UPSC Prelims 2024 Q8: North Sea Bordering Countries — Explained

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?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. Only three
  4. All four

Answer: (b) Only two

Statement-wise explanation

  • 1: incorrect — Finland has no North Sea coast. All of its coastline is on the Baltic Sea: the Gulf of Bothnia on the west and the Gulf of Finland on the south. Its land border with Norway is in the far north, in Lapland. That gives Finland a frontier with a North Sea country but not with the sea.
  • 2: correct — Germany borders the North Sea on its north-west coast, between the Netherlands and Denmark. The Elbe and Weser rivers flow into the sea there. Germany also has a Baltic coast. The 98 km Kiel Canal joins the two seas, running from Brunsbüttel on the North Sea to Kiel on the Baltic.
  • 3: correct — Norway forms the north-eastern shore of the North Sea. The sea reaches its greatest depth, about 700 m, in the Norwegian Trench and the Skagerrak, off Norway's southern coast. Further north, Norway's coast faces the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea.
  • 4: incorrect — Russia does not touch the North Sea. In Europe, its western sea frontage is on the Baltic, at St Petersburg (Gulf of Finland) and at the Kaliningrad exclave. Its other coasts are on the Arctic and Pacific oceans, the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Caspian Sea.

How to eliminate

There are no absolute words to exploit here. You need the map, but only a rough one. Start with what you are sure of. Russia's European coast is on the Baltic (St Petersburg and Kaliningrad) and the Arctic, so drop Russia. That rules out 'All four'. Germany's North Sea ports, Hamburg on the Elbe and Bremerhaven on the Weser, and Norway's North Sea oil fields are well known, so you can keep both. That rules out 'Only one'. The question now comes down to Finland. Picture the map: Sweden and Norway separate Finland from the Atlantic side, and Finland's coast lies only on the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. The fact to remember: the North Sea has seven coastal countries, namely the UK, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. No Nordic country east of Norway is among them.

Know more

The North Sea is a shallow shelf sea of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies between Great Britain and north-western Europe. It covers about 570,000 sq km, and its average depth is only about 95 m. It is deepest, about 700 m, in the Skagerrak off southern Norway.

Its links to other waters:

  • To the Atlantic: in the south through the Strait of Dover and the English Channel, and in the north through the wide opening between Shetland and Norway.
  • To the Baltic: through the Skagerrak and the Kattegat around Denmark, and through Germany's Kiel Canal.

Coastal countries, and the seas their neighbours face instead:

Borders the North Sea Does not border it (main seas)
United Kingdom Sweden (Skagerrak/Kattegat, Baltic)
Norway Finland (Baltic: Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland)
Denmark Poland, Baltic states (Baltic)
Germany Russia (Baltic, Arctic, Black Sea, Caspian, Pacific)
Netherlands Ireland (Irish Sea, Atlantic)
Belgium
France (north coast, near Dunkirk)

Features worth knowing:

  • Dogger Bank: a large shoal about 100 km off north-east England, rising about 20 m above the surrounding seafloor. It is a historic fishing ground and now a wind-farm site.
  • Rivers: the Rhine, Elbe, Weser, Scheldt and Thames all drain into the North Sea.
  • Resources: the sea has rich oil and gas fields, shared mainly between the UK and Norway. It also has large offshore wind capacity.

How to crack similar questions: UPSC often lists a mix of 'near' and 'on' countries, such as Finland next to Norway. Check each country's actual coastline, not its neighbours. Common pairs to revise: Baltic Sea and North Sea coastal states, Black Sea and Caspian Sea littoral states, and Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts.

NCERT Concepts to Revise

  • Baltic Sea: Three of the four listed countries have Baltic coastlines; you must judge which of them also reach the North Sea.
  • Rhine waterway: The Rhine flows through Germany and the Netherlands to the sea; following it helps fix where the North Sea coast lies.

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