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UPSC CSE Prelims 2015 — Geography Questions with Answers
All 15 Geography previous-year questions from UPSC CSE Prelims 2015, each with the correct answer and a full explanation. Practise them as a free, timed mock test with instant scoring.
Practice Geography as a timed test →- Q1.Climatology
In the South Atlantic and South-Eastern Pacific regions in tropical latitudes, cyclone does not originate. What is the reason?
- a)Sea surface temperatures are low
- b)Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) rarely occurs
- c)Coriolis force is extremely weak
- d)No land is present in those regions
Explanation: In these regions the ITCZ rarely shifts there and cold ocean currents keep sea-surface temperatures low, so the warm-water and convergence conditions needed for cyclones are absent.
- Q2.Indian Geography
Which one of the following pairs of States of India indicates the easternmost and westernmost State?
- a)Assam and Rajasthan
- b)Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan
- c)Assam and Gujarat
- d)Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat
Explanation: Arunachal Pradesh is India's easternmost State and Gujarat is the westernmost State in terms of longitudinal extent.
- Q3.Oceanography
What explains the eastward flow of the equatorial counter-current?
- a)Revolution of the Earth on its axis
- b)Convergence of two equatorial currents
- c)Difference in salinity of water
- d)Occurrence of the Doldrums near the equator
Explanation: The equatorial counter-current flows eastward because the two westward-flowing equatorial currents pile up water that returns eastward through the calm doldrums belt.
- Q4.Indian Geography
Consider the following pairs (Place of Pilgrimage : Location): 1. Srisailam : Nallamala Hills; 2. Omkareshwar : Satmala Hills; 3. Pushkar : Mahadeo Hills. Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
- a)1 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)1 and 3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Srisailam lies in the Nallamala Hills of Andhra Pradesh; Omkareshwar is near the Vindhyas (not Satmala) and Pushkar is in the Aravallis (not Mahadeo).
- Q5.World Geography
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
Explanation: The Golan Heights is a strategic plateau in the Middle East, disputed between Israel and Syria.
- Q6.Indian Geography
Consider the following rivers: 1. Vamsadhara; 2. Indravati; 3. Pranahita; 4. Pennar. Which of the above are tributaries of Godavari?
- a)1, 2 and 3
- b)2, 3 and 4
- c)1, 2 and 4
- d)2 and 3 only
Explanation: Indravati and Pranahita are tributaries of the Godavari, while Vamsadhara and Pennar are independent rivers draining to the Bay of Bengal.
- Q7.Indian Geography
Which one of the following regions of India has a combination of mangrove forest, evergreen forest and deciduous forest?
- a)North Coastal Andhra Pradesh
- b)South-West Bengal
- c)Southern Saurashtra
- d)Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Explanation: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands uniquely host mangrove, tropical evergreen and deciduous forests together.
- Q8.Economic Geography
In India, the steel production industry requires the import of
- a)Saltpetre
- b)Rock Phosphate
- c)Coking Coal
- d)All of the above
Explanation: India's steel industry largely imports coking coal, since domestic reserves of good-quality coking coal are limited.
- Q9.Climatology
Consider the following statements: 1. The winds which blow between 30 deg N and 60 deg S latitudes throughout the year are known as westerlies. 2. The moist air masses that cause winter rains in North-Western region of India are part of westerlies.
- a)1 only
- b)2 only
- c)Both 1 and 2
- d)Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation: Westerlies blow between roughly 30 deg and 60 deg in both hemispheres (not between 30N and 60S); the winter rains in NW India are brought by western disturbances embedded in the westerlies, so only statement 2 is correct.
- Q10.Indian Geography
In a particular region in India, the local people train the roots of living trees into robust bridges across the streams. These unique 'living root bridges' are found in
- a)Meghalaya
- b)Himachal Pradesh
- c)Jharkhand
- d)Tamil Nadu
Explanation: The famous living root bridges, grown from the roots of rubber fig trees, are found in Meghalaya.
- Q11.Oceanography
Tides occur in the oceans and seas due to which among the following? 1. Gravitational force of the Sun; 2. Gravitational force of the Moon; 3. Centrifugal force of the Earth.
- a)1 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)1 and 3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Tides result from the combined gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun together with the centrifugal force generated by the Earth-Moon system's rotation.
- Q12.Indian Geography
Consider the following States: 1. Arunachal Pradesh; 2. Himachal Pradesh; 3. Mizoram. In which of the above States do 'Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests' occur?
- a)1 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)1 and 3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Tropical wet evergreen forests need high rainfall and warmth, found in Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram; Himachal Pradesh's cooler temperate climate does not support them.
- Q13.World Geography
Which one of the following countries of South-West Asia does not open out to the Mediterranean Sea?
- a)Syria
- b)Jordan
- c)Lebanon
- d)Israel
Explanation: Jordan is essentially landlocked from the Mediterranean (its only coastline is the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea), unlike Syria, Lebanon and Israel.
- Q14.Indian Geography
In India, in which one of the following types of forests is teak a dominant tree species?
- a)Tropical moist deciduous forest
- b)Tropical rainforest
- c)Tropical thorn forest
- d)Temperate forest with grasslands
Explanation: Teak is a dominant species of the tropical moist deciduous forests of India.
- Q15.Climatology
"Each day is more or less the same, the morning is clear and bright with a sea breeze; as the Sun climbs high in the sky, heat mounts up, dark clouds form, then rain comes with thunder and lightning. But rain is soon over." Which of the following regions is described in the above passage?
- a)Savanna
- b)Equatorial
- c)Monsoon
- d)Mediterranean
Explanation: The daily pattern of morning clarity followed by afternoon convectional thunderstorms is characteristic of the equatorial (rainforest) climate.
UPSC CSE Prelims 2015 — other subjects
Geography — other years
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