World & Physical Geography MCQs
World Geography Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) Quiz for State and UPSC Civil Services Examinations. Objective Questions on Physical Geography and World Geography for competitive examinations.
1. The Katanga plateau in Africa is known for rich deposits of:
[A] Copper and Uranium
[B] Uranium and Zinc
[C] Zinc and Bauxite
[D] Bauxite and Gypsum
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Copper and Uranium ]
Notes:
The Katanga Plateau in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is known for its rich deposits of copper and uranium. The plateau is located at an altitude of 1220m (4,000 ft) above sea level, which makes it cooler than the surrounding area. The mean annual temperature is 19-20 °C. The plateau is also known for its copper production. Other minerals that are mined in the Katanga Plateau include: Cobalt, Zinc, Silver, Gold, Tin. The Katanga Plateau is also good for farming and ranching. The seasonal rainfall makes it a fertile arable area.
2. Who among the following proposed steady state theory with respect to universe?
[A] Einstein
[B] Laplace
[C] Newton
[D] Hoyle
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Hoyle]
Notes:
Hoyle’s concept of steady state is opposite to Big Bang theory. It considered the universe to be roughly the same at any point of time
3. Continent where Tundra type of climate is NOT found?
[A] Asia
[B] North America
[C] Europe
[D] Australia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Australia]
Notes:
In the continent of Australia, the northern section of Australia has a more tropical influenced climate, hot and humid in the summer, and quite warm and dry in the winter, while the southern parts are cooler with mild summers and cool, sometimes rainy winters. So it doesn’t have Tundra type of climate.
4. Which country is called “Sugar Bowl of world”?
[A] Norway
[B] Sweden
[C] India
[D] Cuba
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Cuba]
Notes:
Cuba is traditionally known as the “Sugar bowl of the world” as it used to be the worlds largest sugar producer. But now brazil has taken the top spot in sugar production.
5. Which among the following is not a local wind?
[A] Sirocco
[B] Punas
[C] Mistral
[D] Kikuyu
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Kikuyu]
Notes:
Some Important Local Winds:
1- Chinook- Hot, dry wind in Rockies, also called `snow eater`.
2- Foehn- Hot, dry wind in the Alps
3- Khamsin- Hot, dry wind in Egypt.
4- Sirocco- Hot, moist wind from Sahara to Mediterranean Sea
5- Solano- Hot, moist wind from Sahara towards Iberian Peninsula
6- Harmattan- Hot, dry wind blowing outwards from the interior of W.Africa, also called Guinea Doctor.
7- Bora- Cold, dry wind blowing outwards from Hungary to the north of Italy (near Adriatic Sea).
8- Mistral- Very cold wind, which blows from the Alps over France
9- Punas- Cold, dry wind blowing down towards the western side of Andes.
10- Blizzard- Very cold winds in Tundra region
11- Purga- Cold wind in Russian tundra
12- Levanter- Cold wind in Spain
13- Norwester- Hot wind in New Zealand
14- Santa Ana- Hot wind in S. California in USA.
Kikuyu, is most populous ethnic group or tribe of Kenya
6. The term Roaring Forties is used for which of the following?
[A] Westerlies
[B] Easterlies
[C] Doldrums
[D] None of the options A, B and C is correct
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Westerlies]
Notes:
Roaring Forties is the name given to strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40 and 49 degrees.
7. Which of the following is/are the cited reason(s) for the earth’s wobbling towards east?
- Gain of ice in Greenland
- Gain of ice mass in Western Antarctica
- Dry spells across Eurasia
Select the correct option from codes given below:
[A] 3 Only
[B] 1 and 2 Only
[C] 2 and 3 Only
[D] 1, 2 and 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [3 Only]
Notes:
Around the year 2000, Earth’s spin axis took an abrupt turn toward the east and is now drifting almost twice as fast as before, at a rate of almost 7 inches (17 centimetres) a year. Scientists have suggested that the loss of mass from Greenland and Antarctica’s rapidly melting ice sheet could be causing the eastward shift of the spin axis. All these cause changes in the movement of water and accumulation of mass on poles. Earth wobbling affects the results obtained from GPS, and other Earth-Observation satellites.
8. Which of the following is different from the other three on the basis of their locations?
[A] Canaries Current
[B] Benguela Current
[C] Guinea Current
[D] Labrador Current
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Guinea Current]
Notes:
The Guinea Current is different because it is located in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa, while the other three currents (Canaries, Benguela, and Labrador) are in the Atlantic but are associated with different regions: the Canaries Current flows near the Canary Islands, the Benguela Current flows along the southwest coast of Africa, and the Labrador Current is found off the coast of Canada.
9. The latitude which passes through Sikkim also passes through which of the following states?
[A] Haryana
[B] Rajasthan
[C] Uttarakhand
[D] Himachal Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Rajasthan]
Notes:
The latitude that pass through Sikkim also pass through Rajasthan. 27 degree centigrade latitude passes through Gangtok of sikkim and Alwar in Rajasthan.
10. The evidence for the rotation of stars comes mainly from the which of the following effects? (UPSC Prelims 1990)
[A] Doppler effect
[B] Photoelectric effect
[C] Stark effect
[D] Zeeman effect
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Zeeman effect]
Notes:
The evidence for the rotation of stars comes mainly from the Zeeman effect. The Zeeman effect, named after the Dutch physicist Pieter Zeeman, is the effect of splitting of a spectral line into several components in the presence of a static magnetic field. It is analogous to the Stark effect, the splitting of a spectral line into several components in the presence of an electric field.