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GeographyEasyAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2026, GAT

In the southern hemisphere, trade winds blow from:

  1. A.North-East to South-West
  2. B.South-East to North-West
  3. C.North-West to South-East
  4. D.South-West to North-East

Correct answer

B. South-East to North-West

Explanation

The correct answer is B, South-East to North-West. In the southern hemisphere the trade winds are the south-east trades, blowing from the subtropical high towards the equator and turned to their left by the Coriolis force.

Trade winds blow from the subtropical high-pressure belts, near 30 degrees latitude, towards the low-pressure belt at the equator. If the Earth did not rotate, they would blow straight north or south. The Coriolis force, caused by the Earth's rotation, deflects moving air to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere. So the northern trades come from the north-east and the southern trades from the south-east. Winds are named by the direction they come from, and the two trades meet in the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone.

A is wrong because north-east to south-west is the direction of the northern hemisphere's trades. C is wrong because a north-west to south-east flow describes no trade wind. D is wrong because a south-west to north-east flow is roughly the path of the westerlies of the northern hemisphere, not the trades.

Exam tip: north-east trades in the northern hemisphere, south-east trades in the southern; Coriolis turns right in the north, left in the south.

Practice Questions

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Q2.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKMedium

Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Himalayan rivers have their origin in the snow-covered areas, hence are dry in winter season. 2. Rivers of the Peninsular Plateau have reached maturity. 3. Himalayan rivers depict all the three stages of normal cycle of erosion. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A.2 only
  2. B.1 and 3 only
  3. C.2 and 3 only
  4. D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 2 and 3 only

Himalayan rivers are perennial, so statement 1 is wrong, while statements 2 and 3 are correct. Himalayan rivers such as the Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra rise from glaciers and snowfields and also get monsoon rain, so they flow all year round, including in winter.

Q3.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKMedium

Which of the following statements related to latitude are true? 1. Rainfall, temperature and vegetation vary with latitude. 2. The difference between the longest day and the shortest day increases with latitude. 3. Indira Point is located approximately at 6°45' N latitude. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A.1 and 2 only
  2. B.1 and 3 only
  3. C.2 and 3 only
  4. D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: D. 1, 2 and 3

All three statements about latitude are true. Latitude decides how directly the Sun's rays strike a place, so temperature, rainfall and the type of vegetation change from the equator towards the poles, from hot, wet rainforests to cold tundra.

Q4.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKMedium

Which of the following lakes is/are situated in Ladakh? 1. Tso Kar 2. Pangong Tso 3. Tsomgo 4. Tso Moriri Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 and 3
  3. C.1, 2 and 4
  4. D.2 and 4 only
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 1, 2 and 4

Tso Kar, Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri are high-altitude lakes of Ladakh, while Tsomgo lies in Sikkim. Pangong Tso, at about 4,350 metres, is a long, narrow lake that stretches from Ladakh into Tibet, and most of its length lies on the Chinese side.