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🔒 Log in to trackOrganisations, Capitals, Currencies & Parliaments
🔒 Log in to trackInternational organisation → headquarters
| Organisation | HQ |
|---|---|
| UN, UNICEF, UNDP | New York |
| UNESCO | Paris |
| WHO, WTO, ILO, UNHCR, Red Cross (ICRC), WMO | Geneva |
| IMF, World Bank | Washington, D.C. |
| FAO, WFP, IFAD | Rome |
| UNEP, UN-Habitat | Nairobi |
| IAEA, OPEC, UNIDO | Vienna |
| International Court of Justice | The Hague |
| Interpol | Lyon |
| ASEAN | Jakarta |
| SAARC | Kathmandu |
| Asian Development Bank | Manila |
| New Development Bank (BRICS) | Shanghai |
| AIIB | Beijing |
| International Olympic Committee | Lausanne |
| FIFA | Zurich |
| ICC (cricket) | Dubai |
| WWF | Gland, Switzerland |
| Amnesty International | London |
Currencies
| Country | Currency | Country | Currency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Taka | Japan | Yen |
| Bhutan | Ngultrum | China | Renminbi (yuan) |
| Myanmar | Kyat | South Korea | Won |
| Afghanistan | Afghani | Thailand | Baht |
| Malaysia | Ringgit | Indonesia | Rupiah |
| Vietnam | Dong | UAE | Dirham |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyal | Iran | Rial |
| South Africa | Rand | Brazil | Real |
| Russia | Rouble | Mexico | Peso |
Capitals often asked: Australia – Canberra · Canada – Ottawa · Brazil – Brasília · New Zealand – Wellington · Nigeria – Abuja · Turkey – Ankara · Myanmar – Nay Pyi Taw · Kazakhstan – Astana · Sri Lanka – Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (administrative).
Parliaments
| Country | Parliament | Country | Parliament |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel | Knesset | Japan | Diet |
| Russia | (State) Duma / Federal Assembly | Iran | Majlis |
| Norway | Storting | Sweden | Riksdag |
| Denmark | Folketing | Germany | Bundestag |
| Bangladesh | Jatiya Sangsad | Iceland | Althing (among the oldest) |
| USA | Congress | Poland | Sejm |
Detailed notes
United Nations and its family (UN founded 24 October 1945, HQ New York)
| Body | HQ | Founded |
|---|---|---|
| UNICEF | New York | 1946 |
| UNDP | New York | 1965 |
| UNESCO | Paris | 1945 |
| WHO | Geneva | 1948 |
| ILO | Geneva | 1919 |
| WTO | Geneva | 1995 |
| ICRC | Geneva | 1863 |
| FAO | Rome | 1945 |
| WFP | Rome | 1961 |
| UNEP | Nairobi | 1972 |
| IAEA | Vienna | 1957 |
| OPEC | Vienna | 1960 |
| ICJ | The Hague | 1945 |
| OPCW | The Hague | 1997 |
| IMF and World Bank | Washington DC | 1944 (Bretton Woods) |
Other international bodies and their HQs
| Body | HQ | Founded |
|---|---|---|
| NATO | Brussels | 1949 |
| ASEAN | Jakarta | 1967 |
| SAARC | Kathmandu | 1985 |
| BIMSTEC | Dhaka | 1997 |
| ADB | Manila | 1966 |
| AIIB | Beijing | 2016 |
| NDB (BRICS bank) | Shanghai | 2015 |
| International Solar Alliance | Gurugram (India) | 2015 |
| FIFA | Zurich | 1904 |
| IOC | Lausanne | 1894 |
| INTERPOL | Lyon (France) | 1923 |
| ICAO | Montreal | 1944 |
| IMO | London | 1948 |
| ICC (cricket) | Dubai | 1909 |
Currencies
South Asia: India/Pakistan/Nepal/Sri Lanka - rupee; Bangladesh - taka; Bhutan - ngultrum (at par with the Indian rupee); Maldives - rufiyaa; Afghanistan - afghani. East and South-East Asia: China - yuan (renminbi); Japan - yen; South Korea - won; Thailand - baht; Malaysia - ringgit; Indonesia - rupiah; Vietnam - dong; Philippines - peso; Myanmar - kyat; Mongolia - tugrik. West Asia: Russia - rouble; Turkey - lira; Saudi Arabia - riyal; UAE - dirham; Israel - shekel. The West: UK - pound sterling; USA/Canada/Australia - dollar; Eurozone - euro; Switzerland - franc. Africa: South Africa - rand; Nigeria - naira; Kenya - shilling; Egypt - pound. Latin America: Brazil - real; Argentina/Mexico - peso.
Parliaments of the world
| Country | Parliament |
|---|---|
| India | Sansad (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha) |
| Israel | Knesset |
| Japan | Diet |
| China | National People's Congress |
| Iran | Majlis |
| Germany | Bundestag |
| Russia | Federal Assembly (lower house: Duma) |
| Bangladesh | Jatiya Sangsad |
| Pakistan | Majlis-e-Shoora |
| France | National Assembly |
| South Korea | National Assembly |
| Denmark | Folketing |
| Norway | Storting |
| Sweden | Riksdag |
| Turkey | Grand National Assembly |
| USA | Congress |
| UK | Parliament (Commons + Lords) |
Quick revision
- New York: UN, UNICEF, UNDP; Geneva: WHO, ILO, WTO, ICRC; Paris: UNESCO; Rome: FAO, WFP.
- Nairobi = UNEP; Vienna = IAEA, OPEC; The Hague = ICJ, OPCW; DC = IMF, World Bank.
- Brussels-NATO, Jakarta-ASEAN, Kathmandu-SAARC, Manila-ADB, Dubai-ICC, Lausanne-IOC, Lyon-INTERPOL.
- Taka-Bangladesh, ngultrum-Bhutan, kyat-Myanmar, baht-Thailand, rand-South Africa, real-Brazil.
- Knesset-Israel, Diet-Japan, Majlis-Iran, Bundestag-Germany, Duma-Russia, Folketing-Denmark, Storting-Norway.
Types of questions asked
Every way this subtopic shows up in exams — how to recognise it, the formula or logic to use, and a solved example.
Type 1: UN bodies ↔ headquartersvery common3 practice Q
'Where is UNESCO/WHO/FAO/UNICEF headquartered', match-the-column on UN agencies.
- New York: UN, UNICEF, UNDP. Geneva: WHO, ILO, WTO, ICRC. Paris: UNESCO. Rome: FAO, WFP.
- Nairobi: UNEP. Vienna: IAEA, OPEC. The Hague: ICJ, OPCW. Washington DC: IMF, World Bank.
- Founding years asked together: UN 1945, UNICEF 1946, WHO 1948, WTO 1995, ILO 1919.
Example: The International Court of Justice sits at —
The Hague (Netherlands), in the Peace Palace; the UN itself is headquartered in New York.
Type 2: International bodies ↔ headquarters and founding yearsvery common4 practice Q
'NATO/ASEAN/SAARC headquarters', 'ADB/AIIB/NDB', 'FIFA/IOC/ICC', HQ-plus-year questions.
- Brussels-NATO (1949); Jakarta-ASEAN (1967); Kathmandu-SAARC (1985); Dhaka-BIMSTEC (1997).
- Banks: ADB-Manila (1966), AIIB-Beijing (2016), NDB-Shanghai (2015); solar: International Solar Alliance-Gurugram.
- Sport: FIFA-Zurich (1904), IOC-Lausanne (1894), ICC-Dubai; police/travel: INTERPOL-Lyon (1923), ICAO-Montreal, IMO-London.
Example: The International Solar Alliance, founded at India's initiative, is headquartered at —
Gurugram (India) - the first treaty-based international organisation headquartered in India.
Type 3: Currency ↔ countryvery common4 practice Q
'Currency of Bangladesh/Thailand/Indonesia/South Africa', currency matching, unusual currencies.
- South Asia: taka-Bangladesh, ngultrum-Bhutan, rufiyaa-Maldives, afghani-Afghanistan; rupee elsewhere.
- East Asia: yuan-China, yen-Japan, won-South Korea, baht-Thailand, ringgit-Malaysia, rupiah-Indonesia, dong-Vietnam, kyat-Myanmar.
- West/Africa/Americas: rouble-Russia, riyal-Saudi, dirham-UAE, shekel-Israel, rand-South Africa, naira-Nigeria, real-Brazil, peso-Argentina/Mexico.
Example: The currency of Indonesia is the —
Rupiah. Malaysia uses the ringgit; Vietnam the dong; Thailand the baht.
Type 4: Parliament ↔ countryvery common4 practice Q
'Knesset/Diet/Majlis/Bundestag is the parliament of', 'Duma is the lower house of', legislature matching.
- Israel-Knesset, Japan-Diet, Iran-Majlis, Germany-Bundestag, Bangladesh-Jatiya Sangsad, Pakistan-Majlis-e-Shoora.
- Russia-Federal Assembly (lower house Duma), China-National People's Congress, France-National Assembly, Turkey-Grand National Assembly.
- Nordic set: Denmark-Folketing, Norway-Storting, Sweden-Riksdag.
Example: The Bundestag is the lower house of the parliament of —
Germany. The Diet belongs to Japan; the Knesset to Israel; the Riksdag to Sweden.
Type 5: Organisation ↔ founding year / founder contextcommon3 practice Q
'When was WHO/ASEAN/NATO established', Bretton Woods twins, UN Charter dates.
- 1945: UN (24 Oct), FAO (16 Oct), UNESCO adopted. 1944: IMF and World Bank at Bretton Woods.
- 1948 WHO; 1949 NATO; 1957 IAEA; 1960 OPEC; 1967 ASEAN; 1985 SAARC; 1995 WTO.
- Older bodies: ILO 1919, ICRC 1863, FIFA 1904, IOC 1894.
Example: The IMF and the World Bank were conceived at which 1944 conference?
Bretton Woods (New Hampshire, USA) - hence their nickname, the Bretton Woods twins.
Shortcut tricks
⚡ Geneva vs Rome vs Nairobi
Geneva = health, trade, labour (WHO, WTO, ILO). Rome = food (FAO, WFP, IFAD). Nairobi = environment (UNEP) — the only major UN HQ in Africa/Global South.
Example: The headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is in —
Rome.
⚡ Neighbour currencies — "Taka, Ngul, Kyat"
East side of India: Bangladesh Taka, Bhutan Ngultrum, Myanmar Kyat. Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan use the rupee.
Where students lose marks
UNESCO is in Paris, not Geneva.
Japan's parliament is the Diet; Israel's is the Knesset.
Australia's capital is Canberra, not Sydney; Canada's is Ottawa, not Toronto.
Practice sets — 21 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Each answer comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 3 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.