Question 97 from UPSC CSE 2025 - Geography

Question

Consider the following pairs:
I. Botswana â Diamond
II. Chile â Lithium
III. Indonesia â Nickel
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. All three

Strategy: For each pair, match the country to its globally significant mineral. Botswana is internationally known for its diamond industry. Chile is famous for lithium, being one of the top global producers, especially as part of the Lithium Triangle. Indonesia is the world's largest nickel producer. All three country-mineral associations are accurate, confirming the answer is 'All three'.

Key Info: *   **Botswana**: Situated in Southern Africa, Botswana is renowned for its diamond mining sector, which is central to its economy. Debswana, a joint venture between the Botswana government and the De Beers Group, controls the majority of mining operations. Diamonds account for approximately 80% of Botswana's export earnings and constitute a substantial portion of its GDP. The country has produced some of the world's largest gem-quality diamonds, such as the Lesedi La Rona and the recent 1,098-carat stone.
*   **Chile**: Located along South America's western edge, Chile is part of the 'Lithium Triangle' with Argentina and Bolivia, home to over half of the world's lithium resources. Chile is the second-largest lithium producer globally, largely due to its extraction from salars (salt flats), primarily the Salar de Atacama. Lithium is crucial for battery production (especially for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage). Besides lithium, Chile is the world's leading copper producer and a major supplier of other minerals.
*   **Indonesia**: Indonesia has the world's largest reserves and is the top producer of nickel, contributing to about a third of global production. Its reserves are found mainly in Sulawesi and the Maluku Islands. Nickel is a key input in stainless steel and increasingly in battery technology for electric vehicles, giving Indonesia major strategic leverage in the global green energy supply chain. The government, to encourage domestic value addition, has also imposed export bans on raw nickel ores, promoting processing industries within the country.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: Only one

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: Only two

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: None

Consider the following pairs: I. Botswana â Diamond II. Chile â Lithium III. Indonesia â Nickel In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?

Consider the following pairs:
I. Botswana â Diamond
II. Chile â Lithium
III. Indonesia â Nickel
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?