Match List-I with List-II and, using the given codes, select the correct answer.

List-I (Grassland)
a. Steppes
b. Prairies
c. Welds
d. Downs

List-II (Country/Continent)
1. United States of America
2

Question

Match List-I with List-II and, using the given codes, select the correct answer.

List-I (Grassland)
a. Steppes
b. Prairies
c. Welds
d. Downs

List-II (Country/Continent)
1. United States of America
2. South Africa
3. Russia
4. Australia

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — C, '3 1 2 4'. Each temperate grassland carries a distinctive regional name: the Steppes are the vast temperate grasslands of Russia/Central Eurasia (a-3); the Prairies are the grasslands of North America, i.e. the United States and Canada (b-1); the Veld — printed in the booklet as 'Welds' — is the grassland of South Africa (c-2); and the Downs are the grasslands of Australia (d-4). That gives a-3, b-1, c-2, d-4, which reads '3 1 2 4' — option (c).

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Puts Steppes in South Africa and the Veld ('Welds') in Russia — reversed. Steppes belong to Russia/Eurasia and the Veld to South Africa.  (b) Assigns the Steppes to the USA (that is the Prairies) and the Downs to Russia (the Downs are Australian) — two wrong pairings.  (d) Every pair is off — it links Steppes to Australia, Prairies to South Africa, Veld to Russia and Downs to the USA.

Concept: The world's temperate (mid-latitude) grasslands go by different local names in different continents. Fixing these names to their regions is a recurring map/matching task: Prairies (North America), Pampas (Argentina/Uruguay), Steppes (Russia and Central Asia), Veld (South Africa), Downs (Australia) and Canterbury (New Zealand). They share a semi-arid climate with hot summers, cold winters and grass-dominated vegetation.

State PCS 2020 Q26 — Geography PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2020 Q26 — Geography PYQ with Answer