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GeographyHardAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2020, GK

Which one of the following groups of cities does not have Sclerophyll as its natural vegetation cover?

  1. A.Valparaiso and Cape Town
  2. B.Lisbon and Perth
  3. C.Los Angeles and Adelaide
  4. D.Las Vegas and Queensland

Correct answer

D. Las Vegas and Queensland

Explanation

The correct answer is D, Las Vegas and Queensland. Neither has a Mediterranean climate, so neither has sclerophyll vegetation.

Sclerophyll means 'hard leaf'. It is the natural vegetation of the Mediterranean climate, found on the western sides of continents between about 30° and 45° latitude, where summers are hot and dry and rain falls in winter. To survive the summer drought, plants such as olive, cork oak, eucalyptus and evergreen shrubs have small, thick, waxy leaves. The vegetation has local names: maquis around the Mediterranean, chaparral in California, matorral in Chile, fynbos in South Africa and mallee scrub in southern Australia. Las Vegas lies in the hot Mojave Desert, and Queensland in north-east Australia has tropical and subtropical vegetation with summer rain.

A is wrong because Valparaiso (central Chile) and Cape Town have a Mediterranean climate. B is wrong because Lisbon and Perth both lie in Mediterranean climate zones. C is wrong because Los Angeles (chaparral) and Adelaide are also Mediterranean.

Exam tip: Sclerophyll = Mediterranean climate = winter rain, dry summer, 30°-45° on western coasts.

Practice Questions

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Q1.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2024, GKHard

Which of the following pairs of Himalayan Glaciers and their location is/are correctly matched?

1. Siachen - Nubra Valley Region

2. Chungphar - Kumaon-Garhwal Region

3. Zemu - Central Nepal Region

4. Gasherbrum - Pir Panjal Range

Select the answer using the code given below :

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

Only the Siachen pair is correct. The Siachen Glacier, about 76 km long, lies in the eastern Karakoram, and its meltwater gives rise to the Nubra river, which joins the Shyok; the Nubra Valley of Ladakh lies below its snout, so the glacier belongs to the Nubra Valley region.

Q2.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2025, GKEasy

Indore city in Madhya Pradesh is situated in which one of the following regions ?

  1. A.Bundelkhand
  2. B.Mahakoshal
  3. C.Malwa Plateau
  4. D.Nimar Region
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Malwa Plateau

Indore stands on the Malwa Plateau in western Madhya Pradesh. Malwa is a volcanic upland of basalt rock, part of the Deccan Traps, lying north of the Vindhya Range; its black soil supports soybean, wheat and cotton, and the region also takes in Ujjain, Dewas, Ratlam and Mandsaur.

Q3.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKHard

With regard to water transportation in India, which of the following statements are correct?

1. Headquarters of Central Inland Water Transport Corporation is located at Delhi.

2. Headquarters of Inland Waterways Authority of India is located at Noida.

3. National Inland Navigation Institute is located at Kolkata.

4. First National Inland Waterway was between Haldia and Allahabad.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Statements 2 and 4 are correct, while statements 1 and 3 name the wrong city. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), set up in 1986, has its headquarters at Noida in Uttar Pradesh and develops and regulates the national waterways.

Q4.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2017, GKEasy

Which one of the following statements with regard to the Indian Railways is not correct?

  1. A.The Indian rail networks have been developed throughout the Konkan coast.
  2. B.There is very low density of railway lines in the Himalayan region.
  3. C.The north Indian plain has a dense network of railway.
  4. D.At present, India has the largest railway network in the world.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. At present, India has the largest railway network in the world.

India does not have the largest railway network in the world; the United States has the longest, followed by China and Russia, with India in fourth place.

Q5.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKMedium

Statement I : The interior part of Maharashtra does not receive adequate rain in the summer season.

Statement II : The interior part of Maharashtra lies in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats.

  1. A.Both the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I
  2. B.Both the statements are individually true but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I
  3. C.Statement I is true but Statement II is false
  4. D.Statement I is false but Statement II is true
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Both the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I

Both statements are true, and the rain shadow of the Western Ghats is exactly why interior Maharashtra gets little rain.