The term "Levant" often heard in the news roughly corresponds to which of the following regions ?
- A.Region along the eastern Mediterranean shores
- B.Region along North African shores stretching from Egypt to Morocco
- C.Region along Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa
- D.The entire coastal areas of Mediterranean Sea
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, region along the eastern Mediterranean shores. The Levant is the land on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea in West Asia.
The word comes from the French 'lever', to rise, meaning the land where the sun rises, as seen from Europe. Today it usually covers Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Jordan, and sometimes Cyprus and the Hatay region of Turkey. It was the western arm of the Fertile Crescent, home to some of the world's earliest farming settlements and cities such as Jericho and Byblos, and it often appears in the news in reports on the Syrian war and the Israel–Palestine conflict.
B is wrong: the North African coast from Egypt westward to Morocco is the Maghreb and Egypt, not the Levant.
C is wrong: the Persian Gulf and the Horn of Africa are separate regions to the east and south.
D is wrong: the Levant is only the eastern shore, not the whole Mediterranean coastline.
Exam tip: Levant = eastern Mediterranean (Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan); Maghreb = north-west Africa.
Practice Questions
View allWhich of the following geographical features or phenomena is/are associated with the Peninsular Block of India ?
1. Submergence of parts of the western coast due to tectonic activity
2. Presence of residual mountain ranges such as the Veliconda hills and Mahendragiri hills
3. Deep, V-shaped river valleys formed by fast-flowing rivers
Select the answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 2
- C.2 and 3
- D.3 only
Show answer
The Peninsular Block is an old, stable landmass with worn-down residual hills and a western edge that sank along faults, but its rivers flow in broad, shallow valleys.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the climate of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. The climate can be defined as a humid, tropical coastal climate.
2. It receives rainfall from both South-west monsoon and North-east monsoon.
3. Maximum precipitation is between December and May.
Select the answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 2
- C.2 and 3
- D.3 only
Show answer
The islands have a warm, humid tropical maritime climate and get rain from both monsoons, but December to May is their drier part of the year.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs :
Peak — Mountains
1. Namcha Barwa — Garhwal Himalaya
2. Nanda Devi — Kumaon Himalaya
3. Nokrek — Sikkim Himalaya
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- A.1 and 2
- B.2 only
- C.1 and 3
- D.3 only
Show answer
Nanda Devi belongs to the Kumaon Himalaya, but Namcha Barwa and Nokrek are wrongly placed. Nanda Devi (7,816 m) is the highest peak lying wholly within India and the highest in Uttarakhand.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs :
Famous place — River
1. Pandharpur : Chandrabhaga
2. Tiruchirappalli : Cauvery
3. Hampi : Malaprabha
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.2 and 3 only
- C.1 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Pandharpur stands on the Chandrabhaga and Tiruchirappalli on the Cauvery, but Hampi lies on the Tungabhadra, not the Malaprabha. Pandharpur in Solapur district of Maharashtra is the seat of Lord Vitthal (Vithoba) and the goal of the Warkari pilgrimage.
Read the full explanation →Gandikota canyon of South India was created by which one of the following rivers?
- A.Cauvery
- B.Manjira
- C.Pennar
- D.Tungabhadra
Show answer
The Pennar river cut the Gandikota gorge through the Erramala hills in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. Gandikota is often called the Grand Canyon of India.
Read the full explanation →