Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Addis Ababa
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Questions about world capitals are very common in general knowledge exams because they test basic awareness of international geography and political facts. Ethiopia is an important country in Africa, and its capital city is often asked in competitive examinations. This question asks you to identify the correct capital of Ethiopia from among several plausible looking cities that actually belong to other countries.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
To answer capital city questions, you either recall the correct pairing directly or eliminate options by matching each city to its known country. Addis Ababa is widely known as the political and administrative capital of Ethiopia. Yerevan is the capital of Armenia, Minsk is the capital of Belarus, Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia and Kigali is the capital of Rwanda. Once you match these cities with their actual countries, it becomes clear that Addis Ababa is the only city correctly associated with Ethiopia.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall from geography that Addis Ababa is a major city in East Africa and serves as the capital of Ethiopia.Step 2: Identify Yerevan as the capital city of Armenia in the Caucasus region, not of an African nation.Step 3: Recognise that Minsk is the capital of Belarus in Eastern Europe.Step 4: Note that Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia in Southeast Asia.Step 5: Remember that Kigali is the capital city of Rwanda in East Africa, but not of Ethiopia.Step 6: Conclude that Addis Ababa is the only city in the list that matches Ethiopia, so it must be the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification method is to connect each city with its continent and region. Addis Ababa is in Ethiopia, an East African country that has never changed its capital in recent times. Yerevan, Minsk and Phnom Penh are clearly not in Africa, which rules them out for an African capital. Kigali is in Africa but is strongly associated with Rwanda, especially in news and history related to that country. Since Addis Ababa also hosts several African Union institutions and is frequently mentioned in international discussions about Ethiopia, this reinforces that Addis Ababa is indeed the capital of Ethiopia.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Yerevan is the capital of Armenia, so it cannot be the capital of Ethiopia. Minsk serves as the capital of Belarus and is therefore incorrect here. Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia, which is in Asia, not Africa. Kigali is the capital of Rwanda, another African country but different from Ethiopia. All four are real capitals but do not belong to Ethiopia, so they are wrong for this specific question.
Common Pitfalls:
Examinees sometimes confuse African capitals or mix cities from different regions because the names may sound unfamiliar. Another common mistake is assuming that any African city listed must belong to the African country in the question, which could lead someone to choose Kigali incorrectly simply because it is also in Africa. The safest strategy is to memorise important country–capital pairs and regularly revise them, especially for prominent countries like Ethiopia. Focusing on well known pairs such as Ethiopia–Addis Ababa makes it easier to eliminate look alike options in the exam hall.
Final Answer:
The capital city of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa.
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