Consider the following countries:
- 1.Finland
- 2.Germany
- 3.Norway
- 4.Russia
How many of the above countries have a border with the North Sea?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Only two
The North Sea lies between Great Britain and the North European mainland. Its shores belong to Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom (with Sweden on the Kattegat side). Finland and Russia face the Baltic Sea instead, so only Germany and Norway qualify.
- ✗ 1. Finland's coasts are on the Baltic Sea — the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland — not the North Sea.
- ✓ 2. Germany's north-western coast, with the Elbe and Weser estuaries, opens onto the North Sea.
- ✓ 3. Norway's southern and western coast borders the North Sea.
- ✗ 4. Russia's European coasts are on the Baltic (Gulf of Finland, Kaliningrad), the Barents and White Seas and the Black Sea — none on the North Sea.
Remember · North Sea countries: UK, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France. Finland and Russia are Baltic, not North Sea, states.
Sources
- OSPAR Commission: Region II – Greater North Sea ↗ · reference work “The Greater North Sea is surrounded by densely populated, highly industrialised countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and United Kingdom).”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·