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World Geography: all 288 questions.
UPSC Prelims 1979–2026, chapter by chapter, newest first. Open a question to see its answer, the idea behind it and the trap.
Earth in Space (38)
- 2024Day length: On June 21 every year, which of the following latitude(s) experience(s) a sunlight…
- 2024Stars: Statement-I: Giant stars live much longer than dwarf stars. Statement-II: Compared to…
- 2019Solstice: On 21st June, the Sun
- 2018Longitude: Among the following cities, which one lies on a longitude closest to that of Delhi?
- 2014Latitude: What is the correct sequence of occurrence of the following cities in South-East…
- 2003Weight and latitude: Assertion (A): The weight of a body decreases with the increase of…
- 2000First sunrise of the millennium: Along which one of the following meridians did India…
- 1999Date line: A ship sailing from the eastern extremity of the Aleutian Islands to Dutch harbour…
- 1998Astronomical Unit: One Astronomical Unit is the average distance between
- 1998Asteroids: Consider the following statements regarding asteroids: Which of these statements…
- 1998Planets: Match List I (Special characteristics) with List II (Name of the planet): A. Smallest…
- 1998Longitude and time: When there is noon at I.S.T meridian people at another place on the earth…
- 1998Asteroids: The group of small pieces of rock revolving round the sun between the orbits of…
- 1997Reversed rotation: If the earth's direction of rotation is reversed, what should be the IST…
- 1997Nearest star: Which one of the following stars is nearest to the Earth?
- 1995Diamond ring: Diamond ring is a phenomenon observed:
- 1995Meteor: A meteor is:
- 1994Time and longitude: When it is noon along 82° 30' E longitude along what degree of longitude…
- 1994Antipode: An aeroplane takes off from 30° North Latitude, 50° East Longitude, and lands at the…
- 1994Mars: The length of its day and the tilt of its axis are almost identical to those of the…
- 1993Why summer is hot: Consider a specific point on the surface of the earth (say, the city of…
- 1993GMT countries: Which of the following places have their standard times that are the same as…
- 1992Jupiter’s year: Jupiter completes one circuit of the Sun in
- 1992Time zones: If Amsterdam is X + 1, Montreal is X - 5, Tokyo is X + 9 and Lisbon is X, X denotes
- 1992Finding east: A person stood alone in a desert on a dark night and wanted to reach his village…
- 1991Dwarf planet: Which one among the following is a dwarf planet?
- 1991Night sky: The luminous celestial bodies visible during a clear night are usually known as
- 1990Moon’s near side: The side of the moon always facing the earth has
- 1990Not a planet: Which one of the following is not a planet of the sun?
- 1989Halley’s comet: Halley's comet appears once in about
- 1989Smallest planet (1989): Which one among the following is the smallest planet?
- 1988Geostationary satellite: The period of one revolution of a geostationary satellite is
- 1988Nicknames of countries: Match the columns: List 1 A. Land of Rising Sun B. Land of Midnight…
- 1987Moonless planet: Which of the following planets has no moon?
- 1986Pole Star: Why is the polar star (Pole star) important?
- 1985Rotation: The earth rotates around its axis from
- 1984Leap year: The leap year occurs after every
- 1984Earth’s shape: The shape of the earth is
Rocks, Quakes and Landforms (45)
- 2026Volcanoes: Tungurahua Volcano, which was declared a Global Geopark by UNESCO in 2025, is…
- 2025Continental drift: Which of the following are the evidences of the phenomenon of continental…
- 2025Rocks and water: Statement I: In the context of effect of water on rocks, chalk is known as a…
- 2024Volcanic products: Consider the following: 1. Pyroclastic debris 2. Ash and dust 3. Nitrogen…
- 2024Chemical weathering: Consider the following statements: Which one of the following is correct…
- 2023Earthquake waves: Consider the following statements:
- 2023Seismic waves: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are…
- 2014Evolution drivers: Which of the following phenomena might have influenced the evolution of…
- 2012Young fold mountains: When you travel in Himalayas, you will see the following: Which of the…
- 2009Earth’s core: In the structure of planet Earth, below the mantle, the core is mainly made up…
- 2005Richter scale: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are…
- 2005Earth’s magnetism: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above…
- 2005Land and water: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are…
- 2004Causes of earthquakes: Consider the following geological phenomena: Which of the above causes…
- 2001Magma: Consider the following statements: Which of these statements are correct?
- 2001Earthquake measures: Consider the following statements regarding the earthquakes: Which of…
- 2001Sedimentary rocks: Consider the following statements made about the sedimentary rocks: Which…
- 2001Quartzite: Quartzite is metamorphosed from
- 2001Stages of erosion: Identify the correct order of the processes of soil erosion from the…
- 1999Origin of Earth: Which one of the following scholars suggests the earth's origin is from gases…
- 1998Damodar rift: Which one of the following east flowing rivers of India has rift valley due to…
- 1997Geological ages: Match List-I with List-II: A. Deccan Traps · B. Western Ghats · C. Aravalli ·…
- 1995India’s drift: The palaeomagnetic results obtained from India indicate that in the past, the…
- 1995Gondwana: The Indian subcontinent was originally a part of a huge mass called:
- 1994Chambal ravines: Which one of the following types of erosion is responsible for the formation…
- 1994Barkhan: Barkhan is a
- 1990Mature river: The maturity of a river course is recognized by the presence of
- 1990Caldera: Caldera is a feature associated with
- 1990Eskers and drumlins: Eskers and Drumlins are features, formed by
- 1990Landforms and places: Match List I with List II: A. Mushroom Rocks · B. Cape Verde · C. Thar ·…
- 1989Block mountains: Which of the following is a block mountain?
- 1987S waves: Seismic waves that vibrate perpendicular to the direction of their path
- 1987Coasts of submergence: Which of the following are known as coastlines of submergence?
- 1987Brahmaputra: Brahmaputra is an example of ______ drainage.
- 1986Pumice: Pumice is derived from
- 1986Extrusive rocks: Extrusive (Intrusive) rocks are forms of
- 1986Mirror continents: Which of the following two continents are just like the mirror images of…
- 1983Delta formation: Which of the following is not favourable for the formation of deltas?
- 1982One landmass: The conclusion that Asia and Africa had a single landmass is provided by
- 1982Rock types: Generally speaking, all rocks may be classified into three major groups, such as
- 1981Cause of earthquakes: Earthquakes are caused due to
- 1980Continental shelf: What is a continental shelf?
- 1980Isthmus: A narrow strip of land, bordered on both sides by water, connecting to larger bodies…
- 1980Fossils: In which type of rocks, fossils are more abundantly found?
- 1979Richter scale: Richter scale is used to measure
Air, Winds and Climates (58)
- 2025Isotherms: Statement I: In January, in the Northern Hemisphere, the isotherms bend equatorward…
- 2025Dust in the air: Statement I: The amount of dust particles in the atmosphere is more in…
- 2024Troposphere: Statement-I: Thickness of the troposphere at the equator is much greater as…
- 2024Troposphere thickness: Consider the following statements: Statement-I: Thickness of the…
- 2024How the air is heated: Consider the following statements: Statement-I: The atmosphere is…
- 2023Insolation: With reference to the Earth's atmosphere, which one of the following statements is…
- 2023Land–sea contrast: Consider the following statements: Statement-I: The temperature contrast…
- 2022Clouds and heat: Consider the following statements:
- 2022Clouds and warming: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above…
- 2020Jet streams and the cyclone eye: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements…
- 2019Dew: Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?
- 2018Early Earth: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are…
- 2015No cyclones in the South Atlantic: In the South Atlantic and South-Eastern Pacific regions in…
- 2013Continentality: The annual range of temperature in the interior of the continents is high as…
- 2013Thunder: During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the skies is produced by the Select the correct…
- 2012Temperature and height: Normally, the temperature decreases with the increase in height from…
- 2011Southern westerlies: Westerlies in the southern hemisphere are stronger and more persistent…
- 2011Ionosphere: A layer in the Earth's atmosphere called Ionosphere facilitates radio…
- 2011Subtropical deserts: What could be the main reason /reasons for the formation of African and…
- 2011Jets in the stratosphere: The jet aircraft fly very easily and smoothly in the lower…
- 2010El Niño Modoki: A new type of El Nino called El Nino Modoki appeared in the news. In this…
- 2010Albedo: Which one of the following reflects more sunlight as compared to the other three?
- 2010Coriolis effect: What causes the wind to deflect toward the left in the Southern hemisphere?
- 2008Albedo: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 2007Horse latitudes: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are…
- 2006Mixed facts: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are…
- 2005Coriolis and winds: Assertion (A): Wind patterns are clockwise in the northern hemisphere and…
- 2004Clouds: Which one of the following statements is correct?
- 2004Bangalore vs Mangalore: Assertion (A): Bangalore receives much higher average annual rainfall…
- 2004Atmosphere thickness: Assertion (A): The thickness of the atmosphere is maximum over the…
- 2003Moisture and temperature: Assertion (A): The amount of moisture in the atmosphere is related…
- 2003Equatorial rain: Assertion (A): Areas lying within five to eight degrees latitude on either…
- 2002Sub-polar lows: Assertion (A): 60°–65° latitudes in both the hemispheres have a low-pressure…
- 2002Cyclones: Assertion (A): The surface winds spiral inwards upon the centre of the cyclone.…
- 2002Thunderclouds: Consider the following climatic and geographical phenomena: Thunder cloud…
- 2002Sun’s halo: Sun's halo is produced by the refraction of light
- 2001Local winds: Match List-I (Local wind) with List-II (Region): A. Föhn · B. Samun · C. Santa…
- 2001Cloudy nights: Cloudy nights are warmer compared to clear cloudless nights because clouds
- 2001Falling barometer: Which one of the following weather conditions is indicated by a sudden fall…
- 2000Roaring Forties: Consider the following statements about the 'Roaring Forties': Which of these…
- 1998Layers of the atmosphere: The correct sequence of different layers of the atmosphere from the…
- 1996Equatorial rain: Assertion (A): Areas near the equator receive rainfall throughout the year.…
- 1996Willy-willy: Willy is:
- 1992Water cycle: Water cycle refers to
- 1992West-coast deserts: Deserts such as the Sahara are generally found between 20° and 30°…
- 1990Trade-wind deserts: Assertion (A): Most of the hot deserts are present on the western margin…
- 1990Isolines: Which one of the following is not correctly matched?
- 1988Newfoundland fog: Fog is common around Newfoundland coast because
- 1988Freshwater share: Of the total water on the earth, freshwater reserves constitute approximately
- 1987Odd one out: Find the odd one out:
- 1987Insolation: Insolation refers to
- 1984Roaring Forties: What does 'Roaring Forties' refer to?
- 1984Atmospheric layers: Arrange the following three atmospheric layers starting from the surface…
- 1984Isohyets: Isohyets are the lines drawn on a map connecting points having
- 1984Trade winds: Trade winds are caused by the
- 1981Humidity and temperature: Humidity of the air
- 1980Doldrums: Doldrums refer to
- 1979Dew on cloudy nights: Less dew is formed on cloudy nights because
Oceans, Seas and Straits (25)
- 2026Straits: Ships from which of the following countries have to cross the Strait of Hormuz to…
- 2024Seas of Europe: Consider the following countries: 1. Finland 2. Germany 3. Norway 4. Russia.…
- 2024Coriolis force: With reference to “Coriolis force”, which of the following statements is/are…
- 2024January isotherms: Which of the following is/are correct inference/inferences from isothermal…
- 2022UNCLOS: With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, consider the…
- 2021Ocean temperature: Consider the following statements:
- 2020Ocean Mean Temperature: With reference to Ocean Mean Temperature (OMT), which of the following…
- 2018Coral reefs: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are…
- 2015Ocean currents: What explains the eastward flow of the equatorial counter-current?
- 2015Fishing grounds: The most important fishing grounds of the world are found in the regions where
- 2012Ocean currents: Consider the following factors: Which of the above factors influences ocean…
- 2012Ocean acidification: The acidification of oceans is increasing. Why is this phenomenon a cause…
- 2011Upwelling zones: In the context of ecosystem productivity, marine upwelling zones are…
- 2011Mangroves and tsunamis: The 2004 Tsunami made people realize that mangroves can serve as a…
- 2007Temperature range: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above…
- 2007Largest coral reef: The Largest coral reef in the world is found near the coast of which one…
- 2006Diamantina Trench: In which one of the following oceans is Diamantina Trench situated?
- 2004Tides: Which one of the following statements is not correct?
- 2002Ocean currents: Consider the following statements: Which of these statements are correct?
- 2000Uses of tides: Consider the following statements: Which of these statements are correct?
- 1997Indian Ocean currents: Which one of the following factors is responsible for the change in the…
- 1989Continental shelf: The continental shelf surrounding the Indian Coast is widest off the
- 1989Cold current: Which of the following is cold ocean current?
- 1986Mean sea level: Mean Sea Level (MSL) is the
- 1984Currents and coasts: Match the columns: A. South-eastern coast of U.S.A. · B. West coast of…
Countries, Rivers and Resources (122)
- 2025The Andes: Consider the following countries: I. Bolivia II. Brazil III. Colombia IV. Ecuador…
- 2025The equator: Consider the following water bodies: I. Lake Tanganyika II. Lake Tonle Sap III.…
- 2024Carbon stores: One of the following regions has the world’s largest tropical peatland, which…
- 2024Ageing countries: Consider the following countries: Which of the above countries are…
- 2024Lake Victoria: Which one of the following lakes forms as international boundary between…
- 2024Mountains and types: Consider the following information (Region — Name of the mountain — Type…
- 2024The Red Sea: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are…
- 2023Critical minerals: About three-fourths of world’s cobalt, a metal required for the manufacture…
- 2023Swiss gold: Consider the following Statements: Which one of the following is correct in…
- 2022Afghanistan’s northern neighbours: Consider the following countries: 1. Azerbaijan 2.…
- 2021Where Earth’s fresh water is: With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the…
- 2021Where Siachen lies: Siachen Glacier is situated to the
- 2020Rivers and their seas: Consider the following pairs: River – Flows into Which of the pairs…
- 2019Seas and bordering countries: Consider the following pairs: Sea Bordering country Which of the…
- 2018Shrinking water bodies: Which of the following has/have shrunk immensely/dried up in the…
- 2018Sand mining: Which of the following is/are the possible consequence/s of heavy sand mining in…
- 2017UN-Habitat: With reference to the role of UN-Habitat in the United Nations programme working…
- 2017River Teesta: With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: Which of the…
- 2015No Mediterranean coast: Which one of the following countries of South-West Asia does not open…
- 2014Ten Degree Channel: Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other…
- 2014Where Turkey lies: Turkey is located between
- 2013Sugar by-products: With reference to the usefulness of the by-products of sugar industry,…
- 2013Features and regions: Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched? Geographical…
- 2010Sustainable development: Sustainable development is described as the development that meets…
- 2010Strait of Malacca: Which one of the following can one come across if one travels through the…
- 2009Uranium reserves: Which among the following has the world's largest reserves of Uranium?
- 2009Infant mortality rate: Consider the following statements: Which of the above statements is/are…
- 2009Elephant Pass: Elephant pass, which is frequently in the news, is mentioned in the context of…
- 2009Fastest urbanising region: As per the UN-Habitat's Global Report on Human Settlements 2009,…
- 2009Cities and rivers: Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? City — River
- 2008UAE emirates: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are…
- 2008Near the Date Line: Which one of the following straits is nearest to the International Date…
- 2008Nearest to the equator: Which of the following cities is nearest to the equator?
- 2007Longest of four rivers: Which one among the following rivers is the longest?
- 2007Channel Tunnel: Through which one of the following Straits, does a tunnel connect the United…
- 2006Uranium production (2006): Which one of the following countries is the leading producer of…
- 2006Bermuda Triangle: Bermuda triangle extends up to which of the following places? Select the…
- 2006Countries on the equator: Through which one of the following groups of countries does the…
- 2005Capitals: Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
- 2005Continent sizes: Which one of the following is the correct sequence of the given Continents in…
- 2005Spanish-speaking: For which one of the following countries, is Spanish not an official…
- 2005Former capitals: Which one of the following cities is not a former capital of the given…
- 2005Old names: Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? Current Name Old Name
- 2005Great Britain vs UK: Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above…
- 2005Tamil abroad: In which one of the following countries, is Tamil a major language?
- 2005New and old names: Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? (Current Name :…
- 2005Tiruppur: For which one of the following items, is Tirupur well-known as a huge exporter to…
- 2005Balearic Islands: Where are the Balearic Islands located?
- 2005Pakistan north to south: Which one of the following is the correct sequence of the given towns…
- 2005Landmarks and countries: Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
- 2004Seas and their shores: Match List-I (Sea) with List-II (Country) and select the correct answer…
- 2004Speakers of world languages: Consider the following international languages: 1. Arabic 2.…
- 2003Most speakers (2003): Which one among the following languages has largest number of speakers…
- 2003Largest population of four: Which among the following countries has the largest population?
- 2003Israel’s borders: Israel has common borders with:
- 2002Berbers: Berber speaking community, frequently in the news, lives in
- 2002Population order (2002): Consider the following countries: 1. Brazil 2. Indonesia 3. Japan 4.…
- 2001Dense river valleys: The high density of population in Nile Valley and Island of Java is…
- 2001No volcanoes here: Volcanic eruptions do not occur in the
- 2000Mineral producers: Match List-I (Minerals) with List-II (Major producer): A. Mineral oil · B.…
- 2000Mine explosions: Most of the explosions in mines occur due to the mixing of
- 2000Human development (2000): The best performance with regard to human development among the…
- 2000Ocean trenches: Match the following and select the correct answer using the codes given below:…
- 2000Danish outpost in India: "You might see a few curious Danes around, but that is because — used…
- 1999Chile copper: Assertion (A): Chile continues to be an important producer of copper in the…
- 1999Venezuela oil: Which one of the following port cities in Venezuela has been developed as an…
- 1999Most spoken language: The language spoken by the largest number of people in the world is
- 1998Paper towns: Which of the following places are known for paper manufacturing industry? Choose…
- 1996Power and irrigation projects: Which of the following pairs are correctly matched?
- 1996Rivers north to south: Consider the following rivers: 1. Kishenganga 2. Ganga 3. Wainganga 4.…
- 1994Toramana: Toramana belonged to the ethnic horde of the
- 1994Perth to London, shortest: The shortest air route from Perth to London is:
- 1994Asia’s fastest population growth (1994): Which one of the following regions of Asia is…
- 1993“New population bomb”: The New Population Bomb refers to
- 1993Couple protection rate: When the Couple Protection Rate is going up
- 1993Cultured pearls: The production of cultured pearls is an important cottage industry of (1993)
- 1993Demographic transition: Which arrangement of the following shows the correct sequence of…
- 1993Kurds in the old USSR: Which one of the following was part of the erstwhile Soviet Union over…
- 1992Metal ores: In which type of rocks, metals like gold and copper are mostly found?
- 1992European power: Assertion (A): Italy, Switzerland, Sweden and Norway have abundant power…
- 1992Largest country: After the break-up of the USSR the largest country in the world in terms of…
- 1992West to east in the Deccan: Which one of the following shows the correct sequence of…
- 1992Iran’s inland sea: The interior regions of Eurasia have a large number of inland seas or…
- 1992Best furniture hardwood: The best quality of hard wood for the manufacture of furniture is…
- 1991Diamonds (1991): Largest producer of diamond and gem in the world is
- 1991Population density: Density of population refers to
- 1991Siberian swamps: Swamps are seen in the Siberian rivers because
- 1991Industrial location: Which one of the following industries is not a raw material localized…
- 1991Match the pairs: Match List I with List II: A. Damascus · B. Cassava · C. Pine forest · D.…
- 1991Angora wool: Angora wool is obtained from a breed of ______.
- 1991Wood for paper pulp: Of the following forest regions, the most suitable wood for paper pulp is…
- 1990Mohair: Mohair is obtained from (1990)
- 1989Coal grades: The highest grade of coal, whose surface is shining and has the highest calorific…
- 1989Oil-rich country: Which of the following countries is rich in oil?
- 1989Largest silver producer: The leading producer of silver is
- 1989Effects of deforestation: Deforestation results in (1) Flora destruction (2) Fauna destruction…
- 1988Sex ratio: By sex ratio, we mean
- 1988Setting up a cement plant: A private company is faced with the problem of setting up a cement…
- 1988Alwaye, Koyna, Korba: The places Alwaye, Koyna and Korba have
- 1987Physiological density: Physiological population density is the ratio of
- 1987Angora wool: Angora wool is obtained from a breed of (1987)
- 1987Wood pulp: The largest producer of wood pulp is
- 1987Cement raw materials: Suitable site of a cement plant requires proximity to
- 1986Massive deforestation: Massive deforestation causes
- 1984Remote hilly villages: Which of the following is most suitable for the remote hilly villages…
- 1984North Atlantic route: The North Atlantic Sea route is regarded as an important international…
- 1984Black Pagoda: Black Pagoda is in
- 1984Grenada: Grenada is situated in.
- 1984City and river: Which of the following pairs is correct? City — River
- 1983Rainforest regions: Tropical rain forests appear in which of the following regions?
- 1983Tree age: Age of tree can be estimated by
- 1983Mahatma Gandhi Setu: Mahatma Gandhi Setu is built over the river.
- 1983Why deciduous trees shed leaves: The tropical deciduous trees shed their leaves in summer
- 1982Flame of the forest: Flame of the forest is
- 1981South American grasslands: What are the grass lands of South America called?
- 1980Pampas: Pampas are the vast grassy plains of
- 1980Sugar bowl of the world: Country known as the Sugar Bowl of the World is
- 1980Steel plant collaborators: The Bhilai Steel Plant was set up with the collaboration of the…
- 1979Jhum: ‘Jhum Cultivation’ is connected with
- 1979Tree age: Age of a tree can be determined
- 1979Animal products: Which two of the following are animal products?
- 1979Cottage industry output: Productivity being low, cottage industry produced a lot because