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The Rohingya people of Myanmar primarily lived in which state?
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Answer: Option B — Rakhine
Detailed Solution
The Rohingya, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority, lived mainly in the northern part of Rakhine State (formerly Arakan) in western Myanmar, bordering Bangladesh.
About Rakhine State:
- It lies along the Bay of Bengal coast in western Myanmar.
- Its capital is Sittwe.
- It was formerly called "Arakan", and was an independent kingdom until the Burmese conquest in 1784.
- Its majority population is the Rakhine (Arakanese) Buddhists.
It is rich in natural gas and is strategically important. China's oil and gas pipelines to Yunnan begin at Kyaukphyu port in Rakhine.
India's "Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project" connects Kolkata to Sittwe port by sea, and then to Mizoram by river and road. Sittwe port began operations in 2023.
About the Rohingya:
- They speak the Rohingya language, related to the Chittagonian dialect of Bengali.
- They have lived in the region for centuries, but the Myanmar government regards them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
- Under the 1982 Citizenship Law, they were denied citizenship, making them one of the largest stateless populations in the world.
- They have faced repeated violence and persecution, with major waves of displacement in 1978, 1991-92, 2012 and 2016-17.
In August 2017, after attacks by an armed group (ARSA), the Myanmar military launched a large "clearance operation". More than 7 lakh Rohingya fled to Bangladesh.
The United Nations described it as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing".
In 2019, The Gambia filed a case against Myanmar in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the Genocide Convention.
About one million Rohingya refugees now live in camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, one of the largest refugee settlements in the world. Bangladesh has also relocated some to Bhasan Char island.
Some Rohingya refugees also live in India, mainly in Jammu, Hyderabad, Delhi and Haryana.
Since 2024, fighting between the military and the Arakan Army, an ethnic Rakhine armed group, has affected the region; the Arakan Army has taken control of large parts of Rakhine State.
Other states of Myanmar:
Myanmar has seven states (named after major ethnic groups: Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Mon, Rakhine and Shan) and seven regions.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Shan State is in eastern Myanmar; it is the largest state.
- ✗Kachin State is in the far north.
- ✗Chin State borders Mizoram and Manipur.
Quick tip
Remember: Rohingya = northern Rakhine State (formerly Arakan; capital Sittwe; Kaladan project); 1982 Citizenship Law denied them citizenship; 2017 exodus to Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh; ICJ case by The Gambia (2019).
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World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers world GK: countries with their capitals, currencies and parliaments, national symbols, famous landmarks, the longest, largest and highest features of the world, and international boundary lines such as the Radcliffe, McMahon and Durand Lines. The most common questions match a country with its capital or currency, or a parliament with its name (such as the Knesset of Israel or the Diet of Japan). Revise countries continent by continent, giving extra attention to India's neighbours. Questions on boundary lines usually ask which two countries a line separates. Practise the world GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.