Excluding the Caspian Sea from global lake classifications, consider the following statements regarding surface area rankings: 1. Lake Superior in North America holds the global rank as the largest surface area freshwater body. 2. Lake Victoria in Africa ranks immediately ahead of Lake Huron in the global surface area sequence. 3. Lake Michigan is ranked as the second-largest lake by surface area in the Western Hemisphere. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? |ForumIAS

[A] 1 only

[B] 1 and 2 only

[C] 2 and 3 only

[D] 1, 2 and 3

Answer: B

Notes:

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: With the Caspian Sea excluded, Lake Superior is the undisputed largest freshwater lake by surface area globally (~82,100 sq km).
Statement 2 is correct: In the global surface area rankings, Lake Victoria (~68,870 sq km) occupies the 2nd position, ranking just ahead of Lake Huron (~59,600 sq km), which sits at 3rd.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Within the Western Hemisphere (North and South America), Lake Huron is the second largest by surface area, while Lake Michigan is the third largest.