Authentic Classroom Explanation by IAS Monk

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📍 The Question

Consider the following pairs:

Country	Resource-rich in
I. Botswana	Diamond
II. Chile	Lithium
III. Indonesia	Nickel

In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?

Correct Answer: (c) All the three

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🎯 Theme of the Question

Economic Geography | Mineral Resources | Strategic Minerals | World Map Awareness

UPSC is increasingly linking geography with geopolitics, energy transition, and resource security. This question sits squarely at that intersection.

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🧠 Classroom Explanation

Let us verify each pair one by one using core geographical facts, not newspaper noise.

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🔹 I. Botswana — Diamond ✅

• Botswana is one of the world’s largest diamond producers
• Diamonds account for:
  • ~30% of GDP
  • ~80% of export earnings
• Home to Jwaneng Mine (world’s richest diamond mine by value)
• Recently discovered one of the largest rough diamonds ever found (2,492 carats)

✔️ Correctly matched

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🔹 II. Chile — Lithium ✅

• Chile lies in the famous Lithium Triangle:
  • Chile
  • Bolivia
  • Argentina
• Key features:
  • Second-largest lithium producer globally
  • Massive reserves in Salar de Atacama
• Lithium is a strategic mineral for:
  • Electric vehicle batteries
  • Renewable energy storage
• Critical for global energy transition and India’s overseas mineral strategy

✔️ Correctly matched

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🔹 III. Indonesia — Nickel ✅

• Indonesia possesses:
  • Largest nickel reserves in the world
  • ~30% of global supply
• World’s largest producer of nickel
• Nickel is essential for:
  • Stainless steel
  • EV batteries (NMC, NCA chemistries)
• Indonesia has leveraged this advantage through:
  • Export bans on raw nickel
  • Forcing downstream processing (geoeconomic strategy)

✔️ Correctly matched

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📊 Final Assessment

Pair	Status
Botswana – Diamond	✅
Chile – Lithium	✅
Indonesia – Nickel	✅

👉 All three pairs are correctly matched

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❌ UPSC Elimination Logic

• No ambiguity
• No outdated data
• All three are textbook + current affairs confirmed

Answer: (c) All the three

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🧩 Memory Hook

“Botswana shines, Chile powers, Indonesia steels.”

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🧠 Prelims Strategy Insight

• UPSC is clearly testing:
  • Strategic minerals
  • Energy transition geography
  • Resource nationalism
• Expect more questions on:
  • Lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earths
  • Country–resource matching

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🧭 IAS Monk Whisper
In the 21st century, power flows not from oil alone — but from the rocks beneath the soil.