World political geography is the map of countries that the current-affairs and security parts of the paper sit on top of, and CAPF tests it as country-to-capital matching, country-to-continent or region placement, the location of a country relative to India or to a strait, and which country borders a sea, river or boundary line of note. It also tests neat categories the examiner likes: largest countries by area and population, landlocked and double-landlocked States, island States, transcontinental countries, and the named international boundary lines (the 38th parallel, the 49th parallel, the Durand Line). These are clean static facts. The treatment follows NCERT Class XII Fundamentals of Human Geography and standard atlases, with the regional groupings kept current to 2026.
By area the ten largest countries are Russia (by far the largest), Canada, the United States, China, Brazil, Australia, India, Argentina, Kazakhstan and Algeria. By population, India is now the most populous, ahead of China; then come the United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Brazil and Bangladesh. Russia is the largest transcontinental State, spanning Europe and Asia. Vatican City is the smallest country, followed by Monaco.
- East Asia: China (capital Beijing), Japan (Tokyo), the two Koreas (Seoul and Pyongyang), Mongolia and Taiwan.
- South-East Asia: the ASEAN bloc of Indonesia (the world's largest archipelago, moving its capital to Nusantara), Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei, astride the Strait of Malacca.
- South Asia: India and its neighbours, treated in the borders note.
- West Asia (the Middle East): the Gulf oil core of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), Iran (Tehran), Iraq (Baghdad), the UAE (Abu Dhabi), Qatar (Doha) and Kuwait, around the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, plus Israel, Turkey, Syria and Yemen.
- Central Asia: the five "stans" of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan (double-landlocked), Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, framing India's north-western strategic depth.
- Africa: the Maghreb of the north-west (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya), the Sahel belt south of the Sahara (Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan), the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti) commanding Bab-el-Mandeb, and sub-Saharan, Central and Southern Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt).
- Europe: Western Europe, the Nordic or Scandinavian north (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland), the Balkans of the south-east (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Greece, Albania and neighbours), Central and Eastern Europe, and the British Isles.
- The Americas: Anglo-America (the United States and Canada) and Latin America (Mexico southward, including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela).
- Oceania: Australia (Canberra), New Zealand (Wellington) and the Pacific island States.
- Landlocked countries (no sea coast): Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan in India's neighbourhood; Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic in Europe; Bolivia and Paraguay in South America; Mongolia, Laos and the Central Asian republics in Asia; Ethiopia, Chad, Mali and Niger in Africa. There are two double-landlocked countries (surrounded only by other landlocked countries): Liechtenstein (in Europe) and Uzbekistan (in Central Asia).
- Island countries: Sri Lanka and the Maldives near India; Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore in Asia; Madagascar off Africa; the United Kingdom and Iceland in Europe; Cuba and the Caribbean States in the Americas; New Zealand and the Pacific States in Oceania.
- Transcontinental countries (split across continents): Russia and Turkey (Europe and Asia), Egypt (Africa and Asia, across the Suez and Sinai), and Kazakhstan.
- Capitals that catch people out: Brazil is Brasilia (not Rio or Sao Paulo); Australia is Canberra (not Sydney); Turkey is Ankara (not Istanbul); the United States is Washington D.C. (not New York); Canada is Ottawa (not Toronto); New Zealand is Wellington (not Auckland); South Africa has three capitals (Pretoria administrative, Cape Town legislative, Bloemfontein judicial); Switzerland is Bern (not Zurich or Geneva).
- 38th parallel: the rough divide between North and South Korea.
- 49th parallel: much of the United States-Canada border.
- 17th parallel: the former divide of North and South Vietnam.
- Durand Line: Pakistan-Afghanistan.
- McMahon Line: India-China (eastern sector).
- Radcliffe Line: India-Pakistan.
- Line of Control (LoC): India-Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Oder-Neisse Line: Germany-Poland.
- Maginot Line and Siegfried Line: historic French and German defensive lines.
- United Nations: the global body; the five permanent Security Council members are the USA, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China.
- ASEAN: the ten South-East Asian States around Malacca.
- SAARC: the South Asian States (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan).
- BIMSTEC: the Bay of Bengal rim (India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan).
- GCC: the Gulf Cooperation Council of the West Asian Gulf monarchies.
- European Union: the Western and Central European economic and political bloc.
- BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and newer members; a major-emerging-economy grouping.
- African Union, OPEC (oil exporters), the Commonwealth, and the Quad (India, the USA, Japan, Australia) round out the high-frequency set.
These are mainly current-affairs anchors, but CAPF often asks "which of these countries is a member of X" as a placement test.
| Country |
Capital |
Region |
| China |
Beijing |
East Asia |
| Japan |
Tokyo |
East Asia |
| Indonesia |
Jakarta (new capital Nusantara) |
South-East Asia |
| Myanmar |
Naypyidaw |
South-East Asia |
| Iran |
Tehran |
West Asia |
| Saudi Arabia |
Riyadh |
West Asia |
| UAE |
Abu Dhabi |
West Asia |
| Iraq |
Baghdad |
West Asia |
| Egypt |
Cairo |
North Africa |
| Turkey |
Ankara |
Europe-Asia |
| Russia |
Moscow |
Europe-Asia |
| Kazakhstan |
Astana |
Central Asia |
| Brazil |
Brasilia |
South America |
| Argentina |
Buenos Aires |
South America |
| Australia |
Canberra |
Oceania |
| New Zealand |
Wellington |
Oceania |
| South Africa |
Pretoria (administrative) |
Southern Africa |
| Nigeria |
Abuja |
West Africa |
| United States |
Washington D.C. |
North America |
| Canada |
Ottawa |
North America |
| Switzerland |
Bern |
Europe |
| Sri Lanka |
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (Colombo commercial) |
South Asia |
| Region |
Countries / mark |
| Gulf / West Asia |
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait; oil; Strait of Hormuz |
| ASEAN / South-East Asia |
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Myanmar, Singapore; Strait of Malacca |
| Central Asia |
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan |
| Horn of Africa |
Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti; Bab-el-Mandeb |
| Sahel |
Belt south of the Sahara (Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan) |
| Maghreb |
Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya |
| Scandinavia / Nordic |
Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland |
| Balkans |
Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Greece, Albania and neighbours |
| Baltic States |
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania |
| Latin America |
Mexico southward to Argentina and Chile |
| Anglo-America |
United States and Canada |
CAPF often asks which countries front a particular sea or gulf, since this fixes a country in space:
- Persian Gulf: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Oman.
- Red Sea: Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti on the African side; Saudi Arabia and Yemen on the Arabian side.
- Mediterranean Sea: Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey in the north; Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco in the south.
- Black Sea: Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia.
- Baltic Sea: Sweden, Finland, the Baltic States, Poland, Germany and Denmark.
- South China Sea: China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia (a contested sea).
- Caspian Sea: Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Azerbaijan.
- Bay of Bengal: India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka (with Thailand on its eastern rim).
China borders fourteen countries, the most of any nation, including India. Russia also borders fourteen. India shares land borders with seven countries (Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, plus Afghanistan along the Pakistan-administered area) and a maritime boundary with Sri Lanka and the Maldives, detailed in the borders note. France and Brazil each border many neighbours within their continents. These contiguity counts are favourite single-correct items.
Political geography is the canvas of India's strategic relations. India's land and maritime neighbours are detailed in india borders neighbours and strategic geography; the wider frame matters here. The Gulf States supply a large share of India's oil through the Strait of Hormuz and host a large Indian diaspora. The Horn of Africa commands Bab-el-Mandeb on the Suez route, where India runs anti-piracy patrols. The ASEAN States sit astride the Strait of Malacca, India's eastern energy and trade gate. Afghanistan (landlocked, bordering Pakistan along the Durand Line) and the Central Asian republics frame India's north-western strategic depth, and the China-Pakistan corridor runs through this same space. The named boundary lines (the LoC, the McMahon Line, the Durand Line) are recurring flashpoints. See straits chokepoints and strategic waterways.
- The Equator passes through the territory of (among others) Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Indonesia.
- The Tropic of Cancer passes through India (Gujarat to Tripura, eight states), Mexico, North Africa (Egypt, Libya, Algeria), Saudi Arabia and China.
- The Prime Meridian (zero degrees longitude) passes through the United Kingdom (Greenwich), France, Spain, Algeria, Mali and Ghana.
- The International Date Line roughly follows the 180-degree meridian through the Pacific, bending to avoid landmasses.
- The greatest cities and urban agglomerations include Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Cairo, Mumbai, Beijing and Dhaka; note that the largest city is often not the capital (Sao Paulo and Brasilia, Sydney and Canberra, Istanbul and Ankara, Mumbai and New Delhi).
- Countries are sometimes identified by nickname: Japan ("Land of the Rising Sun"), Norway ("Land of the Midnight Sun"), Switzerland ("Playground of Europe"), Egypt ("Gift of the Nile"), Bangladesh ("Land of Rivers") and Cuba ("Sugar Bowl of the World").
Formats: matching country to capital, country to continent or region, and country to the sea or strait it borders; map placement of a country relative to India or to a strait; single-correct on the double-landlocked countries, the largest country by area, the most populous country, and the parallel dividing the Koreas; statement-based assertions on capitals and archipelagos.
Authored practice:
Q1Which two countries are double-landlocked (surrounded only by other landlocked countries)?
- ANepal and Bhutan
- BLiechtenstein and Uzbekistan
- CSwitzerland and Austria
- DBolivia and Paraguay
Answer:
- B. Liechtenstein (Europe) and Uzbekistan (Central Asia) are the only two.
Q2The capital of Brazil is:
- ARio de Janeiro
- BSao Paulo
- CBrasilia
- DSalvador
Answer:
- C. Brasilia was purpose-built as the capital; Rio and Sao Paulo are the largest cities.
Q3The 38th parallel is associated with the boundary between:
- AThe United States and Canada
- BNorth and South Korea
- CNorth and South Vietnam
- DIndia and China
Answer:
- B. The 49th parallel is the US-Canada line; the 17th parallel divided Vietnam.
Q4The Horn of Africa, which commands Bab-el-Mandeb, comprises Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and:
- AKenya
- BSudan
- CDjibouti
- DYemen
Answer:
- C. Djibouti sits at the African side of Bab-el-Mandeb; Yemen is on the Arabian side.
Q5The world's most populous country as of 2026 is:
- AChina
- BIndia
- CUnited States
- DIndonesia
Answer:
- B. India overtook China; the United States and Indonesia follow far behind.
Q6The Durand Line is the international boundary between:
- AIndia and Pakistan
- BPakistan and Afghanistan
- CIndia and China
- DChina and Russia
Answer:
- B. The Durand Line separates Pakistan and Afghanistan; the McMahon Line is India-China; the Radcliffe Line is India-Pakistan.
Q7Which of these countries is transcontinental, lying in both Africa and Asia?
- ATurkey
- BRussia
- CEgypt
- DKazakhstan
Answer:
- C. Egypt spans Africa and Asia across the Suez and the Sinai; Turkey and Russia span Europe and Asia.
Q8The administrative capital of South Africa is:
- ACape Town
- BJohannesburg
- CPretoria
- DBloemfontein
Answer:
- C. Pretoria is administrative, Cape Town legislative, Bloemfontein judicial.
- Largest country by area is Russia; most populous is India (now ahead of China).
- Brasilia (not Rio) is Brazil's capital; Canberra (not Sydney) is Australia's; Ankara (not Istanbul) is Turkey's; Ottawa (not Toronto) is Canada's; Wellington (not Auckland) is New Zealand's; Bern (not Zurich) is Switzerland's.
- 38th parallel = the Koreas; 49th parallel = US-Canada; 17th parallel = Vietnam.
- Double-landlocked (Liechtenstein, Uzbekistan) versus merely landlocked (Nepal, Bhutan, Switzerland, Bolivia, Mongolia).
- Maghreb (north-west Africa) versus Sahel (the belt just south of the Sahara) versus the Horn (the eastern peak of Africa).
- Scandinavia and the Nordic region include Iceland and Finland; the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) are separate.
- Transcontinental Russia, Turkey and Egypt span two continents.
- ASEAN is South-East Asia; SAARC is South Asia; the Gulf Cooperation Council is West Asia.
- Largest countries: "Russia Can Carry Cargo Boxes Across" = Russia, Canada, China (with the USA), Brazil, Australia.
- Double-landlocked: "Lonely UZ and LI" = Uzbekistan and Liechtenstein.
- Korean line: "Korea is 38, Canada is 49" (38th and 49th parallels).
- Horn of Africa: "Some Eat Eggs Daily" = Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti.
- Tricky capitals: "Brazil Canberra Ankara Ottawa" all surprise people (Brasilia, Canberra, Ankara, Ottawa).
- Largest countries by area: Russia, Canada, the USA, China, Brazil, Australia, India.
- Most populous: India, then China, the United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria.
- Double-landlocked: Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan.
- Transcontinental: Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Kazakhstan.
- 38th parallel (Koreas), 49th parallel (US-Canada), 17th parallel (Vietnam), Durand (Pak-Afghan), McMahon (India-China).
- Gulf core: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait; outlet Hormuz.
- ASEAN sits astride Malacca; Indonesia is the largest archipelago, capital moving to Nusantara.
- Horn of Africa: Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti; commands Bab-el-Mandeb.
- Surprising capitals: Brasilia, Canberra, Ankara, Ottawa, Wellington, Bern, Astana, Naypyidaw, Abuja.
- The largest countries by area are Russia, Canada, the USA, China, Brazil, Australia and India.
- India is the world's most populous country, ahead of China.
- Russia, Turkey and Egypt are transcontinental, spanning two continents each.
- The double-landlocked countries are Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan.
- Landlocked neighbours of India are Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan; others include Switzerland, Bolivia and Mongolia.
- The Gulf or West Asia core (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait) holds most oil reserves and uses the Strait of Hormuz.
- ASEAN States sit astride the Strait of Malacca; Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago.
- The Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti) commands Bab-el-Mandeb.
- Central Asia is the five "stans": Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan.
- The Maghreb is north-west Africa; the Sahel is the belt south of the Sahara; the Balkans are south-east Europe.
- Scandinavia and the Nordic region are Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland; the Baltic States are Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania.
- The 38th parallel divides the Koreas; the 49th parallel marks much of the US-Canada border; the 17th parallel divided Vietnam.
- The Durand Line is Pakistan-Afghanistan; the McMahon Line is India-China; the Radcliffe Line is India-Pakistan.
- Brasilia (not Rio) is Brazil's capital; Canberra is Australia's; Ankara is Turkey's; Ottawa is Canada's; Wellington is New Zealand's; Bern is Switzerland's.
- South Africa has three capitals: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial).
- Vatican City is the smallest country; Russia the largest.
- Egypt's Suez and Sinai split it between Africa and Asia.
- Landlocked country: a State with no sea coast (Nepal, Switzerland, Bolivia).
- Double-landlocked: surrounded only by landlocked countries (Liechtenstein, Uzbekistan).
- Transcontinental country: a State split across two continents (Russia, Turkey, Egypt).
- Archipelago: a chain or group of islands (Indonesia is the largest).
- Maghreb: north-west Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya).
- Sahel: the semi-arid belt south of the Sahara.
- Horn of Africa: the eastern projection of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti).
- Scandinavia / Nordic region: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland.
- Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
- Balkans: the countries of south-east Europe.
- ASEAN: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
- GCC: the Gulf Cooperation Council of the West Asian Gulf monarchies.
- 38th parallel: the divide between North and South Korea.
- Durand Line: the Pakistan-Afghanistan boundary.
- McMahon Line: the India-China boundary in the eastern sector.
- Radcliffe Line: the India-Pakistan boundary drawn at Partition.