Q. Consider the following statements:
- Anadyr in Siberia and Nome in Alaska are a few kilometers from each other.
- When people are waking up and getting set for breakfast in these cities, it would be different days. When it is Monday in Anadyr, it is Tuesday in Nome.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC Prelims 2025)
Answer:
I only
Notes: The correct answer is
[A] I only. This question tests the understanding of the International Date Line (IDL) and the geographical proximity of Russia and the United States across the Bering Strait.
- Statement I (Correct): Anadyr (Russia) and Nome (Alaska, USA) are geographically very close, separated by the Bering Strait. While they are approximately 800 kilometers apart—which is relatively "few" in global geographic terms—the Diomede Islands located between them are only about 3.8 kilometers apart. In the context of UPSC geography questions regarding the proximity of Siberia and Alaska, this statement is considered functionally correct.
- Statement II (Incorrect): This statement correctly identifies that they would be on different days, but it gets the direction of the date change wrong. The International Date Line (IDL) runs between these two locations. When traveling east (from Russia to Alaska) across the IDL, you subtract a day. Therefore, if it is Monday in Anadyr (East of the IDL/Old World), it would be Sunday in Nome (West of the IDL/New World). The statement incorrectly suggests Nome is a day ahead.
The IDL is not a straight line; it zig-zags to ensure that certain island groups or territories (like the Aleutian Islands) remain in the same day as their parent countries. However, it specifically passes between the Big Diomede (Russia) and Little Diomede (USA), creating a
21-hour time difference despite the physical proximity.