i. Latitudes
1. Correct Latitudinal position of a place that could be possible is-
(a) 91° North
(b) 45° East
(c) 45° South
(d) 91° West
[R.A.S. / R.T.S. (Pre) 1999]
Ans. (c) 450 South
- In Greek, latitudes are represented by the letter.
- It tells us if a place is north or south of the Equator.
- The North Pole is at 90° North latitude and the South Pole is at 90° South latitude.
- These are points, not circles.
- All other latitudes on either side of the Equator are imaginary circles.
- The Prime Meridian is at 360° East and West.
- So, the correct latitudinal position of a place would be 45° South, not 91° North.
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2. Which of the following is not a great circle on the globe-
(a) Equator
(b) Prime meridian line
(c) 60° East longitude
(d) 60° North latitude
[Uttarakhand U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2003]
Ans. (d) 60° North latitude
- A great circle is a line that splits a sphere into two halves.
- On Earth, all of the meridians (longitudes) and the Equator are great circles.
- All other latitudes are not great circles because they are smaller than the Equator.
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3. Zero-degree latitude and zero-degree longitude lies in the –
(a) Atlantic Ocean
(b) Arctic Ocean
(c) Indian Ocean
(d) Pacific Ocean
[Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2005]
Ans. (a) Atlantic Ocean
- The spot where the Equator (0° latitude) and the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) cross each other doesn’t have any special meaning, but it is located in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean, making (a) the right answer.
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4. Point of intersection of the Equator and the Prime Meridian is located at-
(a) Atlantic Ocean
(b) Ghana
(c) Morocco
(d) Pacific Ocean
[U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2009]
Ans. (a) Atlantic Ocean
- The intersection of the Equator (00 latitude) and the Prime Meridian (00 longitudes) doesn’t mean anything special, but it is located in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean, which makes option (a) the correct one.
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5. Consider the geographical details given in the following figure :
150NLA 500NL50EL 60EL
The point marked by A in the above figure indicates the countries in :
(a) North America
(b) South America
(c) Europe
(d) Asia
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1997]
Ans. (c) Europe
- The longitude and latitude provided in the question are close to the longitude and latitude of Belgium, which is located around 50 East longitude and 500 300 North latitude.
- Therefore, the correct answer is Europe (option c).
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6. A plane starts flying from 300 northern latitude and 500 eastern longitude and lands at the opposite end of the earth, where will it land –
(a) 300 Northern latitude, 500 Western longitude
(b) 300 Southern latitude, 500 Western longitude
(c) 500 Northern latitude, 300 Western longitude
(d) 300 Southern latitude, 1300 Western longitude
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1994]
Ans. (d) 300 Southern latitude, 1300 Western longitude
- The plane will land at the farthest point south and furthest point west on Earth, which is at 30° south latitude and 130° west longitude.
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7. Among the following cities which one lies in the farthest North?
(a) Beijing
(b) New Delhi
(c) New York
(d) Rome
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2011]
Ans. (d) Rome
- On the globe, the Northernmost and Southernmost position of a place, city and the country is decided by latitudes.
- The more the angle of the latitude of a place in the southern or northern hemisphere will be the more Southernmost or Northernmost point, Position of the following cities are –
| (City) |
(Latitude) |
| Beijing (China) |
390 55′ N |
| New Delhi (India) |
280 38’N |
| New York (U.S.A) |
400 45’N |
| Rome (Italy) |
410 54’N |
- Rome is the farthest north of all the cities compared and it has the highest latitude.
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8. The country which has the longest north-south (latitudinal) extension of its territory is :
(a) Russia
(b) Chile
(c) China
(d) Brazil
(e) None of the above/More than one of the above
[65th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2019]
Ans. (b) Chile
- Chile stretches from 17 degrees south to 56 degrees south, making it the longest country in terms of its north-south distance.
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ii. The Longitude
1. The time at Cairo is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich. Hence, it is located at-
(a) 30° W longitude
(b) 30° E longitude
(c) 28° E longitude
(d) 28° W longitude
[53rd to 55th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2011]
Ans. (b) 30° E longitude
- Cairo (Egypt) is located at 300 3’N latitudes and 310 14’ E longitude.
- Time of Cairo is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich.
- Therefore its position approximately falls near the 300 East longitude.
- The Earth being spherical in shape rotates on its axis by 3600 in 24 hours.
- Therefore, its movement for 10 of longitude takes the time of 4 minutes.
- So, it can be easily calculated that in 120 minutes ( 2 hours) angle for longitude will be 300.
- Therefore, option (b) should be the correct answer.
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2. When it is noon along 820 30’ E longitude along what degree of longitude it will be 6.30 a.m.?
(a) At 1650 East
(b) At 670 30’ West
(c) At 00 East or West
(d) At 820 30’ West
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1994]
Ans. (c) At 00 East or West
- At 820 30′ E longitude, midday is 6:30 in the morning.
- This means there is a 5:30 hour difference in time.
- As each hour change in longitude is 150, the difference of 5:30 hours is 820 30′ – 820 30′ = 0 latitude.
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3. If the difference of longitudes for the two places is 900,the time interval between these places will be –
(a) 3 hr
(b) 6 hr
(c) 9 hr
(d) 12 hr
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1992]
Ans. (b) 6 hr
- Generally, 10 degrees of longitude is equal to 4 minutes of time difference.
- 900 degrees of longitude is equal to 90 times 4 minutes, which is 360 minutes, or 6 hours.
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4. When, there is mid-day in the Greenwich, local time of a place is 5 O’clock evening. At which of the following longitude (meridians) that place will be located –
(a) 750 E
(b) 750 W
(c) 150 E
(d) 1500 E
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (a) 750 E
- At noon in Greenwich, it is 5 PM somewhere else.
- This means that the place is east of Greenwich and 5 hours ahead of Greenwich time.
- Therefore, 1 hour = 60 minutes.
- 5 hours = 5 × 60 = 300 minutes.
- This place is east of the Greenwich line, which means it is located at 750 East.
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5. Which one of the following longitudes along with the Prime Meridian forms a great circle on the globe.
(a) 0o
(b) 90oE
(c) 90oW
(d) 180o
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2000]
Ans. (d) 180o
- The Prime Meridian is an imaginary line that passes near London and is used to measure longitude.
- People agreed to use it as the Zero degree line of longitude at an International conference in 1884.
- It is also known as the Greenwich meridian.
- Opposite this line is the International Date Line which is located at 1800 East or West and creates a large circle with the Prime Meridian around the world.
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6. In the New Millennium, the first ray of the Sun was seen in which of the following Meridians of India –
(a) 20 30’W
(b) 820 30’E
(c) 920 30’W
(d) 930 30’E
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2001]
Ans. (d) 930 30’E
- The Royal Greenwich-Laboratory announced that the first sunrise of the new millennium in India was seen on Katchal Island near Andaman Nicobar Island.
- Katchal is located 1600 kilometers away from India’s mainland and 300 kilometers from Port Blair.
- It is between the 80 North latitude and 930 to 940 East Meridian, making option (d) the closest.
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7. The basis of deciding the standard time of any place is–
(a) Longitude
(b) Latitude
(c) International Date Line
(d) Prime Meridian
[43rd B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1999]
Ans. (d) Prime Meridian
- The Prime Meridian, also called International Meridian or Greenwich Meridian, is a line that goes through England’s Royal Greenwich Observatory.
- This line is located at 0 degrees longitude and is used to set the International Standard Time.
- The 1800 longitude line is called the International Date Line.
- The Prime Meridian (0 degrees longitude) passes through several countries –
- United Kingdom
- France
- Spain
- Algeria
- Mali
- Burkina-Faso
- Togo
- Ghana
- Antarctica (South Pole)
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8. The Prime Meridian does not pass through.
(a) Algeria
(b) France
(c) Niger
(d) Spain
[U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010]
Ans. (c) Niger
- The Prime Meridian Line is sometimes called the International Meridian or the Greenwich Meridian.
- It does not go through Niger
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9. The Prime Meridian passes through
1. Algeria
2. France
3. Nigeria
4. Portugal
Use the code below to select the correct answer.
Code :
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 1 and 3
[U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2008]
Ans. (a) 1 and 2
- The Prime Meridian (0 degrees longitude) passes through several countries –
- United Kingdom
- France
- Spain
- Algeria
- Mali
- Burkina-Faso
- Togo
- Ghana
- Antarctica (South Pole)
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10. The time of which of the following places is equal to the time of GMT?
1. Accra
2. Dublin
3. Madrid
4. Lisbon
Use the code below to select the correct answer:
Code :
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 2 and 4
(d) 2, 3 and 4
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1993]
Ans. (c) 1, 2 and 4
- GMT is based on the time at the Royal Observatory in London, which is at the 00 meridian. Some other countries which are not near London also use GMT these are :
- Iceland
- Sierra-Leone
- Ireland
- Liberia
- Portugal
- Ivory Coast
- Ghana
- Guinea
- The capitals of Ghana, Ireland and Portugal (Accra, Dublin and Lisbon) all use the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), while Madrid, the capital of Spain, is located 30 degrees and 43 minutes west of the prime meridian and does not use the same time as the Standard time at Greenwich.
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11. Which one of the following cities does not have the same clock time as that of the other three Cities at any given instant?
(a) London (UK)
(b) Lisbon (Portugal)
(c) Accra (Ghana)
(d) Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2007]
Ans. (d) Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
- London, Lisbon and Accra in the UK, Portugal, and Ghana respectively all use Greenwich Mean Time.
- Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia is located 380 74′ E, which has a time that is 2 hours, 36 minutes, and 26 seconds ahead of GMT.
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12. The standard time of the following countries is ahead of or behind Greenwich Mean Time depending on whether they are East or West of the longitude passing through Greenwich.
(1) Cuba (2) Greece
(3) Iraq (4) Costa Rica
(5) Japan
Which one of the following sequential orders gives the correct arrangement of the countries according to their standard time from ahead to behind GMT?
(a) 5, 3, 2, 1, 4
(b) 2, 4, 1, 3, 5
(c) 4, 1, 3, 2, 5
(d) 3, 5, 4, 1, 2
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1995]
Ans. (a) 5, 3, 2, 1, 4
- The 0 degree longitude line, known as the Greenwich line, passes through Britain.
- This is the basis for world standard time.
- Countries in the Eastern hemisphere have a time that is ahead of those in the Western hemisphere.
- The standard time of different countries is listed below :
- Japan = +9 hours
- Iraq = + 3 hours
- Greece = + 2 hours
- Cuba = –5 hours
- Costa Rica = –6 hours
- Therefore, the right order of standard time before and after GMT is 5 (Japan), 3 (Iraq), 2 (Greece), 1 (Cuba) and 4 (Costa Rica).
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13. When it is noon at the I.S.T. meridian people from another place on the Earth is taking their 6 O’ clock morning tea. The longitude of the place is :
(a) 17o30’E
(b) 7o30′ W
(c) 172o30′ E
(d) 90oW
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1998]
Ans. (b) 7o30′ W
- Earth takes 24 hours to make one full rotation, which is equal to 150 in an hour from West to East.
- Since the local time in the place mentioned is 6:00 hours behind the Indian Standard Time (IST), it is 900 longitudes (15×6=90) to the West of IST.
- Therefore, the place is located 70 30′ W (820.30 E-900=70 30’W) with respect to Greenwich.
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14. A telegram was sent from Greenwich at 12.00 Noon. The time for transmission was 12 minutes. It reached a town at 6.00 p.m. The longitude of the town will be :
(a) 97o E
(b) 87oE
(c) 87oW
(d) 97oW
[Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2012]
Ans (b) 87oE
- The Earth rotates on its axis in 24 hours, which is equivalent to 3600 degrees.
- In 4 minutes, the Earth completes 10 degrees.
- A telegram sent from Greenwich at 12:00 noon was received by another city at 6:00 pm, taking 12 minutes to get there.
- This means that the total time was 360 minutes minus 12 minutes, which is 348 minutes.
- Since 60 minutes is equal to 150 degrees of longitude, 348 minutes is equal to 870 degrees.
- It’s now obvious that the location where the telegram arrived at 6pm is 870 degrees east of the prime meridian.
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15. International Date Line passes through –
(a) Africa
(b) Asia
(c) Pacific Ocean
(d) Atlantic Ocean
[44th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2000]
Ans. (c) Pacific Ocean
- The international date line is an imaginary line on the Earth that marks where one day ends and the next day begins.
- It runs through the Pacific Ocean opposite to Greenwich, England.
- If any land gets in its way, the line changes direction.
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16. Statement (A): Time interval at the date-line is 12 hours from the Greenwich
Reason (R): Date-line is situated at 1800 meridian–
Using following options choose the correct answer –
(a) (A), and (R) both are correct, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) (A) and (R) both are correct, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is correct, but (R) is false.
(d) (R) is correct, but (A) is false
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1992]
Ans. (a) (A), and (R) both are correct, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
- The international date line is located 1800 degrees away from the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England.
- This is the same as 720 minutes, or 12 hours.
- Both the statement and reason are correct, and the reason explains the statement.
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17. There is no minimum distance between two places on the globe :
(a) 45oN. Lat
(b) 45oS. Lat
(c) Prime Meridian
(d) International Date Line
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1997]
Ans. (d) International Date Line
- Apart from the International Date Line (1800 Meridian), all other Meridians follow the same path.
- The International Date Line has been adjusted at 8 different points on the globe to avoid confusion about the date in the same place.
- Since the International Date Line has been changed near Alaska, the shortest distance between two places on the International Date Line does not exist.
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18. If the earth’s direction of rotation is reversed, what should be the IST when it is noon at the International Date Line?
(a) 06.30 hrs
(b) 05.30 hrs
(c) 18.30 hrs
(d) 17.30 hrs
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1997]
Ans. (a) 06.30 hrs
- Time difference between International Date Line (IDL) and GMT is of 12 hours.
- Noon (12 pm) at IDL means midnight (12 am) at GMT. I.S.T. is GMT + 5:30 hours, but, in the question ‘the Earth’s direction of rotation is reversed’.
- So that I.S.T. become GMT-5:30 hours.
- In this way, it should be 6:30 pm at I.S.T. (Instead of 5:30am).
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19. Which one of the following Straits is nearest to the International Date Line?
(a) Malacca Strait
(b) Bering Strait
(c) Strait of Florida
(d) Strait of Gibraltar
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (b) Bering Strait
- The Prime Meridian line, also known as the Greenwich line, is located at the 00 Meridian.
- The International Date Line is located either on the East or West side of this line.
- The places closest to the Date Line are at the nearest Meridian.
- The Meridians of straits are given in the options is as follows :
- Malacca – 990 32′ East Meridian
- Bering strait – 1680 23’West Meridian
- Strait of Florida – 820 23′ West Meridian
- Strait of Gibraltar – 50 41′ West Meridian
- The data shows that the Bering Strait (1680 23′ West meridian) is the closest point to the International Date Line.
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20. A ship is moving from the eastern side of Aleutian Islands towards Dutch Harbour. It crosses 1800 meridian on 1st January 1999 at 23:30 hr. What time and date will be recorded by the captain of the ship in his diary after one-hour journey from the point of crossing of the meridian?
(a) January 1, 0030 hr
(b) January 2, 0030 hr
(c) January 3, 0030 hr
(d) January 4, 0030 hr
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1999]
Ans. (b) January 2, 0030 hr
- The Aleutian Islands are located on the western side of the 1800 Meridian (1720 East longitude), while Dutch Harbour is located on the eastern side (1660 31’ 55’’ West longitude).
- When a ship is travelling from west to east of the 1800 Meridian, the date will be one day behind.
- For example, if a ship crosses the 180 Meridian at 23:30 on 1 January 1999, the date should be 31 December 1998.
- However, the International Date Line does not always follow the 180 Meridian to ensure that places with the same political and economic ties (including the Aleutian Islands and Dutch Harbour) are not separated.
- In this case, the ship does not cross the International Date Line and the date remains the same even after an hour.
- The captain will record 0030 hrs on 2 January 1999.
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21. The captain of a ship moving Westward records the local time of 10-00 hrs Monday at 90oW. If the speed of the ship is the same as the speed of the rotation of the earth, which of the following local time and day would be found by the captain at the International date line:
(a) 04.00 Monday
(b) 10.00 Monday
(c) 10.00 Tuesday
(d) 16.00 Tuesday
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2000]
Ans. (b) 10.00 Monday
- The captain of the ship travelling westward noticed it was 10:00 am at 900 west Meridian, which meant it was close to the American continent.
- The Earth spins in an anticlockwise direction, and the ship is going west at the same speed.
- However, the Earth’s movement doesn’t affect the movement of objects on its surface.
- It takes 6 hours for the ship to cross 900 meridian, so when it gets there it will still be 10:00 am Monday.
- But when it crosses the International Date Line, it will become Tuesday and the time will still be 10:00 am.
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22. Which path must be followed by a Ship to move from one place to another in the least time –
(a) Sea or Ocean Current
(b) Sea-breeze
(c) Meridian
(d) Longitude
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1992]
Ans. (c) Meridian
- For a ship to get from one place to another in the fastest way possible, it needs to sail along the Meridian.
- If it sails from east to west at 6 pm (1800 meridian), it will get there one day sooner compared to sailing from west to east, which will take one day longer.
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23. The local time of a place is 6.00 AM when the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is 3:00 AM, what is the longitude of the place?
(a) 45° West
(b) 45° East
(c) 120° East
(d) 120° West
[Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2010, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2006]
Ans. (b) 45° East
- Hence, for each meridian moving east of GMT, the time is 4 minutes ahead, while moving west of GMT results in a time that is 4 minutes behind.
- Based on the given information, the task is to calculate the time for a location that is ahead of Greenwich by 3 hours.
- Since each hour corresponds to a 15° difference in longitude, the calculation would be 15° x 3 hours = 45°.
- Therefore, the location in question would be situated at 45° east of Greenwich.
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iii. The Equator
1. The total length of Earth’s equator is about –
(a) 6,400 km
(b) 12,800 km
(c) 40,000 km
(d) 5,000 Em
[Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (c) 40,000 km
- The Equator is an imaginary line that splits the Earth into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
- It is about 24,901 miles long and goes around the Earth.
- 78.7% of the line goes through water and 21.3% goes through land, making option (c) the correct answer.
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2. Through which, one of the following groups of countries does the Equator pass?
(a) Brazil, Zambia and Malaysia
(b) Colombia, Kenya and Indonesia
(c) Brazil, Sudan and Malaysia
(d) Venezuela, Ethiopia and Indonesia
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2006]
Ans. (b) Colombia, Kenya and Indonesia
- The Equator line passes through 13 countries which are as follows:
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ecuador
- Gabon
- Indonesia
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Republic of the Congo
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Somalia
- Uganda
- Republic of the Congo
- The Equator goes through Colombia, Kenya, and Indonesia, Option (b) is the right answer.
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3. The equator does NOT pass through which of the following Countries?
1. Gabon
2. Somalia
3. Equatorial Guinea
4. Rwanda
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Codes :
(a) 1 and 4
(b) 2 and 4
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 3 and 4
[U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2020]
Ans. (d) 3 and 4
- The Equator goes through 13 different countries, but does not include Equatorial Guinea or Rwanda.
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4. The Equator does not pass through which of the following countries?
(a) Kenya
(b) Mexico
(c) Indonesia
(d) Brazil
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2012]
Ans. (b) Mexico
- The Equator goes through Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Sao Tome & Principe, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Maldives, Indonesia and Kiribati, but it does not go through Mexico.
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5. Which of the following countries are located on the Equator?
1. Brunei
2. Colombia
3. Kenya
4. Venezuela
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Code :
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 1 and 4
[U.P.P.C.S (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (b) 2 and 3
- Colombia and Kenya are located on the Equator.
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6. The equator passes through –
(a) Cameroon
(b) Costa Rica
(c) Kenya
(d) Venezuela
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008, U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2007]
Ans. (c) Kenya
- The Equator divides the world and goes through thirteen countries including
- Ecuador
- Colombia
- Brazil
- Sao Tome & Principe
- Gabon
- Republic of the Congo
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Uganda
- Kenya
- Somalia
- Maldives
- Indonesia
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7. The latitude at which the annual Range of Temperature remains minimum is –
(a) Equator
(b) Tropic of Cancer
(c) Tropic of Capricorn
(d) North Pole Circle
[R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 1999]
Ans. (a) Equator
- At the Equator, the temperature stays the same all year long.
- This is because the sun hits the Equator directly, so there is no big change in temperature.
- It never gets cold enough to have a winter season.
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8. Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a lowpressure zone, is located.
(a) between trade winds and westerlies belt.
(b) between westerlies and polar winds belt
(c) nearby the poles
(d) at the equator
[M.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2018]
Ans. (d) at the equator
- The Intertropical Convergence Zone is an area where the air pressure is lower than usual, and it is located around the equator
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9. Which one of the following cities is nearest to the equator?
(a) Colombo
(b) Jakarta
(c) Manila
(d) Singapore
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (d) Singapore
- Colombo is located 60 55’30” north of the Equator, Jakarta 60 12′ south, Manila 140 35’30” north, and Singapore 10 21′ north.
- This means Singapore is closest to the Equator, only 137 km away.
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10. The Equator, Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, all three pass through which one of the following Continents?
(a) Africa
(b) Asia
(c) North America
(d) South America
[U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2004]
Ans. (a) Africa
- The Equator, the Tropic of Cancer, and the Tropic of Capricorn all run through Africa, while the Equator and Tropic of Capricorn also pass through South America.
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iv. The Tropic of Cancer
1. At the Winter Solstice the noon altitude of the Sun at the Tropic of Cancer is :
(a) 23.5o
(b) 43.0o
(c) 47.0o
(d) 66.5o
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1997]
Ans. (b) 43.0o
- Around December 22nd, the winter solstice happens when the Sun’s rays hit the Tropic of Capricorn at a 90 degree angle because the Earth’s axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees.
- At the same time, the Sun’s elevation at the Tropic of Capricorn is 90 degrees and at the Tropic of Cancer it is 43 degrees.
- The difference between the two Tropics is 47 degrees.
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2. Which of the following city is nearest to the Tropic of Cancer?
(a) Jabalpur
(b) Ahmedabad
(c) Ujjain
(d) Varanasi
[U.P. P.C.S. (Mains) 2017]
Ans. (a) Jabalpur
- The Tropic of Cancer is 23o 30′ latitude.
| (Place) |
(Latitude) |
| Jabalpur |
23° 11′ North |
| Ahmedabad |
23° 2′ North |
| Ujjain |
23° 9′ North |
| Varanasi |
25° 18′ North |
- Therefore, Jabalpur is closest to the Tropic of Cancer.
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3. The Tropic of Cancer does not pass through –
(a) Egypt
(b) India
(c) Iran
(d) Myanmar
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2005]
Ans. (c) Iran
- The Tropic of Cancer passes through the following countries of the world –
- Hawaii (United State)
- Egypt
- Mexico
- Saudi Arabia
- Bahamas
- United Arab Emirates
- Mauritania
- Oman
- Mali
- India
- Algeria
- Bangladesh
- Niger
- Myanmar
- Chad People’s Republic of China
- Libya
- Taiwan
- Western Sahara
- It is obvious that the Tropic of Cancer does not go through Iran.
- This means that (c) is the correct answer.
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v. The Tropic of Capricorn
1. Tropic of Capricorn does not pass through –
(a) Bolivia
(b) Paraguay
(c) Argentina
(d) Brazil
[U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 1997]
Ans. (a) Bolivia
- The Tropic of Capricorn runs through a number of countries around the world –
- Brazil
- Australia
- Paraguay
- Madagascar
- Argentina
- Mozambique
- Chile
- South Africa
- French Polynesia (France)
- Tonga
- Botswana
- Namibia
- It is obvious that the Tropic of Capricorn does not go through Bolivia.
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2. Think about the following countries –
1. Australia
2. Namibia
3. Brazil
4. Chile
The Tropic of Capricorn passes through which of the following countries?
Code :
(c) Only 1
(b) 2. 3, and 4
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2003]
Ans. (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
- The Tropic of Capricorn runs through a number of countries around the world –
- Brazil
- Australia
- Paraguay
- Madagascar
- Argentina
- Mozambique
- Chile
- South Africa
- French Polynesia (France)
- Tonga
- Botswana
- Namibia
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3. Which of the following phenomena happens in India when the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Capricorn?
(a) High pressure develops over North-West India
(b) Low pressure develops over North-West India
(c) No change in pressure occurs over North-West India
(d) Temperature increases in North-West India
(e) None of these
[Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2015]
Ans. (a) High pressure develops over North-West India
- When the sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn, the northern part of India becomes cooler than the Arabian Sea and it has higher air pressure.
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vi. Day and Night
1. On which date day and night of equal duration?
(a) 22 June
(b) 23 September
(c) 22 December
(d) 21 February
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1992]
Ans. (b) 23 September
- The day of the Equinox is when the day and night are the same length.
- Equinox literally means “equal day and equal night”.
- Twice a year, on the 21st of March and the 23rd of September, the sun is directly above the equator.
- This means that the 23rd of September is the correct answer.
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2. Equinox, the two periods in the year when day and night are equal, occurs on :
(a) 21 March and 23 September
(b) 22 February and 23 August
(c) 15 October and 23 April
(d) 22 July and 22 December
[U.P. Lower Sub. (Spl) (Pre) 2004, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1994]
Ans. (a) 21 March and 23 September
- Twice a year, on March 21st and September 23rd, the day and night are the same length because the Sun is directly over the equator.
- The September 23rd is the day of the Equinox.
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3. Where are day and night equal throughout the year?
(a) North Pole
(b) South Pole
(c) Equator
(d) Nowhere
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1995]
Ans. (c) Equator
- On the Equator, days and nights are the same length (each 12 hours).
- As you move away from the Equator, the length of days and nights changes.
- There is no winter on the Equator, only wet and dry weather.
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4. At the time of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere the length of the day will be 12 hours at the :
(a) Tropic of Cancer
(b) Tropic of Capricorn
(c) Arctic Circle
(d) Equator
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1997]
Ans. (d) Equator
- Every year, we experience two solstices:
- The Summer Solstice
- The Winter Solstice
- During the Summer Solstice in June, the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere, which means we experience the longest day and shortest night.
- In the Southern Hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night occur.
- On the Equator, there is not much difference between the day and night lengths.
- Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
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5. The shortest day of the year in Northern hemisphere is on –
(a) 21 December
(b) 22 December
(c) 21 June
(d) 22 June
[47th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2005, M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1990]
Ans. (b) 22 December
- In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day of the year is during the Winter solstice on December 21 or 22.
- The longest day of the year is during the Summer solstice on June 20 or 21.
- In the Southern hemisphere, the opposite is true – the shortest day is June 20 or 21 and the longest day is December 21 or 22.
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6. Which is the longest day of the year?
(a) 21 May
(b) 21 June
(c) 22 December
(d) 25 December
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2015]
Ans. (*)
- In the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the least amount of daylight happens on December 21/22, which is called the Winter Solstice.
- On the other hand, the day with the most amount of daylight is the Summer Solstice, which happens on June 20/21.
- In contrast, the Southern Hemisphere has the opposite – the shortest day is on June 20/21 and the longest day is on 21/22 December.
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7. Which of the following is the longest day of the year?
(a) 22 July
(b) 25 December
(c) 21 June
(d) 23 March
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1992]
Ans. (c) 21 June
- In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day of the year is the Winter solstice on December 21st or 22nd.
- On the other hand, the longest day is the Summer solstice on June 20th or 21st.
- In the Southern hemisphere, the shortest day is on June 20th or 21st and the longest day is on December 21st or 22nd.
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8. The Longest day in the southern Hemisphere is
(a) 22 June
(b) 22 December
(c) 21 March
(d) 22 September
[48th to 52nd B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (b) 22 December
- On December 22, the day with the most hours of sunlight in the Southern Hemisphere is celebrated.
- This day is commonly known as the Winter Solstice.
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9. Summer Solstice occurs every year on –
(a) 23 September
(b) 21 March
(c) 4 July
(d) 21 June
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (d) 21 June
- June 21 is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
- This is the day with the most daylight and least amount of darkness.
- It marks the first day of summer.
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10. On 21st June, the Sun :
(a) does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle
(b) does not set below the horizon at Antarctic Circle
(c) shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator
(d) shines vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2019]
Ans. (a) does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle
- Twice a year, on the equator, the Sun is directly above us at 12 o’clock in the afternoon (high noon).
- On the Arctic Circle, the Sun never sets on the summer solstice (21st June).
- On this day, the Sun moves in a circle just above the horizon as the Earth spins.
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11. On which of the following dates your shadow at noon is the smallest?
(a) December 25
(b) March 21
(c) June 21
(d) February 14
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2006]
Ans. (c) June 21
- Every year, the Earth’s orbit around the Sun and its tilted axis cause the Sun to appear at different heights.
- After the March equinox, the Sun appears to move north and is directly above the Tropic of Cancer on around June 21st (the summer solstice).
- On that day, at noon, there is no shadow cast.
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vii. Origin of the Earth
1. Which of the following scholars has suggested that the Earth has originated from the gases and the dust particles–
(a) James Jeans
(b) H. Alfven
(c) F. Hoyal
(d) O. Schmidt
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1999]
Ans. (d) O. Schmidt
- James Jeans was connected to the idea that tides created the Earth.
- F. Hoyle and Littleton proposed a different idea called the Nova Hypothesis and Otto Schmidt suggested the concept that gas and dust particles brought together by the gravity of the Sun created the Earth.
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2. Which of the following Method is used to determine the age of the Earth –
(a) Carbon dating for the age of the fossils.
(b) Germanium dating
(c) Uranium dating
(d) All of the above
[U.P.U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2006]
Ans. (c) Uranium dating
- Uranium dating is a method used to figure out how old the Earth is.
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viii. The Geological History
1. The Great Ice Age is related to :
(a) Pleistocene
(b) Oligocene
(c) Holocene
(d) Eocene
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2013]
Ans. (a) Pleistocene
- The Pleistocene Epoch was a period of time when large areas of land were covered in ice and glaciers.
- It is also known as the “Great Ice Age” and it started over one million years ago.
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2. Which of the following periods has generally been considered to be the ‘Little Ice Age’?
(a) 750 A.D. – 850 A.D.
(b) 950 A.D. – 1250 A.D.
(c) 1650 A.D. – 1870 A.D.
(d) 8000 to 10,000 years B.P. (Before Present)
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) (Re-Exam) 2015]
Ans. (c) 1650 A.D. – 1870 A.D.
- The Little Ice Age was a time period between 1300 and 1870 when Europe and North America experienced much colder winters than in the twentieth century.
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3. What was the period of the Dinosaurs?
(a) Five crore years ago
(b) Eighteen crores years ago
(c) Forty crores years ago
(d) Eighty crores years ago
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2005]
Ans. (b) Eighteen crores years ago
- Scientists estimate that dinosaurs lived about 208 million years ago and died out about 144 million years ago.
- Their fossils have been discovered in Ravioli in the Kheda district of Gujarat and Bahra Shimla Hills in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
- Therefore, the correct answer is (b).
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4. Consider the following events.
1. First reptiles
2. First insects
3. Shelled animals
4. First mammals
Arrange the above events in Chronological order of their origin on the earth and select the correct answer from the codes given below :
Code :
(a) 2 1 3 4
(b) 2 3 1 4
(c) 3 2 1 4
(d) 2 4 1 3
[U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2018]
Ans. (c) 3 2 1 4
- The right chronology is –
- Shelled Animals
- First insects
- First reptiles
- First Mammals.
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5. Continents have drifted apart because of-
(a) Volcanic eruptions
(b) Tectonic activities
(c) Folding and faulting of rocks
(d) All of the above
[53rd to 55th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2011]
Ans. (b) Tectonic activities
- Continents sit on large pieces of rocks known as tectonic plates.
- These plates never stay still and always move around, which is called Plate tectonic activity.
- This movement causes the continents to change position.
- Around 175 million years ago, the big landmass called Pangea began to divide into pieces and become the continents we know today because of the continental drift theory.
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6. India was the part of ancient Gondwanaland Supercontinent. It includes the following landmass of the present :
(a) South America
(b) Africa
(c) Australia
(d) All of the above
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (d) All of the above
- During the Carboniferous period, all the land on Earth was joined together in one huge landmass called Pangea.
- This was surrounded by an ocean called Panthalassa.
- Over time, Pangea split into two parts: the northern part was called Laurasia and the southern part was called Gondwanaland.
- Gondwanaland eventually divided into South America, Australia, Africa, Madagascar, Antarctica and India.
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7. Cocos Plate the between:
(a) Central America and Pacific Plate
(b) South America and Pacific Plate
(c) Red Sea and Persian Gulf
(d) Asiatic Plate and Pacifi c Plate
(e) None of the above / More than one of the above
[63rd B.P.C.S. (Pre) 2017]
Ans. (a) Central America and Pacific Plate
- The Cocos Plate is located between Central America and the Pacific Plate.
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8. On the earth, originally, there was only one huge landmass which is known as –
(a) Panthalassa
(b) Pangea
(c) Laurasia
(d) Gondwanaland
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2016]
Ans. (b) Pangea
- At first, all the land on Earth was one big mass and it was called ‘Pangea’.
- Pangea was a really large continent.
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9. Which one of the following continents was not a part of Gondwana Land?
(a) North America
(b) South America
(c) Africa
(d) Australia
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2016]
Ans. (a) North America
- Gondwana was made up of a lot of lands that exist today, in the Southern Hemisphere.
- This included Antarctica, South America, Africa, Madagascar, Australia, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Indian Subcontinent.
- North America was not included.
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10. The ‘Rust Bowl’ of the USA is associated with which one of the following regions?
(a) Great Lakes region
(b) Alabama region
(c) California region
(d) Pittsburgh region
(e) None of the above / More than one of the above
[63rd B.P.C.S. (Pre) 2017]
Ans. (e) None of the above / More than one of the above
- The Rust Belt is an area that used to be full of factories and industry, but now these factories have been moved to other countries.
- This region includes the Great Lakes and Pittsburgh.
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11. The first fossil evidence for the existence of life on Earth is-
(a) 0.3 million years back
(b) 3 million years back
(c) 5 million years back
(d) 10 million years back
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2005]
Ans. (*)
- We can trace life on Earth back to around 3.5 billion years ago in the Archean Age, so none of the choices given are correct.
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12. Which of the following phenomena might have influenced the evolution of organisms?
1. Continental drift
2. Glacial cycles
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2014]
Ans. (c) Both 1 and 2
- Savindra Singh’s book “Bhautik Bhugol Ka Swarup” states that the evolution of organisms has been impacted by the continental drift and the glacial cycle.
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13. Folding is the result of-
(a) Epeirogenic force
(b) Coriolis force
(c) Orogenic force
(d) Exogenic force
[53rd to 55th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2011]
Ans. (c) Orogenic force
- The Earth’s surface is affected by different kinds of forces.
- It takes a long time (millions of years) for orogenic force to form a mountain from a flat area or the bottom of the sea.
- This is caused by tectonic plates interacting and pushing the land upwards to create a mountain range.
- This process of pushing the land up is called folding and is caused by the orogenic force.
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14. Consider the following :
1. Electromagnetic radiation
2. Geothermal energy
3. Gravitational force
4. Plate Movements
5. Rotation of Earth
6. Revolution of the Earth
Which of the following above are responsible for bringing dynamic changes on the surface of the Earth?
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4
(b) 1, 3, 5 and 6
(c) 2, 4, 5 and 6
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2013]
Ans. (d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
- The changes on the Earth’s surface are caused by forces from inside the Earth.
- These forces come from the Earth’s inner temperature differences, as well as from compression and expansion of rocks.
- Other things that cause changes to the surface include electromagnetic radiation, gravity, the Earth’s rotation, and its orbit around the sun.
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