Which country held the first rank in the United Nations Human Development Index Report of 2016?

Introduction / Context:
The Human Development Index is a composite indicator published by the United Nations Development Programme to measure and compare countries based on health, education, and income. This question asks which country ranked first in the 2016 Human Development Report. Understanding these rankings is important for general knowledge and for interpreting global development patterns in competitive exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The specific year in question is 2016, not a general or recent ranking.
• The options include Norway, Australia, Germany, and Denmark.
• We assume the question refers to the overall Human Development Index ranking in the 2016 report.
• Standard tables show that Norway occupied the top position in that year.

Concept / Approach:
To answer, you need factual recall of the Human Development Index ranking for that specific year. Norway frequently appears near or at the top of the Human Development Index series because of its high income levels, strong education system, and long life expectancy. While Australia, Germany, and Denmark are also high ranking countries, they did not surpass Norway in the 2016 report.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognize that the Human Development Index measures life expectancy, education, and income. Step 2: Recall that Norway is often at the top of these rankings, with very high scores in all three dimensions. Step 3: Consider that Australia, Germany, and Denmark also appear near the top but not usually ahead of Norway. Step 4: Focus on the specific year 2016 and recall that Norway held the number one position in that report. Step 5: Match this recollection with the options and select Norway as the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can think about the general trend over several years where Norway consistently appears in the top one or two spots in the Human Development Index. In many general knowledge references and summaries of the 2016 Human Development Report, Norway is highlighted as the country with the highest index value. This pattern confirms that picking Norway for the 2016 ranking is accurate.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Australia: Australia ranked very high but did not displace Norway from the top position in 2016.
Germany: Germany also has very high human development but generally ranks slightly below Norway in the index.
Denmark: Denmark scores highly yet does not reach the number one spot in the 2016 Human Development Index.

Common Pitfalls:
One common mistake is to assume that one of the other wealthy European countries like Germany or Denmark must have overtaken Norway in a given year. Another error is to confuse different years and remember a ranking from an earlier or later report. To avoid this, remember that Norway frequently leads the rankings and verify that this holds true for 2016 when answering questions of this type.

Final Answer:
In the 2016 Human Development Index Report, the first rank was held by Norway.