Chapter 8 World Geography - Exam Preparation

1. Which one of the following national parks lies completely in the Temperate alpine zone?
(a) Manas national park
(b) Namdapha national park
(c) Neora valley national park
(d) Valley of flower national park
Ans. (d) From the given options, Valley of flowers is completely in the temperate zone.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2019]

2. On 21st June the sun
(a) Does not set below the horizon at the Arctic circle
(b) Does not set below the horizon at Antarctic circle
(c) Shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator
(d) Shines vertically overhead at the tropic of Capricorn
Ans. (a) – On 21st June, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun. The rays of the sun fall directly on the Tropic of Cancer. So, C and D are wrong. – Places beyond the Arctic Circle experience continuous daylight for about six months.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2019]

3. Which one the following group of a plant domesticated in the new world and introduced into the old world?
(a) Tobacco, cocoas, and rubber
(b) Tobacco, cotton and rubbers
(c) Cotton, coffee and sugarcane
(d) Rubber, coffee and wheat
Ans. (a) Encyclopedia Britannica: In the 15th and 16th centuries, during the Columbian Exchange: numerous plants, animals, and microbes from old world (Europe, Asia, and Africa) were introduced to the new world (Americas) and vice versa. From the image given in the link, it’s evident that Cocoa and Tobacco were introduced from new world to old world so only A fits.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2019]

4. In the context of which of the following do some scientists suggest the use of cirrus cloud thinning technique and the injection of sulphate aerosol into stratosphere?
(a) Creating the artificial rains in some regions
(b) Reducing the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones
(c) Reducing the adverse effects of the solar wind on the earth
(d) Reducing the global warming
Ans. (d) – Sulphate aerosol particles are very good reflectors of sunlight, and it has been shown, through various climate models, that even if 1% of current incident solar radiation is reflected back in space, a very significant amount of temperature rise on earth can be offset.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2019]

5. Which of the following statements are correct about the deposits of methane hydrate?
1. Global warming might trigger the release of methane gas from these deposits
2. Large deposits of ‘methane hydrate’ are found in Arctic Tundra and under the seafloor.
3. Methane in atmosphere oxidizes to carbon dioxide after a decade or two.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans. (d) – Large amounts of methane are frozen in Arctic tundra soils and in marine sediments including gas hydrates. As Earth’s climate warms, that methane is vulnerable to possible release into the atmosphere, where it can add to global warming. In Methane Cycle, every molecule of methane that goes into the atmosphere remains there for 8 years until it is removed by oxidation into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). So, 3 is also correct. This, answer D: All three correct.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2019]

6. Consider the following pairs :
Sea: Bordering country
1. Adriatic Sea: Albania
2. Black Sea: Croatia
3. Caspian Sea: Kazakhstan
4. Mediterranean Sea: Morocco
5. Red Sea: Syria Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) 1,2 and 4 only (b) 1,3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 5 only (d) 1,2,3,4 and 5
Ans. (b) – 3 Caspian Sea: Kazakhstan is correct. 5: Syria touches Mediterranean sea and not Black Sea. So, 5 is wrong, this eliminates D. Thus, we are left with answer B.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2019]

7. Which is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati?
(a) Recently discovered uranium deposits
(b) Tropical rain forests
(c) Underground cave systems
(d) Water reservoirs
Ans. (d) Aliyar (Tamilnadu), Isapur (Maharashtra) and Kangsabati (W.Bengal) are water Reservoirs.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2019]

8. Consider the following statements:
1. The Earth’s magnetic field has reversed every few hundred thousand years.
2. When the Earth was created more than 4000 million years ago, there was 54% oxygen and no carbon dioxide.
3. When living organisms originated, they modified the early atmosphere of the Earth.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans. (c) NCERT Biology Class 12 page 127: “There was no atmosphere on early earth. Water vapour, methane, carbon dioxide and ammonia released from molten mass covered the surface.” CO2 was present, we are left with a or c. In both options first statement is correct but experts were divided over third statementbecause early Early atmosphere of earth had no free oxygen, the (life) forms until then could at best be only “anaerobic”. So those living organisms did not have capacity to alter the atmosphere, atleast not in a significant manner. Accordingly, some ticked ‘a’ while others ticked ‘c’. UPSC has kept ‘c’ as the official answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2018]

9. Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries?
1. Jordan 2. Iraq
3. Lebanon 4. Syria Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 3 and 4 only
Ans. (c) In the map, you can see Mediterranean Sea doesn’t touch Jordan and Iraq so, by elimination, we are left with answer “C”.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2017]

10. In the South Atlantic and South Eastern Pacific regions in tropical latitudes, cyclone does not originate. What is the reason?
(a) Sea Surface temperature are low
(b) Inter Tropical Convergence Zone seldom occurs
(c) Coriolis force is too weak
(d) Absence of land in those regions
Ans. (a) Option (c) is wrong. Coriolis force is weak only in the region around 0-5 degrees North or South latitudes. Option (b) is also wrong. ITCZ formation is not essential to the formation of cyclones. Cyclones are formed in regions where ITCZ does not form, for e.g. in North Atlantic. Option (d) is absurd as absence of land boosts cyclones. Presence of land cuts off moisture from the cyclone. So, the most appropriate answer should be (a). For cyclone formation, a sea temperature of at least 26 degree Celsius is needed. In the South-eastern pacific and South Atlantic region cold currents are found. This leads to lower sea temperatures. Hence, cyclones don’t form there.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2015]

11. What explains the eastward flow of the equatorial counter-current?
(a) The Earth’s rotation on its axis
(b) Convergence of the two equatorial currents
(c) Difference in salinity of water
(d) Occurrence of the belt of calm near equator
Ans. (b) The equatorial counter currents are driven by a distinct surface wind pattern in the tropics. Strong westward trade winds result in westward surface flow in most of the tropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2015]

12. What can be the impact of excessive/inappropriate use of nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture?
1. Proliferation of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in soil can occur.
2. Increase in the acidity of soil can take place
3. Leaching of nitrate to the ground-water can occur.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans. (c) Statement 1 is absurd. Increasing the amount of nitrogen based fertilizer does not lead to more micro-organisms in the field. If it did, just one dose of fertilizer would make a farm nitrogen rich for years together. Statement 2: Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers resulting in soil acidity is a well-known fact. Statement 3: Nitorgen fertilizers break down into nitrates and travel easily through the soil. Because it is water-soluble and can remain in groundwater for decades, the addition of more nitrogen over the years has an accumulative effect.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2015]

13. The area known as ‘Golan Heights’ sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to:
(a) Central Asia (b) Middle East
(c) South-East Asia (d) Central Africa
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2015]

14. Turkey is located between
(a) Black Sea and Caspian Sea (b) Black (c) Gulf of Suez and Mediterranean Sea (d) Gulf
Ans. (b) Turkey is a unique country whose half part is located in sea and Mediterranean Sea.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2014]

15. What is the correct sequence of occurrence of the following to north?
1. Bangkok 2. Hanoi
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 4-2-1-3 (b) 3-2-4-1
Ans. (c)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2014]

16. The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic (a) Equatorial climate (b) (c) Monsoon climate (d)
Ans. (c) Monsoon climate is typically characterized with seasonal Monsoon wind circulation mechanism: A Monsoon is a seasonal change in the direction of the wet and dry seasons throughout much of the tropics. Monsoons always blow from cold to warm regions. The climate for most of India and Southeast Asia.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2014]

17. Which of the following phenomena might have influenced 1. Continental drift 2. Glacial cycles
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c)
Ans. (c) Continental drift and Glacial cycles both have influenced Continental drift theory : Alfred Wegener proposed century. His idea was that the Earth’s continents were millions of years. It offered an explanation of the existence apart from each other. But it took a long time for the idea Glacial cycle : Glacial cycle is also known as glacial period. an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2014]

18. Variations in the length of daytime and nighttime from (a) the earth’s rotation on its axis
(b) the earth’s revolution round the sun in an elliptical (c) latitudinal position of the place
(d) revolution of the earth on a tilted axis
Ans. (d) Revolution of the earth on a tilted axis causes length of the answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2013]

19. On the planet earth, most of the freshwater exists as ice caps and glaciers. Out of the remaining freshwater, the largest proportion
(a) is found in atmosphere as moisture and clouds
(b) is found in freshwater lakes and rivers
(c) exists as groundwater
(d) exists as soil moisture
Ans. (c) Out of total freshwater resources except the biggest pie that is found in poles as ice caps and glaciers, the next biggest freshwater resource does exist as groundwater. Hence, C is the correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2013]

20. Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
Geographical Feature Region
(a) Abyssinian Plateau Arabia
(b) Atlas Mountains North-Western Africa
(c) Guiana Highlands South-Western Africa
(d) Okavango Basin Patagonia
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2013]

21. The most important fishing grounds of the world are found in the regions where
(a) warm and cold atmospheric currents meet
(b) rivers drain out large amounts of fresh water into the sea
(c) warm and cold oceanic currents meet
(d) continental shelf is undulating
Ans. (c) In order to be flourished as enriched fishing ground on seas, a sea area must have any of two following geo-oceanic criteria fulfilled: • Upwelling must be taking place on a frequent interval. • The region must be confluence zone of warm and cold oceanic currents. From the given options, it is obvious that the C is the correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2013]

22. Contour bunding is a method of soil conservation used in
(a) desert margins, liable to strong wind action
(b) low flat plains, close to stream courses, liable to flooding
(c) scrublands, liable to spread of weed growth
(d) None of the above
Ans. (d) Contour bunding is a soil conservation and soil productivity augmenting technique i.e. increased water tetention, reduced soil erosion and increased productivity that is mainly practiced in hill slope regions, predominantly along the hill slope of Himalayas. There is no such region is listed in the options, hence (d) is the correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2013]

23. The annual range of temperature in the interior of the continents is high as compared to coastal areas.
What is / are the reason / reasons?
1. Thermal difference between land and water
2. Variation in altitude between continents and oceans
3. Presence of strong winds in the interior
4. Heavy rains in the interior as compared to coasts
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans. (a) Thermal difference between land and water causes sea breezes and land breezes from sea to land and land to sea respectively. These local winds play role of moderator and considerably moderate the annual range of temperature of a location. This crucial moderator is absent from continents as compared to coastal areas and the one major reason behind moderate annual range of temperature. Hence, A is the correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2013]

24. Which of the following is/are unique characteristic/ characteristics of equatorial forests?
1. Presence of tall, closely set trees with crowns forming a continuous canopy
2. Coexistence of a large number of species
3. Presence of numerous varieties of epiphytes
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans. (d) All given are unique characteristics of equatorial forests. Hence, d is the correct answer. Equatorial Forests: The tropical rainforest is found in area with an equatorial climate such as part of central and South America, Africa and South east Asia. The Amazon Basin and the Zaire Basin are two largest areas of tropical rainforest.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2013]

25. “Climate is extreme, rainfall is scanty and the people used to be nomadic herders.” The above statement best describes which of the following regions?
(a) African Savannah (b) Central Asian Steppe
(c) North American Prairie
(d) Siberian Tundra
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2013]

26. Which one of the following is the characteristic climate of the Tropical Savannah Region?
(a) Rainfall throughout the year
(b) Rainfall in winter only
(c) An extremely short dry season
(d) A definite dry and wet season
Ans. (d) The tropical savannah region lies in a tropical climatic zone, where temperatures are warm throughout the year and there are two distinct seasons: the ‘wet’ and the ‘dry’. The ‘wet’ season lasts from approximately November through to April.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2012]

27. Which of the following is the chief characte ristic of ‘mixed farming’?
(a) Cultivation of both cash crops and food crops
(b) Cultivation of two or more crops in the same field
(c) Rearing of animals and cultivation of crops together
(d) None of the above
Ans. (c) The main theme of mixed farming pattern is the rearing of animals and cultivation of crops together. Hence, (c) is the correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2012]

28. Consider the following agricultural practices:
1. Contour bunding
2. Relay cropping
3. Zero tillage In the context of global climate change, which of the above helps/help in carbon sequestration/ storage in the soil?
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) None of them
Ans. (b) Carbon sequestration is the process by which atmospheric carbon and other form of carbons are consumed and stored in biomass as solid carbon matter. Contour bunding is a method of planting plants or trees in well defined contours. Contour ploughing or contour. It is essentially a farming practice of plowing and/or planting across a slope following its elevation contour lines. Zero tillage is the only among given which has huge impact over carbon sequestration process. Hence contributing in carbon sequestration. B is the correct option.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2012]

29. Normally the temperature decreases with the increase in height from the earth’s surface, because
1. the atmosphere can be heated upwards only from the Earth’s surface
2. there is more moisture in the upper atmosphere
3. the air is less dense in the upper atmosphere
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2,3
Ans. (a) The only way that the atmosphere get heated is- the energy transfer from the earth’s surface to atmosphere. There is no relation of the composition of atmosphere with the prevailing temperature of the same. Hence, A is the correct answer. There are only three possible methods of heat transfer : the conduction, convection and radiation. All these three modes contribute to the heating of atmospheric air, one way or another to different extent.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2012]

30. Consider the following factors :
1. Rotation of the Earth
2. Air pressure and wind
3. Density of ocean water
4. Revolution of the Earth
Which of the above factors influence the ocean currents?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 4
(d) 2, 3 and 4.
Ans. (b) Oceanic currents are mainly influenced by rotation of the earth, air pressure and wind direction, the density of the oceanic water, etc. Revolution of the earth has no impact over the oceanic currents whatsoever. Hence, only 1st , 2nd and 3rd statement are true. (b) is the correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2012]

31. The acidification of oceans is increasing. Why is this phenomenon a cause of concern?
1. The growth and survival of calcareous phytoplankton will be adversely affected
2. The growth and survival of coral reefs will be adversely affected
3. The survival of some animals that have phytoplankton larvae will be adversely affected
4. The cloud seeding and formation of clouds will be adversely affected
Which of the statements are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans. (a) Acid react with calcium carbonates. As calcareous phytoplankton and coral reefs has calcium carbonate shells, hence 1 and 2 are coorect. Statement 3 is obviously correct. Acidification lead to more evaporation hence more clouds so 4 is wrong.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2012]

32. Westerlies in Southern Hemisphere are stronger and persistent than in Northern Hemisphere. Why ?
1. Southern hemisphere has less landmass as compared to northern hemisphere.
2. Coriolis force is higher in southern hemisphere as compared to northern hemisphere.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (a) The higher speed and greater persistence of the westerlies in the Southern Hemisphere are caused by the difference in the atmospheric pressure patterns as well as its variation from that of the Northern hemisphere. The landmass in the southern hemisphere is comparatively less and average annual pressure decreases much more rapidly on the pole ward side of the high pressure belt. Statement 1 is correct. As far as coriolis force is concerned, it is strongest in the polar regions and zero at the equator. At the intermediate levels it varies directly as the sine of the latitude. So statement 2 is incorrect.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2011]

33. La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from EI Nino?
1. La Nina is characterized by un-usually cold ocean temperature in equatorial Indian Ocean whereas EI Nino is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
2. EI Nino has adverse effect on south-west monsoon of India, but La Nina has no effect on monsoon climate.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only.
(b) 2 only.
(b) Both 1 and 2.
(c) Neither 1 nor 2.
Ans. (d) In informal way, El Nino is called “bad baby” whereas the La Nina is known as “Good baby (For Indian Monsoon)”. So statement 2 is incorrect.La Nina is cold event in the Pacific Ocean while the El Niño is warm event. Both statements are not correct. Correct Option (d).
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2011]

34. What could be the main reason/reasons for the formation of African and Eurasian desert belt ?
1. It is located in the sub-tropical high pressure cells.
2. It is under the influence of warm ocean currents.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct in this context?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (a) The Eurasian Belt is related to cold currents NOT warm current, so statement 2 is incorrect but 1 is correct because the desert occurs in 2 broad belts viz. at 20-30° north and south of the Equator , along the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The Desert areas normally develop under the influence of the quite permanent high-pressure areas that results in hot winds and dry winds. These winds blow across Sahara, the Middle East and the North America.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2011]

35. Between India and east Asia, the navigation-time and distance can be greatly reduced by which of the following ?
1. Deepening the Malacca straits between Malaysia and Indonesia.
2. Opening a new canal across the kra isthmus between the gulf of Siam and Andaman sea.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (b) It is worth to note that the Malacca strait is the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and links the India, China, Japan and South Korea. The issue of deepening of the Malacca strait is “linked” to its economic importance rather than “time of navigation and distance”. The issue is that most of the ships cannot pass through it and the size of the biggest ships which can enter through it is called “Malaccamax”. Now the deepening of the strait would certainly help in “Increasing the volume of the business” because ships of larger sizes can pass through it, there is no significance of distance and navigation. So statement 1 is incorrect.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2011]

36. The Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy and Mekong rivers originate in Tibet narrow and parallel mountain ranges in their upper reaches. Of these rivers, Brahmaputra makes a “U” turn in its course to flow into India. This “U” turn is due to ?
(a) Uplift of folded Himalayan series.’
(b) Syntaxial bending of geologically young Himalayas.
(c) Geo-tectonic disturbance in the tertiary folded mountain chains.
(d) Both (a) and (b) above.
Ans. (b) Brahmaputra originates neat Mt. Kailas and is known to take a U turn near Mount Namcha Barwa. This U turn is also known as Great Bend. The U Turn is because of the 180° bend of the Himalayan structural trends. Hence option (b) is correct.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2011]

37. Which one of the following can one come across if one travels through the Strait of Malacca?
(a) Bali (b) Brunei
(c) Java (d) Singapore
Ans. (d) One would come across Singapore if he/she travels through Strait of Malacca. ‘Straits of Malacca’ is a narrow, 805 km stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is named after the Malacca sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1400 and 1511.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2010]

38. A geographic region has following characterstics:
1. Warm and dry climate
2. Mild and wet winter
3. Evergreen oak trees The above features are the distinct characteristics of which one of the following regions ?
(a) Mediterranean
(b) Eastern China
(c) Central Asia
(d) Atlantic coast of North America
Ans. (a) Mediterranean type of climate has following characteristics: Mediterranean climate is characterized by wet, mild winters and large, warm, dry summers. Most part of yearly rainfall occurs during the winter and there can be many dry months, with the exception of summer storms. Due to summer drought, wild fires are, also, a Mediterranean climate characteristic.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2010]

39. Consider the following statements :
1. On the planet Earth, the fresh water available for use amounts to about less than 1% of the total water found.
2. Of the total fresh water found on the planet Earth 95% is bound up in polar ice caps and glaciers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (d) On the planet earth, the overall water available for use amounts to about 3% which is higher than 1% and hence, 1st statement is incorrect. Moreover, of the total fresh water found on the planet Earth 69% is bound up in polar ice caps and glaciers. Thus, 2nd statement is also incorrect. Therefore, the correct option is D.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2010]

40. What causes wind to deflect toward left in the Southern (a) Temperature (b) Magnetic field (c) Rotation of the earth (d) Pressure causes deflection right in the northern hemisphere and left in
Ans. (c) Coriolis Effect generated by the rotation of the earth, causes southern hemisphere. Hence, C is the correct option.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2010]

41. Though coffee and tea both are cultivated on hill slopes, there is some difference between them regarding their cultivation. In this context, consider the following statements :
1. Coffee plant requires a hot and humid climate of tropical areas whereas tea can be cultivated in both tropical and subtropical areas.
2. Coffee is propagated by seeds but tea is propagated by stem cuttings only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (c) Both stands correct statements. Coffee plant requires a hot and humid climate of tropical areas whereas tea can be cultivated in both tropical and subtropical areas. Coffee is propagated by seeds but tea is propagated by stem cuttings to maintain genetic consistency.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2010]

42. In the structure of planet Earth, below the mantle, the made up of which one of the following?
(a) Aluminum (b) Chromium
(c) Iron (d) Silicon
Ans. (c) At the center of the Earth is the core, which has two parts. core of iron has a radius of about 760 miles (about 1,220 km). by a liquid, outer core composed of a nickel-iron alloy.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2009]

43. Which one among the following South Asian countries has the highest population density?
(a) India (b) Nepal
(c) Pakistan (d) Srilanka
Ans. (a) After Bangladesh, India has the highest population density.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2009]

44. Consider the following countries :
1. Australia 2. Namibia
3. Brazil 4. Chile Through which of the above does the Tropic of Capricorn (a) 1 only (b) 2,3 and 4
(c) 1,2 and 3 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans. (d) The tropic of Capricorn line passes through Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, following planets the core is mainly parts. The solid, inner km). It is surrounded alloy. Capricorn pass? Argentina, Paraguay, Mozambique, Madagascar, Australia and French Polynesia, clipping New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga and the Cook Islands before landfall at Pitcairn. The tropic of cancer passes through Bahamas, Mexico, Mauritius, Mali, Western Sahara, Algeria, Niger, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, China, Oman, Bangladesh, Burma and Taiwan.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2009]

45. Consider the following statements :
1. In the world, the tropical deserts occur along the western margins of continents within the trade wind belt.
2. In India, the East Himalayan region gets high rainfall from northeast winds.
Which of the statements given above is are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (a) In India, eastern Himalayas receives higher rainfall than western Himalayas but that is from south-west monsoon and not the north-east monsoon, hence the 2nd statement is incorrect. In the world, the tropical deserts occur along the western margins of continents within the trade wind belt. Only 1st statement is correct.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2009]

46. Cape Canaveral, the site from which space shuttles are launched is located on the coast of
(a) Florida
(b) Virginia
(c) North Carolina
(d) South Carolina
Ans. (a) The city of Cape Canaveral is located at the northern tip of a barrier island on the Atlantic coast of Florida. It is separated from mainland by the Banana River, Meritt Island and Indian river from east to west.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2009]

47. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists :
List I List II
(Geographic feature) (Country)
A. Great Victoria Desert : 1. Australia
B. Grand Canyon : 2. Canada
C. Lake Winnipeg : 3. New Zealand
D. Southern Alps : 4. U.S.A
Code :
A B C D
(a) 1 2 4 3 (b) 1 4 2 3
(c) 3 2 4 1 (d) 3 4 2 1
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2009]

48. Which one of the following is not correctly matched?
City River
(a) Berlin : Rhine
(b) London : Thames
(c) New York : Hudson
(d) Vienna : Danube
Ans. (a) Berlin is located in northeastern Germany on the banks of Rivers Spree and Havel. Hence incorrect match. A is the correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2009]

49. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?
Theory/Law : Associated Scientist
1. Continental Drift : Edwin Hubble
2. Expansion of Universe : Alfred Wegener
3. Photoelectric Effect : Albert Einstein
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
(a) 2 and 3 only
(b) 3 only
(b) 2 only
(d) 1 only
Ans. (b) Continental Drift: In 1915, the German geologist and meteorologist Alfred Wegener first proposed the theory of continental drift, which states that parts of the Earth’s crust slowly drift atop a liquid core. What is Continental Drift? • Expansion of Universe: In 1929, Edwin Hubble, an astronomer at Caltech, made a critical discovery that soon led to scientific answers for these questions: he discovered that the universe is expanding. • Photoelectric Effect: The pathbreaking discovery was accomplished by Sir Albert Einstein for which he was given Nobel Prize in Physics. Photoelectric effect: A pathbreaking discovery
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2008]

@50. Which one of the following cities is nearest to the equator?
(a) Colombo (b) Jakarta (c) Manila (d) Singapore
Ans. (d) Singapore is the nearest city to the equator.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2008]

51. In order of their distance from the Sun, which of the following lie between Mars and Uranus?
(a) Earth and Jupiter (b) Jupiter and Saturn
(c) Saturn and Earth (d) Saturn and Neptune
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2008]

52. Through which one of the following Straits, does a tunnel United Kingdom and France?
(a) Davis Strait (b) Denmark Strait
(c) Strait of Dover (d) Strait of Gibraltar
Ans. (c) Strait of the Dover is a strait that connects two significant Europe- North Sea and English Channel. The strait United Kingdom from the European mainland and forms between the UK and France.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2007]

53. Consider the following statements :
1. The annual range of temperature is greater in the Pacific Ocean than that in the Atlantic Ocean.
2. The annual range of temperature is greater in the Northern Hemisphere than that in the Southern Hemisphere.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (b) The annual range of temperature is greater in Atlantic Ocean than in the Pacific Ocean, because the Atlantic Ocean is surrounded by more landmass and these landmass play significant role in influencing temperature across the Atlantic Ocean. Hence, the ocean witnesses more annual range of temperature. On the other hand, the Pacific Ocean is comparatively open and has less landmass to get its temperature influenced by them. Therefore, it experiences less range of temperature than Atlantic Ocean. On similar logic, since the northern hemisphere of the earth has more the southern hemisphere, it experiences more annual range
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2007]

54. Which one among the following rivers is the longest?
(a) Amazon (b) Amur
(c) Congo (d) Lena more landmass than range of temperature.
tunnel connect the significant water bodies in also separates the forms a water body answer using the code Menam River which is Thailand. Yangon is the longest?
Ans. (a) Amazon is the longest river in the world.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2007]

55. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer given below the lists :
List I (City) List-II (River)
A. Bangkok 1. Irrawaddy
B. Phnom-penh 2. Mekong
C. Hanoi 3. Menam (chao Phraya)
D. Yangon 4. Red River A B C D
(a) 3 2 4 1 (b) 4 1 3 2
(c) 3 1 4 2 (d) 4 2 3 1
Ans. (a) Bangkok is geographically located on the bank of Menam also popularly known as “Chao Pherya” river in Thailand. largest river located on the bank of Irrawaddy River
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2007]

56. Where is Copacabana Beach located?
(a) Buenos Aires
(b) Hawaiian Islands
(c) Rio de Janerio
(d) Valletta
Ans. (c) Copacabana beach is located in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janerio.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2007]

57. Consider the following statements :
1. Either of the two belts over the oceans at about 30 to 35 N and S Latitudes is known as Horse Latitude.
2. Horse latitudes are low pressure belts.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (a) Latitudes 30-35 degrees in both of the hemisphere are known as “Horse Latitudes”. The region under these latitudes is high pressure belts. The name it gets from ancient anecdotes. In ancient time, it was said that the horse merchants who used to sail under these latitudes felt high pressure and their ships, in many occasions, sunk due to high atmospheric pressure. To avoid this, the horse merchants would throw away many horses in the sea to escape any accident.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2007]

58. The largest coral reef in the world is found near the coast of the following countries?
(a) Australia (b) Cuba
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) Philippines
Ans. (a) The Great Barrier Reef is the largest single coral reef found along the north-eastern Australia coast.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2007]

59. Which one of the following countries is planning to construct a rival to the Panama Canal to link the Pacific and Atlantic oceans?
(a) Colombia
(b) Costa Rica
(c) Guatemala
(d) Nicaragua
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2007]

60. Assertion (A): There are no tea plantations in any African country.
Reason (R): Tea plants need fertile soil with high humus. (a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct A.
(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct of A.
(c) A is True but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (d) Kenya is one of the major Tea producing countries of the African continent and hence, 1st statement stands incorrect. Tea plants require fertile soil with high humus and appropriate moisture.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2007]

61. In which one of the following oceans is Diamantine Trench situated?
(a) Pacific Ocean
(b) Atlantic Ocean
(c) Indian Ocean
(d) Arctic Ocean
Ans. (c) The Diamantina Fracture Zone is an area of the southeastern Indian Ocean sea floor. It has a range of ridges and trenches. It lies to the south of the mideastern Indian Ocean features of the Wharton Basin and Perth Basin, and to the south west of the Naturaliste Plateau.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2006]

62. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
Well-known Place : Country
(a) Baikonur : Russia
(b) Kourou : French Guiana
(c) Borobudar : Indonesia
(d) Cannes : France
Ans. (a) Baikonur, formerly known as Leninsk, is a city of republic significance in Kazakhstan on the right bank of the Syr Darya river, rented and administered by the Russian Federation. Kourou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2006]

63. Other than India and China, which of the following groups of countries border Myanmar?
(a) Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam
(b) Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia
(c) Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia
(d) Thailand, Laos and Bangladesh
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2006]

64. What is the approximate mean velocity with which the Earth moves round the Sun in its orbit?
(a) 20 km/s (b) 30 km/s
(c) 40 km/s (d) 50 km/s
Ans. (b) A rough, general figure for the Earth’s mean orbital speed is 30 kilometers per second (km/s), or 18½ miles per second (mi/s).
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2006]

65. Through which one of the following groups of countries does the Equator pass?
(a) Brazil, Zambia and Malaysia
(b) Colombia, Kenya and Indonesia
(c) Brazil, Sudan and Malaysia
(d) Venezuela, Ethiopia and Indonesia
Ans. (b) The Equator does not pass through Zambia, Sudan and Ethiopia. Among given African countries in the options, the Equator passes through only one country –Kenya. Hence, b is the correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2006]

66. Consider the following statements :
1. The Richter scale is a logarithmic scale and so an increase of 1 magnitude unit represents a factor of 10 times in amplitude.
2. Each integer reading of the Richter scale has an energy 100 times that of the previous integer reading.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (a) The Richter scale assigns a magnitude number to quantify the energy released by an earthquake. The Richter scale, developed in the 1930s, is a base-10 logarithmic scale, which defines magnitude as the logarithm of the ratio of the amplitude of the seismic waves to arbitrary, minor amplitude. As measured with a seismometer, an earthquake that registers 5.0 on the Richter scale has shaking amplitude 10 times that of an earthquake that registered 4.0, and thus corresponds to a release of energy 31.6 times that released by the lesser earthquake.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2006]

67. Consider the following statements:
1. Length of a terrestrial mile is lesser than that of a nautical mile.
2. Harmattan is a dusty land-wind of the East African Coast.
3. Greece and Albania from a part of the Iberian Peninsula.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 3, only
(c) 3 only (d) 1 only
Ans. (d) Length of statutory mile (terrestrial mil(5) is lesser than of a nautical mile. A nautical mile is based on the circumference of the earth, and is equal to one minute of latitude. It is slightly more than a statute (land measured) mile (1 nautical mile = 1.1508 statute miles) “Harmattan wind” is a local dust laden land wind that blows from the Sahara desert towards the southwestern coast of Africa. Other famous local winds of Africa are – Sirocco, Khamsin, Haboob, Berg, etc.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2006]

68. Which one of the following countries is the leading producer of uranium?
(a) United States of America
(b) Canada
(c) Germany
(d) Zambia
Ans. (b) At one time Canada was the largest uranium producer in the world, but it lost that place to Kazakhstan in 2009.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2006]

69. Bermuda triangle extends up to which of the following places?
1. Southern Florida
2. Puerto Rico
3. Hawaii Islands
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
Ans. (b) Hawaii islands are located in the north Pacific islands whereas the “Bermuda Triangle” is geographically identified in the North Atlantic Ocean.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2006]

70. Assertion (A): To orbit around the Sun, the planet Mars takes lesser time than the time taken by the Earth.
Reason (R): The diameter of the Planet Mars is less than that of the Earth. :
(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is True but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (d) Mars takes a significantly longer time to complete a single orbit of the Sun. In fact, a year on Mars is almost twice as long as a year on Earth – lasting 686.971 days, which works out to about 1.88 Earth years. Also, the diameter of the Mars is lesser than the Earth.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2006]

71. Huangpu River flows through which one of the following cities?
(a) Beijing (b) Ho Chi Minh City
(c) Shanghai (d) Manila
Ans. (c) Huangpu River passes through Sanghai, a major industrial town of China.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2006]

72. Consider the following statements :
1. Total land area of Earth is approximately 1475 lakh square kilometers.
2. Ratio of land area to water area of Earth is approximately 1: 4
3. Maximum percentage of water on Earth is in the Pacific Ocean.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 Only (d) 3 Only
Ans. (a) Ratio of land area to water area of Earth is approximately 1:3 and NOT 1:4. Hence, the 2nd statement is incorrect. A is the correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

73. Itaipu Dam built on the River Parana is one of the largest dams in the world. Which one of the following two countries has this as a joint project?
(a) Brazil and Peru
(b) Paraguay and Ecuador
(c) Brazil and Paraguay
(d) Colombia and Paraguay
Ans. (c) The Itaipu Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

74. Consider the following statements:
1. The axis of the earth’s magnetic field is inclined at 23½° to the geographic axis of the earth.
2. The earth’s magnetic pole in the northern hemisphere is located on a peninsula in northern Canada.
3. Earth’s magnetic equator passes through Thumba in South India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 2 only (d) 3 only
Ans. (d) The axis of the earth’s magnetic field is inclined about 11 degree to the geographic axis to the north. Thus, the 1st statement is incorrect. Also, the earth’s magnetic poles- north magnetic pole and south magnetic pole, both keep changing according to the magnetic fields exerted by the earth’s core composition which is also keeps changing. Hence, no fixed location can be said as magnetic pole, therefore, the 2nd statement is also incorrect. Earth magnetic equator passes through “Thumba”, a fishery village in Kerala. Thus, the third statement is correct and the answer is (d).
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

75. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of the given Continents in the decreasing order of their percentage of Earth’s land?
(a) North America – Africa – South America – Europe
(b) Africa – North America – South America – Europe
(c) North America – Africa – Europe – South America
(d) Africa – North America – Europe – South America
Ans. (a) North America is the largest among given names. Africa stands next to North America in area wise comparison. After that comes South America followed by European continent.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

76. Where are the Balearic Islands located?
(a) Mediterranean Sea (b) Black Sea
(c) Baltic Sea (d) North Sea
Ans. (a) The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It has four major islands : Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera along with many minor islands in close vicinity.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

77. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(a) Bahamas – Nassau
(b) Costa Rica – San Jose
(c) Nicaragua – Belmopan
(d) Dominican Republic – Santo Domingo
Ans. (c) Belmopan is the capital city of Belize and has no relation whatsoever with Nicaragua. Thus, incorrectly matched
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

78. Which one of the following countries does not border Lithuania?
(a) Poland
(b) Ukraine
(c) Belarus
(d) Latvia
Ans. (b) Lithuania doesnot share its borders with Ukrain.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

79. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of the given towns of Pakistan while moving from the North towards the South?
(a) Islamabad – Gujarawala – Peshawar – Multan
(b) Peshawar – Gujarawala – Multan – Islamabad
(c) Peshawar – Islamabad – Gujarawala – Multan
(d) Islamabad – Multan – Peshawar – Gujarawala
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

80. Where is the volcanic mountain, Mount St- Helens located?
(a) Chile
(b) Japan
(c) Philippines
(d) United States of America
Ans. (d) Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

81. Consider the following statements :
1. Great Britain comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
2. England covers less than 60% of the total area of the United Kingdom.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (d) Great Britain is the largest island in Europe that is comprised of three countries- England, Scotland and Wales with capitals in London, Edinburg and Cardiff respectively. On the other hand, the Great Kingdom of Britain and Northern Island comprise of Great Britain and Northern Island. Thus, the 1st statement is incorrect. Geographically, England covers a little over half of the total geographical area of UK. Hence, 2nd statement is also incorrect. Hence (d) is the correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

82. Assertion (A): Wind patterns are clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anti-clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
Reason (R): The directions of wind patterns in the northern and the southern hemisphere are governed by the Coriolis Effect.
Ans. (a) Wind Patterns are clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anti-clockwise in the southern hemisphere and Coriolis force is the main reason behind this. Hence, Assertion (A) and the Reason (R) are both individually true and R is the correct explanation of A. Thus, A is the answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

83. Assertion (A): The same face of the Moon is always presented to the Earth.
Reason (R): The Moon rotates about its own axis in 23½ days which is about the same time that it takes to orbit the Earth. :
(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (c) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false. Assertion (A) is right since we all know that the same face of Moon is always presented to the earth. But the reason (R) is incorrect since the Moon rotates about its own axis in 27.3 days and NOT 23.5 days. Hence, C is the answer
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

84. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
List I (City) : List II (River)
(a) Washington D.C. : 1. River Manzanares
(b) Berlin : 2. River Seine
(c) Paris : 3. River Spree
(d) Madrid : 4. River Potomac A B C D
(a) 2 3 4 1 (b) 4 1 2 3
(c) 2 1 4 3 (d) 4 3 2 1
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

85. Assertion (A): Existence of human life on Venus is highly improbable.
Reason (R): Venus has extremely high level of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere.
Ans. (a) Existence of human life on Venus is highly improbable since the Venus has extremely high level of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere. Hence, Assertion (A) is true and the Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the assertion. A is the correct answer. The presence of excess of CO2 in atmosphere has led to a high rise as surface temperature primarily because of green house effect. It’s surface temperature of 740K i.e. more than 300°C does not allow any feasibility for the existence of life.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

86. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
Current Name —— Old Name
(a) Harare —— Salisbury
(b) Ethiopia —— Abyssinia
(c) Ghana —— Dutch Guiana
(d) Kinshasa —— Leopoldvile
Ans. (a) Salisbury is a medieval cathedral city in the southern English county of Wiltshire whereas Harare is the capital city of Zimbabwe, an African nation. Thus, incorrectly matched.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2005]

87. The great Asian river Mekong does not run through:
(a) China (b) Malaysia
(c) Cambodia (d) Laos
Ans. (b) The Mekong river flows 4800 km from Tibet through China, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Thailand, Cambodia, the Vietnam delta, and into the South China Sea, draining an area of 795,000 sq. km. Hence, it is clear that the great Mekong does not pass through Malaysia.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2004]

88. Match List-I (Sea) with List-II (Country) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List-I (Sea) List-II (Country)
A. Black Sea 1. Bulgaria
B. Red Sea 2. China
C. Yellow Sea 3. Eritrea
D. Caspian Sea 4. Kazakhstan
Codes:
A B C D
(a) 1 4 2 3 (b) 2 3 1 4
(c) 1 3 2 4 (d) 2 4 1 3
Ans. (c) Bulgaria is located west of the Black sea. Eritrea is also located around Red sea. Thus, (c) is the correct match.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2004]

89. Latvia does not share its borders with which one of the following countries?
(a) Russia
(b) Estonia
(c) Lithuania
(d) Poland
Ans. (d) Latvia does not share its border with Poland.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2004]

90. Which one of the following statements is not correct?
(a) Gulfs with narrow fronts and wider rears experience (b) Tidal currents take place when a gulf is connected by a narrow channel
(c) Tidal bore occurs when a tide enters the narrow and of a river
(d) The tidal nature of the mouth of the river Hooghly importance to Kolkata as port.
look like pieces of and may be only 1000 cloud has rounded experience high tides with the open sea and shallow estuary Hooghly is of crucial
Ans. (b) The second statement is not correct.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2004]

91. Which one of the following statements is correct?
(a) Cirrus clouds are composed of ice crystals
(b) Cirrus clouds exhibit a flat base and have the appearance of rising domes
(c) Cumulus clouds are white and thin, and form delicate patches and give a fibrous and feathery appearance
(d) Cumulus clouds are classified as high clouds
Ans. (c) Cumulus clouds are puffy clouds that sometimes look floating cotton. The base of each cloud is often flat and meters (3300 feet) above the ground. The top of the cloud towers.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2004]

92. Consider the following geological phenomena:
1. Development of a fault
2. Movement along a fault
3. Impact produced by a volcanic eruption
4. Folding of rocks
Which of the above cause earthquakes?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans. (d) All of the given reason are possible cause of earthquake.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2004]

93. Assertion (A): The thickness of the atmosphere is maximum over the Equator.
Reason (R): High insolation and strong convection currents occur over the Equator.
(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (c) The thickness of the troposphere varies around the planet. Near the equator, the troposphere is thicker than at the poles, since the spinning of the Earth tends to shift air towards the equator. Thus, the temperature and insolation has nothing to do with the thickness of atmosphere over equator. Assertion is correct, Reason is incorrect. C is the correct answer
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2004]

94. Match List-I (State/Province/Overseas Territory) with List-II (Country) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List-I List II
(State/Province/ (Country) Overseas Territory)
A. British Columbia 1. USA
B. Bavaria 2. UK
C. Gibraltar 3. Canada
D. Rhode Island 4. Germany
5. Denmark
Codes :
A B C D
(a) 1 2 5 3 (b) 3 4 2 1
(c) 1 4 2 3 (d) 3 2 5 1
Ans. (b) British Columbia is a state of Canada whereas Bavaria is a state in southeastern Germany bordering Liechtenstein, Austria and the Czech Republic. Thus, (b) is the correct match. Rhode island is a state in the New England region of north eastern United States. It covers about 1,214 sq. miles of which 1,045 sq. miles are land. Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end peninsula. It shares its northern border with Spain with major land mark of Rock of Gibraltar. Panama? (c) Colombia (d) Venezuela
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2004]

95. Which one of the following does not border Panama?
(a) Costa Rica (b) Pacific Ocean (
Ans. (d) Panama does not share its border with Venzuela.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2004]

96. Assertion (A): The amount of moisture in the atmosphere is related to latitude.
Reason (R): The capacity to hold moisture in the form of water vapour is related to temperature.
(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (a) Both are individually correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

97. Assertion (A): The weight of a body decreases with the increase of latitude on earth.
Reason (R): The earth is not a perfect sphere.
(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (d) The weight of a body increases with the increase of latitude because the gravitational force acting on the body also increases with the increase of latitude. The reason because the Earth is not a perfect sphere, due to which it has short radius in poles resulting into greater gravitation force. Hence, the assertion is not correct whereas the reason is correct.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

98. Assertion (A): Areas lying within five to eight degrees latitude on either side of the equator receive rainfall throughout the year.
Reason (R): High temperatures and high humidity cause convectional rain to fall mostly in the afternoons near the equator.
(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (c) Assertion is true but the reason is incorrect.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

99. Assertion (A): Unlike temperate forests, the tropical rain forests, if cleared, can yield productive farmland that can support intensive agriculture for several years even without chemical fertilizers.
Reason (R): The primary productivity of the tropical rain forest is very high when compared to that of the temperate forests.
(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (d) Assertion is false but Reason is true. The soil of tropical rain forests are usually void of nutrients and thus considered not very fertile.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

@100. Israel has common borders with:
(a) Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt
(b) Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Jordan
(c) Cyprus, Turkey, Jordon and Egypt
(d) Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Yemen
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

101. Which one of the following countries does NOT border the Caspian Sea?
(a) Armenia
(b) Peru
(c) Kazakhstan
(d) Turkmenistan
Ans. (b) Peru does not border with Caspian Sea. Peru is located far-off in South American continent.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

102. Among the following which planet takes maximum time for one revolution around the Sun?
(a) Earth
(b) Jupiter
(c) Mars
(d) Venus
Ans. (b) Jupiter takes maximum time for one revolution around the sun.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

103. Which one of the following countries is land locked?
(a) Bolivia
(b) Peru
(c) Suriname
(d) Uruguay
Ans. (a) Bolivia is a landlocked country in central South America, with a varied terrain spanning Andes Mountains, the Atacama Desert and Amazon Basin rainforest.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

104. Which one among the following covers the highest percentage of forest area in the world?
(a) Temperate Coniferous forests
(b) Temperate Deciduous forests
(c) Tropical Monsoon forests
(d) Tropical Rain forests
Ans. (b) Temperate Deciduous forests cover the highest percentage of forest area in the world.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

105. The waterfall ‘Victoria’ is associated with the river:
(a) Amazon
(b) Missouri
(c) St. Lawrence
(d) Zambezi
Ans. (d) Victoria Falls is a waterfall in southern Africa on the Zambezi River.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

106. Which one among the following States has the highest female literacy rate as per the Census 2001?
(a) Chhattisgarh
(b) Madhya Pradesh
(c) Orissa
(d) Rajasthan
Ans. (d) Rajasthan has the highest female literacy
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

107. Consider the following statements :
1. In Macedonia, ethnic Albanians are a minority.
2. In Kosovo, Serbians area majority.
Which of these statements is/are correct?
(a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (a) Albanians are the largest ethnic minority in the Republic of Macedonia. Kosovo Serbs are the largest ethnic minority group and one of the constituent nations of Kosovo, numbering around 150,000 people. Therefore, only 1st statement is correct. A is the correct answer
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

108. Life expectancy is highest in the world in:
(a) Canada
(b) Germany
(c) Japan
(d) Norway
Ans. (d) Norway has the highest life expectancy among all given options.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

109. Which amongst the following States has the highest population density as per Census-2001?
(a) Kerala
(b) Madhya Pradesh
(c) Uttar Pradesh
(d) West Bengal
Ans. (d) According to census 2001, West Bengal has the highest population density.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

110. Which among the following countries has the largest population?
(a) Indonesia (b) Japan
(c) Pakistan (d) Sudan
Ans. (c) Pakistan has the largest population among all given countries.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2003]

111. Consider the following climatic and geographical phenomena :
1. Condensation
2. High temperature and humidity
3. Orography
4. Vertical wind Thunder Cloud development is due to which of these phenomena?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans. (a) For thunder cloud development, Orography is not needed necessarily. Thunder cloud could be developed in non-orographic geographical terrain as well. Also, vertical winds decreases the intensity of clouds thus, does not help to form such clouds. A is the correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2002]

112. In the map given below, four islands of Indian Ocean region i.e. (a) Seychelles, (b) Chagos, (c) Mauritius and (d) Socatra are marked as 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Match them and select the correct answer from the codes given below
Codes :
A B C D
(a) 1 3 4 2 (b) 3 1 2 4
(c) 1 3 2 4 (d) 3 1 4 2
Ans. (d) Seychelles is located near off-eastern coast of Africa, thus thus location 3 is more representative of Seychelles.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2002]

113. Which one of the following statements is correct with reference to our solar system?
(a) The Earth is the densest of all the planets in our solar system
(b) The predominant element in the composition of Earth is silicon
(c) The Sun contains 75 per cent of the mass of the solar system
(d) The diameter of the Sun is 190 times that of the Earth
Ans. (a) Earth is the densest planet in our Solar System. It has a density of 5.51 grams per cubic centimeter, which is the highest in solar system. Thus, the 1st statement is correct with reference to our solar system.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2002]

114. Consider the following countries :
1. Albaina
2. Bosnia Herzegovina
3. Croatia
4. Macedonia Which of these countries has/have Adriatic Sea as a boundary?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 4 only (d) 3 and 4
Ans. (b) Adriatic Sea does not share its coast with Macedonia.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2002]

115. Consider the following statements:

1. Ocean currents are the slow-surface movement of water in the ocean.
2. Ocean currents assist in maintaining the Earth’s heat balance.
3. Ocean currents are set in motion primarily by prevailing winds.
4. Ocean currents are affected by the configuration of the ocean.
Which of these statements are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans. (b) Oceanic currents are fast moving sub-surface movement of bulk of water beneath the oceanic surface. Thus, the 1st statement is incorrect. Oceanic currents do help in maintaining heat balance from heat surplus zones to heat deficit oceanic zones. Oceanic currents are primarily set by prevailing winds as well as many other factors such as salinity difference, temperature gradient, etc. The movements of Oceanic currents also get affected by the geographical configuration of the ocean. Therefore, except the 1st statement, all rest is correct.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2002]

116. Assertion (A): 60°-65° latitudes in both the hemispheres have a low pressure belt instead of high pressure.
Reason (R): The low pressure areas are permanent over oceans rather than on land.
(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not a correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (a) Both are individually correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2002]

117. Consider the following countries :
1. Brazil 2. Indonesia
3. Japan 4. Russia What is the descending order of the size of the following countries population wise?
(a) 1, 2, 4, 3 (b) 2, 3, 1, 4
(c) 2, 1, 4, 3 (d) 1, 2, 3, 4
Ans. (a) Japan is the least populated country among given options. Brazil has the largest population and Indonesia has the second largest. Thus, the correct sequence is A.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2002]

118. Consider the following statements:
1. In equatorial regions, the year is divided into four main seasons
2. In Mediterranean region, summer receives more rain
3. In China type climate, rainfall occurs throughout the year
4. Tropical highlands exhibit vertical zonation of different climates Which of these statements are correct?
(a) 1,2, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 3 and 4
Ans. (d) In equatorial regions, the seasons are classified in mainly three categories- summer, winter and Rainy season. Thus, the 1st statement is incorrect. In Mediterranean region, winter receives more rainfall than any other season. China type climate receives rainfall throughout the year.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2002]

119. Assertion (A): The surface winds spiral inwards upon the centre of the cyclone.
Reason (R): Air descends in the centre of the cyclone.
(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not a correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (c) The surface winds spiral inwards upon the center of the cyclone. But the air does not necessarily descends in the center of the cyclone. Hence, (c) is the correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2002]

120. The temperature and rainfall of a meteorological station are given below : Temperature (°C) Rainfall (cm) J 9.4 12.2 F 10.6 9.1 M 11.7 7.9 A 12.2 2.5 M 13.3 1.8 J 13.9 0.3 J 13.9 — A 14.4 — S 15.6 0.8 O 15.0 1.5 N 13.3 6.1 D 10.6 11.7 Average Temperature: 12.8 °C Average Rainfall: 54.9 cm per annum Identify the region having the above climatic pattern from amongst the following :
(a) Mediterranean region
(b) Monsoon region
(c) Steppe region
(d) N.W. European region
Ans. (d) The above given data is characteristics of Northwestern Europe. The climate is strongly conditioned by the Gulf Stream, which keeps mild air (for the latitude) over Northwestern Europe in the winter months, especially in Ireland, the UK and coastal Norway. While Western Europe has an oceanic climate, Eastern Europe has a drier, continental climate.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

121. Assertion (A): Anti-cyclonic conditions are formed in winter season when atmospheric pressure is high and air temperatures are low.
Reason (R): Winter rainfall in Northern India causes development of anticyclonic conditions with low temperatures.
(a) Both A and R are individually true, and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are individually true, but R is NOT a correct explanation of A
(c) A is true, but R is false
(d) A is false, but R is true
Ans. (a) Winter monsoon is because of western disturbance level developed in central and north India.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

122. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists :
List I List II
(Local Wind) (Region)
I. Fohn A. Argentina
II. Samun B. Kurdistan
III. Santa Ana C. California
IV. Zonda D. Alps
Codes :
(a) I-B, II-D, III-A, IV-C
(b) I-D, II-B, III-C, IV-A
(c) I-B, II-D, III-C, IV-A
(d) I-D, II-B, III-A, IV-C
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

123. Assertion (A): During the Neap Tides, the high tide is lower tide is higher than usual.
Reason (R): The Neap Tide, unlike the Spring Tide, occurs Moon instead of on the Full Moon.
(a) Both A and R are individually true, and R is the correct A
(b) Both A and R are individually true, but R is NOT a correct of A
(c) A is true, but R is false
(d) A is false, but R is true region marked as 1, and select the correct
(D) Dushanbe lower and the low occurs on the New correct explanation of correct explanation
Ans. (c) Neap tides are tides in which there is small difference between the high tide and low tide because high tides are comparatively bear less height and low tides have higher height.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

124. The given map shows four towns of Central Asian region 2, 3, and 4. Identify these from the following list and answer using the codes given below : Towns:

(A) Bishkek (B) Ashkhabad (C) Tashkent
Codes :
(a) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4 (b) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
(c) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4 (d) A-1, B-3, C-4, D-2
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

125. Volcanic eruptions do not occur in the
(a) Baltic Sea
(b) Black Sea
(c) Caribbean Sea
(d) Caspian Sea
Ans. (a) The Baltic Sea lies in the middle of sea of the Atlantic Ocean, enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, northeast Germany, Poland, Russia and the North and Central European Plain. This is not a earthquake zone.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

126. Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Project is
(a) an irrigation project involving India and Myanmar
(b) a joint tourism initiative of some Asian countries
(c) a hydroelectric power project involving India, Bangladesh and Myanmar
(d) a defence and security agreement of India with its eastern neighbours
Ans. (b) The Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC) was established on November 10, 2000 at Vientiane at the First MGC Ministerial Meeting. It comprises six member countries, namely India, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. They emphasised four areas of cooperation, which are tourism, culture, education, and transportation linkage in order to lay solid foundation for future trade and investment cooperation in the region. The organization takes its name from the Ganga and the Mekong, two large rivers in the region.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

127. The high density of population in Nile Valley and Island of Java is primarily due to
(a) intensive agriculture
(b) industrialization
(c) urbanization
(d) topographic constraints
Ans. (a) The Nile valley and Java Island both are among highest agricultural fertile lands on the earth and hence, agriculture is the main occupation of natural inhabitants of these two regions.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

128. Consider the following statements:
I. Most magmas are a combination of liquid, solid and gas.
II. Water vapour and carbon dioxide are the principal gases dissolved in a magma.
III. Basaltic magma is hotter than the silicic magma.
IV. The magma solidified between sedimentary rocks in a horizontal position is known as dike.
Which of these statements are correct?
(a) I, II and III (b) II, III and IV
(c) I and IV (d) I, II and IV
Ans. (a) The basic composition of Magma released because of volcanic eruption is liquid, solid and gas. Water vapor and carbon di-oxides are principal gases dissolved in magma. Comparison between Basaltic and Silicic magmas: Basaltic Felsic SiO2 <50% < 70% FeO2 Mgo <10wt % ~%wt% Temperature ~ 1300°C <900°C Viscosity Low High Eruptive behaviour Genetic Explosive
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

129. Quartzite is metamorphosed from
(a) Limestone (b) Obsidian
(c) Sandstone (d) Shale
Ans. (c) Quartzite is a nonfoliated metamorphic rock composed almost entirely of quartz. It forms when a quartz-rich sandstone is altered by the heat, pressure, and chemical activity of metamorphism.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

130. Consider the following statements regarding the earthquakes:
I. The intensity of earthquake is measured on Mercalli scale.
II. The magnitude of an earthquake is a measure of energy released.
III. Earthquake magnitudes are based on direct measurements of the amplitude of seismic waves.
IV. In the Richter scale, each whole number demonstrates a hundredfold increase in the amount of energy released.
Which of these statements are correct?
(a) I, II and III (b) II, III and IV
(c) I and IV (d) I and III
Ans. (a) The Mercalli intensity scale is a seismic scale used for measuring the intensity of an earthquake. It measures the effects of an earthquake. The magnitude of an earthquake is measured on how much energy is released. This is done through Richter scale.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

131. If the stars are seen to rise perpendicular to the horizon by an observer, he is located on the
(a) Equator (b) Tropic of Cancer
(c) South Pole (d) North Pole
Ans. (a) It is standing at equator, a person will watch stars rising perpendicular to the horizon because of the rotation at its own axis.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

132. Who amongst the following was the first to state that the Earth was spherical?
(a) Aristotle (b) Copernicus
(c) Ptolemy (d) Strabo
Ans. (b) According to Diogenes Laertius, Copernicus was the first Greek who called the Earth spherical.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

133. Consider the following statements made about the sedimentary rocks :
1. Sedimentary rocks are formed at Earth’s surface by the hydrological system.
2. The formation of sedimentary rocks involves the weathering of preexisting rocks.
3. Sedimentary rocks contain fossils.
4. Sedimentary rocks typically occur in layers.
Which of these statements are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 4
(c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans. (d) Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the deposition and subsequent cementation of that material at the Earth’s surface and within bodies of water (hydrological cycle). Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/ or organic particles (detritus) to settle in place. It involves weathering and disintegrating of preexisting rocks. Sedimentary rocks contain significant proportion of fossils. Sediemntary rocks are found in multiple layers. Hence, all statements are correct.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2001]

134. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists :
List I List II
(Oceanic Trench) (Location)
A. Aleutian 1. Indian Ocean
B. Kermadec 2. North Pacific Ocean
C. Sunda 3. South Pacific Ocean
D. S. Sandwich 4. South Atlantic Ocean
Codes :
A B C D
(a) 2 4 1 3 (b) 2 3 1 4
(c) 1 3 2 4 (d) 1 4 2 3
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2000]

135. Consider the following provinces of former Yugoslavia 1. Bosnia 2. Croatia 3. Slovenia 4. Serbia The correct sequence of these provinces from the east (a) 4, 1, 3, 2 (b) 3, 2, 1, 4 (c) 1, 4, 3, 2
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2000]

136. Match the drainage basins labelled as A, B, C and D with the names listed below and select the correct answer using the codes given below the names of the drainage basins. Names of drainage basins:
1. Ganga-Brahmaputra 2. Indus
3. Parana 4. Zambezi

Codes :
A B C D
(a) 3 1 2 4 (b) 1 3 4 2
(c) 1 3 2 4 (d) 3 1 4 2
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2000]

137. Assertion (A): In Australia, cattle rearing is done more for meat than for milk.
Reason (R): Australians are traditionally non-vegetarians.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
(c) A is true, but R is false
(d) A is false, but R is true
Ans. (a) Cattle, sheep and goats are produced mainly for human consumption throughout Australia. Australians are traditionally non-vegetarians. Hence, assertion and reason both are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2000]

138. Which one of the following lakes forms an international between Tanzania and Uganda?
(a) Chad (b) Malawi (c) Victoria (d) Zambezi between Tanzania, Uganda
Ans. (c)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2000]

139. Consider the following statements about the ‘Roaring Forties’:
1. They blow uninterrupted in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
2. They blow with great strength and constancy.
3. Their direction is generally from North – West to East in the Southern Hemisphere.
4. Overcast skies, rain and raw weather are generally associated with them.
Which of these statements are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) 1, 2 and 4
Ans. (b) The Roaring Forties are strong westerly winds found only in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40 and 50 degree. Roaring forties, areas between latitudes 40° and 50° south in the Southern Hemisphere, where the prevailing winds blow persistently from the west. They have strong, often gale-force, winds throughout the year. They were named by the sailors who first entered these latitudes.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2000]

140. Which one of the following is known as the “Coffee port” of the world?
(a) Sao Paulo
(b) Santos
(c) Rio de Janeiro
(d) Buenos Aires
Ans. (b) Santos in the Sao Paulo is known as the coffee port of the world.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2000]

141. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists :
List I (Minerals) List II (Major producer)
A. Mineral Oil 1. Zambia
B. Copper 2. Guyana
C. Manganese 3, Venezuela
D. Bauxite 4. Gabon A B C D
(a) 3 1 4 2 (b) 3 1 2 4
(c) 1 3 2 4 (d) 1 3 4 2
Ans. (a) Venezuela is one of the major mineral oil producers in the world. In –fact, it is also member country of major oil producing group – OPEC. Zambia is world’s largest copper producer. Gabon has world’s richest Manganese reserves. Therefore, A is the correct match
UPSC Previous Year Paper [2000]

142. A ship sailing from the eastern extremity of the Aleutian Dutch harbour crosses 180° meridian at 23.30 hrs on What time and date will be recorded by the captain diary after one-hour journey from the point of crossing (a) January 1, 0030 hrs (b) January 2, 0030 hrs
(c) January 3, 0030 hrs (d) January 4, 0030 hrs
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

143. Which one of the following port cities in Venezuela has been developed as an oil port?
(a) Caracas (b) Maracaibo
(c) Maracay (d) Carupano
Ans. (b) Maracaibo port in Venezuela has been developed as an port specifically for petrochemical products industry.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

144. Match the cities labelled as A, B, C and D in the given map with the names of cities and select the correct answer using the codes given below the names of cities:

Name of Cities :
1. Darwin
2. Kuala Lumpur
3. Lagos
4. Nairobi
5. Singapore
Codes :
A B C D
(a) 1 2 4 3 (b) 2 1 4 3
(c) 1 4 5 2 (d) 4 3 5 2
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

145. At which one of the following positions shown in the diagram will the height of the ocean tide be maximum?

(a) M1 (b) M2
(c) M3 (d) M4
Ans. (d) At position M4 the height of the oceanic tide would be maximum as there would be gravitation force of two bodies- the Sun and the Moon would be working together on earth. This twin force would create maximum height of the tide in oceans.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

146. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists :
List I List II
(Volcanic Mountain) (Country)
A. Mt. Rainer : 1. Itlay
B. Etna : 2. Mexico
C. Paricutin : 3. Philippines
D. Taal : 4. U.S.A.
Codes :
A B C D
(a) 4 2 1 3 (b) 4 1 2 3
(c) 2 1 4 3 (d) 4 3 2 1
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

147. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists :
List I (Timber) List II (Country)
A. Cedar : 1. Myanmar
B. Douglas Fir : 2. Canada
C. Mahogany : 3. Mexico
D. Teak : 4. Honduras
Codes :
A B C D
(a) 3 2 1 4 (b) 3 2 4 1
(c) 2 3 4 1 (d) 2 3 1 4
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

148. In the given map, which one of the following pairs of ocean currents is shown?

(a) Benguela and Falkland
(b) Canary and Humboldt
(c) Agulhas and Guinea
(d) Benguela and Guinea
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

149. Which one of the areas marked as A, B, C and D in the given figure of the cyclone, witnesses heavy torrential short-duration rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms?

(a) A (b) B (c) C (d) D
Ans. (b) The region indicated by B would witness the maximum rainfall as the region is occupied by raising warm air.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

@150. Which one of the countries labelled as 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the given map was granted membership of G -15 in its VII Summit at Kuala Lumpur?

(a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 4
Ans. (a) Algeria was given membership of G-15 in VII Summit which was organized in Kuala Lumpur. See the map and identify Algeria by yourself
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

151. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists :
List-I List-II
A. Cotton 1. Rainfall 1000-1500 mm; Temperature 40° – 60°C
B. Flax 2. Rainfall 1500-2000 mm; Temperature 25° – 35°C
C. Sugarbeet 3. Rainfall 600 – 800 mm; Temperature 5° – 18°C
D. Jute 4. Rainfall 500 – 1000 mm; Temperature 18° – 22°C
5. Rainfall 500 – 600 mm; Temperature 18°- 22°C
Codes :
A B C D
(a) 1 3 4 2 (b) 2 3 5 4
(c) 4 5 2 1 (d) 4 3 5 2
Ans. (d) (d) is the correct answer and the data given of every crop is approximate value.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

152. Assertion (A): Chile continues to be an important producer of copper in the world.
Reason (R): Chile is endowed with the world’s largest deposit of porphyry copper.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
(c) A is true, but R is false
(d) A is false, but R is true
Ans. (a) Both Assertion, as well as Reason are true. Chile, the world’s largest copper producing country, hosts six of the 10 largest copper mines in the world, while the remaining four are located in Peru, Mexico and Indonesia.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

153. The physical regions marked as 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the given map are respectively

(a) Andes, Brazilian Shield, Guyana Highlands and Amazon Basin
(b) Andes, Guyana Highlands, Brazilian Shield and Amazon Basin
(c) Amazon Basin, Guyana Highlands, Brazilian Shield and Andes
(d) Guyana Highlands, Brazilian Shield, Andes and Amazon Basin
Ans. (a) See the following map and attempt by yourself.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

154. Which one of the following agricultural practices is eco-friendly?
(a) Organic farming
(b) Shifting cultivation
(c) Cultivation of high-yielding varieties
(d) Growing plants in glass-houses
Ans. (a) Among given options, Organic Farming is the most eco-friendly and sustainable form of agricultutre.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

155. Which one of the following scholars suggests the earth’s origin from gases and dust particles?
(a) James Jeans (b) H. Alfven
(c) Hoyle (d) O. Schmidt
Ans. (d) Professor O. Schmidt suggested that the earth’s origin started from gases and dust particles. Justin Orvel Schmidt is an American entomologist, co-author of Insect Defenses: Adaptive Mechanisms and Strategies of Prey and Predators, author of The Sting of the Wild, and creator of the Schmidt Sting Pain Index.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

156. Which one of the following types of coal contains a higher percentage of carbon than the rest?
(a) Bituminous coal
(b) Lignite
(c) Peat
(d) Anthracite
Ans. (d) Anthracite coal contains the highest percentage of carbon than all others.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1999]

157. Estuaries possess distinct blooms of excessive growth (a) red tides (b) sea tides
(c) black tides (d) sea flowers
Ans. (a) Red tide is a common name for a phenomenon known microorganisms) when it is caused by a few species of Red tides are events in which estuarine, marine, or fresh resulting in coloration of the surface water. It is usually year. These algae, a form of phytoplankton, are single-celled patches near the water’s surface.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1998]

158.
The correct sequence of different layers of the atmosphere surface of the Earth upwards is
(a) Troposphere, Stratosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere
(b) Stratosphere, Troposphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere
(c) Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Ionosphere
(d) Stratosphere, Troposphere, Mesosphere, Ionosphere
Ans. (*) Earth has four primary layers, which are the troposphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1998]

159. When there is noon at G. M .T. meridian people on another tea. The longitude of the place is
(a) 17° 30′ E (b) 7° 30′ W (c) 172° 30′ E (d) 90° W
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1998]

160. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
(Special Characteristic) : (Name of Planet)
A. Farthest planet from the sun : 1. Mercury
B. Largest planet of solar system : 2. Venus
C. Planet second from the Sun in the solar system : 3. Jupiter
D. Planet nearest to the Sun : 4. Pluto
: 5. Saturn
Codes :
A B C D
(a) 2 3 5 1 (b) 3 5 1 2
(c) 4 1 2 3 (d) 4 3 2 1
Ans.(d) The correct match is D.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1998]

161. “They are people of yellow complexion, oblique eyes, high cheek bones, sparse hair and medium height.” The reference here is to
(a) Nordic Aryans (b) Austrics
(c) Negroids (d) Mongoloids
Ans. (d) Mongoloids have such characteristics i.e. Yellow complexion, oblique eyes, high cheek bones, medium height and sparse body hair.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

162. About 50% of the world population is concentrated between the latitudes of
(a) 5°N and 20°N (b) 20°N and 40°N
(c) 40°N and 60°N (d) 20°S and 40°S
Ans. (a) The area include tropical land mass most conducive for living.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

163. “From Archipelago in the far north-west to Torres Strait in the east is 5000 miles, almost as far as from London to Baghdad. The Archipelago has 14,000 islands, some mere equatorial rocks, others some of the largest in the world.” This description best fits
(a) West Indies (b) Japan
(c) Philippines (d) Indonesia
Ans. (a) The small Carribean islands of West Indies are the examples of above.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

164. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer by using the codes given below the lists:
List I (Crops) List II (Geographical conditions)
A. Barley 1. Hot and dry climate with poor soil
B. Rice 2. Cool Climate with poor soil
C. Millets 3. Warm and moist with high altitude
D. Tea 4. Hot and moist climate with rich soil
Codes :
A B C D
(a) 2 4 1 3 (b) 3 4 1 2
(c) 2 1 4 3 (d) 3 2 4 1
Ans. (a) The geographical conditions for barley cultivation are almost the same as for wheat, but barley is more tolerant to dry conditions and ripen at lower temperatures. It is thus grown in a wide range of climatic, topographical and soil conditions, where wheat or other cereals fail to survive.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

165. The group of small pieces of rock – revolving round the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter are called
(a) meteors (b) comets
(c) meteorites (d) asteroids
Ans. (d) They are found revolving around the sun in asteroid belt present between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres is the largest asteroid with diameter of 700 km.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

166. If the earth’s direction of rotation is reversed, what would be the 1ST when it is noon at the International Date Line?
(a) 06.30 hrs (b) 05.30 hrs
(c) 18.30 hrs (d) 17.30 hrs
Ans. (c)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

167. Consider the geographical details given in the following figure

The point marked by A in the above figure indicates a country in
(a) North America (b) South America
(c) Europe (d) Asia
Ans. (c)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

168.
The river shown on the map is

(a) Irrawaddy (b) Mekong
(c) Chao Phraya (d) Salween
Ans. (c) Mekong river has been depicted in the map.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

169. One will NOT have to pass through the Suez Canal while going from Mumbai to
(a) Alexandria (b) Suez
(c) Port Said (d) Benghazi
Ans. (b) Since Suez city is located at the very mouth of Suez Canal, one does need to cross Suez canal in order to reach at Suez city.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

170. Consider the map given below :
Of the four-shaded areas in the map, one which is characterised by hot dry summers, mild and moist winters and seasonal reversal of winds is the area labelled
(a) 1 (b) 2
(c) 3 (d) 4
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

171. Daily weather map showing isobars is an example of
(a) Choropleth map
(b) Isopleth map
(c) Chorochromatic map
(d) Choroschematic map
Ans. (b) An isopleth map generalizes and simplifies data with a continuous distribution. It shows the data as a third dimension on a map, thus isopleth maps are more common for mapping surface elevations, amounts of precipitation, atmospheric pressure, and numerous other measurements that can be viewed statistically as a third dimension.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

172. Which one of the following stars is nearest to the earth?
(a) Polaris (b) Alpha Centauri
(c) Sun (d) Sirius
Ans. (c) The Sun is the nearest star to earth. It’s nearest neighbor, Alpha Centauri, is actually a triple-star system —three stars bound together by gravity. Alpha Centauri A and B are two bright, closely orbiting stars with a distant, dim companion, Proxima Centauri.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

173. Which one of the following is present in the largest amount in terms of per cent by mass in the earth’s crust ?
(a) Silicon (b) Oxygen
(c) Carbon (d) Calcium
Ans. (b) Oxygen is present in the largest amount in terms of percent by mass in the earth’s crust. It is present in form of gas and metallic and nonmetallic oxides, water (dihydrogen oxide), carbonates, sulphates, etc. Element name Symbol Percentage by weight of the Earth’s crust Oxygen O 47 Silicon Si 28 Aluminium Al 8 Iron Fe 5 Calcium Ca 3.5 Sodium Na 3 Potassium K 2.5 Magnesium Mg 2 All other elements 1 The elements in the Earth’s crust
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

174. During a flight from Delhi to Tokyo the following are the landing airports:
1. Hong Kong 2. Hanoi
3. Taipei 4. Bangkok The correct sequence of the landing at these airports during an onward journey is
(a) 1, 2, 3, 4 (b) 4, 2, 1, 3
(c) 3, 4, 1, 2 (d) 4, 1, 2, 3
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

175. Which one of the following countries is the largest producer (a) Indonesia (b) Russia
(c) India (d) China
Ans. (b) After Canada, Russia is the largest producer of firewood
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1997]

176. Which one of the following layers of the atmosphere is responsible for the deflection of radio waves?
(a) Troposphere (b) Stratosphere
(c) Mesosphere (d) Ionosphere
Ans. (d) Ionosphere is responsible for deflection of radio waves.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1996]

177. The rough outline map shows a portion of the Middle East. The countries labelled A, B, C and D are respectively :

(a) Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia
(b) Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Jordan
(c) Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan
(d) Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia
Ans. (c)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1996]

178. Assertion (A): Areas near the equator receive rainfall throughout the year.
Reason (R): High temperatures and high humidity cause convectional rain in most afternoons near the equator.
In the context of the above two statements, which one of the following is correct?
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not a correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1996]

179. The original home of the gypsies was
(a) Egypt (b) Russia
(c) India (d) Persia
Ans. (c) The Romani or Roma, are a traditionally nomadic ethnic group, living mostly in Europe and the Americas and originating from the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, presumably from where the states Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab exist today.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

180. Given below is a map of some countries which were parts of the erstwhile Soviet Union, with water bodies shown by shaded areas :

The countries marked 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are respectively
(a) Tajikistan, Turkmenia, Uzbekistan, Kirgizia, Kazakhstan
(b) Turkmenia, Kirgizia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan
(c) Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kirgizia, Turkmenia
(d) Kazakhstan, Turkmenia, Uzbekistan, Kirgizia, Tajikistan
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

181. Consider the map given below indicating four places frequently figuring in the news :
Which one of them is Chechenya?

Choose the correct answer from the codes given below :
(a) 1 (b) 2
(c) 3 (d) 4
Ans. (c) Location 3 is the Chechanya once a part of Republic Republic of Soviet Union.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

182. Which one of the following is the continent with the highest mean elevation in the world?
(a) Antarctica
(b) North America
(c) Asia
(d) South America
Ans. (a) Antarctica in particular on average, is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average elevation of all the continents. It is said to represent past, present and future of planet earth.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

183. The standard time of the following countries is ahead or behind Greenwich Mean Time depending on whether they are east or west of the longitude passing through Greenwich :
1. Cuba 2. Greece
3. Iraq 4. Costa Rica
5. Japan Which one of the following sequential orders gives the correct arrangement of the countries according to their standard time from ahead to behind GMT?
(a) 5, 3, 2, 1, 4 (b) 2, 4, 1, 3, 5
(c) 4, 1, 3, 2, 5 (d) 3, 5, 4, 1, 2
Ans. (a) A is the correct sequence according to appropriate GMT.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

184. The graph given below shows the mean average monthly temperatures (in °(c) and mean monthly rainfall (in cms) of a place

This graph is indicative of which one of the climatic zones of the world?
(a) Wet and dry tropical (b) Rainy tropical
(c) Semi-arid tropical (d) Temperate marine
Ans. (c) A semi-arid climate or steppe climate is the climate of a region that receives maximum precipitation in March-April months below potential evapotranspiration, but not extremely. There are different kinds of semi-arid climates, depending on such variables as temperature and humidity. Hence, they give rise to different classes of ecology.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

185. Willy-Willy is
(a) a type of tree grown in temperate regions
(b) a wind that blows in a desert
(c) a tropical cyclone of the north-west Australia
(d) a kind of common fish found near Lakshadweep islands
Ans. (c) Wily-wily is a tropical cyclone occurred in Australia. It is also known as “dust-devil”. It is a strong, wellformed, and relatively long-lived whirlwind, ranging from small (half a meter wide and a few meters tall) to large (more than 10 meters wide and more than 1000 meters tall). The primary vertical motion is upward. Dust devils are usually harmless, but can on rare occasions grow large enough to pose a threat to both people and property.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

186. Coffee cultivation in Sri Lanka was abandoned because of the disease
(a) leaf blight (b) leaf spot
(c) leaf rust (d) rot
Ans. (b) Leaf spot a fungal infection was the coffee plant epidemic that ruin the coffee plantation in SriLanka.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

187. The clouds float in the atmosphere because of their low
(a) temperature
(b) velocity
(c) pressure
(d) density
Ans. (d) Clouds float because they possess less density than the air around them. Clouds are composed of tiny water droplets and ice crystals that are only a few microns in radius, too small to develop any appreciable fall velocity. The mass of moist air is less than the mass of dry air. Therefore, the moist humid air rises up to be replaced by dry heavy air.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

188. Arakan Yoma is the extension of the Himalayas located in
(a) Baluchistan
(b) Myanmar
(c) Nepal
(d) Kashmir
Ans. (b) The Arakan Mountains is a mountain range in western Burma, between the coast of Rakhine State and the Central Burma Basin, in which flows the Irrawaddy River.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

189. A rough outline map of northern Sri Lanka is shown in the figure. Jaffna is located at the point marked A B C D

(a) A (b) B
(c) C (d) D
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

190. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer by using the codes given below the lists.
List I : List II
A. European transcontinental railway : 1. Paris to Istanbul Warsaw
B. Trans-Andean railway : 2. Leningard to Vladivostok
C. Trans-Siberian railway : 3. Leningard to Volgograd
D. Orient Express : 4. Buenos Aires to Valparaiso
: 5. Paris to Solothurn
Codes :
A B C D
(a) 5 4 2 1 (b) 1 4 3 2
(c) 5 1 2 3 (d) 1 2 3 4
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

191. Consider the The dotted (broken) outline map of northern Sri Lanka is shown in the figure. Jaffna the point marked the map given below : broken) line in the map is the

(a) Durand line
(b) MacMahon (c) line of demarcation Boundary (d) route
Ans. (a) The Durand Line is a frontier boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was established after an 1893 memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Mortimer Durand of British India and Afghan Amir Abdur Rahman Khan.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1995]

192. Given below is a map of America :

The shaded (marked 1 and2), dotted (marked 3) and the plain areas (marked 4) indicate respectively, the regions where the languages spoken are
(a) Spanish, French, Portuguese and others
(b) French, Spanish, Portuguese and others
(c) French, Portuguese, Spanish and English
(d) Portuguese, French, Spanish and others
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1994]

193. The length of its day and the tilt of its axis are almost identical to those of the earth’. This is true of
(a) Uranus
(b) Neptune
(c) Saturn
(d) Mars
Ans. (d) Mars has the same length of its day and tilt of its axis as the earth does have. A day on Mars is 24.5 hours long.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1994]

194. Which one of the following regions of Asia is experiencing the highest annual growth rate of population?
(a) South Asia (b) South-East Asia
(c) Central Asia (d) West Asia
Ans. (a) South Asia region of the world is presently experiencing the highest annual growth rate of population.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1994]

195. Consider the map given below :
The numbers marked 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively indicate the islands of
(a) the Bahamas, Azores, Falkland and Cape Verde
(b) the Bahamas, Azores, Cape Verde and Falkland
(c) Azores, Cape Verde, the Bahamas and Falkland
(d) Cape Verde, the Bahamas, Falkland and Azores
Ans. (c) The Bahamas islands are located near the Strait of Florida. Hence, location 3 is its correct depiction. Similarly, Azores islands are located in Atlantic ocean off coast of Portugal.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1994]

196. The ideal climatic conditions for the cultivation of rice are
(a) rainfall above 100 cm, temperature above 25°C
(b) cool and moist climate for the entire crop period
(c) rainfall below 100 cm, temperature below 25°C
(d) warm and dry climate during the entire crop period
Ans. (a) Rice is relatively water intensive crop. Throughout the cropping season, the rainfall must be greater than 100 cm and the temperature must be well above 25 degree. Overall, warm, wet and humid climatic conditions are considered ideal for rice crop and that’s why it is raised predominantly in tropical regions.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1994]

197. When it is noon along 82° 30′ E longitude along what degree of longitude it will be 6.30 am?
(a) along 165° E
(b) along 67°30′ W
(c) 0° E or W
(d) along 82° 30′ W
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1994]

198. The time taken by the sun to revolve around the centre of our galaxy is
(a) 25 million years (b) 100 million years
(c) 250 million years (d) 500 million years
Ans. (c) It takes Sun to about 230 million years to make one complete orbit around the Milky Way
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1994]

199. The shortest air-route from Perth to London is
(a) Perth, Bombay, Rome, London (b) (c) Perth, Aden, Paris, London (d)
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1994]

@200. Farm land tends to erode most rapidly when planted with
(a) sorghum (b) potato
(c) wheat (d) clover Perth, Ankara, Paris, London Perth, Mombasa, Rome, London
Ans. (a) Sorghum requires full seed-bed preparation for good performance and thus, facilitates fast soil erosion.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1994]

201. The first bird is believed to have appeared on the surface of the earth
(a) 300 million years (b) 200 milllion years
(c) 150 million years (d) 100 million years
Ans. (c) The earliest known bird is Archaeopteryx lithographica, from the Late Jurassic period appeared 250 million years ago. It is called fossil bird or flying reptile because it possessed characteristic features common to both reptiles and birds (Aves) such as presence of both beak and teeth.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1994]

202. The only land-locked country in South-east Asia is
(a) Laos (b) Thailand
(c) Malaysia (d) Kampuchea
Ans. (a) Laos is the only land locked country in the whole of Southeast Asia.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1993]

203. Consider the map given below: The countries marked 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the map respectively represent Libya, Somalia, Nigeria & Namibia

(a) Libya, Somalia, Nigeria & Namibia
(b) Egypt, Somalia, Congo and Namibia
(c) Sudan, Ethiopia, Angola and Botswana
(d) Algeria, Kenya, Ghana and Zambia
Ans. (b) The correct match is following: 1. Egypt 2. Somalia 3. Congo 4. Namibia
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1993]

204. Even though Pluto is usually the-farthest planet, its path is highly elliptical, crossing inside the path of some other planet. As a result for a period of twenty years from 1979, the farthest planet is not Pluto but,
(a) Jupiter (b) Saturn
(c) Uranus (d) Neptune
Ans. (d) Of the planets in the solar system, Neptune is the farthest away from Earth. Depending on where each planet is in its orbit, Neptune is between 2.7 and 2.9 billion miles away from Earth. Until recently Pluto was considered as a planet but not now. It is considered as a planetoid.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1993]

205. Consider the Climograph given below:
The above climograph relates to
(a) North-western region of India
(b) Southern region of India
(c) Mid-central region of India
(d) North-eastern region of India
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1993]

206. Among the four house types shown below, which one represents the house type of the Pygmies?

)
Ans. (a) Since pygmies live in dense forests, they make their huts on the top of trees. Therefore, Figure (a) is the correct depiction of Pygmies house type.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1993]

207. The solar eclipse achieves totality only in the limited geographical regions because
(a) the earth is not a smooth flat surface, but has elevations and depressions
(b) the size of the shadow of the moon on the earth is small compared to the cross section of the earth
(c) trajectories of the earth around the sun and the moon around the earth are not perfect circles
(d) sun rays can reach most of the peripheral regions of the shadow of the moon due to a atmospheric refraction
Ans. (b) the size of the shadow of the moon on the earth is small compared to the cross section of the earth
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1993]

208. Which of the following places have their standard times, that are the same as GMT?

1. Accra 2. Dublin
3. Madrid 4. Lisbon
Choose the correct answer from the codes given below :
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 4
Ans. (d) Currently, local time in London is the same as Accra.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1993]

209. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer by using the codes given below the Lists :
List I : List II Some Languages : Spoken out of Europe
A. French : 1. Brazil
B. Italian : 2. Mexico
C. Portuguese : 3. Libya
D. Spanish : 4. Mauritania : 5. Algeria
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below :
A B C D
(a) 5 3 1 2 (b) 2 5 1 3
(c) 3 1 5 4 (d) 5 3 2 4
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

210. If Amsterdam is X + 1, Montreal is X – 5, Tokyo is X + 9 and Lisbon is X, X denotes
(a) GMT
(b) The temperature as measured by the Kelvin scale to arrive at the temperature as measured by the Celsius scale
(c) Base from which height and depth from the sealevel is measured
(d) The figure to be used for converting the Imperial System to the Metric system
Ans. (c)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

211. Which one of the following has merged with Tanganyika to form the present Tanzania?
(a) Zimbabwe (b) Zaire
(c) Zanzibar (d) Zambia
Ans. (c) The name “Tanzania” was created as a clipped compound of the names of the two states that unified to create the country: Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

212. Deserts such as the Sahara are generally found between 20° and 30° latitudes in the western parts of the continents. This is because these regions
(a) Have off-shore winds throughout the year
(b) Have warm off-shore currents
(c) Lie in the belt of the doldrums
(d) Are very hot throughout the year
Ans. (a) Because the said region lies in off-shore winds.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

213. Match List I with List II and select the answer using the codes given below the lists.
List I : List II Products : Top Producers
A. Olives : 1. U.S.A
B. Cotton : 2. Italy
C. Tomato : 3. Brazil
D. Coffee : 4. China : 5. Indonesia
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below :
A B C D
(a) 1 4 3 2 (b) 4 1 5 3
(c) 2 1 3 4 (d) 2 4 1 3
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

214. Consider the map given below : In which one of the following areas is the Indian Ocean located on the map?

(a) 90° E – 180° (b) 0 – 90° W
(c) 0 – 90° E (d) 90° W – 180°
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

215. After the break-up of the USSR the largest country in the world in terms of area is
(a) China (b) Russia
(c) USA (d) Canada
Ans. (b) Russia is the largest successor country of the USSR.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

216. In which one of the following places the ‘boiling point’ of water is the highest?
(a) Dead Sea (b) Mt. Everest
(c) Nile delta (d) Sunderban delta
Ans. (a) The boiling point of water is highest in the Dead Sea. Since boiling point varies positively with pressure, the place with the highest air pressure will have the highest boiling point. The highest air pressure will be the place at the lowest altitude. Thus, the Dead Sea, which is below sea level would witness highest boiling point of water and Mt. Everest the lowest boiling point.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

217. Which of the following crops are most suitable for cultivation under scanty rainfall conditions?
1. Horse gram 2. Rice
3. Mustard 4. Wheat
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 4
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1 and 3
Ans. (d) Rice is a water intensive crop and therefore, could not be raised in water scarce region. It needs water logged conditions at the time of plantation.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

218. A person stood alone in a desert on a dark night and wanted to reach his village which was situated 5 km east of the point where he was standing. He had no instruments to find the direction but he located the polestar. The most convenient way now to reach his village is to walk
(a) In the direction facing the polestar
(b) In the direction opposite to the polestar
(c) In the direction keeping the polestar to his left
(d) In the direction keeping the polestar to his right
Ans. (c) Pole star is on the line of geographical rotational axis in the northern hemisphere. Hence, keeping the pole star on its left, the person will take north-east direction.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

219. Which of the following listings are correct?
Cash Crop Plantation Horticulture Crop Crop
1. Tobacco Coconut Sugarcane
2. Sugarcane Coffee Coconut
3. Cotton Tea Cashew
4. Coconut Rubber Tobacco
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below :
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 3
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 3 and 4
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

220. In which type of rocks are metals like gold and copper (a) Old igneous (b) Old metamorphic (c) Old sedimentary (d) New metamorphic
Ans. (a) Metals like gold and copper mostly found in old igneous
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

221. Water cycle refers to
(a) An integrated attempt to recycle water in relatively (b) Constant movement of water from ocean to land and (c) Scientific management of water in areas excessively (d) Planning of water distribution relatively dry areas
Ans. (b) The water cycle or hydrologic cycle is a continuous cycle part of a cloud, falls down to earth as precipitation, and
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

222. The interior regions of Eurasia have a large number of the boundary of Iran?
(a) Aral Sea (b) Lake Balkash (
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

223. The best quality of hard wood for the manufacture of (a) Cedrus deodara (b) Pinus longifolia (c) Dalbergia sissio (d) Mangifera indica
Ans. (c)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

224. Consider the diagram given below:

S = Sun, E = Earth, M = Moon Direction of Movement by arrows (a), (b), (c) and (d) is wrong?
(a) Direction of the rotation of the Sun (b) (c) Defection of the rotation of the Earth (d) of inland seas or lakes. Which one of the following touches c) Lake Baikal (d) Caspian Sea Movement Which one of the four directions of movement as shown b) Direction of the revolution of the Earth d) Direction of the revolution of the Moon
Ans. (b) The motion of earth in elliptical orbit, on its rotational axis and that of moon as satellite are synchronous i.e. in same direction.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1992]

225. The light from the Sun reaches the Earth in about
(a) 2 min (b) 4min
(c) 6 min (d) 8 min
Ans. (d) Sunlight travels at the speed of light (3 × 108 m/s). Photons emitted from the surface of the Sun need to travel across the vacuum of space to reach our eyes. The short answer is that it takes sunlight an average of 8 minutes and 20 seconds i.e. 500 sec to travel from the Sun to the Earth.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

226. Neap tides are produced in the first and third quarters of the Moon. Then,
(a) The Moon and the Sun are in conjunction with the other planets
(b) The Moon and the Sun are in opposition with each other
(c) The attractions of the Sun and the Moon are at right angles to each other
(d) The Moon and the Sun are in quadrant position to each other
Ans. (c) A neap tide—seven days after a spring tide—refers to a period of moderate tides when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

227. Density of population refers to
(a) The number of persons living per sq km of land area
(b) The number of persons living per km of land area
(c) The number of persons living per village
(d) None of the above
Ans. (a) Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume; it is a quantity of type number density. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and most of the time to humans.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

228. Terrace cultivation is practiced mostly
(a) In urban areas
(b) On slopes of mountains
(c) On tops of hills
(d) In undulating tracts
Ans. (b) Graduated terrace cultivation is commonly used to farm on hilly or mountainous terrain. Terraced fields decrease both erosion and surface runoff, and may be used to support growing crops that require irrigation, such as rice.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

229. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists :
List I : List II Measuring instruments : Which Measure?
A. Anemometer : 1. Motor power
B. Tachometer : 2. Wind speed
C. Dynamometer : 3. Revolutions per minute
D. Barometer : 4. Atmospheric pressure : 5. Current from a dynamo
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
A B C D
(a) 1 3 5 4 (b) 2 1 3 4
(c) 2 3 1 4 (d) 1 3 5 2
Ans. (a) Barometer is used for measuring atmospheric pressure. Dynamometer is used for measuring currents produced in a dynamo. Anemometer to measure wind speed.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

230. Seasons on the Earth are caused due to
(a) The elliptical orbit of the Earth
(b) Alteration/change in the speed of revolution of the Earth
(c) Inclination of the Earth on its axis of rotation
(d) Differences in the amount of energy received from the Sun
Ans. (c) The seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth’s rotational axis away or toward the sun as it travels through its year-long path around the sun. The Earth has a tilt of 23.5 degrees relative to the “ecliptic plane” (the imaginary surface formed by it’s almost-cicular path around the sun). The tilt on its rotational axis leads to opposite development of climatic conditions in northern and southern hemisphere, one hemisphere being closer and other being away from the sun.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

231. Barkhan (Barchans) is a
(a) Crescent shaped sand-dune
(b) Depositional bar, separated by water from the coast
(c) Dark coloured, fine grained rock
(d) Glacial erosional feature
Ans. (a) Barchan dune. (bär-kän’) A large, crescent-shaped dune lying at right angles to the prevailing wind and having a steep, concave leeward side with the crescent tips pointing downwind. Barchan dunes are normally formed on flat, hard surfaces where the sand supply is limited.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

232. Jupiter completes one circuit of the Sun in
(a) 13 years (b) 12 years
(c) 16 years (d) 10 years
Ans. (b) Jupiter takes 11.8618 Earth years to complete a single orbit (revolution) of the Sun because of its large orbital size.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

233. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists :
List I : List II
A. Deforestation : 1. Vacuoles
B. Cellular Structure : 2. Maize
C. Cross Pollination : 3. Soil Erosion
D. Nitrogen fixation : 4. Legumes
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
A B C D
(a) 3 1 2 4 (b) 1 2 4 3
(c) 4 1 2 3 (d) 2 3 4 1
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

234. The speed of revolution of the earth in its orbit round the sun is
(a) Same throughout the year
(b) Greatest when the earth is nearest to the sun
(c) Greatest when the earth is farthest from the sun
(d) Least when the earth is nearest to the sun
Ans. (a) Earth’s average orbital speed is about 30 kilometers per second. In other units, that’s about 19 miles per second, or 67,000 miles per hour, or 110,000 kilometers per hour (110 million meters per hour). However, when closer to earth it moves fast while away from sun it moves slow following Kepler’s 2nd law of planetary motion that all planets sweep equal area in equal interval of time.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

235. Largest producer of diamond and gem in the world is
(a) Zaire (b) South Africa
(c) Botswana (d) Ghana
Ans. (c) The top five producing countries by volume of production are Russia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Australia and Canada. Russia. Russia holds what is believed to be the world’s largest and richest diamond resources. They are the world’s largest producer and exporter of rough diamonds by volume.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

236. Which of the following is the brightest heavenly body in the evening/night sky?
(a) Jupiter (b) Saturn
(c) Mars (d) Venus
Ans. (d) Venus is the brightest heavenly body in the evening/ night sky. The brightness is because of excessive green house effect as a result of its atmosphere containing carbon dioxide. It is also the hottest of all the planets.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

237. Which one of the following winds is not a planetary wind?
(a) Trade (b) Westerly
(c) Polar Easterly (d) Monsoon
Ans. (d) Planetary winds are permanent in nature. They blow in the same direction almost throughout the year. Since monsoon winds change their direction twice in a year, they are not planetary winds.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

238. Of the following forest regions, the most suitable wood for paper pulp is available from
(a) Hot and humid regions of Amazon
(b) Savanna
(c) Equatorial forests of Congo basin
(d) Forests of Burma
Ans. (c) Paper pulp wood majorly comes from the equatorial forest of Congo.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

239. Swamps are seen in the Siberian rivers because
(a) Freezing of the river near the mouth prevents water to flow to the sea
(b) Rivers are too narrow
(c) Rivers are heavily drained by the large network of canals
(d) Railway bridges built across the rivers obstruct the flow
Ans. (a) Swamps can be seen in Siberian rivers because the freezing of the river near the mouth prevents water to flow into the sea. It is much like normal delta but the key difference is that in Siberian rivers these swamps are spread through a huge regions.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

240. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists :
List I : List II
A. Damascus : 1. Taiga
B. Cassava : 2. City in Syria
C. Pine forest : 3. West Indian Tribe
D. Insequent valley : 4. Wanganui in New Zealand
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
A B C D
(a) 1 2 3 4 (b) 2 3 1 4
(c) 3 4 1 2 (d) 2 1 4 3
Ans. (d) Damscus is an important city of Syria. Cassava, also known as tapioca, the pudding favorite is produced from the roots of this bush-like plant. But the crop can have deadly consequences. If prepared incorrectly, the cassava plant can produce cyanide, a deadly compound when consumed.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

241. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists :
List I : List II
A. Mushroom Rocks : 1. Fold type
B. Cape Verde : 2. Low latitude desert
C. Thar : 3. Volcanic
D. Vosges : 4. Wind erosion
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
A B C D
(a) 3 4 1 2 (b) 3 2 4 1
(c) 2 4 1 3 (d) 4 3 2 1
Ans. (d) Thar is a low latitude desert. Mushroom rocks are formed by wind erosion.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1991]

242. Which one of the following is not a satellite of Jupiter?
(a) Io (b) Callisto (c) Europa (d) Titan
Ans. (d) Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and NOT of Jupiter. Ti
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1990]

243. The maturity of a river course is recognised by the presence (a) V-shaped valley (b) Meanders (c) Gorges (d) High denudational power
Ans. (b) Most rivers have an upper (youthful) course, a middle (marked by variations in the characteristics of the river. The youthful stage of the river is when water flow is interlocking spurs are features of the youthful stage, gentler during the mature stage, and the river widens. inside of the curves, deposition will take place. On the outside, old age stage. The river has to work hard to make its way
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1990]

244. Sunda Strait separates
(a) Burma and Celebes (b) Java and Sumatra
(c) Japan and Korea (d) Sicily and Italy
Ans. (b) The Sunda Strait is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean. The name comes from the Indonesian term Pasundan, meaning “West Java”.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1990]

245. Caldera is a feature associated with
(a) Volcanoes (b) Earthquakes
(c) Folding of rocks
(d) Faulting of mountains
Ans. (a) A caldera is a large cauldron-like volcanic depression, a type of volcanic crater, formed by the collapse of an emptied magma chamber. The depression often originates in very big explosive eruptions.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1990]

246. Which one of the following is the largest of the inner planets?
(a) Venus (b) Mercury
(c) Mars (d) Earth
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1990]

247. Eskers and Drumlins are features, formed by
(a) Running water (b) Underground water
(c) The action of wind (d) Glacial action
Ans. (d) Eskers and Drumlins both are features of glacial action landforms. However, though drumlins and eskers are both hilly glacial landforms, they differ in shape. Eskers are narrow, long, winding hills that were deposited by streams underneath the glaciers. Drumlins, in contrast, are oval egg-like hills featuring a steep slope at one end and a gentle incline at the other.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1990]

248. If the difference in time of the two places is 2 hours and 20 minutes, then the difference in their longitudes will be
(a) 30° (b) 35°
(c) 40° (d) 45°
Ans. (b) Since roughly, 1 degree longitude causes 4 minutes of time difference, 35 degree would cause 2 hours and 20 minutes time difference.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1990]

249. Match list I with list II and select the correct answer using the codes given below them :
List I (City) : List II (Place)
A. Budapest : 1. Alexander Platz
B. Warsaw : 2. Walesa Square
C. Berlin : 3. Tiananmen Square
D. Beijing : 4. Ceausescu Square : 5. Parliament Square
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
A B C D
(a) 4 3 1 5 (b) 3 4 5 2
(c) 5 2 4 3 (d) 5 2 1 3
Ans. (c) The Tiananmen Square is associated with student protests, commonly known in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident were student-led demonstrations in Beijing in 1989. Parliament Square is a square at the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in London. It features a large open green area in the centre with trees to its west and it contains ten statues of statesmen and other notable personalities of Britain.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1990]

@250. Which of the following is cold ocean current?
(a) Labrador (b) Gulf Stream
(c) Kuro Shio (d) None of these
Ans. (a) Lebrador current is a cold oceanic current. The Labrador Current is a cold current in the North Atlantic Ocean which flows from the Arctic Ocean south along the coast of Labrador and passes around Newfoundland, continuing south along the east coast of Nova Scotia.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1989]

251. The international air route from West Europe to East Asia passes through India because
(a) It is the shortest route.
(b) India is the only country in Asia providing refueling capacity.
(c) India is a busy centre situated between the two places.
(d) None of the above
Ans. (c) India’s geographic location makes it to act as transit for flights connecting west Europe to East Asia. The country is situated as a busy centre situated between two important regions of the world along with refuelling capacity.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1989]

252. 12 constellations referred to as zodiac are
(a) Imaginary region that encompass the path of the planets.
(b) Signs of Roman gods.
(c) A group of stars
(d) None of the above
Ans. (a) In western astrology, there are 12 signs but standing for 12 periods of a year. According to natural distribution, stars are divided into many regions of different sizes, each called a constellation.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1989]

253. Which of the following countries is rich in oil?
(a) Singapore (b) Thailand
(c) Pakistan (d) Indonesia
Ans. (d) Indonesia is an oil rich country. Indonesia is also a member of OPEC countries, an alliance of major oil producing countries across the world.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1989]

254. Savanna grasslands are found in
(a) North America (b) Africa
(c) Australia (d) East Asia
Ans. (b) Tropical grasslands are found in tropical wet and dry are primarily found in African continent.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1989]

255. Which of the following is a block mountain?
(a) Alps (b) Vosges
(c) Rocky (d)Andes
Ans. (b) Vosges is a block mountain. Block Mountains or Fault Block Mountains are massive in structure. They have very steep slopes.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1989]

256. Temperature of four places is given below. Which of Assertion (A): Most of the hot deserts are present on the winds.
Reason (R): Zones of trade winds are characterised by (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation (c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true climates. Africa fulfills such climatic conditions, hence they between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. They Australia, South America, and India.
3 to 6 feet tall at maturity. They may have some droughtresistant, they may have an open shrub layer. They develop in regions drought and fire prevent the establishment of many trees.
drainage of water. It has only a thin layer of humus (the organic of plant or animal matter), which provides vegetation with c) Mexico (d) South Africa in 2015, with its output rising by an impressive 400 MT to hit the four places has the most continental climate?
the western margin of the continents close to the zones of trade by seas having reversal of planetary wind direction.
explanation of A explanation of A
Ans. (a) Most of the hot deserts are present on the western margin There are many reasons for this : 1. The trade winds blow off shore – classic example is Sahara. Trades. As they blow from the North east at roughly Sahara. 2. The Cool Canaries flow alongside the west coast of Africa. of the sea and condense as mist or fog rather than as clouds. 3. Deserts also lie in the rain shadow of mountains. The Ranges, Atacama in the rainshadow of Andes. 4. In one season it is off shore winds and in another season currents are there. So the opportunity for rain is less. humidity augmented by transpiration is also less.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1989]

257. The leading producer of silver is
(a) U.S.A. (b) U.S.S.R. (
Ans. (a) Mexico remained the world’s largest silver producer in 5,400 MT only to be followed by China and Peru.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1989]

258. Seasonal migration of men and animals from lower to higher altitudes during the summer is known as
(a) Nomadism (b) Migration
(c) Transhumance (d) Pastoralism
Ans. (c) Seasonal migration of men and animals from lower to higher Transhumance is the seasonal movement of people with In montane regions (vertical transhumance), it implies valleys in winter. Herders have a permanent home, typically certain number of people necessary to tend them, while transhumance is more susceptible to being disrupted
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1988]

259. Ordinary dry air consists of the following :
1. Nitrogen 2. Oxygen
3. Argon 4. Carbon dioxide What is the decreasing sequence of these in percentages?
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 2, 4 and 3
(c) 2, 1, 3 and 4 (d) 2, 1, 4 and 3
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1988]

260. Which one of the following is not correctly matched?
(a) Isopleth : A line joining places of equal height
(b) Isobar : A line joining places of equal pressure
(c) Isohyet : A line joining places of equal rainfall
(d) Isotherm : A line joining places of equal temperature
Ans. (a) Isopleth is a line on a map connecting points having equal incidence of a specified meteorological feature. Thus, the match is incorrect.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1988]

261. Corals is/are
(a) A particular type of shell found near some of the seacoasts.
(b) A special variety of fish which live in shells.
(c) The tiny animals that live in shells in the sea.
(d) The remains of tiny sea animals resembling shells.
Ans. (d) A coral is a hard stony substance secreted by certain marine coelenterates as an external skeleton, typically forming large reefs in warm seas. The largest of this type of reefs are found close to Australia.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1988]

262. Fog is common around Newfoundland coast because
(a) Icebergs melt around the coast
(b) Warm and cold currents meet
(c) The rainfall is heavy
(d) High tides cause storms
Ans. (b) Fog is common around Newfoundland coast due to warm and cold currents which meet here. Newfoundland and Labrador is a Canadian Atlantic province with an area of 405,212 square kilometers. The province is located in eastern Canada and comprises two main parts: the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador, which is located northwest of the island.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1988]

263. If there were no atmosphere, what would be the colour of sky?
(a) White (b) Black
(c) Blue (d) Red
Ans. (b) If there were no atmosphere, there would be no particle atoms or molecules to scatter any of the light from the sun downwards towards us and the sky would appear black (as it appears on the moon ).
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1988]

264. Consider the diagram below :

Letters A, B, C and D in the diagram represent sequential arrangement of basic topographical features along a coast. Identify the correct sequence from the codes given below :
(a) Land, continental shelf, continental slope, deep seaplain
(b) Land, continental slope, continental shelf, deep seaplain
(c) Mountain, sea coast, continental slope, deep sea plain
(d) Hill, continental slope, ocean deep, deep sea plain
Ans. (a) The landmass which is completely isolated from sea or any water body is called land. The next towards the sea is called continental shelf which is rather shallow portion of land submerged under the sea. The sea slope is the slope that connects continental shelf with that of deep ocean floor.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1988]

265. The vegetation of the area dotted on the map is

(a) Pampas (b) Prairies
(c) Savanna (d) Veld
Ans. (c) Savanna as tropical savanna climates are most commonly found in Africa, Asia and northern South America. The climate is also prevalent in sections of Central America, northern Australia and southern North America, specifically in sections of Mexico and the state of Florida in the United States. Most of these places are found at the outer margins of the tropical zone, but occasionally an inner-tropical location (e.g., San Marcos, Antioquia, Colombia) also qualifies to be considered as savanna.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1988]

266. The climate in the shaded area of the map is of

(a) Cold temperate oceanic type
(b) Mediterranean type
(c) Monsoon type
(d) Temperate Grassland type
Ans. (b) Mediterranean type of climate with the mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome is closely associated with mediterranean climate zones, as are unique freshwater communities. Particularly distinctive of the climate are sclerophyllshrublands, called maquis in the Mediterranean Basin, chaparral in California, matorral in Chile, fynbos in South Africa, and mallee and kwonganshrublands in Australia.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1988]

267. Which of the following rivers has a ‘bird’s foot’ delta?
(a) The Amazon (b) The Brahmaputra
(c) The Mississippi (d) The Nile
Ans. (c) The Mississipi river delta has a ‘bird’s foot’ delta.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1988]

268. The river (R) shown on the map is

(a) Niger (b) Orange
(c) Congo (d) Zambezi
Ans. (d) The Zambezi is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. The area of its basin is 1,390,000 square kilometres, slightly less than half that of the Nile.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1988]

269. The trees of spruce, fir, pine, etc. are found in which of the following natural regions of the earth?
(a) Laurentian type (b) Alpine type
(c) Taiga type (d) Siberian type
Ans. (c) The trees of spruce, fir, pine, etc. are found in Taiga type climate. They are gymnosperm adapted for temperate or sub-temperate conditions.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1987]

270. Match the columns :
A. Groundnut : 1. Leguminosae
B. Cotton : 2. Graminae
C. Sugarcane : 3. Malvaceae
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
A B C
(a) 1 2 3
(b) 1 3 2
(c) 2 1 3
(d) 3 1 2
Ans. (a) Groundnut is leguminous crop. Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of this family include okra, cotton, etc. Sugarcane belongs to family Graminae which also include wheat, rice, etc.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1987]

271. Seismic waves that vibrate perpendicular to the direction of their path
(a) Travel through the solid parts of the earth only
(b) Travel through the solid as well as other parts of the earth
(c) Spread on the surface of the earth
(d) None of the above
Ans. (b) Seismic waves produced as result of an earthquake vibrate perpendicular to the direction of their path travel through the solid as well as other parts of the earth.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1987]

272. The largest producer of woodpulp is
(a) Canada (b) U.S.S.R.
(c) U.S.A. (d) Japan
Ans. (c) The United States of America is the largest producer of woodpulp. The largest producer countries, US, China, Japan and Canada, make up more than half of the world’s paper production using wood pulp which is 400 million tonnes a year.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1987]

273. Which of the following are known as coastlines of submergence?
(a) Uplifted lowland (b) Ria Coasts
(c) Emergent upland (d) None of the above
Ans. (c) Submerging coastline are the opposite of emergent coastlines which have experienced a relative fall in sea-levels. Features of a submerging coastline are: drowned river valleys or raised drowned glaciated valleys. Hence, (c) is the correct answer
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1987]

274. Physiological population density is the ratio of
(a) Total population to total area
(b) Total population to total irrigated land area
(c) Total population to urban land area
(d) Total population to rural land area
Ans. (b) The physiological density or real population density is the number of people per unit area of aerable land.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1987]

275. Of the total water on the earth, fresh water reserves constitute approximately
(a) 1.2 % (b) 2.7 %
(c) 4.5 % (d) 5.8%
Ans. (b) Of available total water, nearly 3 % is fresh water resources and 1% is the underground water.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1987]

276. Pumice is derived from
(a) Volcanic rock (b) Sedimentary rock
(c) Igneous rock (d) Acid lava
Ans. (c) Pumice is derived from the igneous rocks only. Hence, (c) is the correct answer. Pumice is a light-colored, extremely porous igneous rock that forms during explosive volcanic eruptions. It is used as aggregate in lightweight concrete, as landscaping aggregate, and as an abrasive in a variety of industrial and consumer products.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1986]

277. Match the columns :
A. English : 1. Israel
B. Amharic : 2. Namibia
C. Swahili : 3. Ethiopia
D. Hebrew : 4. Kenya
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
A B C D
(a) 3 4 1 2 (b) 4 1 2 3
(c) 2 4 1 3 (d) 2 3 4 1
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1986]

278. Mean Sea Level (MSL) is the
(a) Average level of the sea
(b) Height of water above ground level
(c) Average height of waves
(d) None of the above
Ans. (a) Sea level is generally used to refer to mean sea level (MSL), an average level for the surface of one or more of Earth’s oceans from which heights such as elevations may be measured.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1986]

279. Match the columns:
A. Australia : 1. Pretoria
B. Canada : 2. Riyadh
C. South Africa : 3. Canberra
D. Saudi Arabia : 4. Ottawa
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
A B C D
(a) 2 4 1 3 (b) 3 4 1 2
(c) 4 3 1 2 (d) 3 4 2 1
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1986]

280. Massive deforestation causes
(a) Soil erosion (b) Famine
(c) Floods (d) None of these
Ans. (a) Deforestation has many negative effects on the environment. The most dramatic impact is exacerbated rate of soil erosion. The loss of trees, which anchor the soil with their roots, cause widespread erosion throughout the tropics. Only a minority of areas have good soils, which after clearing are quickly washed away by the heavy rains.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1986]

281. High tides at antipodes are caused due to
(a) Gravitational pull of the moon and the sun
(b) Gravitational pull of the sun
(c) Centrifugal, centripetal and gravitational pull of the sun
(d) Centrifugal, centripetal and gravitational pull of the sun and the moon
Ans. (a) Tides are a result of gravitational pull by both Sun and Moon, but the pull exerted by Sun is apparently weak. This is because of the larger distance as the gravitational force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1986]

282. At a certain place, the Greenwich Mean Time is ahead place is located
(a) 180°W of GMT (b) 180°E of GMT
(c) 90°W of GMT (d) 90°E of GMT
Ans. (a) The west of 180°W of GMT marks the western point means from there, the GMT must be ahead by 12 hours.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1986]

283. Which of the following is the correct order of increasing size of the grains of soil particles?
A. Clay B. Silt
C. Sand D. Gravel
(a) A, B, C, D (b) D, C, A, B
(c) B, C, A, D (d) C, D, B, A
Ans. (a) There are several different systems in place that denote the particle sizes. The correct order of the increasing size of grains of soil particles are following:
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1986]

284. Extrusive (Intrusive) rocks are forms of
(a) Igneous rocks
(b) Sedimentary rocks
(c) Metamorphic rocks
(d) None of the above
Ans. (a) Extrusive and Intrusive rock systems are form of igneous rock system. Igneous Rocks Igneous rocks are formed from the solidification of molten rock material (lawa). There are two basic types. Intrusive igneous rocks crystallize below Earth’s surface, and the slow cooling that occurs there allows large crystals to form. Examples of intrusive igneous rocks are diorite, gabbro, granite, pegmatite, and peridotite. Extrusive igneous rocks erupt onto the surface, where they cool quickly to form small crystals. Some cool so quickly that they form an amorphous glass. These rocks include andesite, basalt, obsidian, pumice, rhyolite, scoria, and tuff.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1986]

285. Which of the following two continents are just like the each other?
(a) South America and Africa (b) South America and (c) South America and Australia (d) Europe and Asia
Ans. (a) South America and Africa are almost the mirror images ahead by 12 hours. The of the Earth. That hours. the mirror images of and North America images of each other.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1986]

286. The shape of the Himalayas is like
(a) An arc
(b) A curvilinear straight line
(c) A straight line
(d) A right angle
Ans. (d) The Himalayas are very pointy, sharp, jagged. This is from the years of ice dropping from the top slopes, carving the rock into shape. The mountains look like pyramids, triangles or sharp rocks.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1986]

287. Which of the following terms is used to denote the heavy rocks of the lithosphere?
(a) Substratum
(b) SIAL
(c) SIMA
(d) None of the above
Ans. (a) Substratum is an underlying layer or substance, in particular a layer of rock or soil beneath the surface of the ground. The term is used to denote the heavy rocks of the lithosphere.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1986]

288. Match the following :
A. Argentite : 1. Copper
B. Bauxite : 2. Iron
C. Haematite : 3. Aluminium
D. Cuprite : 4. Silver
Codes :
A B C D
(a) 4 3 2 1 (b) 1 4 3 2
(c) 2 1 4 3 (d) 1 2 3 4
Ans. (a)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1985]

289. Trade winds are caused by the
(a) Revolution of the earth
(b) Rotation of the earth
(c) In flowing movement of air along the earth’s surface towards the equator
(d) None of the above
Ans. (d) The trade winds are caused by a combination of convection air currents and the Earth’s rotation. Air is warmed near the Equator and moves towards each pole, respectively. This air is deflected by the ‘Coriolis effect’, or the spin of the Earth, causing it to fall back towards the Equator in both hemispheres.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1985]

290. Which of the following pairs is correct?
City — River
(a) Baghdad — Tigris
(b) Bonn — Danube
(c) Rome — Seine
(d) Paris — Tiber
Ans. (a) Baghdad lies on bank of river Tigris. Bonn, a city in West Germany on the bank river Rhine Rome is central Italy is located on river Tiber and Paris in France on river Seine. Hence option (a) is correct.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1985]

291. Which of the following statements is correct?
(a) Northern Ireland is included in U.K. and Southern Ireland is sovereign independent, democratic republic
(b) Southern Ireland is included in U.K. and Northern Ireland is a sovereign independent, democratic republic
(c) Both are sovereign, independent, democratic republics
(d) Both are included in U.K.
Ans. (a) Northern Ireland is included in U.K. and Southern Ireland is sovereign independent, democratic republic. Hence, A is the correct statement.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1985]

292. Ursa Minor is
(a) The name of an island
(b) The name of a satellite
(c) A group of stars that form the Little Dipper in the most northern constellation
(d) The name of a disease in U.S.A
Ans. (c) Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Bear, is a constellation of stars in the Northern Sky. It is used as an indicative sign for locating ‘Pole star’.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1985]

293. Diego Garcia is
(a) An American military air base in the Indian Ocean
(b) U.K. Navy base in the Pacific Ocean
(c) An island in Antarctica
(d) None of the above
Ans. (d) Diego Garcia is an atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia is the largest of the 60 small islands comprising of the Chagos Archipelago. It was settled by the French in the 1790s and was transferred to British rule after the Napoleonic Wars.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1985]

294. Isohyets are the lines drawn on a map connecting points having
(a) Equal temperature (b) Equal height
(c) Equal atmospheric pressure
(d) Equal rainfall
Ans. (d) Isohyets are lines on a map connecting points having the same amount of rainfall in a given period.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1985]

295. Match the columns :
A. Magnesium : 1. Mantle
B. Upper layer of the earth’s crust : 2. Sima
C. Light rocks of the lithosphere : 3. Bill
D. Small Peninsula : 4. Sial
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
A B C D
(a) 2 3 4 1 (b) 3 2 1 4
(c) 1 3 4 2 (d) 2 1 4 3
Ans. (*)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1985]

296. Match the columns :
List-I : List-II
A. Southeastern coast of U.S.A. : 1. Florida current
B. West coast of South Africa : 2. Kuroshio current
C. Southwestern coast of South America : 3. Beneguella current
D. Southeastern coast of Japan : 4. Peruvian current
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
A B C D
(a) 2 3 4 1 (b) 1 3 4 2
(c) 1 4 3 2 (d) 2 4 3 1
Ans. (b)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1985]

297. What does “Roaring Forties” refer to?
(a) The tract of stormy westerly winds between latitudes 20-30°S
(b) Whirl winds caused in Atlantic Ocean
(c) The region between latitudes 40°S and 50°S, where the prevailing westerly winds blow over the open oceans with great regularity and strength
(d) None of these
Ans. (c) Roaring forties, areas between latitudes 40°S and 50° south in the Southern Hemisphere, where the prevailing winds blow persistently from the west. The roaring forties have strong, often gale-force, winds throughout the year. They were named by the sailors who first entered these latitudes.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1984]

298. Grenada is situated in
(a) Pacific Ocean
(b) Indian Ocean
(c) Caribbean Sea
(d) Mediterranean Sea
Ans. (c) The three islands of Grenada are located in the Eastern Caribbean at the southern extremity of the Windward islands, only 100 miles north of Venezuela. To the north lie St. Vincent and the Grenadines; to the south Trinidad and Tobago.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1984]

299. The North Atlantic Sea route is regarded as an important international trade route because
(a) It is the oldest sea route
(b) It connects two industrially developed parts of the world
(c) Trade winds will help the shipping
(d) There are lesser number of sea storms in this water way
Ans. (b) North Atlantic Sea route is regarded as an important international trade route because it connects two industrially developed world U.K. and U.S.A.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1984]

@300. Arrange the following three atmospheric layers starting A. Stratosphere B. Ionosphere C.
Codes :
(a) A, B, C (b) C, A, B (c) A, C, B (d) C, B, A
Ans. (b) Troposphere is the lowest most atmospheric layer. Stratosphere correct answer.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1984]

301. Tropical rain forests appear in which of the following (a) South America, South Africa and Central Europe (c) Congo basin, Central America, South East Asia
Ans. (c) The tropical rain forest mainly found through Central
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1983]

302. Which of the following is not favourable for the formation of deltas?
(a) Calm winds
(b) Currents and tides
(c) Sheltered coast
(d) No large lakes in the river course
Ans. (b) Currents and Tides are not helpful in delta formation: Most of deltas end up forming estuaries where sea water and fresh water of rivers mix together. High tides can prevent formation of delta as low tide following high tide will not support its formation.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1983]

303. “Mulching” the soil is a process whereby
(a) Big pieces of soil are broken down into smaller pieces
(b) The field is irrigated at regular intervals
(c) Transplanting of seedlings take place
(d) Loose material, dung, etc. are laid on the ground to
Ans. (d)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1983]

304. The tropical deciduous trees shed their leaves in summer
(a) Leaves get dried up due to the excessive heat
(b) To prevent excessive loss of water through transpiration
(c) Because rainfall is inadequate
(d) Days are longer
Ans. (a) Tropical deciduous trees shed their leaves in order to minimize the water loss to excessive heat. Many types of trees shed their leaves as a strategy to survive harsh weather conditions. In temperate forests across the Northern Hemisphere, trees shed their leaves during autumn as cold weather approaches. In tropical and subtropical forests, trees shed their leaves at the onset of the dry season. Trees that lose all of their leaves for part of the year are known as deciduous trees. Those that don’t are called evergreen trees.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1983]

305. Flame of the forest is
(a) A tree blossomed with flowers like flame in leafless season
(b) Fire developed in the forest due to strong wind
(c) A lady who worked for the development of the forests
(d) An insect which glows like a flame in the forest
Ans. (a) Flame tree is a common name used in various parts of the world to refer to several different species of tree which easily catch fire during the course of lightning.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1982]

306. Generally speaking, all rocks may be classified into three major groups, such as
(a) Marble, limestone, igneous
(b) Igneous, limestone, mica
(c) Igneous, marble, sedimentary
(d) Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic
Ans. (d) All rocks may be classified into three major groups- Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic. Igneous rocks like granite are the ones formed from lava after its cooling and solidification. Sedimentary rocks are formed with the deposition of sediments over a long period of time. When the so formed sedimentary rocks undergo compression in high temperature conditions, they get transformed into metamorphic rocks such as slate formed from sand stone.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1982]

307. The purest form of water is obtained from
(a) A deep tube well (b) A running stream
(c) Hot water spring (d) Heavy rains
Ans. (d) Rain water is considered the purest form of water. Impurities and salts present in water on earth are left behind during vaporisation by the sun. However, the rain water we receive on earth is not necessarily pure, as it initially brings down impurities and particles present in the atmosphere along with it but rain water after prolonged rains is more pure.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1982]

308. Contour bunding is used
(a) To stop the winds in sandy deserts
(b) To irrigate desert areas
(c) To prevent erosion in hilly areas
(d) None of the above
Ans. (c) Contour ploughing or contour farming or Contour bunding (step farming) is the farming practice of ploughing and/or planting across a slope following its elevation contour lines. It is practiced in hilly areas in order to minimize the soil erosion impacts by downward flowing water.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1982]

309. The conclusion that Asia and Africa had a single landmass is provided by
(a) The deserts in Asia and Africa
(b) The similarity in climate of certain regions of Asia and Africa
(c) The finding of same type of fossil in both the regions
(d) All of these
Ans. (d) All of these provide clues about the similarity between two land masses of Africa and Asia.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1982]

310. Plankton refers to
(a) A kind of fish
(b) A submerged platform in waters
(c) Drifting of organisms in a body of water
(d) A kind of animal living under water
Ans. (c) Plankton are a diverse group of organisms that live in water column of large bodies of water and that cannot swim against a current. They provide a crucial source food to many large aquatic organisms, such as fish and whales. Plankton being weak, non-motile exist in drafting state. They include mostly unicellular pro caryotes like bacteria and eukayotos like algae, protozoa, diatoms and dino flagellates.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1982]

311. U.S.A. found rings around which planet?
(a) Venus (b) Jupiter
(c) Mars (d) Pluto
Ans. (b) The USA has found rings around the planet of Jupiter. Four of the planets in the Solar System have rings. They are the four giant gas planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Saturn, which has by far the largest ring system, was known to have rings for a long time. It was not until the 1970s that rings were discovered around the other Jovian (gas) planets.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

312. It takes 11 seconds for the light to reach the earth from moon and 8 minutes from the sun. How much time will it take from the nearest bright star to reach the earth?
(a) 4.5 minutes (b) 45 minutes
(c) 45 months (d) 4.3 light years
Ans. (c)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

313. When a person moves from poles to the equator, the population of plants and animals will
(a) Increase
(b) Decrease
(c) Remain unchanged
(d) Not show any consistent behavior
Ans. (a) Poles have harsh climatic conditions like severe cold, less availability of drinking water, etc. which makes survival tough there. Hence, when a person moves from equator to poles, he finds less biodiversity and reverse is observed if a person moves from poles to equator.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

314. Which of the following statements is correct?
(a) Fossil I is heavier than fossil II
(b) Fossil II is heavier than fossil I
(c) Fossil I is older than fossil II
(d) Fossil II is older than fossil I
Ans. (d) Fossil II is older or more primitive than Fossil I. It’s because the Fossil-II in the lower layer has undergone the sedimentation than Fossil-I.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

315. Earthquakes are caused due to
(a) Volcanic eruptions
(b) Landslides
(c) Cyclones
(d) Movement of a part of earth’s surface on account of the faulting of rocks
Ans. (d) Earthquakes occur when there is sudden movement of rocks called tectonic plates beneath the surface, which is called ‘Faulting of rocks’.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

316. Why U.S.S.R. has many local time differences?
(a) Because of long east-west stretches
(b) Because north-south stretch is more
(c) Because it covers two continents
(d) Because of large differences in climate
Ans. (a) USSR (now, Russia) has 11 time zones because its vast east-west stretches. These eleven time zones in Russia, currently observe times ranging from UTC+02:00 to UTC+12:00. Daylight saving time is not used in Russia.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

317. Different seasons are formed because
(a) Sun is moving around the earth
(b) Of revolution of the earth around the sun on its orbit
(c) Of rotation of the earth around its axis
(d) All of the above
Ans. (b) The earth’s axis is tilted about 23.5 degrees and rotates on the same tilt, so the Earth is never straight up and down compared to the Sun. When it is summer in North America that is because the North Pole and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere are pointing toward the Sun and Southern Hemisphere is pointing away to experience winter season.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

318. Forests help in
(a) Soil erosion
(b) Soil protection
(c) Depleting the soil of its moisture
(d) All of the above
Ans. (b) Forests does not aid in soil erosion but prevent it. Infact they help to protect it to great extent. Forest is often considered as great means to protect soil and conserve it.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

319. What are the grass lands of South America called ?
(a) Stepes (b) Prairies
(c) Pampas (d) Savanna
Ans. (c) In South America grasslands are called pampas.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

320. There are two places P and Q. The longitudes of P and Q are 45° E and 60°W respectively. What will be the difference in their local times?
(a) 7 hours (b) 6 hours
(c) 3.5 hours
(d) Both places will have the same local time
Ans. (c)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

321. Why is there a severe difference in the climates of Northern and Southern Hemisphere?
(a) Due to rotation of the earth around its axis
(b) Due to revolution of the earth around the sun of its orbit
(c) Both of the above
(d) None of the above
Ans. (d) Distribution of land and sea is the main reason behind severe difference in the climates of Northern and Southern Hemisphere. The biggest factor in differences in the climate in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres has to do with the distribution of land vs. ocean. The Northern Hemisphere has much more of Earth’s land masses, while the Southern Hemisphere has a larger fraction of ocean. There is more than one reason this is important.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

322. Humidity of the air
(a) Increases with the increase in atmospheric temperature
(b) Decreases with the increase in atmospheric temperature
(c) Is not affected by the change in atmospheric temperature
(d) Does not show any consistent behaviour with the change in atmospheric temperature
Ans. (a) Temperature is directly proportional to humidity of air. The more temperature of an air is, the more humidity it would have provided that the soil is wet such as in coastal areas. Hence, the correct answer is ‘a’.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

323. Himalayan rivers are perennial because
(a) They flow from inexhaustible springs in the Himalayas
(b) They are fed in summer by melting snow of Himalayas
(c) There is continuous rain throughout the year in the catchment areas
(d) None of the above
Ans. (b) Himalayan rivers are perennial because they are fed in summer by melting snow of their originating glacier. They pass through the regions which witnesses relatively low rainfall still they are perennial because glaciers continue feeding them throughout the year.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1981]

324. What is a continental shelf ?
(a) It is a part of the ocean which is really an extension of the land mass, but submerged
(b) It is that part where the ocean commences
(c) It is a land mass which is surrounded by water on all sides
(d) It is a part of the continent that is submerged in relatively shallow sea
Ans. (d) Continental Shelf is a part of the continent that is submerged in relatively shallow sea. It is the area of seabed around a large land mass where the sea is relatively shelf is geologically part of the continental crust.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1980]

325. In which type of rocks, fossils are more abundantly found?
(a) Igneous
(b) Metamorphic
(c) Sedimentary
(d) None of these
Ans. (c) In sedimentary rocks, fossils are found abundantly. These rocks are formed by sedimentation such that the remains of past life gets buried in the depositing sediments. Later, as these sediments compress, the remains turn into fossils.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1980]

326. International date line
(a) Roughly corresponds to 180th meridian, the regions which are counted as being one day earlier in their than regions to the West
(b) Roughly corresponds to 180th meridian, the region which are counted as being one day earlier in their than regions to the east
(c) Roughly corresponds to 90th meridian which falls side of the Greenwich meridian
(d) Roughly corresponds to 135th meridian which falls side of the Greenwich meridian
Ans. (a) The International Date Line (IDL) is an imaginary line of Earth’s surface located at about 180 degrees east (or west) Meridian. If we go west of IDL then the day is yesterday move eastwards, the day is one advanced day. world: United States Pakistan Russia regions to the east of their calendar dates region to the west of their calendar dates falls on the opposite falls on the opposite of longitude on the west) of the Greenwich yesterday whereas if we
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1980]

327. A narrow strip of land, bordered on both sides by water, connecting to larger bodies of land is called
(a) Dune (b) Equinox
(c) Isthmus (d) Strait
Ans. (c) A narrow piece of land that connects two landmasses is known as an isthmus. It is generally surrounded by water bodies on two of its sides. (Irrelevant) Generally canals are built across isthmuses, as they provide the shortest route for travelling from one water body to the other by sea. Best examples: Isthmus of Panama, joining the two Americas and Separating the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Isthmus of Gibraltar, joining Gibraltar to Spain
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1980]

328. Doldrums refer to
(a) A belt of calm and light variable winds near the equator
(b) A particular area in the centre of the Pacific Ocean
(c) The region of the upper atmosphere extending upward from the tropopause to about 20
kms. above the earth
(d) None of these
Ans. (a) Doldrums is a belt of calm and light variable winds near the equator. Doldrums, also called equatorial calms, equatorial regions of light ocean currents and winds within the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), a belt of converging winds and rising air encircling Earth near the Equator.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1980]

329. Heavy rainfall affects soil by
(a) Increasing its acidity
(b) Increasing its alkalinity
(c) Reducing its fertility
(d) None of these
Ans. (a) Heavy rainfall causes leaching and therefore removes the salts in the soil which balances the soil acidity. Hence, in case of heavy rainfall, the acidity of soil increases and so also its salinity.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1980]

330. When it is 8 A.M. on Wednesday of Greenwich
(a) It is 10.30 P.M. on Wednesday at London
(b) It is 6.15 A.M. on Tuesday at New York
(c) It is 3.00 P.M. on Wednesday at Hong Kong
(d) It is 5.00 P.M. on Wednesday at Tokyo
Ans. (c)
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1980]

331. The rising of evening star Venus indicates
(a) South Pole (b) North Pole
(c) East (d) West
Ans. (d) The Venus rises in the west and sets in the east thus, the rising of evening star would indicate west pole. The orbit of Venus is inside the orbit of Earth. Unlike the outer planets, Venus is always relatively close to the Sun in the sky.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1980]

332. Pampas are the vast grassy plains of
(a) South America (b) North America
(c) Africa (d) Eurasia
Ans. (a) The Pampas are fertile South American lowlands.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1980]

333. The planets nearest to Sun are
(a) Mercury and Mars (b) Earth and Mercury (c) Mercury and Venus (d) Mercury and Uranus
Ans. (c) Mercury and Venus are two planets nearest to the Sun. The order of the planets, starting nearest the sun and Mercury Venus Earth Saturn Jupiter Mars Uranus Neptune
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1979]

334. You are asked to import ostrich, platypus and koala bear. Which country would you select to go where you get all these three?
(a) Japan (b) Australia
(c) New Zealand (d) Canada
Ans. (c) Ostrich, Platypus and Koala bear all three are found in New Zealand.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1979]

335. “Golan Heights” belonging to country “A” were captured “B” respectively?
(a) Syria and Israel (b) Israel and Syria (c) Syria and Egypt (d) Egypt and Israel
Ans. (b) The Golan Heights, a rocky plateau in south-western Syria, size. Due to its enormous strategic nd political significance, and Syria.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1979]

336. Richter scale is used to measure
(a) Earthquakes
(b) Ocean depth
(c) Intensity of wind
(d) Temperature of the body
Ans. (a) Richter scale is used to measure earthquakes using Sesimograph.
UPSC Previous Year Paper [1979]

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