Question

The premier iron-ore exporting port that accounts for about 50% of India’s iron ore export is ____
A) Kochi
B) Paradip
C) Margamao
D) Haldia

Answer 1

Hint:Around 9,602 million tonnes of hematite and 3,408 million tonnes of magnetite are the estimated recoverable reserves of iron ore in India. The major Indian producers of iron ore are Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

Complete answer:
The port of Mormugao has contributed immensely to the growth of maritime trade in India ever since it was granted the status of a major port in 1963. It is India's leading iron ore export port, with an annual production of approximately 27.33 million tons of iron ore. Due to its strategic position on the West Coast, which facilitates exports to European countries, Marmagao is the leading iron-ore export port. Paradip and Haldia are situated on the east coast and are thus physically uncomfortable for a journey to Europe. Kochi is further south, despite being on the eastern coast, and also carries a lot of traffic because of spice exports.

Hence the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: Australia makes up half the world's exports of iron ore. Around 23 percent of the world's total iron exports are exported by Brazil. As of 2019, Brazil had reserves of iron content of 15 billion metric tons and crude ore of 29 billion metric tons. In 2019, the Anglo-Australian diversified mining firm Rio Tinto tops our list with iron ore output of 327 million tons. The mine at Kiruna is the world's biggest and most modern underground iron ore mine. The mine is located in Norrbotten County, Lapland, Sweden, in Kiruna. Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB), a major Swedish mining company, owns the mine. The mine produced 26.9 million tonnes of iron ore in 2018.