World and Physical Geography

81. The term “Levant” often heard in the news roughly corresponds to which

The term “Levant” often heard in the news roughly corresponds to which of the following regions ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Region along the eastern Mediterranean shores” option2=”Region along North African shores stretching from Egypt to Morocco” option3=”Region along Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa” option4=”The entire coastal areas of Mediterranean Sea” correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2022
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The term “Levant” refers to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. It includes countries that border the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Levant is a historical geographical term referring to the area corresponding approximately to modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, and often includes parts of Turkey and Egypt.
The term comes from the French word ‘levant’, meaning ‘rising’, referring to the direction of the rising sun (the East) from the perspective of someone in the West (Europe).

82. Which one of the following lakes of West Africa has become dry and tur

Which one of the following lakes of West Africa has become dry and turned into a desert ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Lake Victoria” option2=”Lake Faguibine” option3=”Lake Oguta” option4=”Lake Volta” correct=”option2″]

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Lake Faguibine in Mali, West Africa, has significantly shrunk and in periods of drought, has effectively dried up and turned into a desert area.
– Lake Faguibine is located north of Timbuktu in Mali. Historically, it was a large lake fed by the Niger River during its annual flood.
– In recent decades, a combination of reduced rainfall in the Niger Basin (drought) and possibly increased upstream water abstraction has led to a dramatic decline in the lake’s water levels.
– The area that was formerly a large lake has largely become desertified, impacting local communities that relied on the lake for fishing and agriculture.
Lake Victoria is in East Africa, Lake Oguta is in Nigeria, and Lake Volta is a man-made lake in Ghana; none of these have dried up and turned into a desert. Lake Chad, located south of the Sahara on the border of Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria, is another major African lake that has shrunk dramatically over the past few decades, but Lake Faguibine is specifically known for turning into a desert area due to drying.

83. Consider the following pairs: Region often mentioned in the news – Co

Consider the following pairs:

Region often mentioned in the news – Country
1. Anatolia – Turkey
2. Amhara – Ethiopia
3. Cabo Delgado – Spain
4. Catalonia – Italy

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

[amp_mcq option1=”Only one pair” option2=”Only two pairs” option3=”Only three pairs” option4=”All four pairs” correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in
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Two out of the four pairs are correctly matched: Anatolia is in Turkey, and Amhara is a region in Ethiopia.
– Anatolia is a large peninsula in Western Asia, forming the major part of Turkey.
– Amhara is one of the ten regional states of Ethiopia, and it has been prominent in news due to internal conflict and instability.
– Cabo Delgado is a province located in the northern part of Mozambique, which has been affected by an ongoing insurgency. It is not in Spain.
– Catalonia is an autonomous community in Spain, known for its independence movement. It is not in Italy.

84. With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,

With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, consider the following statements:
1. A coastal state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from the baseline determined in accordance with the convention.
2. Ships of all states, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.
3. The Exclusive Economic Zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 and 2 only” option2=”2 and 3 only” option3=”1 and 3 only” option4=”1, 2 and 3″ correct=”option4″]

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The correct answer is D) 1, 2 and 3.
All three statements are correct according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Statement 1 is correct. Article 3 of UNCLOS states that every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baselines determined in accordance with the Convention.
Statement 2 is correct. Article 17 of UNCLOS grants ships of all States, whether coastal or land-locked, the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea. Innocent passage means navigation through the territorial sea that is not prejudicial to the peace, good order, or security of the coastal State.
Statement 3 is correct. Article 57 of UNCLOS states that the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
UNCLOS is a comprehensive treaty governing the uses of the oceans and their resources. It establishes different maritime zones (internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, continental shelf, high seas, and the Area) and defines the rights and obligations of states within each zone.

85. Consider the following statements: 1. High clouds primarily reflect so

Consider the following statements:
1. High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth.
2. Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth’s surface and thus cause warming effect.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option4″]

This question was previously asked in
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The correct answer is D) Neither 1 nor 2.
Statement 1 is incorrect. High clouds, such as cirrus clouds, are typically thin and made of ice crystals. They are relatively transparent to incoming solar radiation (little reflection) but effectively absorb and re-emit outgoing infrared radiation from the Earth’s surface, trapping heat and causing a *warming* effect.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Low clouds, such as stratus and cumulus clouds, are generally thick and made of water droplets. They have a high albedo, meaning they are very effective at reflecting incoming solar radiation back into space, thus causing a net *cooling* effect on the Earth’s surface. While they also absorb and emit infrared radiation, their dominant effect on the overall energy balance is cooling due to solar reflection.
The impact of clouds on climate is complex and depends on their altitude, type, and properties. High clouds tend to warm the planet, while low clouds tend to cool it. The overall net effect of clouds globally is a cooling influence, primarily due to the strong reflection of solar radiation by low clouds outweighing the greenhouse effect of high clouds.

86. Consider the following statements: 1. In the tropical zone, the west

Consider the following statements:

  • 1. In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds.
  • 2. In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
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Statement 1 is correct. In the tropical zone, the trade winds blow from east to west, pushing warm surface water towards the western side of ocean basins. This leads to a pile-up of warm water on the western side, making it warmer than the eastern side. Examples include the Gulf Stream (western Atlantic) and Kuroshio Current (western Pacific). Statement 2 is incorrect. In the temperate zone, while westerlies are the prevailing winds, the general ocean circulation patterns (driven by a combination of winds, Earth’s rotation – Coriolis effect, and density differences) result in warm currents flowing poleward on the western side of ocean basins and cold currents flowing equatorward on the eastern side. Therefore, the western sections of ocean basins are generally warmer than the eastern sections in the temperate zone as well, due to the transport of heat from the tropics. For example, the western side of the North Atlantic (near the US East Coast) is warmer than the eastern side (near Europe) at the same latitude due to the Gulf Stream. However, the Gulf Stream carries this warm water to Europe’s western coast, making Europe warmer than North America at similar latitudes. The statement says “eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections” which is generally false in the temperate zone for the ocean basin as a whole.
– Trade winds cause warm water to accumulate on the western side of tropical ocean basins.
– Westerlies are dominant winds in temperate zones but oceanic circulation patterns maintain warmer waters on the western side of ocean basins and colder waters on the eastern side in these latitudes.
– Boundary currents like the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio are warm western boundary currents flowing poleward.
– Boundary currents like the California Current and Canary Current are cold eastern boundary currents flowing equatorward.
The large-scale wind-driven surface ocean circulation forms gyres. In both the tropical and temperate zones, within these gyres, there are strong, narrow western boundary currents (like the Gulf Stream) and weaker, broader eastern boundary currents (like the California Current). These dynamics contribute to the western side of ocean basins being generally warmer than the eastern side in both zones.

87. Consider the following statements: 1. The Global Ocean Commission gr

Consider the following statements:

  • 1. The Global Ocean Commission grants licences for seabed exploration and mining in international waters.
  • 2. India has received licences for seabed mineral exploration in international waters.
  • 3. Rare earth minerals’ are present on seafloor in international waters.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 and 2 only” option2=”2 and 3 only” option3=”1 and 3 only” option4=”1, 2 and 3″ correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in
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Statement 1 is incorrect because the Global Ocean Commission is an advocacy body, not a licensing authority. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is the body established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that organizes and controls mineral-related activities in the international seabed area (‘the Area’), including granting exploration and exploitation licenses. Statements 2 and 3 are correct. India has received licenses from the ISA for exploration of polymetallic nodules and polymetallic sulphides in the Indian Ocean. Rare earth minerals, along with other valuable minerals, are known to be present in deposits on the deep seafloor in international waters.
– The International Seabed Authority (ISA) regulates seabed mining activities in international waters.
– India holds licenses from the ISA for mineral exploration in the Indian Ocean.
– Rare earth elements (REEs) are found in deep-sea mineral deposits like polymetallic nodules and crusts.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of UNCLOS. India was the first country to receive the status of a ‘Pioneer Investor’ in 1987 and was allocated a site of 150,000 sq km in the Central Indian Ocean Basin for polymetallic nodule exploration. Later, India was also granted a license for exploration of polymetallic sulphides. Deep-sea mineral deposits are rich in various metals, including copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and rare earth elements.

88. With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the followin

With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements :

  • 1. The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more than the amount of groundwater.
  • 2. The amount of water in polar ice caps and glaciers is more than the amount of groundwater.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
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The correct answer is B) 2 only.
– Statement 1 is incorrect. The amount of groundwater on Earth is significantly greater than the amount of water in all rivers and lakes combined. Approximately 30% of the world’s freshwater is groundwater, while surface water bodies like rivers and lakes hold a much smaller fraction (less than 1%).
– Statement 2 is correct. The largest reservoir of freshwater is in polar ice caps and glaciers, which hold approximately 68.7% of the total freshwater. This amount is greater than the groundwater reservoir, which holds about 30.1% of freshwater.
– The vast majority (around 97.3%) of Earth’s water is saline water in oceans. Freshwater accounts for only about 2.7%, most of which is locked up in ice and groundwater.

89. Consider the following pairs: River Flows into 1. M

Consider the following pairs:

RiverFlows into
1. Mekong— Andaman Sea
2. Thames— Irish Sea
3. Volga— Caspian Sea
4. Zambezi— Indian Ocean

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 and 2 only” option2=”3 only” option3=”3 and 4 only” option4=”1, 2 and 4 only” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2020
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The question asks to identify the correctly matched pairs of rivers and the water bodies they flow into.
– Pair 1: Mekong River flows through Southeast Asia and empties into the South China Sea, not the Andaman Sea. Incorrect match.
– Pair 2: River Thames flows through England and empties into the North Sea, not the Irish Sea. Incorrect match.
– Pair 3: Volga River is the longest river in Europe and flows through Russia, draining into the Caspian Sea. Correct match.
– Pair 4: Zambezi River flows through Southern Africa and empties into the Indian Ocean (specifically, the Mozambique Channel). Correct match.
Geographical knowledge of major rivers and their drainage basins is important for mapping and environmental studies. Knowing the final outflow point helps understand regional hydrology and connectivity.

90. Consider the following statements: Jet streams occur in the Northern

Consider the following statements:

  • Jet streams occur in the Northern Hemisphere only.
  • Only some cyclones develop an eye.
  • The temperature inside the eye of a cyclone is nearly 10°C lesser than that of the surroundings.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 and 3 only” option3=”2 only” option4=”1 and 3 only” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2020
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Only statement 2 is correct. Jet streams occur in both hemispheres, and the eye of a tropical cyclone is typically warmer than its surroundings.
Statement 1 is incorrect. Jet streams are fast-flowing, narrow, meandering air currents found in the atmospheres of planets, including Earth. On Earth, major jet streams are located in the upper atmosphere (tropopause) of both the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
Statement 2 is correct. Only tropical cyclones, which are intense low-pressure systems, can develop a feature known as an ‘eye’. This eye is a relatively calm, clear region at the center of the storm. Not all cyclones, particularly weaker ones or extra-tropical cyclones, develop a clearly defined eye.
Statement 3 is incorrect. The eye of a tropical cyclone is characterized by subsiding air, which leads to warming. The temperature inside the eye is typically warmer than the surrounding eyewall, sometimes by several degrees Celsius, not lesser by 10°C.
Jet streams play a significant role in influencing weather patterns. The eye of a tropical cyclone is a defining feature of mature, intense storms and is surrounded by the eyewall, which is the region of strongest winds and heaviest rainfall.
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