Q: Consider the following countries: I. Bolivia II. Brazil III. Colombia IV. Ecuador V. Paraguay VI. Venezuela Andes mountains pass through how many of the above countries?
(a)Only two
(b)Only three
(c)Only four
(d)Only five
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World Physical Geography — UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions
34 questions from UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper 1 on World Physical Geography (Geography). Spanning from 1995 to 2025. Practice with show/hide answers and detailed explanations.
34
Questions
21
Years
24
Easy
9
Moderate
Year-wise Distribution
What UPSC Asks About World Physical Geography
Based on 34 questions across 21 years, UPSC has consistently tested aspirants' understanding of World Physical Geography within the broader Geography syllabus. The questions range from factual recall to application-based analysis.
Recent trends show UPSC moving towards statement-based questions that combine multiple aspects of World Physical Geography. Aspirants should focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing isolated facts.
Related Geography Sub-topics
All World Physical Geography Questions
Q: पश्चिम अफ़्रीका की निम्नलिखित झीलों में कौन-सी एक सूख कर मरुस्थल में बदल गई है?
(a)लेक विक्टोरिया
(b)लेक फागिबाइन
(c)लेक ओगुटा
(d)लेक वोल्टा
Q: Consider the following pairs: River —— Empties into 1. Mekong —— Andaman Sea 2. Thames —— Adriatic Sea 3. Volga —— Caspian Sea 4. Zambezi —— Indian Ocean Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a)1 and 2 only
(b)3 only
(c)3 and 4
(d)1, 2 and 4
Q: निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सी मानव क्रियाकलापों के कारण हाल ही में बहुत अधिक संकुचित हो गया है / सूख गया है ? 1. अरल सागर 2. काला सागर 3. बैकाल झील नीचे दिए गए कूट का प्रयोग कर सही उत्तर चुनिए :
(a)केवल 1
(b)2 और 3
(c)केवल 2
(d)1 और 3
Q: Which of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar?
(a)Sumatra
(b)Borneo
(c)Java
(d)Sri Lanka
Q: Turkey is located between
(a)Black Sea and Caspian Sea
(b)Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea
(c)Gulf of Suez and Mediterranean Sea
(d)Gulf of Aqaba and Dead Sea
Q: Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched? Geographical Feature : Region
(a)Abyssinian Plateau : Arabia
(b)Atlas Mountains : North-Western Africa
(c)Guiana Highlands : South-Western Africa
(d)Okavango Basin : Patagonia
Q: Which one of the following can one come across if one travels through the Strait of Malacca?
(a)Bali
(b)Brunei
(c)Java
(d)Singapore
Q: Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ? City — River (a) Berlin : Rhine (b) London : Thames (c) New York : Hudson (d) Vienna : Danube
(a)Berlin : Rhine
(b)London : Thames
(c)New York : Hudson
(d)Vienna : Danube
Q: Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists : List I (Geographic feature) A. Great Victoria Desert B. Grand Canyon C. Lake Winnipeg D. Southern Alps List II (Country) 1. Australia 2. Canada 3. New Zealand 4. USA Code :
(a)A-1 B-2 C-4 D-3
(b)A-1 B-4 C-2 D-3
(c)A-3 B-2 C-4 D-1
(d)A-3 B-4 C-2 D-1
Q: Cape Canaveral, the site from which space shuttles are launched is located on the coast of
(a)Florida
(b)Virginia
(c)North Carolina
(d)South Carolina
Q: In which one of the following is Malta located?
(a)Baltic Sea
(b)Mediterranean Sea
(c)Black Sea
(d)North Sea
Q: Which one of the following cities is nearest to the equator?
(a)Colombo
(b)Jakarta
(c)Manila
(d)Singapore
Q: Where is Copacabana Beach located?
(a)Buenos Aires
(b)Hawaiian Islands
(c)Rio de Janeiro
(d)Valletta
Q: Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists : List-I (City) A. Bangkok B. Phnom-Penh C. Hanoi D. Yangon List-II (River) 1. Irrawaddy 2. Mekong 3. Menam (Chao Phraya) 4. Red River
(a)A-3 B-2 C-4 D-1
(b)A-4 B-1 C-3 D-2
(c)A-3 B-1 C-4 D-2
(d)A-4 B-2 C-3 D-1
Q: Which one among the following rivers is the longest?
(a)Amazon
(b)Amur
(c)Congo
(d)Lena
Q: Through which one of the following Straits does a tunnel connect the United Kingdom and France?
(a)Davis Strait
(b)Denmark Strait
(c)Strait of Dover
(d)Strait of Gibraltar
Q: Which one of the following statements is not correct?
(a)Mahanadi River rises in Chhattisgarh
(b)Godavari River rises in Maharashtra
(c)Cauvery River rises in Andhra Pradesh
(d)Tapti River rises in Madhya Pradesh
Q: Huangpu River flows through which one of the following cities?
(a)Beijing
(b)Ho Chi Minh City
(c)Shanghai
(d)Manila
Q: Itaipu Dam built on the River Parana is one of the largest dams in the world. Which one of the following two countries have this as a joint project?
(a)Brazil and Peru
(b)Paraguay and Ecuador
(c)Brazil and Paraguay
(d)Colombia and Paraguay
Q: Which one of the following is the correct sequence of the given Continents in the decreasing order of their percentage of Earth’s land?
(a)North America - Africa - South America - Europe
(b)Africa - North America - South America - Europe
(c)North America - Africa - Europe - South America
(d)Africa - North America - Europe - South America
Q: Where are the Balearic Islands located?
(a)Mediterranean Sea
(b)Black Sea
(c)Baltic Sea
(d)North Sea
Q: Where is the volcanic mountain, Mount St- Helens located?
(a)Chile
(b)Japan
(c)Philippines
(d)United States of America
Q: Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists: List-I (City) A. Washington D.C. B. Berlin C. Paris D. Madrid List-II (River) 1. River Manzanares 2. River Seine 3. River Spree 4. River Potomac
(a)A-2 B-3 C-4 D-1
(b)A-4 B-1 C-2 D-3
(c)A-2 B-1 C-4 D-3
(d)A-4 B-3 C-2 D-1
Q: The great Asian river Mekong does not run through
(a)China
(b)Malaysia
(c)Cambodia
(d)Laos
Q: The waterfall ‘Victoria’ is associated with the river
(a)Amazon
(b)Missouri
(c)St Lawrence
(d)Zambezi
Q: In the map given below, four islands of Indian Ocean region, i.e. A) Seychelles, B) Chagos, C) Mauritius and D) Socatra are marked as 1, 2, 3 and 4. Match them and select the correct answer from the codes given below. Codes:
(a)A-1, B-3, C-4, D-2
(b)A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
(c)A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
(d)A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
Q: Match the drainage basins labelled as A, B, C and D with the names listed below and select the correct answer using the codes given below the names of the drainage basins. Names of drainage basins: 1. Ganga Brahmaputra 2. Indus 3. Parana 4. Zambezi Codes:
(a)A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
(b)A-1, B-3, C-4, D-2
(c)A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
(d)A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
Q: Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists: List I (Volcanic Mountain) I. Mt. Rainier II. Etna III. Paricutin IV. Taal List II (Country) A. Italy B. Mexico C. Philippines D. USA
(a)I-D, II-B, III-A, IV-C
(b)I-D, II-A, III-B, IV-C
(c)I-B, II-A, III-D, IV-C
(d)I-D, II-C, III-B, IV-A
Q: The physical regions marked as 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the given map are respectively
(a)Andes, Brazilian Shield, Guyana Highlands and Amazon Basin
(b)Andes, Guyana Highlands, Brazilian Shield and Amazon Basin
(c)Amazon Basin, Guyana Highlands, Brazilian Shield and Andes
(d)Guyana Highlands, Brazilian Shield, Andes and Amazon Basin
Q: Match rivers labelled A, B, C and D on the given map with their names given in the list and select the correct answer using the codes given below the list: 1. St. Lawrence 2. Orinoco 3. Mackenzie 4. Amazon 5. Yukon Codes:
(a)A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1
(b)A-5, B-3, C-1, D-2
(c)A-5, B-4, C-1, D-3
(d)A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
Q: The river shown on the map is
(a)Irrawaddy
(b)Mekong
(c)Chao Phraya
(d)Salween
Q: “From Aceh in the far north-west to Torres Strait in the east is 5000 miles, almost as far as from London to Baghdad. The Archipelago has 14,000 islands, some mere equatorial rocks, others some of the largest in the world.” This description best fits
(a)West Indies
(b)Japan
(c)Philippines
(d)Indonesia
Q: Which one of the following is the continent with the highest mean elevation in the world?
(a)Antarctica
(b)North America
(c)Asia
(d)South America
Frequently Asked Questions
How many UPSC Prelims questions have been asked from World Physical Geography?▼
UPSC has asked 34 questions on World Physical Geography in GS Paper 1 Prelims between 1995 and 2025. This sub-topic falls under Geography.
In which years has UPSC asked about World Physical Geography?▼
Questions on World Physical Geography have appeared in UPSC Prelims in the following years: 2025, 2022, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2014, 2013, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1995. The topic has appeared in 21 out of 31 years.
What is the difficulty level of World Physical Geography questions in UPSC Prelims?▼
Among 34 questions on World Physical Geography: 24 are easy, 9 are moderate, and 1 are difficult. Most questions test conceptual understanding of the topic.