Prelims 2014 · archive
EasyConsider the following pairs:
Region often in news: Country
- 1.Chechnya: Russian Federation
- 2.Darfur: Mali
- 3.Swat Valley: Iraq
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 only
Only Chechnya is matched correctly: it is a republic in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation. Darfur is in Sudan, not Mali. The Swat Valley is in Pakistan, not Iraq.
- ✓ 1. Chechnya is a republic in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation. It saw two separatist wars, and UN agencies refer to it as part of the Russian Federation.
- ✗ 2. Darfur is a region of western Sudan, not Mali. The humanitarian crisis there since 2003 and the UN-AU peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) concern Sudan.
- ✗ 3. The Swat Valley lies in north-west Pakistan, in the province formerly called the North West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). In 2009 it saw a military offensive against militants and mass displacement. It is not an Iraqi region.
Remember · Chechnya is in Russia (North Caucasus), Darfur is in Sudan, and the Swat Valley is in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Match such 'regions in news' to their countries.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Contemporary World Politics, Ch 4 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- UNHCR: UNHCR to open office in Chechnya as soon as security allows (11 April 2006) ↗ · reference work “At the end of his visit to the volatile North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, reiterated his organisation's commitment to open an office in Chechnya”
- NCERT Class 12 · Contemporary World Politics, Chapter 4 “The humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan since 2003 has attracted empty promises by the International Community.”
- UNHCR: More and more Pakistani displaced move to camps as needs grow (10 June 2009) ↗ · reference work “the vast majority of people displaced by the upsurge in fighting in Pakistan's Swat Valley, and Lower Dir and Buner districts have found shelter, not in camps, but with host families”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2014, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·