Geography Mixed Quiz: Set 12

The correct answer is B, Venus. Venus is wrapped in a dense blanket of carbon dioxide topped by thick white and yellow clouds of sulphuric acid, which is why it shines so brightly in our sky. Those clouds reflect most of the sunlight that falls on them, giving Venus the highest albedo of any planet and making it the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon. The same blanket traps heat so well that the surface stays near 465 degrees Celsius, hotter than Mercury even though Venus is farther from the Sun. It is called Earth's twin for its similar size and mass, and the morning or evening star for when it is seen. Option A is wrong because Uranus looks blue-green owing to methane in its hydrogen and helium atmosphere. Option C is wrong because Neptune is also a methane-rich ice giant, known for its supersonic winds. Option D is wrong because Mars looks red owing to iron oxide dust and has a very thin atmosphere. Exam tip: Venus - hottest planet, thickest clouds, sulphuric acid, rotates east to west.

The correct answer is A, Two. Because of the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun, together with the centrifugal effect of the earth's rotation, most coasts see the sea rise and fall twice in a day. The moon's pull raises a bulge of water on the side of the earth facing it and another on the opposite side, and as the earth turns a place passes through both bulges in about twenty-four hours. These are called semi-diurnal tides, and successive high tides come about twelve hours and twenty-five minutes apart. Option B is wrong because no shore gets three tidal cycles in a day. Option C is wrong because four counts the individual tides — two high and two low — while the rise-and-fall cycle itself happens twice. Option D is wrong because a single daily high and low, called a diurnal tide, occurs only on a few coasts such as parts of the Gulf of Mexico. Exam tip: spring tides come at full moon and new moon when sun and moon pull in line, and neap tides at the quarters.

The correct answer is C, Tropic of Cancer. The Tropic of Cancer, at 23 degrees 30 minutes north, cuts India almost in half and divides it into a tropical south and a subtropical north. This is why the south stays warm through the year while the north has a cold winter, and it is the main reason India is described as having a tropical monsoon climate. The line passes through eight states, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. Option A is wrong because the Equator, at zero degrees, lies well south of India and passes through countries such as Kenya, Indonesia and Brazil. Option B is wrong because the Tropic of Capricorn lies in the southern hemisphere at 23 degrees 30 minutes south. Option D is wrong because the Antarctic Circle at 66 degrees 30 minutes south is far from India. Exam tip: remember the eight states on the Tropic of Cancer from west to east, starting with Gujarat and ending with Mizoram.

The correct answer is A, Mizo Hills. The Lushai Hills are the old British name for the hills of present-day Mizoram, home of the Mizo (Lushai) people. The Lushai Hills district of Assam was renamed the Mizo Hills district in 1954, became the Union Territory of Mizoram in 1972 and the 23rd State on 20 February 1987 under the 53rd Amendment. These hills form the southern part of the Purvanchal, the eastern extension of the Himalayas along the Myanmar border, and their highest point is Phawngpui, the Blue Mountain, at 2,157 metres. Option B is wrong because the Patkai Hills lie further north on the Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland border with Myanmar. Option C is wrong because the Khasi Hills are in Meghalaya, with Shillong, Cherrapunji and Mawsynram. Option D is wrong because the Naga Hills are in Nagaland, with Mount Saramati as the highest peak. Exam tip: Purvanchal from north to south runs Patkai, Naga, Manipur and Mizo (Lushai) hills; the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills of Meghalaya are a separate plateau block.

The correct answer is D, the core. Nife is formed from the chemical symbols of nickel and iron, the two metals believed to make up the central part of the planet, and the flow of that metal in the liquid outer core is what generates the Earth magnetic field.

Option A, the continental crust, is called Sial, from silica and aluminium, because those are its dominant constituents and its density is low. Option B, the oceanic crust, is called Sima, from silica and magnesium, and is thinner but denser than the continental crust. Option C, the mantle, is the largest layer by volume and is rich in silicates of iron and magnesium, but the Nife label is not used for it. Learn the three short names together, Sial, Sima and Nife, from the surface downward.

The correct answer is A, Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar, Pir Panjal, Siwalik. Across Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, the ranges step down from the lofty north to the low foothills in the south. The Karakoram is the northernmost and carries K2 (8,611 m), the highest peak in India, and the Siachen Glacier. South of it runs the Ladakh Range, and the Indus flows through the valley between the Ladakh and Zaskar ranges. Further south, the Pir Panjal of the Lesser Himalaya holds the Banihal and Rohtang passes, with the Atal Tunnel cut beneath Rohtang. The Siwalik forms the lowest and youngest outer range. Option B is wrong because it puts the Karakoram fourth, when it is the northernmost. Option C is wrong because it starts with the Pir Panjal, one of the southern ranges. Option D is wrong because it gives the whole order in reverse, from south to north. Exam tip: from the north, "K-L-Z-P-S": Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar, Pir Panjal, Siwalik.

The correct answer is B, S waves. Secondary or S waves are transverse, so the particles of the medium move at right angles to the direction of travel. A transverse wave needs a medium that resists a change of shape, and a liquid does not, so S waves stop at the liquid outer core and are not recorded beyond about 103 degrees from the epicentre.

Option A, P waves, are longitudinal waves of compression and rarefaction and pass through solids, liquids and gases alike, which is why they are always the first to be recorded. Options C and D, Love and Rayleigh waves, are surface waves; they travel only along the crust and are the slowest and the most destructive, but the question is about passage through liquids inside the earth, which they never attempt. The absence of S waves in the shadow region is the standard proof that the outer core of the earth is in a liquid state.

The correct answer is B, Mahanadi river. The Malwa plateau lies in western Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan, between the Vindhyas in the south and the Aravallis in the north-west, and is made of Deccan lava with black soil. It slopes to the north, so its rivers, the Chambal, Kali Sindh, Parbati, Betwa and Ken, flow north to join the Yamuna. The Mahanadi has nothing to do with Malwa: it rises near Sihawa in the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh, flows east through Odisha past the Hirakud dam and falls into the Bay of Bengal. Option A is wrong because the Chambal rises at the Janapav hills near Mhow on the Malwa plateau and carries the Gandhi Sagar dam. Option C is wrong because the Ken rises on the Kaimur hills in Panna and drains the eastern edge of the plateau. Option D is wrong because the Betwa rises near Raisen in the Vindhyas and crosses Malwa and Bundelkhand to meet the Yamuna at Hamirpur. Exam tip: Malwa rivers flow north to the Yamuna (Chambal, Betwa, Ken); the Mahanadi flows east to the Bay of Bengal.

The correct answer is B, the stratosphere. Ozone is concentrated in the lower and middle stratosphere, and because it absorbs ultraviolet radiation the temperature of this layer rises with height instead of falling. The same absorption shields life at the surface from harmful radiation, and the stability of the layer makes it free of cloud and turbulence, so aircraft fly in its lower part.

Option A, the troposphere, is the layer of weather, where temperature falls with height and where all cloud and rain occur. Option C, the mesosphere, lies above the stratosphere; it holds very little gas, has the lowest temperatures in the atmosphere and is where meteors burn up. Option D, the thermosphere, is much higher still and is known for its ionised layers that reflect radio waves, not for ozone.

The correct answer is C, Sikkim. Tsomgo Lake, also called Changu Lake, lies in East Sikkim, about 40 km from Gangtok on the road to Nathu La. It is a glacial lake at a height of roughly 3,750 metres; it freezes in winter and is fed by melting snow in summer, which makes it one of Sikkim's best-known tourist spots. In the local language tso means lake, the same word you see in the names of Ladakh's lakes. Nathu La, the pass just beyond it, is a point for border trade with the Tibet region of China. A is wrong, because Ladakh's famous high lakes are Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri, not Tsomgo. B is wrong, because Himachal Pradesh is known for lakes such as Chandratal and Suraj Tal. D is wrong, because Uttarakhand's lakes include Nainital, Bhimtal and the mysterious Roopkund. Exam tip: Tsomgo (Changu) and Gurudongmar are Sikkim lakes; Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri are in Ladakh.

The correct answer is A, West Bengal. Kaal Baisakhi is the name used in West Bengal for the violent evening thunderstorms of the pre-monsoon months. They strike in April and May, the Bengali month of Baishakh, with squalls, thunder, lightning and sometimes hail, which is why the name means the calamity of Baishakh. They form when strong heating over the plains meets moist air drawn in from the Bay of Bengal, building tall thunderclouds, and they are also called Nor'westers because the squalls sweep in from the north-west. They damage crops and huts, but their rain helps tea, jute and rice seedlings in Bengal and Assam, where the same storms are called Bardoli Chheerha. Option B is wrong because the pre-monsoon showers of Karnataka are called Cherry Blossom or coffee showers. Option C is wrong because Punjab gets its winter rain from western disturbances. Option D is wrong because Kerala's pre-monsoon showers are the Mango Showers. Exam tip: Kaal Baisakhi in Bengal, Mango Showers in Kerala, Cherry Blossom showers in Karnataka and Loo in the northern plains.

The correct answer is C, West Champaran. Piedmont swamp soil is found only in the north-western part of West Champaran, at the foot of the Someshwar hills. Piedmont means 'at the foot of the mountain': streams coming down the hills slow down on the flat land below, and the ground stays wet and marshy, which gives this soil its name. The same corner of the district holds Valmiki National Park and Someshwar fort, the highest point in Bihar. Just to the east, a strip of Terai soil runs along the Nepal border, while most of the Bihar plain is covered by alluvial soil laid down by the Ganga and its tributaries. Option A is wrong because Madhubani, in the Mithila plain, has alluvial soil with a Terai strip in the north. Option B is wrong because Bhagalpur, on the Ganga in east Bihar, has alluvial soil. Option D is wrong because this soil occurs in only one district. Exam tip: piedmont swamp soil means West Champaran, below the Someshwar hills.

The correct answer is D, Madhya Pradesh. The Bansagar Dam stands on the Sone river in the Shahdol region of Madhya Pradesh.

Bansagar is a joint project of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the three states through which the Sone flows, and it serves both irrigation and power. The Sone is a major right bank tributary of the Ganga; it rises near Amarkantak, the same highland that gives birth to the Narmada, and joins the Ganga near Patna. The dam is named after the sage Bana, who is linked in tradition with the Sone valley.

Option A is wrong because Maharashtra has Koyna and Jayakwadi. Option B is wrong because Gujarat has the Sardar Sarovar on the Narmada and Ukai on the Tapi. Option C is wrong because Andhra Pradesh has Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam on the Krishna.

Exam tip: Bansagar on the Sone in Madhya Pradesh, shared with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar; Amarkantak is the source of both the Narmada and the Sone.

The correct answer is C, Neither I nor II. Both pairs are reversed: in Punjab rice is a commercial crop, while in Odisha it is a subsistence crop. The same crop can be commercial in one state and subsistence in another; it depends on why the farmer grows it. A subsistence crop feeds the farmer's own family, and a commercial crop is grown mainly for sale. Punjab and Haryana farmers do not eat much rice, yet they grow it on irrigated land with high-yielding seeds and sell almost all of it to the government at the minimum support price. In Odisha, West Bengal and Assam rice is the staple food, grown mostly on small rain-fed plots for the family's own kitchen. A is wrong because Punjab rice is sold, not eaten at home, so it is commercial. B is wrong because Odisha rice is largely eaten by the growers, so it is subsistence. D fails because neither pair is correct. Exam tip: NCERT line to remember, rice is commercial in Punjab and Haryana but subsistence in Odisha.

The correct answer is C, 15. The Planning Commission divided India into 15 agro-climatic zones in 1989, so that farm planning could follow soil, climate, rainfall and water resources rather than State boundaries. The zones run from the Western Himalayan Region and the Trans-Gangetic Plains to the East Coast Plains and Hills, the Western Dry Region and the Islands Region. The idea was to match crops and cropping patterns to the land, and it is still the base on which farm research and extension work are planned. Option A is wrong because 20 is not the Planning Commission's figure. Option B is wrong because 10 is too few and matches no such classification. Option D is wrong because 30 confuses this division with the far larger number of agro-climatic sub-zones worked out by the ICAR. Exam tip: the Planning Commission marked 15 agro-climatic zones in 1989, while the ICAR uses 127 agro-climatic sub-zones.

The correct answer is C, iii iv i ii. Kalahandi in Odisha is known for the large bauxite deposits of the Eastern Ghats; Zawar near Udaipur in Rajasthan is India’s best-known zinc and lead mine, worked since ancient times; Kolar in Karnataka is famous for the Kolar Gold Fields, among the deepest gold mines in the world until they closed in 2001; and Mosabani in the Singhbhum copper belt of Jharkhand is a major copper mining centre. Paper setters like to pair each mineral with one famous place, so learning one landmark site per mineral pays off quickly. Option A is wrong because it gives gold to Kalahandi and bauxite to Kolar. Option B is wrong because it also gives Kalahandi gold instead of bauxite and Kolar bauxite instead of gold. Option D is wrong because it pairs Zawar with copper and Kolar with zinc and lead. Exam tip: Kalahandi bauxite, Zawar zinc and lead, Kolar gold, Mosabani copper.

The correct answer is D, Tide. A tide is the regular rise and fall of sea level caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and, to a smaller extent, the Sun, together with the centrifugal force of the spinning earth. Most coasts get two high tides and two low tides in about 24 hours and 52 minutes. When the Sun, Moon and Earth line up at new moon and full moon, the pulls add up and give the high spring tides; when the Sun and Moon are at right angles in the first and third quarters, the pulls work against each other and give the low neap tides. Tides help ships enter ports and are used for tidal power. Option A is wrong because waves are made by wind blowing over the surface. Option B is wrong because a tsunami is a single train of huge waves set off by an undersea earthquake or landslide. Option C is wrong because currents are steady horizontal flows of water such as the Gulf Stream. Exam tip: spring tides at full and new moon, neap tides in the quarters.

The correct answer is A, Zanskar Range. Zoji La, or the Zojila pass, lies in the Zanskar range of the Himalayas at a height of about 3,528 metres. It is on the Srinagar to Leh highway between Sonamarg in the Kashmir valley and Drass in the Kargil district, and it is the gateway to Ladakh. Heavy snow closes it in winter, which is why the Zojila tunnel is being built to keep the route open through the year and give the armed forces year-round access to Ladakh. Option B is wrong because the Ladakh range holds the Khardung La and Chang La passes. Option C is wrong because the eastern Karakoram range holds the Karakoram pass and Saser La on the old trade route to Central Asia. Option D is wrong because the Dhauladhar range runs through Himachal Pradesh above Dharamshala and Kangra. Exam tip: Zoji La in the Zanskar range for Kashmir to Ladakh, Khardung La in the Ladakh range beyond Leh.

The correct answer is A, Dang. Dang is not a South Indian tribe. The name belongs to the Dangs district of southern Gujarat, whose tribal people are mainly Bhil, Warli and Konkana, all of western India. The other three are communities of the Nilgiri hills, where Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka meet. The Toda are pastoralists known for their barrel-shaped huts and their buffalo-centred rituals. The Badaga are farmers of the Nilgiri plateau who speak a tongue close to Kannada. The Irula, a Scheduled Tribe of Tamil Nadu, are known for snake catching and for collecting forest produce. Option B is wrong because the Toda are the best known tribe of the Nilgiris. Option C is wrong because the Badaga live on the same plateau, around Udhagamandalam. Option D is wrong because the Irula are spread across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Exam tip: remember Toda, Kota, Kurumba, Badaga and Irula as the five main Nilgiri tribes, and place Bhil, Warli and the Dangs in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The correct answer is D, Sikkim. Sikkim does not touch Myanmar. Its neighbours across the border are Nepal to the west, China in the north and east, and Bhutan to the south-east. Only four Indian states share the border with Myanmar - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram - and that border runs for about 1,643 km. Option A is wrong because Arunachal Pradesh meets Myanmar along its south-eastern edge. Option B is wrong because Mizoram has a long stretch of the Myanmar border besides its border with Bangladesh. Option C is wrong because Manipur meets Myanmar on the east, and Moreh in Manipur is the main trading town on that border. Sikkim is India's least populated state and shares borders with three countries, but Myanmar is not one of them. Exam tip: remember the Myanmar border states as A-N-M-M - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.