Which one of the following land territories of Indonesia is not touched by the Equator?
- (a)Sumatra
- (b)Sulawesi
- (c)Java
- (d)Kalimantan
Correct — C, Java. The Equator crosses Indonesia through Sumatra, Kalimantan (Borneo) and Sulawesi, but Java lies entirely south of it, at roughly 6°–8° South. So of the four, Java is the island not touched by the Equator.
- (a)Sumatra — The Equator runs across central Sumatra, near Bukittinggi, so the island is touched by it.
- (b)Sulawesi — The Equator passes through the northern arm of Sulawesi, so it too is crossed by the line.
- (d)Kalimantan — Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, is crossed by the Equator in its central region, so it is touched by it.
Indonesia is an equatorial archipelago straddling the Equator, but the line does not pass through every island. It crosses Sumatra, Kalimantan (Borneo) and Sulawesi, while Java — one of the most populous islands — lies wholly in the Southern Hemisphere just south of the Equator.
Recall the latitude of each island. Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi all sit astride the Equator; Java is displaced a few degrees south, so it is the exception. The trap is assuming that because Indonesia is 'equatorial', the Equator must cross all of its major islands.
- The Equator passes through Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi in Indonesia.
- Java lies entirely south of the Equator (about 6°–8° S).
- Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state.
- Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, is on Java, south of the Equator.
Java, just south of the Equator, is the only listed island the line does not cross.
- Assuming the Equator crosses every Indonesian island because the country is equatorial.
- Forgetting that Java, though tropical, lies just south of the Equator.
You must find the island the Equator does not cross — recall that it passes through Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi but leaves Java to the south.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Through which of the following Indonesian islands does the Equator pass?
- (a)Java
- (b)Sumatra
- (c)Bali
- (d)Timor
Answer(b) Sumatra — the Equator crosses central Sumatra.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which one of the following countries does the Equator pass through?
- (a)India
- (b)Indonesia
- (c)Japan
- (d)Iran
Answer(b) Indonesia — the Equator crosses several of its islands.