World and Physical Geography

471. Which one of the following cities is situated to the East of Great Div

Which one of the following cities is situated to the East of Great Dividing Range?

[amp_mcq option1=”Adelaide” option2=”Sydney” option3=”Forrest” option4=”Broken Hill” correct=”option2″]

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Sydney is located on the southeastern coast of Australia, significantly to the east of the Great Dividing Range. Most of Australia’s major cities are located along the coast, east of the range.
The Great Dividing Range is Australia’s most substantial mountain range, running roughly parallel to the eastern coast of the continent. Cities located on the coastal side are to the east of the range, while many inland settlements are to the west.
Adelaide is located much further west on the southern coast. Forrest and Broken Hill are inland cities, situated to the west of the Great Dividing Range.

472. Which one of the following is a landlocked country?

Which one of the following is a landlocked country?

[amp_mcq option1=”Mali” option2=”Libya” option3=”Angola” option4=”Gabon” correct=”option1″]

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Mali is a landlocked country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania, none of which provide access to the sea.
A landlocked country is a sovereign state entirely enclosed by land, or whose only coastlines lie on closed seas (like the Caspian Sea).
Libya, Angola, and Gabon all have coastlines providing access to the sea (Mediterranean Sea for Libya, Atlantic Ocean for Angola and Gabon). There are 44 landlocked countries in the world.

473. Chabahar Port is located in which one of the following countries?

Chabahar Port is located in which one of the following countries?

[amp_mcq option1=”Iraq” option2=”Uzbekistan” option3=”Iran” option4=”Qatar” correct=”option3″]

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Chabahar Port is located in the southeastern part of Iran, on the Gulf of Oman, near the border with Pakistan.
India has been significantly involved in developing Chabahar Port as it provides India with a strategic gateway to access Afghanistan and Central Asian countries, bypassing Pakistan.
The port’s location is strategically important for trade and connectivity, reducing reliance on the traditional route through Pakistan for trade with landlocked Afghanistan and beyond.

474. Volga River drains into which one of the following seas?

Volga River drains into which one of the following seas?

[amp_mcq option1=”Adriatic Sea” option2=”Black Sea” option3=”North Sea” option4=”Caspian Sea” correct=”option4″]

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The Volga River, the longest river in Europe, flows through Central Russia and empties into the Caspian Sea.
The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water, variously classed as the world’s largest lake or a full-fledged sea. It is an endorheic basin, meaning it has no outflow to the ocean.
The Volga’s vast drainage basin covers much of European Russia, and it is a crucial waterway for transportation and irrigation. Other major rivers draining into the Caspian Sea include the Ural, Terek, and Kura rivers.

475. Which one of the following is correct?

Which one of the following is correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”In humid tropical region, humus content is high in soil” option2=”Glacial till exhibits deep horizon” option3=”Humus accumulates in cold climate” option4=”In equatorial climates, humus content is high in soil” correct=”option3″]

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– A) In humid tropical regions, high temperatures and high rainfall lead to rapid decomposition of organic matter by microbes, resulting in low humus content in the soil. (Incorrect)
– B) Glacial till is unconsolidated glacial sediment and serves as a parent material for soil development. While soils *can* develop on till, the till itself doesn’t “exhibit deep horizons”; soil horizons (A, B, C) develop *within* the soil profile over time through pedogenic processes. Glacial action often mixes material rather than creating distinct deep horizons in the till layer itself. (Incorrect)
– C) In cold climates, low temperatures significantly slow down the rate of decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms. This leads to the accumulation of undecomposed or partially decomposed organic matter, forming a thicker layer of humus (or organic horizons like O horizon) on or in the soil. (Correct)
– D) Equatorial climates are humid tropical regions with rapid decomposition, leading to low humus content. (Incorrect, same reason as A).
– Decomposition rate of organic matter is highly dependent on temperature and moisture.
– Cold climates slow down decomposition, promoting humus accumulation.
– Warm, humid climates accelerate decomposition, limiting humus accumulation.
Humus is stable, dark organic matter that remains after the decomposition of plant and animal residues. It is crucial for soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability. Soils in environments like tundra or boreal forests often have significant organic horizons due to slow decomposition rates.

476. Which one of the following deserts is not located around 20°-30° latit

Which one of the following deserts is not located around 20°-30° latitude North or South of the Equator?

[amp_mcq option1=”Atacama” option2=”Kalahari” option3=”Great Victoria” option4=”Gobi” correct=”option4″]

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Most of the world’s major deserts are located in the subtropical high-pressure belts, which are found approximately between 20° and 30° latitude North and South of the equator. These areas experience sinking air, leading to dry conditions.
– Atacama Desert (South America): Located around 24° S. (Fits the pattern)
– Kalahari Desert (Southern Africa): Located around 20-30° S. (Fits the pattern)
– Great Victoria Desert (Australia): Located around 28° S. (Fits the pattern)
– Gobi Desert (Central Asia): Located primarily between 40° and 50° N latitude. It is a cold winter desert, formed due to rain shadow effect (blocked by the Himalayas) and continentality (far from oceans). This location is outside the 20°-30° range.
– Subtropical deserts are commonly found in the 20°-30° latitude bands due to atmospheric circulation patterns (Hadley Cell).
– Other desert types exist due to rain shadow effect, continentality, or polar conditions.
The Atacama is one of the driest non-polar deserts in the world. The Gobi Desert experiences large seasonal temperature swings due to its continental location. Deserts cover about one-third of the Earth’s land surface.

477. The process through which groundwater is brought up to the surface is

The process through which groundwater is brought up to the surface is called

[amp_mcq option1=”eluviation” option2=”illuviation” option3=”capillary action” option4=”desilication” correct=”option3″]

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Capillary action is the phenomenon where a liquid moves up through a narrow space against the force of gravity. In the context of soil, this occurs because water molecules are attracted to soil particles (adhesion) and to each other (cohesion). These forces, combined with surface tension, draw water upwards through the pore spaces in the soil from the water table below, bringing groundwater closer to or onto the surface (known as capillary rise).
– Capillary action allows water to move upwards in narrow tubes or porous materials.
– It is a key mechanism for the upward movement of groundwater in soil.
– Adhesion, cohesion, and surface tension are the forces involved.
Eluviation and illuviation are processes related to the movement and accumulation of soil materials within different soil horizons, primarily driven by percolating water moving downwards. Desilication is a weathering process that removes silica from minerals, common in tropical climates but not the process that brings groundwater to the surface.

478. Which of the following are called ‘terrestrial planets’?

Which of the following are called ‘terrestrial planets’?

[amp_mcq option1=”Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury” option2=”Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Earth” option3=”Earth, Mercury, Mars, Venus” option4=”Mercury, Mars, Earth, Saturn” correct=”option3″]

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Terrestrial planets are the inner, rocky planets of our solar system. They are characterized by having solid surfaces. In our solar system, the terrestrial planets are, in order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) are gas giants or ice giants, primarily composed of gases and liquids, and are also known as Jovian planets.
– Terrestrial planets are rocky and located closer to the Sun.
– Jovian planets (gas/ice giants) are large, gaseous/liquid, and located farther from the Sun.
Besides their composition and location, terrestrial planets typically have higher densities, slower rotation, solid surfaces, and few or no moons or ring systems compared to Jovian planets. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets.

479. You are located at 40° N latitude and 90° W longitude. You travel due

You are located at 40° N latitude and 90° W longitude. You travel due North 40°, then due East 60°. What are your new coordinates?

[amp_mcq option1=”30° N and 80° E” option2=”80° S and 30° E” option3=”80° N and 30° W” option4=”80° N and 30° E” correct=”option3″]

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Starting coordinates: (40° N, 90° W).
1. Travel due North 40°: Moving north increases latitude. Starting at 40° N and moving 40° further north results in a new latitude of 40° N + 40° = 80° N. The longitude remains unchanged. Intermediate coordinates: (80° N, 90° W).
2. Travel due East 60°: Moving east changes longitude. Starting at 90° W and moving 60° east means reducing the westward longitude value towards the Prime Meridian (0°). The new longitude is 90° W – 60° = 30° W. The latitude remains unchanged. Final coordinates: (80° N, 30° W).
– Movement purely north or south changes only latitude.
– Movement purely east or west changes only longitude (assuming travel along a latitude line, though the question specifies ‘due East’ implying change in longitude).
– Longitudes West of the Prime Meridian are typically negative or marked ‘W’. Moving East from West longitudes reduces the westward value.
Latitude lines are parallel to the equator, ranging from 0° at the equator to 90° N or S at the poles. Longitude lines run from the North Pole to the South Pole, ranging from 0° at the Prime Meridian to 180° E or W. 180° longitude is roughly the International Date Line.

480. Which one of the following statements about Marajo Island is NOT

Which one of the following statements about Marajo Island is NOT correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”It is world’s largest river island” option2=”It is a river island on Amazon river” option3=”It is rich in wildlife and the home of water buffalo” option4=”Capital of Brazil is located on this island” correct=”option4″]

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The capital of Brazil is Brasilia, which is located inland and not on Marajo Island.
Marajo Island is a large island located at the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil.
Marajo is often considered one of the largest fluvial-maritime islands in the world. It is indeed rich in wildlife and known for water buffalo farming. The statements A, B, and C are generally considered correct descriptions of Marajo Island.
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