Match the columns: List 1 A. Land of Rising Sun B. Land of Midnight Sun C. Land of Thousand Lakes D. Land of Thunderbolt List 2 1. Korea 2. Finland 3. Japan 4. Norway 5. Bhutan A B C D

Answer: (b) 3 4 2 5

Japan – rising sun, Norway – midnight sun, Finland – thousand lakes, Bhutan – thunder dragon.

The idea

Country nicknames may come from location, landscape or cultural identity. They do not all describe astronomical conditions. For the midnight Sun, the physical test is whether part of the country lies inside the polar circle; for the other labels, the cultural or landscape association matters.

Why the others are wrong

(a) Korea is the “Land of Morning Calm”, not the rising sun.

(c) Swaps Japan and Korea.

(d) Puts Korea against the midnight sun.

The trap

Korea (morning calm) and Japan (rising sun) both sound like dawn.

Elimination technique

Japan is numbered 3, so only (b) and (d) survive the first match. Norway is numbered 4 for the midnight Sun, which distinguishes (b) from (d).

Also know

The midnight Sun also occurs in northern parts of Sweden, Finland, Russia, Canada and Alaska; it is not unique to Norway. Finland’s lakes reflect a landscape strongly shaped by glaciers. Bhutan’s Druk identity refers to the thunder dragon, while Korea’s traditional “Morning Calm” label is different from Japan’s “Rising Sun”.