UPSC Geography Previous Year Questions

Consider the following statements: I. Anadyr in Siberia and Nome in Alaska are a few kilometers apart from each other, but when people in these cities wake up and get ready for breakfast, it would be a different day. II. When it is Monday in Anadyr, it is Tuesday in Nome. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. AOnly I
2. BOnly II
3. CI and II both
4. DNeither I nor II

Consider the following pairs (Country : Resource-rich in): I. Botswana : Diamond II. Chile : Lithium III. Indonesia : Nickel. How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. CAll the three
4. DNone

Consider the following pairs (Region : Country): I. Mallorca : Italy II. Normandy : Spain III. Sardinia : France. How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. CAll the three
4. DNone

What is sea surface temperature rise? How does it affect the formation of tropical cyclones? (Answer in 150 words)

What is the phenomenon of 'cloudbursts'? Explain. (Answer in 150 words)

The groundwater potential of the Gangetic valley is on a serious decline. How may it affect the food security of India? (Answer in 250 words)

What are aurora australis and aurora borealis? How are these triggered? (Answer in 250 words)

What is a twister? Why are the majority of twisters observed in areas around the Gulf of Mexico? (Answer in 250 words)

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The atmosphere is heated more by incoming solar radiation than by terrestrial radiation.
Statement-II: Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are good absorbers of long-wave radiation.
Which one of the following is correct?

1. ABoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I.
2. BBoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I.
3. CStatement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.
4. DStatement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Thickness of the troposphere at the equator is much greater as compared to the poles.
Statement-II: At the equator, heat is transported to great heights by strong convectional currents.
Which one of the following is correct?

1. ABoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I.
2. BBoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I.
3. CStatement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.
4. DStatement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

Consider the following:
1. Pyroclastic debris
2. Ash and dust
3. Nitrogen compounds
4. Sulphur compounds
How many of the above are products of volcanic eruptions?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. COnly three
4. DAll four

Which of the following are correct inferences from isothermal maps in January?
1. Isotherms deviate northward over the ocean and southward over the continent.
2. Cold ocean currents, Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift, make the North Atlantic colder and bend isotherms northward.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. A1 only
2. B2 only
3. CBoth 1 and 2
4. DNeither 1 nor 2

Which of the following countries are well known as the two largest cocoa producers in the world?

1. AAlgeria and Morocco
2. BBotswana and Namibia
3. CCôte d’Ivoire and Ghana
4. DMadagascar and Mozambique

With reference to the Himalayan rivers joining the Ganga downstream of Prayagraj from west to east, which sequence is correct?

1. AGhaghara – Gomati – Gandak – Kosi
2. BGomati – Ghaghara – Gandak – Kosi
3. CGhaghara – Gomati – Kosi – Gandak
4. DGomati – Ghaghara – Kosi – Gandak

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Rainfall is one of the reasons for weathering of rocks.
Statement-II: Rainwater contains carbon dioxide in solution.
Statement-III: Rainwater contains atmospheric oxygen.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

1. ABoth Statement-II and Statement-III are correct and both explain Statement-I.
2. BBoth Statement-II and Statement-III are correct, but only one of them explains Statement-I.
3. COnly one of Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement-I.
4. DNeither Statement-II nor Statement-III is correct.

Consider the following countries:
1. Finland
2. Germany
3. Norway
4. Russia
How many of the above countries have a border with the North Sea?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. COnly three
4. DAll four

Consider the following information:
Waterfall — Region — River
1. Dhuandhar — Malwa — Narmada
2. Hundru — Chota Nagpur — Subarnarekha
3. Gersoppa — Western Ghats — Netravati
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. CAll three
4. DNone

Consider the following information:
Region — Name of mountain range — Type of mountain
1. Central Asia — Vosges — Fold mountain
2. Europe — Alps — Block mountain
3. North America — Appalachians — Fold mountain
4. South America — Andes — Fold mountain
How many of the above rows are correctly matched?

1. AOnly one
2. BOnly two
3. COnly three
4. DAll four

Consider the following airports:
1. Donyi Polo Airport
2. Kushinagar International Airport
3. Vijayawada International Airport
Which of the above were constructed as Greenfield projects?

1. A1 and 2 only
2. B2 and 3 only
3. C1 and 3 only
4. D1, 2 and 3

With reference to water vapour, which of the following statements are correct?
1. It is a gas whose amount decreases with altitude.
2. Its percentage is maximum at the poles.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. A1 only
2. B2 only
3. CBoth 1 and 2
4. DNeither 1 nor 2