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Mountains and Peaks of the World: asked and not asked.

UPSC has asked 9 of these 27. 5 came more than once. 18 have not come yet. Lock the repeated ones first, then read the rest.

First, the concept

Fold mountains (Himalaya, Alps, Andes, Rockies) rise where plates push together. Block mountains (Vosges, Black Forest, Sierra Nevada) rise between faults. Volcanic mountains (Kilimanjaro, Fuji) build up from lava.

The Andes are the longest range; the Himalaya are the highest. The Appalachians and the Aravalli are among the oldest.

UPPCS asks each continent's highest peak, and a range with its country.

🔁 Asked again and again (5)

Tap a year to open that solved question.

Great ranges

  • Andes · South America; the longest range 5 times:20252025202520241989
  • Alps (Mont Blanc) · France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria 3 times:202420011989
  • Rockies · USA and Canada 2 times:19981989
  • Appalachians · Eastern USA; very old 2 times:20242005

Block mountains and volcanoes

  • Vosges and Black Forest · France; Germany; block mountains on either side of the Rhine rift 3 times:202419901989

✅ Asked once (4)

Highest peak of each continent

  • Everest · Asia (Nepal–China)

Great ranges

  • Atlas · Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia 2013
  • Hindu Kush, Tian Shan, Kunlun · Afghanistan; Central Asia–China; Tibet's northern edge

Block mountains and volcanoes

  • Vesuvius, Etna, Stromboli · Italy; Stromboli is the 'Lighthouse of the Mediterranean'

❌ Not asked by UPSC yet (18)

Items marked 'asked in UPPCS' have already come in the UP state exam, so examiners do use them.

Highest peak of each continent

  • Aconcagua · South America (Argentina); highest outside Asia asked in UPPCS
  • Denali (Mount McKinley) · North America (Alaska) asked in UPPCS
  • Kilimanjaro · Africa (Tanzania); a volcano asked in UPPCS
  • Elbrus · Europe (Russia, Caucasus) asked in UPPCS
  • Vinson Massif · Antarctica asked in UPPCS
  • Puncak Jaya and Kosciuszko · Oceania (New Guinea); Australian mainland

Great ranges

  • Pyrenees · France–Spain border asked in UPPCS
  • Urals · Russia; the Europe–Asia divide asked in UPPCS
  • Caucasus · Between the Black and Caspian Seas asked in UPPCS
  • Drakensberg · South Africa asked in UPPCS
  • Great Dividing Range · Eastern Australia asked in UPPCS
  • Zagros and Elburz · Iran; Damavand is the highest point asked in UPPCS
  • Apennines and Carpathians · Italy; Central and Eastern Europe asked in UPPCS

Block mountains and volcanoes

  • Sierra Nevada · California, USA; block mountain asked in UPPCS
  • Fuji · Japan; a volcano asked in UPPCS
  • Krakatoa and Pinatubo · Indonesia; Philippines asked in UPPCS
  • Cotopaxi and Ojos del Salado · Ecuador; Chile–Argentina (highest volcano) asked in UPPCS
  • Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa · Hawaii; Mauna Kea is the tallest from base to top asked in UPPCS

⚠️ Elbrus, not Mont Blanc, is Europe's highest. Aconcagua is in Argentina, not Chile. The Urals divide Europe and Asia; the Alps do not.

'Asked' is checked against the solved UPSC questions on this site. 'Not asked yet' does not mean it will surely come.

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