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World Geography & Mapping — UPSC Prelims Geography previous year questions
20 free solved previous year questions on World Geography & Mapping, papers from 2003 to 2026, drawn from UPSC CSE Prelims, State PCS, UPSC CDS, covering statement-based, direct, match and assertion questions. Every answer key has been checked again against published sources and solved independently, and each explanation is written fresh.
Read all 20 questions with answers
- #1UPSC CSE 2026Ships from which of the following countries have to cross the Strait of Hormuz to reach out to the Indian Ocean ?1. Bahrain2. Syria3. Qatar4. EgyptSelect the answer using the code given below :
- A1 and 2
- B1 and 3
- C2 and 3
- D3 and 4
Answer: (B) 1 and 3Explanation
The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Ships from countries inside the Gulf must pass through it.
Bahrain is an island country in the Persian Gulf. Its ships must cross Hormuz.
Qatar is on the Persian Gulf coast. Its ships must cross Hormuz.
Syria has only a Mediterranean coast. Its ships go via the Suez Canal and Red Sea, not Hormuz.
Egypt has Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts. It also does not need Hormuz.
So only Bahrain and Qatar.
Remember: Oman and Iran lie on the Strait itself; Iran borders its northern side.Source: NCERT Class XI Fundamentals of Physical Geography; atlas of West Asia
- #2UPSC CSE 2026Which of the following statements with reference to Lake Turkana is/are correct ?1. It is the largest desert lake in the world.2. The lake is situated in South Sudan along the eastern fringe of the Sahara desert.3. The lake is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also referred to as the ‘Jade Sea’.Select the answer using the code given below :
- A1 only
- B1 and 3 only
- C2 and 3 only
- D1, 2 and 3
Answer: (B) 1 and 3 onlyExplanation
Statement 1 is correct. Lake Turkana is the world's largest permanent desert lake.
Statement 2 is wrong. It is in northern Kenya, with its northern tip in Ethiopia. It is not in South Sudan.
Statement 3 is correct. Lake Turkana National Parks are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake is called the 'Jade Sea' because algae give its water a green colour.
So 1 and 3 only.
Remember: Turkana lies in the Great Rift Valley, fed mainly by the Omo River.Source: UNESCO World Heritage List (Lake Turkana National Parks); atlas of East Africa
- #3UPSC CSE 2025Consider the following countries:I. BoliviaII. BrazilIII. ColombiaIV. EcuadorV. ParaguayVI. VenezuelaAndes mountains pass through how many of the above countries?
- AOnly two
- BOnly three
- COnly four
- DOnly five
Answer: (C) Only fourExplanation
The Andes pass through four of the six countries: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.
Brazil is not crossed by the Andes. Its highlands are older and lie to the east.
Paraguay lies east of the Andes, so the range does not pass through it.
So the answer is only four.
Remember: The Andes run through seven countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.Source: NCERT Class XII Fundamentals of Human Geography; Certificate Physical and Human Geography (G. C. Leong)
- #4UPSC CSE 2025Consider the following water bodies:I. Lake TanganyikaII. Lake Tonlé SapIII. Patos LagoonThrough how many of them does the equator pass?
- AOnly one
- BOnly two
- CAll the three
- DNone
Answer: (D) NoneExplanation
The equator passes through none of the three water bodies.
Lake Tanganyika lies in East Africa between about 3 degrees S and 9 degrees S. It is south of the equator.
Lake Tonle Sap is in Cambodia at about 13 degrees N. It is north of the equator.
Patos Lagoon is in southern Brazil at about 31 degrees S. It is far south of the equator.
Remember: The equator crosses Lake Victoria in Africa.Source: NCERT Class XI Fundamentals of Physical Geography; standard world atlas
- #5UPSC CSE 2025Consider the following countries:I. United KingdomII. DenmarkIII. New ZealandIV. AustraliaV. BrazilHow many of the above countries have more than four time zones?
- AAll the five
- BOnly four
- COnly three
- DOnly two
Answer: (B) Only fourExplanation
Four of the five countries have more than four time zones.
The count includes overseas territories and island dependencies.
The UK has many, including the Falkland Islands and Pitcairn. Denmark has several through Greenland and the Faroe Islands. New Zealand has more than four with its island territories. Australia has more than four with its mainland and external territories.
Brazil has exactly four time zones, so it does not have more than four.
So the answer is only four.
Remember: France has the most time zones in the world, because of its overseas territories.Source: World time zone data (IANA Time Zone Database); standard world atlas
- #6UPSC CSE 2025Consider the following statements:I. Anadyr in Siberia and Nome in Alaska are a few kilometers from each other, but when people are waking up and getting set for breakfast in these cities, it would be different days.II. When it is Monday in Anadyr, it is Tuesday in Nome.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- AI only
- BII only
- CBoth I and II
- DNeither I nor II
Answer: (A) I onlyExplanation
Statement I is correct. Anadyr (Russia) and Nome (Alaska) lie close together across the Bering Strait. The International Date Line runs between them. So the two cities can be on different calendar days.
Statement II is incorrect. Anadyr is west of the Date Line and is ahead of Nome. When it is Monday in Anadyr, it is Monday or Sunday in Nome. It is never Tuesday.
So only Statement I is correct.
Remember: Crossing the Date Line from west to east, you go back one day.Source: NCERT Class XI Fundamentals of Physical Geography; International Date Line (standard atlas)
- #7UPSC CSE 2025Consider the following pairs:Region – CountryI. Mallorca : ItalyII. Normandy : SpainIII. Sardinia : FranceIn how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
- AOnly one
- BOnly two
- CAll the three
- DNone
Answer: (D) NoneExplanation
None of the rows is correctly matched.
Mallorca is an island of Spain in the Balearic Islands. It is not Italian.
Normandy is a region of northern France. It is not Spanish.
Sardinia is an island region of Italy. It is not French.
So the answer is none.
Remember: Corsica, not Sardinia, is the French island.Source: Standard world atlas
- #8UPSC CSE 2024Consider the following countries:1. Finland2. Germany3. Norway4. RussiaHow many of the above countries have a border with the North Sea?
- AOnly one
- BOnly two
- COnly three
- DAll four
Answer: (B) Only twoExplanation
Germany and Norway have a coast on the North Sea. Germany is on its south-east side. Norway is on its east and north-east side.
Finland is on the Baltic Sea and has no North Sea coast. Russia borders the Arctic, Baltic, Black and Pacific seas, but not the North Sea.
So only two countries qualify.
Remember: the North Sea is bordered by Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the UK.Source: Atlas / standard world geography (NCERT Class XI Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Oceans)
- #9UPSC CSE 2024One of the following regions has the world's largest tropical peatland, which holds about three years worth of global carbon emissions from fossil fuels; and the possible destruction of which can exert detrimental effect on the global climate. Which one of the following denotes that region?
- AAmazon Basin
- BCongo Basin
- CKikori Basin
- DRio de la Plata Basin
Answer: (B) Congo BasinExplanation
The Cuvette Centrale peatland in the Congo Basin is the largest tropical peatland. Scientists estimate it stores about 30 billion tonnes of carbon. Draining or burning it would release this carbon.
The Amazon has large forests and some peat, but its peatland is smaller. Kikori Basin in Papua New Guinea and the Rio de la Plata Basin are not the largest.
Remember: peatlands store carbon as partly rotted plant matter in waterlogged soil.Source: Nature (2017) study of Cuvette Centrale peatland, Congo Basin; standard geography references
- #10UPSC CSE 2024The longest border between any two countries in the world is between:
- ACanada and the United States of America
- BChile and Argentina
- CChina and India
- DKazakhstan and Russian Federation
Answer: (A) Canada and the United States of AmericaExplanation
The border between Canada and the United States is the longest in the world. It is about 8,900 km, counting the Alaska boundary.
The Chile–Argentina border is about 6,700 km. The Kazakhstan–Russia border is about 7,600 km. The China–India border is much shorter, at about 3,400 km.
Remember: the Canada–US figure includes the long Alaska boundary and water segments.Source: CIA World Factbook, boundary length data
- #11UPSC CSE 2023Consider the following pairs:Area of conflict mentioned in news | Country where it is located1. Donbas | Syria2. Kachin | Ethiopia3. Tigray | North YemenHow many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
- AOnly one
- BOnly two
- CAll three
- DNone
Answer: (D) NoneExplanation
Pair 1 is incorrect. Donbas is in eastern Ukraine, not Syria.
Pair 2 is incorrect. Kachin is a state of Myanmar, not Ethiopia.
Pair 3 is incorrect. Tigray is a region of northern Ethiopia, not North Yemen.
No pair is correct.
Remember: Tigray, Amhara and Oromia are regions of Ethiopia.Source: Standard world geography atlas; UPSC CSE 2023 question
- #12UPSC CSE 2023Consider the following countries:1. Bulgaria2. Czech Republic3. Hungary4. Latvia5. Lithuania6. RomaniaHow many of the above countries share a land border with Ukraine?
- AOnly two
- BOnly three
- COnly four
- DOnly five
Answer: (A) Only twoExplanation
Ukraine borders Belarus, Russia, Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland.
From the list, only Hungary and Romania share a land border with Ukraine.
Bulgaria has only a sea link across the Black Sea.
The Czech Republic, Latvia and Lithuania do not touch Ukraine.
Remember: Ukraine has seven land neighbours.Source: Standard world geography atlas
- #13UPSC CSE 2022Consider the following pairs:Region often mentioned in the news | Country1. Anatolia | Turkey2. Amhara | Ethiopia3. Cabo Delgado | Spain4. Catalonia | ItalyHow many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
- AOnly one pair
- BOnly two pairs
- COnly three pairs
- DAll four pairs
Answer: (B) Only two pairsExplanation
Pair 1 is correct. Anatolia is the Asian part of Turkey.
Pair 2 is correct. Amhara is a region of Ethiopia.
Pair 3 is incorrect. Cabo Delgado is a province of Mozambique.
Pair 4 is incorrect. Catalonia is in Spain.
So only two pairs are correct.
Remember: Cabo Delgado has seen an insurgency since 2017.Source: Standard world geography atlas
- #14UPSC CSE 2019Consider the following pairs:Sea | Bordering country1. Adriatic Sea | Albania2. Black Sea | Croatia3. Caspian Sea | Kazakhstan4. Mediterranean Sea | Morocco5. Red Sea | SyriaWhich of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A1, 2 and 4 only
- B1, 3 and 4 only
- C2 and 5 only
- D1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Answer: (B) 1, 3 and 4 onlyExplanation
Pair 1 is correct. Albania has an Adriatic coast.
Pair 2 is incorrect. Croatia lies on the Adriatic, not the Black Sea.
Pair 3 is correct. Kazakhstan borders the Caspian Sea.
Pair 4 is correct. Morocco has a Mediterranean coast.
Pair 5 is incorrect. Syria does not touch the Red Sea.
Remember: Six countries border the Red Sea's main body; Syria is not one.Source: Standard world geography atlas
- #15UPSC CSE 2018Consider the following pairs:Towns sometimes mentioned in news | Country1. Aleppo | Syria2. Kirkuk | Yemen3. Mosul | Palestine4. Mazar-i-Sharif | AfghanistanWhich of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A1 and 2
- B1 and 4
- C2 and 3
- D3 and 4
Answer: (B) 1 and 4Explanation
Pair 1 is correct. Aleppo is a city in northern Syria.
Pair 2 is incorrect. Kirkuk is in Iraq.
Pair 3 is incorrect. Mosul is in Iraq.
Pair 4 is correct. Mazar-i-Sharif is in northern Afghanistan.
So only 1 and 4 are correct.
Remember: Mosul and Kirkuk are both Iraqi cities.Source: Standard world geography atlas
- #16UPSC CDS 2014 (II)Statement I: The Atacama is the driest among the deserts of the World.Statement II: The aridity of the Atacama is explained by its location between two mountain chains of sufficient height to prevent moisture advection from either the Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean.Codes:
- ABoth the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I.
- BBoth the statements are individually true, but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I.
- CStatement I is true, but Statement II is false.
- DStatement I is false, but Statement II is true.
Answer: (A) Both the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I.Explanation
Statement I is correct. The Atacama in Chile and Peru is the driest hot desert of the world.
Statement II is correct. The Andes block moist air from the east. The Chilean coastal range blocks sea air from the west.
The cold Peru (Humboldt) current also adds to dryness. But the mountain barrier does explain the aridity.
So Statement II explains Statement I.
Remember: The Atacama is a west-coast desert on the Pacific side of South America.Source: NCERT Class XI, Fundamentals of Physical Geography; world atlas
- #17CDS 2015 (I)Statement I: Sidereal day is shorter than Solar day.Statement II: The motion of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun is termed as revolution.Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
- ABoth the statements are individually true and statement II is the correct explanation of statement I
- BBoth the statements are individually true, but statement II is not the correct explanation of statement I
- CStatement I is true, but statement II is false
- DStatement I is false, but statement II is true
Answer: (B) Both the statements are individually true, but statement II is not the correct explanation of statement IExplanation
Statement I is true. A sidereal day is about 23 h 56 min. A solar day is 24 hours. Statement II is also true. Revolution is the Earth's motion around the Sun. But revolution is not the explanation of the difference. The difference arises because Earth moves along its orbit while it rotates, so it must turn slightly more to face the Sun again.
Remember: Rotation makes day and night; revolution makes the year.Source: NCERT Class XI, Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Ch. 2 and Ch. 8
- #18UPPCS 2005 (Mains)Consider the following statements:Assertion (A): Egypt is the Gift of the Nile.Reason (R): It is an oasis of the Sahara Desert.Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
- ABoth (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
- BBoth (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
- C(A) is true, but (R) is false
- D(A) is false, but (R) is true
Answer: (A) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)Explanation
Assertion A is true. Egypt gets almost no rain. Farming and settlement depend on the Nile and its annual flood.
Reason R is true. The fertile Nile valley is a green strip inside the Sahara, so it is called a river oasis.
R explains A. The Nile makes life possible in an otherwise dry desert land.
Remember: Herodotus called Egypt the gift of the Nile.Source: NCERT Class XI, Fundamentals of Physical Geography; Atlas of the World
- #19UPPCS 2003Consider the following statements:Assertion (A): A black hole is an astronomical entity that cannot be seen by telescope.Reason (R): The gravitational field on a black hole is so strong that it does not allow even light to escape.In the context of the above statements, which one of the following is correct:
- ABoth (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
- BBoth (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
- C(A) is true, but R is false.
- D(A) is false, but R is true.
Answer: (A) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).Explanation
Assertion is true. A black hole gives out no light, so a telescope cannot see it directly. Reason is also true. Its gravity is so strong that light cannot leave it. Because no light escapes, nothing reaches the telescope. So the Reason explains the Assertion.
Remember: Black holes are detected by their effect on nearby stars and gas.Source: NCERT Class XI Physics, Ch. 8 (Gravitation), escape speed; NASA
- #20UPPCS 2003 (Pre) · key correctedConsider the following statements:Assertion (A): North Atlantic Sea route is the busiest sea route in the world.Reason (R): It connects two major industrial zones of the world.In the context of the above statements which of the following is correct?
- A(A) and (R) both are true, and (R) is correct explanation of (A).
- B(A) and (R) both are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
- C(A) is true, but (R) is false.
- D(R) is true, but (A) is false.
Answer: (A) (A) and (R) both are true, and (R) is correct explanation of (A).Explanation
Assertion A is true. The North Atlantic route carries the heaviest sea traffic in the world.
Reason R is true. It links the industrial regions of north-eastern USA and Canada with north-western Europe.
R explains A. Heavy trade between these two regions creates the large traffic.
The book key was missing for this question. The answer follows from standard sources.
Remember: It is also called the Atlantic Ferry or Big Trunk Route.Source: Goh Cheng Leong, Certificate Physical and Human Geography (trade routes); Atlas of the World
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