Geography Mixed Quiz: Set 24

The correct answer is D, Nilgiri. Doddabetta, about 2,637 metres high, is the highest point of the Nilgiri hills, the block where the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats meet, and it overlooks the hill station of Udhagamandalam or Ooty in Tamil Nadu. Option A is wrong because the highest point of the Vindhyan range is a far lower summit in Madhya Pradesh; the Vindhyas form the northern edge of the Deccan, not a two-thousand-metre range. Option B is wrong because the highest peak of the Satpura range is Dhupgarh in the Pachmarhi hills, about 1,350 metres. Option C is wrong because the highest peak of the Aravallis is Guru Shikhar near Mount Abu in Rajasthan, about 1,722 metres. Examiners often mix these four peaks in one question, so learn the set together: Doddabetta with the Nilgiris, Dhupgarh with the Satpuras and Guru Shikhar with the Aravallis.

The correct answer is C, 1 and 2 only. Statement 3 is wrong because the Kaleshwaram project is built on the Godavari, not the Krishna. The scheme takes its name from Kaleshwaram in Telangana, near the point where the Pranhita joins the Godavari, and it was inaugurated in June 2019, which makes statement 1 correct. It is described as the world's largest multi-stage, multi-purpose lift irrigation project, so statement 2 is correct: water is raised through a long chain of pump houses, barrages, tunnels, canals and reservoirs to fields that lie far above the river, and it is meant to serve lakhs of hectares in north Telangana as well as drinking water and industry. Option A is wrong and option D is wrong because both accept statement 3 and its Krishna River claim. Option B is wrong because it leaves out the correct statement 2. Exam tip: Kaleshwaram is on the Godavari in Telangana, while Polavaram is on the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh.

The correct answer is D, Shipki La. The Sutlej rises from the Rakas lake near Mansarovar in Tibet, where it is called the Langchen Khambab, and enters India through the Shipki La pass in Himachal Pradesh before flowing on to join the Beas at Harike. Option A is wrong because Zoji La lies on the road from Srinagar to Kargil in Ladakh and carries no such river. Option B is wrong because Nathu La is a trade pass in Sikkim on the route to Tibet, in an entirely different part of the Himalaya. Option C is wrong because Lipulekh is a pass in Uttarakhand used by the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and by the Kali river valley, not by the Sutlej. The Sutlej also carries the Bhakra Nangal project, so link the river, the pass and the dam together when you revise.

The correct answer is C, Using trees or large shrubs as fences for a garden. A line of trees or tall shrubs works as a windbreak: it slows the wind close to the ground so the moving air can no longer lift loose soil.

Wind erosion happens on dry, bare, open land where the topsoil is loose and there is no cover to hold it. Rows of trees planted across the direction of the wind are called shelterbelts, and they are the standard remedy in dry regions such as western Rajasthan, where they were planted along the Indira Gandhi Canal. The roots of the trees also bind the soil and their fallen leaves add humus to it.

Option A is wrong because paving land with tiles or cement seals the soil and destroys its use for plants; it is not soil conservation. Option B is wrong because crop rotation restores soil fertility rather than blocking the wind. Option D is wrong because growing vegetables in pots at home does nothing for open land.

Exam tip: shelterbelts and windbreaks check wind erosion; contour ploughing and terracing check water erosion.

The correct answer is D, Karnataka. The Kolar Gold Fields lie in the Kolar district of Karnataka, on the Dharwar rocks of the peninsular plateau.

Kolar was for a long time India's main source of gold and one of the deepest mines in the world, going down about three kilometres. Mining stopped in 2001 because the ore left was poor and the cost of working at that depth had become too high. Karnataka also has the Hutti gold mines in Raichur district, which still work, and the state leads India in gold production. The town of Kolar grew around the mines and once drew its electricity from the Shivanasamudra power station, among the earliest hydel supplies in Asia.

Option A is wrong because Madhya Pradesh is known for diamonds at Panna. Option B is wrong because Andhra Pradesh has no Kolar field. Option C is wrong because Tamil Nadu is known for lignite at Neyveli.

Exam tip: gold in Karnataka means Kolar and Hutti; Kolar closed in 2001 and Hutti still works.

The correct answer is B, Polar Region. The Eskimos, who call themselves Inuit, live in the polar region, that is the Arctic lands of Greenland, northern Canada, Alaska and eastern Siberia. Their home is cold tundra where the ground stays frozen for most of the year, so no crops grow and they live by hunting seal, walrus and caribou and by fishing. They travel by dog sledge and kayak, wear clothes of skin and fur, and in winter build the igloo, a dome of snow blocks whose thick walls trap the warmth inside. Their summer shelter is a tent of animal skin called a tupik. A is wrong because the arid region is home to desert people such as the Bedouins of Arabia. C is wrong because the savanna grassland of Africa is home to the Masai herders. D is wrong because the tropical rainforest is home to the Pygmies of the Congo basin. Exam tip: Inuit and tundra, Bedouin and desert, Masai and savanna, Pygmy and equatorial forest.

The correct answer is A, Rill erosion. Water erosion of soil moves through a fixed sequence: raindrops first loosen the soil, that is splash erosion; the water then takes off a thin even layer of topsoil, which is sheet erosion; the flow soon gathers into small finger-like channels called rills; and when those rills are cut deeper and wider by running water until a plough can no longer cross them, they become gullies. So a gully is a grown up rill, the advanced stage of rill erosion. The ravines along the Chambal in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are the classic Indian example of badlands made by gully erosion. B is wrong because splash erosion is the first step, the impact of raindrops. C is wrong because sheet erosion comes before rills and removes soil in a uniform layer. D is wrong because wind erosion is a separate agent that lifts dry loose soil, not the parent of a gully. Exam tip: splash, then sheet, then rill, then gully.

The correct answer is C, 1 - C, 2 - A, 3 - D, 4 - B. BALCO, the Bharat Aluminium Company, has its smelter at Korba in Chhattisgarh, where cheap thermal power and nearby bauxite made aluminium smelting possible. IISCO, the Indian Iron and Steel Company, works at Burnpur near Asansol in West Bengal, in the Damodar valley coal and iron belt. NFL, National Fertilizers Limited, runs its gas-based urea plant at Bhatinda in Punjab, close to the farm belt it supplies. ICF, the Integral Coach Factory, is at Perambur in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and has been building railway coaches since 1955. Option A is wrong because it pairs BALCO with Burnpur and IISCO with Chennai. Option B is wrong because it sends NFL to Chennai and ICF to Bhatinda. Option D is wrong because it places BALCO at Bhatinda and ICF at Korba. Exam tip: aluminium goes with Korba, steel with Burnpur, fertiliser with Bhatinda and coaches with Chennai.

The correct answer is D, Zoji La. Zoji La, usually written Zojila, is the pass on the Srinagar–Kargil–Leh highway at about 3,528 metres in the Zanskar range, and it is the only road link between the Kashmir valley and Ladakh. Heavy snow shuts it for much of winter, which is why the Zojila tunnel is being built to keep the route open all year. Option A is wrong because Nathu La lies in Sikkim on the old trade route to Tibet. Option B is wrong because Bara-lacha-La is in Himachal Pradesh on the Manali–Leh road, which reaches Ladakh from the other side. Option C is wrong because Jelep La is also in Sikkim and leads to the Chumbi valley. Exam tip: Srinagar to Leh is Zojila; Manali to Leh crosses Rohtang, Baralacha La, Lachung La and Tanglang La.

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, Irula. The Irula, also written Irular, are one of the main tribal communities of Tamil Nadu and live mostly in the Nilgiri hills and in the districts along the border with Kerala. They speak Irula, a Dravidian tongue close to Tamil, and are known across the country as expert snake and rat catchers; their cooperative society in Chennai supplies the venom from which antivenom is made. They are counted among the particularly vulnerable tribal groups of the state, along with the Toda, Kota and Kurumba of the same hills. Option B is wrong because no tribe of that name is recorded in Tamil Nadu. Option C is wrong because the Garo are a major tribe of Meghalaya in the north east and live in the Garo hills. Option D is wrong because the Khond, written here in a shortened form, are a tribe of Odisha known for hill cultivation. Exam tip: Irula and Toda with Tamil Nadu, Garo and Khasi with Meghalaya, Khond with Odisha.

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 C, because the Suez Canal has no locks at all. It is a sea level canal: the Mediterranean and the Red Sea stand at almost the same height, so ships sail straight through without being raised or lowered. The canal, about 193 km long, was built under Ferdinand de Lesseps and opened in November 1869 across the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt, separating Africa from Asia. Egypt nationalised it in 1956. Options A, B and D all state facts, so none of them is the answer: the canal did open in 1869, it does join the Mediterranean to the Red Sea through the Gulf of Suez, and it did shorten the voyage from Europe to India by thousands of kilometres, ending the long route round the Cape of Good Hope. Exam tip: Suez is a lock free canal; the Panama Canal is the one with locks, because Gatun Lake lies well above sea level.

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.

The correct answer is C, Europe. The Orient Express ran from Paris in France to Istanbul in Turkey, crossing Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade and Sofia, so almost the whole of its roughly 3,000 km line lay inside Europe. Only the last stretch at Istanbul touches the edge of Asia, which is why the route is counted as a European trans-continental railway. It began in 1883 and carried cheese, wine, silk and passengers across the continent, and school geography lists it beside the Trans-Siberian, the Canadian Pacific and the Australian Trans-Continental lines. Option A is wrong because the long Asian trans-continental line is the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok. Option B is wrong because the Canadian Pacific and the Union Pacific are the North American lines. Option D is wrong because South America's famous route is the Trans-Andean line linking Buenos Aires with Valparaiso. Exam tip: Orient Express Paris–Istanbul, Europe; Trans-Siberian Moscow–Vladivostok, the longest in the world.

The correct answer is C, Mexico. Milpa is the name given to shifting cultivation in Mexico and in the neighbouring parts of Central America, where maize, beans and squash are grown together on a patch cleared from the forest. In shifting cultivation a plot is cleared by cutting and burning the trees, cropped for two or three years until the ash-fed soil loses its fertility, and then left fallow while the farmer moves to a fresh patch. Because the same practice grew up in forest belts across the world, it carries a different local name in each region. A is wrong because in India it is called jhum in the north-east, podu in Andhra Pradesh and bewar or dahiya in Madhya Pradesh. B is wrong because in Malaysia and Indonesia it is known as ladang. D is wrong because in Brazil it is called roca or coivara. Exam tip: milpa in Mexico, ladang in Malaysia, roca in Brazil, chena in Sri Lanka and jhum in north-east India.

The correct answer is B, Kerala. Anaimudi rises to about 2,695 metres in the Anaimalai hills of Kerala, south of the Palakkad Gap, and it is the highest summit anywhere in the Peninsular Plateau and indeed in India south of the Himalayas. Three ranges radiate from around it: the Anaimalai to the north, the Palani to the north-east and the Cardamom hills to the south. Option A is wrong because Tamil Nadu's highest point is Doddabetta in the Nilgiris, which is lower. Option C is wrong because Karnataka's highest point is Mullayanagiri in the Baba Budan hills of Chikkamagaluru, well under two thousand metres. Option D is wrong because Andhra Pradesh lies along the Eastern Ghats, whose summits such as Arma Konda are lower than the peaks of the Western Ghats. A common trap is to place Anaimudi in Tamil Nadu because the Nilgiris are nearby.

The correct answer is C, Parushni. In the Rigveda the Ravi appears as the Parushni, and it is on this river that the Battle of the Ten Kings, the Dasarajna, is placed. Option A is wrong because Askini, also written Asikni, is the Vedic name of the Chenab, which is formed by the Chandra and Bhaga streams and is also called the Chandrabhaga. Option B is wrong because Shutudri is the Vedic name of the Sutlej, the river that enters India through the Shipki La pass. Option D is wrong because Kalindi is an old name of the Yamuna, which rises at the Yamunotri glacier and joins the Ganga at Prayagraj. The remaining pairs to memorise are the Jhelum as the Vitasta and the Beas as the Vipasha, since papers often ask all six Punjab rivers in one matching question.

The correct answer is B, Rajasthan. Rajasthan supplies most of India's gypsum and almost all of its silver ore.

Gypsum in Rajasthan is mined mainly in Bikaner, Nagaur, Jaisalmer and Barmer, where it occurs in the dry sedimentary beds of the Thar region; it is used to make cement and plaster of Paris and to treat alkaline soil. Silver comes from the Zawar mines in Udaipur district, where it is won along with the lead and zinc ores, since silver in India is mostly a by product of lead and zinc smelting rather than a mineral mined on its own. Rajasthan is also the leading state for lead, zinc, marble and rock phosphate.

Option A is wrong because Bihar is known for mica and limestone. Option C is wrong because Jharkhand leads in coal, iron ore and copper. Option D is wrong because Odisha leads in iron ore, bauxite, manganese and chromite.

Exam tip: Rajasthan for gypsum, silver, lead, zinc and marble; Odisha for iron ore, bauxite and chromite.

The correct answer is C, Palakkad Gap. The Palakkad Gap, also spelt Palghat, is the widest break in the Western Ghats, lying between the Nilgiri hills to the north and the Anaimalai hills to the south. It carries the main road and railway between Kochi in Kerala and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and also lets the south-west monsoon push inland, which is why the country east of it is drier than the rest of the coast. Option A is wrong because the Thal Ghat is far to the north in Maharashtra and links Mumbai with Nashik. Option B is wrong because the Bhor Ghat, also in Maharashtra, links Mumbai with Pune. Option D is wrong because the Sen Kottai or Shencottah pass lies still further south and connects Kollam with Madurai; it is a smaller opening than Palakkad.