Q. In ancient Indian historical geography the name ‘Ratnakara’ denoted
(a) the Arabian Sea
(b) the Bay of Bengal
(c) the Indian Ocean
(d) the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati at Prayaga
Ans: (c) the Indian Ocean
Explanation: The Indian Ocean separates India from Africa and is named after India. It is the third largest ocean in the world. It occupies 68.556 million sq. kms of area, which is 20% of the total water mass of the Earth’s surface.
In ancient Sanskrit literature, it was known as Ratnakara. The Indian Ocean is the warmest of the oceans, and is bounded by Asia on the north, Africa on the west, Australia in the east and Antarctica on the south.