mpt · CSS study notes
World Facts (GK)
Core physical/world geography (oceans, rivers, lakes, straits, canals, continents) already has a dedicated, detailed page — see World Geography — 09 Aug 2026. This page instead covers the non-geography world GK that FPSC tests: international organizations & current office-holders, Nobel prizes, and "Day/theme of the year" facts — plus a short list of superlative-geography and astronomy quick hits that the World Geography page doesn't cover yet.
Superlative geography & astronomy quick hits
| Fact | Answer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Warmest ocean | Indian Ocean (more tropical surface area); Arctic = smallest & coldest | 2022 |
| Largest / smallest country | Largest: Russia; Smallest: Vatican City (smallest Muslim-majority country: Maldives) | flip-side bank |
| Number of time zones worldwide | 24 (one per hour, 360°/15° longitude bands) | 2022 |
| Fastest / slowest planet (orbital speed) | Fastest: Mercury; Slowest (of nearer options): Jupiter | 2022 |
| Jupiter's day length | ~10 hours — shortest day of any planet despite being the largest | 2022 |
| Venus's rotation | Slowest axial rotation of any planet, and retrograde | 2022 |
| Light year | Measures a distance (~9.46 trillion km), not time | 2023 Special |
| Age of the universe | ~13.8 billion years | 2025 |
| Sun / Milky Way | Sun is a star; Milky Way is an example of a spiral galaxy | 2025 |
| Largest hot desert (2027 prediction) | Sahara | 2027 prep |
| Most abundant atmospheric gas (2027 prediction) | Nitrogen ~78% (Argon is 3rd most common, ~0.93%, per the 2026 paper) | 2026 / 2027 prep |
International organizations & current office-holders
As of 2024 data — verify against 2026/2027 updates before the exam.
| Organization / role | Holder / fact | Year |
|---|---|---|
| ICJ President | Nawaf Salam | 2024 |
| World Bank President | Ajay Banga (elected 2024) | 2024 |
| AIIB President — term length | 5 years | 2024 |
| Netherlands PM, Oct 2010–July 2024 | Mark Rutte (later NATO Secretary-General) | 2024 |
| UNHCR — total member states | 136 | 2024 |
| African Union | Sudan suspended in 2024 | 2024 |
| G-7 Summit 2024 chair | Giorgia Meloni (Italy) | 2024 |
| OPEC | Angola — most recent country to withdraw | 2024 |
| COP-29 host city | Baku, Azerbaijan | 2024 |
| 2026 Winter Olympics host | Italy | 2024 (current affairs) |
| FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 winner | Spain | 2023 |
Nobel Prizes & world "firsts"
- 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature: Han Kang (South Korea)
- Denmark: world's first carbon tax on livestock emissions (2024)
Days & Themes (fast-growing FPSC category — refresh annually)
| Day | Date | 2024 theme |
|---|---|---|
| World Peace Day | 21 September | — |
| World Heart Day | 29 September (annual) | "Use Heart for Action" |
| World Thyroid Day | 25 May | — |
| World Environment Day | 5 June (annual) | "Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience" |
| World Music Day | 21 June (annual) | "Faites de la musique" (Make Music) |
⚠️ Hottest day ever registered globally (2024, per Copernicus C3S) was 21 July. Refresh all "Day/theme" facts to the latest year in the final weeks before the exam — this category grew heavily in the 2025 paper.
See also
- World Geography — 09 Aug 2026 (full oceans, rivers, lakes, straits, continents)
- Pakistan Facts (GK)
- Science Basic (GK)
- ICT/Computers Basic (GK)
- Abbreviations (GK) (for UNHCR, ICJ, AIIB, COP, FIFA, OPEC, NATO, G-7, AU acronyms above)
- Past Paper MCQs (2022–2026) + 2027 Prep (source of every fact above)