Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the 'New World' and introduced into the 'Old World'?
- A.Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
- B.Tobacco, cotton and rubber
- C.Cotton, coffee and sugarcane
- D.Rubber, coffee and wheat
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Tobacco, cocoa and rubber. Tobacco, cocoa and rubber all come from the Americas and spread to Asia, Africa and Europe after Columbus.
The exchange of plants and animals between the Americas (New World) and Afro-Eurasia (Old World) after 1492 is called the Columbian Exchange. Tobacco was smoked by Native Americans, cocoa was a sacred drink of the Maya and Aztecs, and the Para rubber tree is native to the Amazon basin; Henry Wickham carried its seeds to Kew in 1876, from where rubber went to Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Kerala. Maize, potato, tomato, chilli and pineapple made the same journey.
B is wrong: cotton was domesticated in both worlds, and India grew it in the Indus Valley Civilisation, so it was not simply introduced from the New World.
C is wrong: coffee is from Ethiopia and sugarcane from New Guinea and South Asia.
D is wrong: coffee is from Africa and wheat from the Fertile Crescent of West Asia.
Exam tip: New World gifts = maize, potato, tomato, chilli, tobacco, cocoa, rubber.
Practice Questions
View allWhich of the following geographical features or phenomena is/are associated with the Peninsular Block of India ?
1. Submergence of parts of the western coast due to tectonic activity
2. Presence of residual mountain ranges such as the Veliconda hills and Mahendragiri hills
3. Deep, V-shaped river valleys formed by fast-flowing rivers
Select the answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 2
- C.2 and 3
- D.3 only
Show answer
The Peninsular Block is an old, stable landmass with worn-down residual hills and a western edge that sank along faults, but its rivers flow in broad, shallow valleys.
Read the full explanation →The term "Levant" often heard in the news roughly corresponds to which of the following regions ?
- A.Region along the eastern Mediterranean shores
- B.Region along North African shores stretching from Egypt to Morocco
- C.Region along Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa
- D.The entire coastal areas of Mediterranean Sea
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The Levant is the land on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea in West Asia. The word comes from the French 'lever', to rise, meaning the land where the sun rises, as seen from Europe.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the climate of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. The climate can be defined as a humid, tropical coastal climate.
2. It receives rainfall from both South-west monsoon and North-east monsoon.
3. Maximum precipitation is between December and May.
Select the answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 2
- C.2 and 3
- D.3 only
Show answer
The islands have a warm, humid tropical maritime climate and get rain from both monsoons, but December to May is their drier part of the year.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs :
Peak — Mountains
1. Namcha Barwa — Garhwal Himalaya
2. Nanda Devi — Kumaon Himalaya
3. Nokrek — Sikkim Himalaya
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- A.1 and 2
- B.2 only
- C.1 and 3
- D.3 only
Show answer
Nanda Devi belongs to the Kumaon Himalaya, but Namcha Barwa and Nokrek are wrongly placed. Nanda Devi (7,816 m) is the highest peak lying wholly within India and the highest in Uttarakhand.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs :
Famous place — River
1. Pandharpur : Chandrabhaga
2. Tiruchirappalli : Cauvery
3. Hampi : Malaprabha
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.2 and 3 only
- C.1 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Pandharpur stands on the Chandrabhaga and Tiruchirappalli on the Cauvery, but Hampi lies on the Tungabhadra, not the Malaprabha. Pandharpur in Solapur district of Maharashtra is the seat of Lord Vitthal (Vithoba) and the goal of the Warkari pilgrimage.
Read the full explanation →