Total Areas and 2022 Populations of Smallest Arabian Peninsula CountriesCountryTotal area (square miles)PopulationKuwait6,8804,268,873Bahrain3041,472,...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
| Country | Total area (square miles) | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Kuwait | 6,880 | 4,268,873 |
| Bahrain | 304 | 1,472,233 |
| Qatar | 4,471 | 2,695,122 |
In terms of area and population, the three smallest Arabian Peninsula countries are Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait.
According to the table, what is the total area of Bahrain?
4,268,873 square miles
4,471 square miles
304 square miles
6,880 square miles
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "In terms of area and population, the three smallest Arabian Peninsula countries are Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait." |
|
| Table showing Total Areas and 2022 Populations |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The passage provides specific area and population data for the three smallest Arabian Peninsula countries.
Argument Flow: The passage first identifies which three countries are being discussed, then presents their exact area and population figures in tabular format for easy comparison.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
Now that we understand the passage, let's nail down exactly what the question wants from us...
- What's being asked? The total area of Bahrain specifically
- What type of answer do we need? A numerical value in square miles
- Any limiting keywords? "According to the table" - we must use only the information provided in the table
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
Let's first think about what the right answer should tell us:
- The answer must be the area figure for Bahrain from the table
- We need to look in the "Total area (square miles)" column for Bahrain's row
- The number should be significantly smaller than Kuwait and Qatar since Bahrain is described as one of the smallest
So the right answer should be 304 square miles, which is what the table shows for Bahrain's total area.
4,268,873 square miles
✗ Incorrect
- This is Kuwait's population figure, not Bahrain's area
- What trap this represents: Students might look at the wrong row (Kuwait) or wrong column (population instead of area)
4,471 square miles
✗ Incorrect
- This is Qatar's total area, not Bahrain's
- What trap this represents: Students might look at the wrong country's data while correctly identifying the area column
304 square miles
✓ Correct
- This matches exactly with Bahrain's total area shown in the table
- This is the smallest area of the three countries, which makes sense given the context
6,880 square miles
✗ Incorrect
- This is Kuwait's total area, not Bahrain's
- What trap this represents: Students might look at the wrong row while correctly identifying the area column