World GK mixes physical geography with facts about institutions. The first kind often changes slowly; the second can change, so always check the date and source. These questions use NOAA for ocean facts and the United Nations for its own membership information. Reviewed on 2 October 2026.

Which is the largest ocean basin?

Answer: the Pacific Ocean basin. NOAA identifies the Pacific as the largest and says it covers about 63 million square miles, or about 162 million square kilometers. You do not need an exact area to answer the usual GK question; “Pacific” is the key fact. Area estimates can differ slightly across sources and boundary definitions.

Which is the second-largest ocean basin?

Answer: the Atlantic. NOAA places it after the Pacific. A useful way to remember the ranking is to look at a world map and notice that the Atlantic lies between the Americas and Europe/Africa, while the Pacific spans a much wider basin between the Americas and Asia/Oceania. The map supports recall without pretending a diagram is a measurement.

What share of Earth's surface is covered by ocean?

Answer: about 71 percent. NOAA gives this approximate share and notes that more than 97 percent of Earth's water is in the ocean. These figures answer different questions: one concerns surface coverage, the other the share of water. Do not swap them in a quiz.

How many Member States does the United Nations have?

Answer: 193, according to the UN's current membership page checked on 2 October 2026. The UN says it began with 51 members in 1945. Membership is a time-sensitive institutional fact; verify the official Member States page before using the number in a later exam or article.

Does UN membership mean every country has the same role in every UN organ?

Answer: no. All UN Member States are members of the General Assembly, but the Security Council has a different membership structure. This distinction prevents an incorrect inference from the 193-member headline. The UN's Essential UN guide explains the organization's principal organs.

A source-check routine for world GK

  1. Identify whether the question is about a stable geographic feature or a changeable institution.
  2. Read the primary source's exact wording and unit.
  3. Note the date when a number could change.
  4. Explain a common confusion, such as ocean area versus share of Earth's water.

Use the GK questions hub to continue with India and science. These are editorial learning questions, not claims about what a future exam will contain.

Primary sources: NOAA on the largest ocean basin; NOAA ocean overview; UN about us; UN member states.