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. What is the distance of the Sun from the Earth?
[A] 7 light minutes
[B] 8 light minutes
[C] 9 light minutes
[D] 10 light minutes
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [8 light minutes]
Notes:
The Sun is nearly 150 million km away from the Earth. Such large distances are expressed in another unit known as light year.
Light year is the distance travelled by light in one year.
Speed of light is about 300,000 km per second. Thus, the distance of the Sun from the Earth may be said to be about 8 light minutes.
2. Which among the following is the windiest place on earth?
[A] North Pole
[B] Indian Ocean
[C] Antarctica
[D] Gobi Desert
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Antarctica]
Notes:
Antarctica is considered to be the windiest place on Earth. The winds in Antarctica are often strong and persistent, with average wind speeds of around 6 meters per second and gusts reaching up to 200 kilometers per hour. These strong winds are caused by the unique weather patterns in the region, which are influenced by the cold temperatures and the presence of the Antarctic ice sheet.
3. An electrojet is an electric current which travels around the E region of the Earth's:
[A] Troposphere
[B] Stratosphere
[C] Ionosphere
[D] Lithosphere
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [ Ionosphere]
Notes:
An electrojet is a streaming movement of charged particles in the lower ionosphere. Ionosphere is a region of Earth's upper atmosphere, extending from about 60 km to 1,000 km altitude. Electrojets are mainly found at altitudes between 100 to 150 km.
4. Identify the region on the basis of the following features:
- This region experiences double rainfall peaks that coincide with the equinoxes.
- The soils are generally infertile and susceptible to intense leaching.
- Heat loss in the region is minimal due to persistent cloud cover, and most rainfall here is convectional in origin.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A] Savanna region
[B] Mediterranean Basin
[C] Temperate grassland
[D] Equatorial region
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Equatorial region]
Notes:
The equatorial region is characterized by double rainfall peaks aligning with the equinoxes due to the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Soils here are typically lateritic, suffering rapid leaching, making them infertile. The thick cloud cover limits heat loss, and high temperatures promote convectional rainfall, all distinguishing features of equatorial regions.
5. What is the name of the tropical cyclones in the China Sea?
[A] Hurricanes
[B] Tornado
[C] Typhoon
[D] Twister
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Typhoon]
Notes:
Over the western North Pacific and the South China Sea, tropical cyclones having maximum sustained winds reaching 118 km/h or more are known as ‘typhoons’.
6. Which of the following is the reason behind the different seasons to occur?
[A] Sun is moving around the earth
[B] Of revolution of the earth around the sun on its orbit
[C] Tilt of Earth’s axis
[D] All of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Tilt of Earth’s axis]
Notes:
The four seasons happen because of the tilt of the Earth’s axis. At different times of the year, the sun’s rays hit different parts of the globe more directly. The angle of the Earth’s axis tilts the Northern Hemisphere towards the sun during the summer.
7. In which one of the following oceans is Diamantina Trench situated? (UPSC Prelims 2006)
[A] Pacific Ocean
[B] Atlantic Ocean
[C] Indian Ocean
[D] Arctic Ocean
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Indian Ocean]
Notes:
The Diamantina Trench is a deep sea trench in the South East Indian Basin. With a maximum depth of 8,047 meters, it is the deepest trench of the Indian Ocean, deeper than the better-known Java Trench.
8. Which among the following planet and its associated weather system is not correctly matched?
[A] The Great Red Spot – Saturn
[B] Dust Storms – Mars
[C] Hurricanes – Earth
[D] Holes in atmosphere – Neptune
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [The Great Red Spot – Saturn ]
Notes:
The Great Red Spot is a giant spinning storm (anticyclone) in the atmosphere of Jupiter.
9. The collision of which protoplanet to Earth is related to the formation of the Moon?
[A] Terra
[B] Tellus
[C] Gaea
[D] Theia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Theia]
Notes:
The Giant Impact Hypothesis explains the formation of the moon from the colossal impact of the protoplanet called Theia with the Earth.
10. What is the process of formation and development of caves called?
[A] Thermogenesis
[B] Biogenesis
[C] Tumorigenesis
[D] Speleogenesis
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Speleogenesis]
Notes:
Cave is a natural void in the ground formed by the process of weathering of the rock. The process of the formation and development of caves is called as Speleogenesis.
