Darling Range is situated along which of the following coasts of Australia?

The correct answer is D, South-Western Coast. The Darling Range is an escarpment in Western Australia that runs roughly parallel to the south-western coast, rising above the Swan Coastal Plain on which Perth sits. It marks the edge of the old Western Australian plateau, which is part of the ancient Gondwana shield that makes up much of the continent's western landmass.

• A (North-Eastern Coast): This is the Queensland coast, home to the Great Barrier Reef and the Cape York region. The Darling Range is nowhere near it.
• B (Southern Coast): The southern coast is dominated by the Nullarbor Plain and the Great Australian Bight, not by the Darling Range.
• C (Eastern Coast): The eastern coast is bordered by the Great Dividing Range and the Blue Mountains, which are separate landforms.

The core concept here is Australia's physiography: a stable western shield with low scarps and a major eastern highland system. For Mains GS-I, this links to the distribution of Western Australia's mineral wealth, such as iron ore and gold, which lies on these old shield landforms.

Trap: Many aspirants confuse the Darling Range with the Darling River, which flows inland in New South Wales, or with the Great Dividing Range on the east. Remember that the Darling Range is a western Australian escarpment.