General Knowledge Important Facts Revision: Organisations, Capitals and World Records
A one-page General Knowledge revision sheet for Pakistani job tests: headquarters of international organisations, capitals, currencies, world records, landmarks and famous books.
General Knowledge is part of almost every written test in Pakistan, from Constable and ASI papers to PPSC, FPSC and NTS tests. This revision sheet gathers the facts that are asked again and again: headquarters of international organisations, capitals and currencies, world records and famous landmarks. Read it once, then practise with our General Knowledge MCQs.
1. Headquarters of international organisations
Examiners love "where is the headquarters of ..." questions. Learn this table by heart.
| Organisation | Headquarters |
|---|---|
| United Nations (UN), founded 1945 | New York, USA |
| World Health Organization (WHO) | Geneva, Switzerland |
| World Trade Organization (WTO) | Geneva, Switzerland |
| International Labour Organization (ILO) | Geneva, Switzerland |
| UNESCO | Paris, France |
| UNICEF | New York, USA |
| International Monetary Fund (IMF) | Washington, D.C., USA |
| World Bank | Washington, D.C., USA |
| International Court of Justice (ICJ) | The Hague, Netherlands |
| International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) | Vienna, Austria |
| OPEC | Vienna, Austria |
| NATO | Brussels, Belgium |
| African Union | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| ASEAN | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| SAARC Secretariat | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| Arab League | Cairo, Egypt |
| INTERPOL | Lyon, France |
| FIFA | Zurich, Switzerland |
| International Olympic Committee (IOC) | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| International Committee of the Red Cross | Geneva, Switzerland |
Memory trick: Geneva hosts WHO, WTO and ILO; Washington hosts the two "Bretton Woods" institutions (IMF and World Bank); Vienna hosts OPEC and IAEA.
2. Capitals and currencies
| Country | Capital | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Canberra | Australian dollar |
| Canada | Ottawa | Canadian dollar |
| New Zealand | Wellington | New Zealand dollar |
| Turkey | Ankara | Lira |
| Iran | Tehran | Rial |
| Afghanistan | Kabul | Afghani |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | Taka |
| Nepal | Kathmandu | Nepalese rupee |
| China | Beijing | Yuan (renminbi) |
| Japan | Tokyo | Yen |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | Riyal |
| United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi | Dirham |
| Egypt | Cairo | Egyptian pound |
| Brazil | Brasília | Real |
| Kenya | Nairobi | Kenyan shilling |
| Switzerland | Bern | Swiss franc |
| Russia | Moscow | Rouble |
Many candidates choose the biggest city by mistake. Remember that the capital of Australia is Canberra (not Sydney), of Canada is Ottawa (not Toronto), of Turkey is Ankara (not Istanbul) and of Switzerland is Bern (not Zurich or Geneva).
3. Geography records
- Largest continent: Asia. Smallest continent: Australia (Oceania).
- Largest ocean: Pacific Ocean. Deepest known point: Mariana Trench in the Pacific.
- Largest country by area: Russia. Smallest country: Vatican City.
- Largest island: Greenland.
- Largest hot desert: Sahara (Africa).
- Highest mountain above sea level: Mount Everest (about 8,849 m), on the Nepal–China border.
- Longest river: The Nile is usually given as the longest river in the world.
- Largest lake by area: Caspian Sea.
- Highest waterfall: Angel Falls, Venezuela.
4. Famous landmarks
- Eiffel Tower – Paris, France.
- Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) – London, UK.
- Colosseum – Rome, Italy.
- Statue of Liberty – New York, USA (a gift from France).
- Great Wall – China.
- Pyramids of Giza – Egypt.
- Burj Khalifa – Dubai, UAE (the tallest building in the world).
- Taj Mahal – Agra, India.
- Kaaba (Baitullah) – Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
5. Famous books and authors
- Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare.
- Les Misérables – Victor Hugo.
- Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes.
- The Prince – Niccolò Machiavelli.
- The Wealth of Nations – Adam Smith.
- Das Kapital – Karl Marx.
- The Republic – Plato.
6. Quick facts to remember
- A leap year has 366 days; February has 29 days in that year.
- The Olympic symbol has five rings.
- A cricket team has eleven players on the field.
- The Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, except the Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo.
How to use this sheet
- Read one section a day and cover the right-hand column to test yourself.
- Make small flash cards for organisations and capitals.
- Take the free Daily Quiz every morning to keep the facts fresh.
- Practise related topics: Pakistan Studies MCQs and Geography MCQs.
Facts about organisations and countries can change over time, so always revise from the latest textbook or official source before your test. Good luck!
Source: https://testpreppk.eu/notes/general-knowledge-important-facts-revision-organisations-capitals