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. On which planet, due to its clockwise (east to west) rotation on the axis, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east ?
[A] Mercury
[B] Venus
[C] Earth
[D] Mars
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Venus]
Notes:
Venus rotates on its polar axis backwards compared to Earth, so a Venus sunrise occurs in the west and sunset in the east.
2. Which among the following seas is known for highest salinity?
[A] Red sea
[B] Dead sea
[C] Caspian sea
[D] Sargasso Sea
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Dead sea]
Notes:
The dead sea is the sea with highest salinity. It has a salinity of 342 g/kg, or 34.2% it is one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water. The average salt concentration of of Dead Sea around 34% is much higher compared to an average of 3.5% for the world’s oceans. This high level of salinity is due to the fact that the Dead Sea is a saltwater lake that has no outlet, so the water is unable to flow out and dissipate its salt content. Instead, the salt remains in the water, leading to a very high concentration of minerals and other dissolved substances. The high salinity of the Dead Sea also makes it extremely buoyant, allowing people to float easily on its surface.
3. Paleoclimatology is study of:
[A] Ancient Climates
[B] Modern Climates
[C] Climates of other planets
[D] Climates of oceans
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ancient Climates]
Notes:
Paleoclimatology is the study of ancient climates, prior to the widespread availability of instrumental records. Scientists can use those environmental recorders to estimate past conditions, extending our understanding of climate back hundreds to millions of years.
4. Which country’s territory comprises the largest part of the Anatolia or Asia Minor geographical region?
[A] Greece
[B] Egypt
[C] Turkey
[D] Cyprus
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Turkey]
Notes:
Anatolia, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the largest part of the territory of Turkey. Anatolia is bounded by the Black Sea to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean Sea to the west, and the borders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east.
5. Which among the following Island countries is the only country in the world to be a member of African Union, Francophonie, Organization of the Islamic Conference, Arab League and Indian Ocean Commission ?
[A] Comoros
[B] Mauritius
[C] Bahrain
[D] Madagascar
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Comoros]
Notes:
The Comoros is a volcanic archipelago off Africa’s east coast, in the warm Indian Ocean waters of the Mozambique Channel. It is the only country in the world to be a member of African Union, Francophonie, Organization of the Islamic Conference, Arab League and Indian Ocean Commission.
6. Which among the following would be the longest day in Australia?
[A] June 21
[B] September 22
[C] December 22
[D] March 23
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [December 22]
Notes:
The longest day in Australia occurs on December 22, which is the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. On this day, Australia experiences the most daylight hours, with regions like Darwin having up to 13.5 hours of sunlight. In contrast, June 21 is the winter solstice, resulting in the shortest day. September 22 and March 23 are equinoxes, where day and night are approximately equal in length.
7. On which of the following dates, Australia is likely to experience the shortest day of the year?
[A] 21 June
[B] 21 March
[C] 22 September
[D] 22 December
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [21 June]
Notes:
The June solstice is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Winter Solstice the Southern Hemisphere. Similarly, December Solstice or Summer solstice in Southern Hemisphere is on 21 December. Australia will experience the longest day on 22 December and shortest day on 21 June.
8. Consider a specific point on the surface of the earth (say, the city of Delhi). The temperature at a given time of day (say, 12.00 noon) will in general be higher in summer than in winter. This is because? (UPSC Prelims 1993)
[A] the earth is closer to the sun in summer than in winter
[B] sun-rays falling on the earth are inclined more towards the surface of the earth in winter
[C] evaporation of water from atmospheric precipitation occurring in winter alone
[D] the axis of the earth is inclined more towards the sun in winter
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [the earth is closer to the sun in summer than in winter]
Notes:
Summer is warmer than winter (in each hemisphere) because the Sun’s rays hit the Earth at a more direct angle during summer than during winter and also because the days are much longer than the nights during the summer. These effects are due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis. Also the earth is closer to the sun in summer than in winter.
9. Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 hit which of the following planets? (UPSC Prelims 1995)
[A] Pluto
[B] Mars
[C] Jupiter
[D] Saturn
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Jupiter]
Notes:
Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 was a comet that broke apart in July 1992 and collided with Jupiter in July 1994, providing the first direct observation of an extraterrestrial collision of Solar System objects.
10. Match the columns:
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(A) Magnesium
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(1) Mantle
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(B) Upper layer of the earth’s crust
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(2) Sima
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(C) Light rocks of the lithosphere
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(3) Bill
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(D) Small Peninsula
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(4) Sial
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A B C D (UPSC Prelims 1997)
[A] 2 3 4 1
[B] 3 2 1 4
[C] 1 3 4 2
[D] 2 4 1 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [2 4 1 3]
Notes:
• Sima is the earth’s crusts lower layer and contains rocks with an abundance of magnesium silicate minerals, the word Sima is an amalgam of the first two letters of Magnesium and Silica.
• In geology, the term ‘sial’ refers to the composition of the upper layer of the Earth’s crust, namely rocks rich in silicates and aluminum minerals. As these elements are less dense than the majority of the earth’s elements, they tend to be concentrated in the upper layer of the crust.
• The crust and the upper layer of the mantle together make up a zone of rigid, brittle rock called the Lithosphere. The layer below the rigid lithosphere is a zone of asphalt-like consistency called the Asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is the part of the mantle that flows and moves the plates of the Earth.
• A peninsula is a landform surrounded by water on the majority of its border while being connected to a mainland from which it extends. Peninsulas are not always named as such; one can also be a headland, cape, island promontory, bill, point, fork, or spit.