World Geography GK Questions (MCQs) Quiz for State and UPSC Civil Services Examinations. Objective Questions on Physical Geography and World Geography for Competitive Examinations.
1. Granite is an example of:
[A] Intrusive igneous rock
[B] Extrusive igneous rock
[C] Sedimentary rock
[D] Metamorphic rock
Answer: A [Intrusive igneous rock]
Notes:
Intrusive igneous rocks are formed from magma that cools and solidifies within the crust of a planet, surrounded by pre-existing rock (called country rock); the magma cools slowly and, as a result, these rocks are coarse-grained. Granite is the example of Intrusive Igneous rock.
2. Anatolia is a part of which among the following ?
[A] Australia
[B] Asia
[C] North America
[D] Antarctica
Answer: B [Asia]
Notes:
Anatolia or Asia Minor constitutes the central part of turkey. It is bounded by the Tarus Mountain in the south, the black sea in the north, and the Aegean Sea in the west, while the eastern boundary is formed by the Mount Ararat and the Armenian knot. Anatolia is plateau having undulating topography. The national capital of turkey (Ankara) is located in its central part.
3. Which among the following is NOT taken into account while choosing an orbit of the Satellite?
[A] Earth’s radius
[B] Gravitational force of the earth
[C] Mass of the satellite
[D] Distance from Earth
Answer: C [Mass of the satellite]
Notes:
Mass of satellite is not taken into account while choosing an orbit of the satellite. Gravity place a key role. The radius of earth, distance from earth are taken into consideration.
4. During which of the following events the distance between Sun and Earth is maximum?
[A] Aphelion
[B] Perhelion
[C] Summer Solsitice
[D] Winter Solsitice
Answer: A [Aphelion]
Notes:
Earth is closest to the sun (perihelion), around 3rd January.
Earth is farthest from the sun (aphelion), around 4th July.
5. Western Australia is characterized by which of the following __________?
[A] maximum waterfalls
[B] maximum coral reefs
[C] maximum sea caves
[D] maximum deserts
Answer: B [maximum coral reefs]
Notes:
The western Australia is characterized by the coral reefs. It has the great coral reef which is even visible from space. Due to global warming they are impacted a lot.
6. Karen people are ethnic groups found in which of the following?
[A] Myanmar and Thailand
[B] Africa
[C] India
[D] China
Answer: A [Myanmar and Thailand]
Notes:
The Karen are an ethnolinguistic group. They are of Sino-Tibetan language-speaking ethnic groups. They are found in Myanmar and Thailand.
7. Horse latitudes are High Pressure Subtropical Calm belts which make an area that receives little precipitation and has variable winds mixed with calm. These latitudes lie between which of the following?
[A] between 20 and 25 degrees both north and south
[B] between 30 and 35 degrees both north and south
[C] between 25 and 30 degrees both north and south
[D] between 30 and 35 degrees north only
Answer: B [between 30 and 35 degrees both north and south]
Notes:
The horse latitudes are also known as the sub-tropical high-pressure belts. The tropical region has a low-pressure winds whereas the subtropic has a high-pressure winds system. It is between 30 and 35 degrees both south and north of the equator.
8. Adelaide is the capital of which of the following territories of Australia?
[A] South Australia
[B] Queensland
[C] Western Australia
[D] Northern Territory
Answer: A [South Australia]
Notes:
The capital of Australia is Canberra. The Capital of South Australia is Adelaide. Australia is divided into 6 zones. Perth is the capital of West Australia. Darwin is the capital of Northern Territory.
9. What is Chernozem?
[A] Deltaic alluvial soil
[B] Lateric soil
[C] Red and yellow Soil
[D] Black Soil
Answer: D [Black Soil]
Notes:
Chernozem is a black-colored soil. It contains a high percentage of humus and high percentages of phosphoric acids, phosphorus, and ammonia. Chernozem is very fertile and can produce high agricultural yields with its high moisture storage capacity.
10. Which of the following correctly defines a Tidal flat?
[A] a submerged lagoon bed that only emerges at low tide
[B] an artificial water body that is subject to the ebb and flow of tides
[C] an area along a coast where a river empties into an ocean or sea
[D] an equatorial region where the tidal range is lowest
Answer: A [a submerged lagoon bed that only emerges at low tide]
Notes:
The first option is the correct answer. A tidal flat is a lagoon bed that only emerges at low tide and hence is not suitable for colonization by pioneer plants.
World Geography GK Questions
11. Which among the following has the highest albedo?
[A] Forests
[B] Deserts
[C] Fresh snow
[D] Land surface
Answer: C [Fresh snow ]
Notes:
The proportion of insolation that is reflected back by the surface is called its albedo. Albedos of different bodies: land surface – 8 and 40% forests – 9 to 18% desert sands – 30 to 40% Fresh snow – 85%
12. Which among the following pairs of fronts is/are correctly matched?
- Warm Front – frontal surface along which the cold air becomes active and aggressive and invades the warm air territory forcibly lifting the warm and light air.
- Occluded Front – formed when two contrasting air masses converge in such a way that they become parallel to each other and there is no ascent of air.
- Stationary Front – formed when cold front overtakes warm front and warm air is completely displaced from the ground surface.
Select the correct code from the options given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] 1, 2 & 3
[D] None of the above
Answer: D [None of the above]
Notes:
Warm front is that sloping frontal surface along which warm and light air becomes active and aggressive and rises slowly over cold and dense air.
Occluded front is the front which is formed when cold front overtakes warm front and warm air is completely displaced from the ground surface.
Stationary front is formed when two contrasting air masses converge in such a way that they become parallel to each other and there is no ascent of air.
13. Which among the following statements is not correct about ocean temperature?
[A] The uppermost 10 percent of the oceans contain more heat than the entire atmosphere.
[B] The temperature of the oceans is always uniform
[C] The density of ocean water is mostly a function of its temperature and salinity
[D] The oceans of the Northern are warmer than that of the Southern Oceans.
Answer: B [The temperature of the oceans is always uniform]
Notes:
The uppermost 10 percent of the oceans contain more heat than the entire atmosphere. The temperature of the oceans is not uniform.
It differs from latitude to latitude and from the surface to the bottom.
14. In which type of settlements the houses are built very close to each other?
[A] Nucleated
[B] Dispersed
[C] Fragmented
[D] Planned
Answer: A [Nucleated]
Notes:
Compact or Nucleated Settlements − Under these type of settlements, the houses are built very close to each other. Usually, plain fertile land regions have such compact or nucleated settlements.
15. What is a demographic and social process whereby people move from urban areas to rural areas called?
[A] Sub-Urbanization
[B] Over-Urbanization
[C] Urban Agglomeration
[D] Counter-Urbanization
Answer: D [Counter-Urbanization]
Notes:
Counter-Urbanization: – It is a demographic and social process whereby people move from urban areas to rural areas. It first took place as a reaction to inner-city deprivation and overcrowding.
Counter urbanization occurs when some large cities reach a point where they stop growing further or actually begin to decrease in size as their population start moving into suburban areas or smaller cities thereby leapfrogging the rural-urban fringe.
16. In which among the following regions does hunting as an activity largely survives?
[A] Europe
[B] Arctic
[C] Asia
[D] Australia
Answer: B [Arctic]
Notes:
Although hunting was much more widespread in the past, today this activity survives largely in the high latitude zones particularly in the Arctic region.
17. Which among the following statements is/are correct about Dairy Farming?
Dairy farming involves large financial investments in buildings and machinery.
- Most of the area under dairy farms has a mantle of glacial deposits and the land is often stony.
Select the correct code from the options given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 & 2
[D] Neither 1 & 2
Answer: C [Both 1 & 2]
Notes:
Dairy farming involves large financial investments in buildings and machinery. The machinery requirements of a dairy farm are also large. Besides machines for feeding, milking and cleaning, there are large requirements of machinery for cooling milk. In general, the dairy farms do not occupy the best type of farmland. Most of the area under dairy farms has a mantle of glacial deposits and the land is often stony.
18. What is rearing of silk worms and obtaining silk from them called?
[A] Apiculture
[B] Vermiculture
[C] Sericulture
[D] Horticulture
Answer: C [Sericulture]
Notes:
Sericulture refers to the rearing of silk worms and obtaining silk from them. It involves raising a feed crop, chiefly mulberry leaves, and tending to silk worms and obtaining silk fibre from the cocoons produced by the worms.
19. Which among the following metals is called a Noble metal?
[A] Iron
[B] Steel
[C] Copper
[D] Gold
Answer: D [Gold]
Notes:
Gold is a precious metal and its importance and high value lies primarily in its scarcity and not so much in its use. Its most important chemical property is that it is among the least reactive metals. Due to its immunity to acids it is often called a noble metal.
20. Which ocean houses the waterbody “English Channel”?
[A] Pacific Ocean
[B] Atlantic Ocean
[C] Indian Ocean
[D] Arctic Ocean
Answer: B [Atlantic Ocean]
Notes:
The English Channel, also known as “the Channel”, is a body of water which forms part of the Atlantic Ocean located between Great Britain (Southern England) and Northern France. The English Channel is linked to the North Sea through the Strait of Dover, thereby connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the coasts of France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany. It is the busiest shipping area in the world.
World Geography GK Questions
21. Which among the following landforms are created by the collision of two astronomical objects?
[A] Karst Landforms
[B] Lacustrine Landforms
[C] Impact Landforms
[D] Fluvial landforms
Answer: C [Impact Landforms]
Notes:
Impact landforms are landforms formed due to collision of two astronomical objects with measurable effects.
22. Which among the following statements is not correct about the landform Nubbin?
[A] It is a small and gentle hill consisting of a bedrock core dotted with rounded residual blocks
[B] They occur in patterned groups
[C] It is a weathering landform
[D] It is mostly found in arid areas
Answer: D [It is mostly found in arid areas]
Notes:
Nubbin is a small and gentle hill consisting of a bedrock core dotted with rounded residual blocks is called a Nubbin. They are weathered landforms that occur in patterned groups. They are found in humid tropical and monsoon climate areas.
23. Which nation houses the stone desert “Pobiti Kamani”?
[A] Bulgaria
[B] Turkey
[C] Romania
[D] Greece
Answer: A [Bulgaria]
Notes:
Pobiti Kamani, also known as the stone desert, is located in Bulgaria. It is a desert full of stone columns. It is one of the two naturally formed desert in all of Europe. It is the only known naturally formed desert in all of eastern Europe in which we can see reptiles and other desert animals to grow.
24. Which among the following mountain ranges and their peaks is not correctly matched?
[A] Great Dividing Range – Mt. Whitney
[B] Arakan Yoma – Mt. Kennedy
[C] Vosges – Mt. Grand Ballon
[D] Kunlun Mountains – Mt. Muztag
Answer: A [Great Dividing Range – Mt. Whitney]
Notes:
The Great Dividing range in Australia, is the source for the rivers Darling and Murray. Mt. Kosciuszko is the highest peak in this range. The Sierra Nevada mountain ranges is in California, US. Mt.Whitney is the highest peak in Sierra Nevada. It is an important habitat for many Red Indians.
25. Which among the following statements is not correct about the Mesosphere?
[A] It is an intermediate layer beyond the ozone layer
[B] The temperature decreases with increase in height
[C] This layer is ideal for flying aeroplanes
[D] It lies upto an altitude of 80 km from the earth’s surface.
Answer: C [This layer is ideal for flying aeroplanes]
Notes:
The Mesosphere is the layer of the earth’s atmosphere which is an intermediate layer beyond the ozone layer. It lies upto an altitude of 80 km from the earth’s surface. The temperature gradually falls to -100°C at 80 km altitude in this layer. The meteorites burn up in this layer on entering from the space.
The Stratosphere is ideal for flying aeroplanes.
26. Which front is formed when two contrasting air masses converge in such a way that they become parallel to each other and there is no ascent of air?
[A] Warm Front
[B] Cold Front
[C] Occluded Front
[D] Stationary Front
Answer: D [Stationary Front]
Notes:
Stationary front is formed when two contrasting air masses converge in such a way that they become parallel to each other and there is no ascent of air. The surface position of stationary front does not move either forward or backward.
27. Which among the following statements is/are correct about the “eye” of the cyclone?
- It is a circular area of comparatively light winds and thunderstorms
- There is heavy precipitation
- It is the region of lowest surface pressure
Select the correct code from the options given below:
[A] Only 1 & 3
[B] Only 3
[C] Only 1 & 2
[D] None of the above
Answer: B [Only 3]
Notes:
The “eye” is a roughly circular area of comparatively light winds and fair weather found at the center of a severe tropical cyclone. There is little or no precipitation.
The eye is the region of lowest surface pressure.
28. Which is the warmest ocean in the world?
[A] Pacific
[B] Atlantic
[C] Indian
[D] Southern
Answer: C [Indian]
Notes:
The Indian Ocean is the warmest ocean in the world. Long-term ocean temperature records show a rapid, continuous warming in the Indian Ocean, at about 1.2 °C. Human induced greenhouse warming, and changes in the frequency and magnitude of El Nino (or the Indian Ocean Dipole), events are a trigger to this strong warming in the Indian Ocean.
29. Which is the shallowest ocean in the world?
[A] Arctic
[B] Southern
[C] Indian
[D] Atlantic
Answer: A [Arctic]
Notes:
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world’s five major oceans. It is also known as the coldest of all the oceans.
30. Which is the widest continental Shelf in the world?
[A] Sunda Shelf
[B] Siberian Shelf
[C] North Atlantic Shelf
[D] Pacific Continental Shelf
Answer: B [Siberian Shelf ]
Notes:
Continental Shelf is the extended margin of each continent occupied by relatively shallow seas and gulfs.
The shelves are wider where the coast lands are wide plains E.g. The Siberian shelf in the Arctic Ocean, the largest in the world, stretches to 1,500 km in width.
World Geography GK Questions
31. The “Great Pyramid of Giza” is located in which country?
[A] Egypt
[B] Syria
[C] Lebanon
[D] Jordan
Answer: A [Egypt]
Notes:
Great Pyramid of Giza, also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops, is a true pyramid made of limestone and granite located in Giza in the Greater Cairo region of Egypt. It is 138.8 metres high which was constructed between 2580 BC to 2560 BC. This pyramid is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Pyramid Complex. It is also the oldest of the seven Wonders of the World and the only one to remain largely intact. This pyramid is part of the Memphis and its Necropolis-the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dashur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
32. Haematite, magnetite, limonite and siderite are types of which mineral?
[A] Coal
[B] Iron
[C] Copper
[D] Aluminium
Answer: B [Iron]
Notes:
Iron is one of the most important metals of the modern age and it is extracted from a number of ores. However, the commercial production comes only from four types of ores namely: Haematite (Fe203) Magnetite (Fe304) Limonite and Siderite (FeC03).
33. Which among the following statements is/are correct about the Sugarcane Industry?
Sugar industry is an agro-based industry.
- While sugarcane is the source for sugar in the temperate lands, sugar beet is its primary source in tropical regions.
- Sugar industry is a highly weight losing industry.
Select the correct code from the options given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 1 & 3
[C] Only 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Answer: B [Only 1 & 3]
Notes:
Sugar industry is an agro-based industry. While sugarcane is the source for sugar in the tropical lands, sugar beet is its primary source in temperature regions. About 72 per cent of the total sugar is obtained from sugar cane.
Sugar industry is a highly weight losing industry. Moreover, both cane and beet are readily perishable products.
34. Which among the following is/are the raw materials in the cement industry?
- Clay
- Gypsum
- Limestone
- Coal
Select the correct code from the options given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] Only 1 & 4
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Answer: D [1, 2, 3 & 4]
Notes:
The word cement means the Portland cement that has brought about a revolution in building and other construction works. The raw materials of the cement industry are limestone, clay, gypsum and coal.
35. Which two countries share the location of the fault zone “Chixoy-Polochic Fault”?
[A] Guatemala and Honduras
[B] Guatemala and Nicaragua
[C] Guatemala and Mexico
[D] Guatemala and Costa Rica
Answer: C [Guatemala and Mexico]
Notes:
The Chixoy-Polochic Fault, also known as Cuilco-Chixoy-Polochic Fault, is a major fault zone in Guatemala and southwestern Mexico. It runs in a light arc from the east coast of Guatemala to Chiapas, following the deep valleys of the Polochic River, Chixoy River and Cuilco River.
36. Which of the following stars is nearest to the sun?
[A] Proxima Centauri
[B] Deneb
[C] Sirius
[D] Betelgeuse
Answer: A [Proxima Centauri]
Notes:
Proxima Centauri is the nearest star to the Earth. It is a red dwarf, a small low-mass star, about 4.25 light-years from the Sun in the constellation of Centaurus. Because of Proxima Centauri’s proximity to Earth, its angular diameter can be measured directly; it is about one-seventh the diameter of the Sun.
37. Which of the following layers is called “Barysphere”?
[A] Earth\’s most internal layer
[B] Earth\’s intermediate layer
[C] Earth\’s topmost layer
[D] Lowest part of the atmosphere where climate changes occur
Answer: A [Earth\’s most internal layer]
Notes:
On the basis of chemical composition earth can be divided into crust, mantle and core. On the basis of chemical composition earth can be divided into lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere, and Barysphere (Core). The interior layer is the core or barysphere, 3476 km in radius, and is made up mainly of iron (Fe) with some nickel and is called nife.
38. Which of these straits separates Asia from Africa?
[A] Malacca
[B] Hormuz
[C] Bab-al-Mandeb
[D] Bosphorus
Answer: C [Bab-al-Mandeb]
Notes:
Bab-el-Mandeb separates Asia from Africa at Aden. It is located between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa. Precisely speaking it separates Yemen from Djibouti and Eritrea and connects Red sea with Gulf of Aden (part of Arabian sea).
39. Major South-West Asian oil fields are located in which of these regions?
[A] Shore regions of Persian Gulf
[B] Euphratis-Tigris Basin
[C] Arabian Desert
[D] Rub-al-Khali Desert
Answer: A [Shore regions of Persian Gulf]
Notes:
The Persian Gulf and its coastal areas are the world’s largest single source of crude oil. The oil-rich countries (excluding Iraq) that have a coastline on the Persian Gulf are referred to as the Persian Gulf States.
40. Which country is the largest producer of Wheat?
[A] Brazil
[B] United States
[C] France
[D] China
Answer: D [China]
Notes:
China is the world’s largest wheat producer with around 17% of total global production. Russia is the largest global wheat exporter.
World Geography GK Questions
41. Which of the following rivers carries maximum quantity of water into the sea?
[A] Nile
[B] Amazon
[C] Mississippi Missouri
[D] Thames
Answer: B [ Amazon ]
Notes:
Amazon River carries maximum quantity of water into the sea and is largest river by discharge of water in the world.
42. Which among the lines is a boundary between France & Germany ?
[A] Siegfried Line
[B] Senger Line
[C] KW-line
[D] 49th Parallel
Answer: A [Siegfried Line]
Notes:
The Siegfried Line was a German defensive line built during the 1930s opposite the French Maginot Line. It is the boundary between France and Germany.
43. On which of the following the weight of a person will be minimum ?
[A] Venus
[B] Mars
[C] Moon
[D] Mercury
Answer: C [Moon]
Notes:
100 kgs equivalent to 16.6 Kgs on Moon and 37.8 kgs on Mercury.
44. Which of the following mountain ranges form the longest mountain chain in the world?
[A] The Rockies of North America
[B] The Andes of South America
[C] The Transantarctic Range
[D] The Great Dividing Range of Australia
Answer: B [The Andes of South America]
Notes:
Andes is the world’s longest above-water mountain range, spanning over 4,300 miles. It’s located on the South American continent and crosses the borders of seven countries:
Venezuela, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina.
The Andes stretches from Tierra del Fuego in the south to the continent’s northernmost coast on the Caribbean Sea. It’s also known for its volcanoes.
The longest mountain range on Earth is the mid-sea edge, which spans over 40,389 miles. Around 90% of the mid-sea edge framework is under the sea. The mid-ocean ridge system is part of every ocean in the world and marks the boundaries of the oceanic plates. It rises to 6,600 feet above the deepest part of the ocean basin.
45. In context with the heavenly bodies, which among the following shows “lighthouse effect”?
[A] Quasar
[B] White Dwarf
[C] Red Giant
[D] Pulsar
Answer: D [ Pulsar]
Correct Answer: D [ Pulsar]
Notes:
Pulsar emit radio (electromagnetic) signals at regular interval of time. Pulsars are a kind of neutron stars and the emission is detectable when the source of beam of the electromagnetic waves is towards Earth. This is known as Light house effect and is gives a pulsed nature to pulsars.
46. The trees of spruce, fir, pine, etc. are found in which of the following natural regions of the earth?
[A] Laurentian type
[B] Alpine type
[C] Taiga type
[D] Siberian type
Answer: C [Taiga type]
Notes:
Taiga, generally referred to in North America as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. The taiga or boreal forest is the world’s largest land biome.
47. Which of the following rivers has a ‘bird’s foot’ delta?
[A] The Amazon
[B] The Brahmaputra
[C] The Mississippi
[D] The Nile
Answer: C [The Mississippi]
Notes:
Mississippi river forms a bird-foot delta as it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. As the name suggest this delta is in the shape of a bird’s foot and tend to have one or a very few major distributaries near their mouths.
48. Rainfall on the east coast of Tamil Nadu occurs during October to November due to which of the following reasons?
[A] Winter monsoon
[B] Retreating south-west monsoon
[C] North-west monsoon
[D] Local winds
Answer: B [Retreating south-west monsoon]
Notes:
Tamil nadu lies on the leeward side for the southwest monsoon winds and receives lesser rainfall. Once the monsoon starts retreating after mid- September, North east monsoon sets in during mid-October. Tamil Nadu lies on the windward side for these winds and hence gets more rainfall during the winter season.
49. Which is the largest constellation in the sky?
[A] Virgo
[B] Ursa Major
[C] Ophiuchus
[D] Hydra
Answer: D [Hydra ]
Notes:
There are 88 standard constellations. Among them, hydra is the largest, followed by Virgo and Ursa Major.
50. Which planet is named after a Roman god of Wealth and Agriculture?
[A] Saturn
[B] Neptune
[C] Jupiter
[D] Mercury
Answer: A [Saturn]
Notes:
Saturn was a god in ancient Roman religion, and a character in Roman mythology described as god of generation, dissolution, plenty, wealth, agriculture, periodic renewal and liberation. It is represented by the symbol of god’s sickle.
