC Prelims.

Explanation:

— As the conflict in West Asia spreads, with the United States attacking an Iranian ship off the coast of Sri Lanka and killing more than 87 people on board on Wednesday (March 5), the US is turning to some older, non-state allies for support.

— The Kurds are the world’s largest stateless ethnic group, with a population of around 25 million to 35 million. They live in the highlands of southern and eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, northwestern Iran, and parts of southern Armenia, and are a minority in each of these countries. Small communities live in Iran and elsewhere.

— The Kurdish language, with its various dialects, is a major unifying factor in their dispersion across countries.

— Kurdish nationalists claim a history going back 2,500 years, but they became identifiable as a distinct community only in the 7th century, when most tribes in the area adopted Islam. The majority of them today are Sunni Muslims, but there are adherents of other faiths too, including Sufism.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the US military bases in the middle east, consider the following pairs:

1. Al Udeid Air Base – Kuwait

2. Camp Arifjan – Qatar

3. Al Dhafra Air Base – UAE

How many of the pairs given above are correctly marked?

(a) Only one pair

(b) Only two pairs

(c) All three pairs

(d) None of the above pairs

Relevance: US military bases in West Asia frequently appear in news due to regional conflicts and security dynamics involving the United States, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. Such map-based pair matching questions are typical in UPSC Prelims under international relations and political geography.

Explanation:

— Israel and the US launched military strikes on Iran on Saturday (February 28), provoking a retaliation from Tehran. Iran has chosen to attack US military bases in the region.

— Qatar is home to the sprawling 24-hectare Al Udeid Air Base, CENTCOM’s forward headquarters, situated in the desert outside the capital Doha. The base houses around 10,000 troops. The air base is home to surveillance aircraft, tanker refuelling (KC-135 Stratotankers), combat airlift (C-17A Globemasters, CH-130H Hercules), Patriot missile defence systems, and AN/TPY-2 X-band radar to support missile defence systems, according to the CRS report.

— Bahrain’s deep-water port is one of the few Middle Eastern facilities accommodating US aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, according to the CRS report.

— Kuwait houses several US military installations, notably Camp Arifjan, the forward headquarters of US Army Central (ARCENT) under CENTCOM, according to the CRS report.

— The Al Dhafra Air Base, south of the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, hosts the US’s 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, which comprises 10 aircraft squadrons and drones, such as the MQ-9 Reapers. It is shared with the UAE Air Force and serves as a critical USAF hub, according to the CRS report.

— The US has troops spread across several Iraqi installations, including the Al-Asad and Erbil air bases, the Agence France-Presse reported. Up to 2,500 American troops and military contractors were based in Baghdad, the northern Kurdish region and the western desert, as part of an international coalition battling the Islamic State, according to the AFP.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Which of the following countries shares a border with Iran?

1. Azerbaijan

2. Iraq

3. Afghanistan

4. Armenia

5. Syria

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5

(c) 3, 4 and 5

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Relevance: Iran’s borders are strategically important due to its location in West Asia, influencing regional geopolitics and connectivity. Map-based questions on neighbouring countries of Iran are common in UPSC Prelims under international relations and political geography.

Explanation:

— Iran, facing what is possibly an existential attack on its current regime, shares a border with seven countries.

— To the north of Iran are Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea. To its east are Pakistan and Afghanistan; to the south is the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman; and to the west lie Turkey and Iraq.

Iran and its neighbours. ARM is Armenia and AZER is Azerbaijan. (CIA map, enhanced and modified using Google Gemini)

— Iran’s most friendly neighbours lie to the north, Armenia and Turkmenistan. Azerbaijan has a significant Shia population, but the Shia clergy in power in Iran doesn’t get along with it. Azerbaijan and Armenia have long fought over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is a part of Azerbaijan but houses ethnic Armenians. Iran has backed Armenia, the losing side, in this. Tehran also suspects Azerbaijan of fomenting Azeri insurgency within its borders, and allowing Israel the use of its territory to spy on Iran.

— Syria does not share a border with Iran.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

India and which of the following countries agreed on a uranium deal and will work on building small modular ‌nuclear reactors and advanced reactors?

(a) Australia

(b) Kazakhstan

(c) Canada

(d) Argentina

Relevance: Civil nuclear cooperation and uranium supply agreements are important for India’s clean energy transition and nuclear energy expansion. Such developments are relevant for UPSC under energy security, nuclear technology, and international cooperation.

Explanation:

— India and Canada will aim to conclude a free trade pact by the end of this year, Prime Minister Mark Carney said during his first visit to New Delhi, as the two countries seek to move past years of diplomatic friction to get economic ties back on track.

— India and Canada hope ⁠to ​increase bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during a joint media appearance with Carney, from nearly $9 billion in 2024-25.

— They also agreed on a $2.6 billion uranium deal and will work on building small modular ‌nuclear reactors and advanced reactors, both sides said. In civil nuclear energy, they have concluded a landmark deal for the long-term supply of uranium.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has certified which country for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis?

(a) Denmark

(b) Norway

(c) Finland

(d) Poland

Relevance: Such global health milestones are relevant for UPSC under public health initiatives, SDGs, and international health governance.

Explanation:

— The World Health Organisation (WHO) has certified Denmark for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis, recognizing the country’s sustained commitment to ensuring every child is born free of these infections.

— “The elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis marks a major public health achievement for Denmark,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This milestone demonstrates that with strong political commitment and consistent investment in primary care and integrated maternal and child health services, countries can protect every pregnant woman and newborn from these diseases.”

— Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Source: http://www.who.int)

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 147)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 152)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 152)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 151)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 151)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 151)

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