UPSC Prelims 2011 Geography questions: topic-wise weightage
UPSC Prelims 2011 asked 11 geography questions in GS Paper I, spread over 4 topics. See the geography weightage for 2011 below, then attempt each question with the official answer and an explanation.
Geography 2011: questions by topic
- Climate and oceans5
- India: relief, rivers, lakes and monsoon1
- India: soils, vegetation, agriculture, minerals, energy, industry, population4
- World geography and places in the news (mapping)1
Counted from the 11 questions on this page, tagged by topic in the Battle IAS PYQ bank.
Seeing 11 Geography questions spread over 4 topics can feel overwhelming. That's exactly why the Battle IAS PYQ Book maps every question topic by topic, so you know what to study first. Download free sample
Climate and oceans 5
A layer in the Earth’s atmosphere called Ionosphere facilitates radio communication. Why ?
- 1. The presence of ozone causes the reflection of radio waves to Earth.
- 2. Radio waves have a very long wavelength.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Neither statement is correct (d). The ionosphere (about 80–600 km up) reflects radio waves back to Earth because solar radiation fills it with ions and free electrons, which bend and reflect medium- and short-wave signals. Statement 1 is wrong: ozone sits much lower, in the stratosphere, and absorbs ultraviolet rays; it plays no part in radio reflection. Statement 2 is wrong: radio waves do have long wavelengths, but that alone does not explain why a layer reflects them; it is the electron density that matters. So (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice the wider idea: very high frequencies (TV, FM, satellite signals) pass through the ionosphere, which is why satellites are needed for them. Solar flares disturb the ionosphere and cause radio blackouts.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from El Nino ?
- 1. La Nina is characterised by unusually cold ocean temperature in equatorial Indian Ocean whereas El Nino is characterised by unusually warm ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
- 2. El Nino has adverse effect on south-west monsoon of India, but La Nina has no effect on monsoon climate.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Neither statement is correct (d). Statement 1 is wrong: both El Niño (unusual warming) and La Niña (unusual cooling) refer to the equatorial Pacific Ocean, not the Indian Ocean. Statement 2 is wrong: El Niño does tend to weaken India's south-west monsoon, but La Niña usually strengthens it, so it is not without effect. So (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice the wider frame: both are phases of ENSO (El Niño–Southern Oscillation). The Indian Ocean has its own see-saw, the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD); a positive IOD can offset a bad El Niño year, as in 1997. La Niña brings floods to eastern Australia, as in 2010–11. Trap: the ocean is swapped in statement 1.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Westerlies in southern hemisphere are stronger and persistent than in northern hemisphere. Why ?
- 1. Southern hemisphere has less landmass as compared to northern hemisphere.
- 2. Coriolis force is higher in southern hemisphere as compared to northern hemisphere.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Statement 1 only is correct (a). Between about 40° and 60° S there is almost only ocean, so the westerlies blow over water without mountains or land to slow them. They become strong and steady, called the Roaring Forties, Furious Fifties and Shrieking Sixties (1). Statement 2 is wrong: the Coriolis force depends on latitude and wind speed, not on the hemisphere; it is equal at the same latitude north and south, only deflecting in opposite directions. So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the related current: these winds drive the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the strongest ocean current, around Antarctica. Sailors used the Roaring Forties for fast voyages to Australia. Trap: 'higher Coriolis in the south' sounds technical but is false.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What could be the main reason/reasons for the formation of African and Eurasian desert belt ?
- 1. It is located in the sub-tropical high pressure cells.
- 2. It is under the influence of warm ocean currents.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct in this context ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Statement 1 only is correct (a). The Sahara–Arabia–Thar desert belt lies under the subtropical high-pressure cells (about 20°–30° N), where air from the Hadley cell sinks, warms by compression and stays dry, so clouds and rain cannot form (1). Statement 2 is wrong: warm ocean currents add moisture and rain. Deserts on western coasts are linked to cold currents, such as the Canary (Sahara) and Benguela (Namib), which cool the air and stop rain. So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the wider pattern: the same high-pressure belt makes the Kalahari, Australian and Atacama deserts in the south. The Thar is also helped by the Aravallis lying parallel to the monsoon winds. Trap: the current's temperature is reversed.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The jet aircrafts fly very easily and smoothly in the lower stratosphere. What could be the appropriate explanation ?
- 1. There are no clouds or water vapour in the lower stratosphere.
- 2. There are no vertical winds in the lower stratosphere.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct in this context ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Both statements are correct (c). Weather happens in the troposphere. In the lower stratosphere, temperature stops falling with height and then rises, so warm air sits on cool air and there is no convection, meaning no vertical air currents (2). There is almost no water vapour or clouds (1), so storms and rain are absent. That makes flight smooth and free of turbulence, and jets save fuel in the thin air. So (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the related facts: the tropopause is about 8 km at the poles and 18 km at the equator. The ozone layer lies in the stratosphere, at 15–35 km. Jet streams blow near the tropopause and help or hinder flights. Trap: 'no clouds' has rare exceptions, such as polar stratospheric clouds.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
India: relief, rivers, lakes and monsoon 1
The Brahmaputra, Irrawady and Mekong rivers originate in Tibet and flow through narrow and parallel mountain ranges in their upper reaches. Of these rivers, Brahmaputra makes a “U” turn in its course to flow into India. This “U” turn is due to
Answer (b) & explanation
Syntaxial bending of the young Himalaya is correct (b). At the eastern end of the Himalaya, near Namcha Barwa (7,782 m), the mountain chain bends sharply south in a hairpin called the eastern syntaxis, caused by the pressure of the Indian plate. The Tsangpo follows this bend, cuts the world's deepest gorge, and turns back as the Siang/Dihang, becoming the Brahmaputra in Assam. (a) and (c) are general statements that do not explain the specific U-turn. (d) fails because (a) is not the reason.
Notice the western twin: the Nanga Parbat syntaxis, where the Indus turns sharply. China began building a mega-dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo at Medog near this bend in July 2025, raising concerns in India. Trap: 'uplift' is too general.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
India: soils, vegetation, agriculture, minerals, energy, industry, population 4
Among the following States, which one has the most suitable climatic conditions for the cultivation of a large variety of orchids with minimum cost of production, and can develop an export oriented industry in this field ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Arunachal Pradesh is correct (b). Orchids need warm, humid, shaded conditions with heavy rain and varied altitudes. Arunachal Pradesh has over 600 orchid species, the most of any Indian state, and an Orchid Research Centre at Tipi, which make it India's 'orchid paradise' with export potential. (a) is wrong: Andhra Pradesh is drier and warmer. (c) is wrong: Madhya Pradesh is semi-arid inland. (d) is wrong: Uttar Pradesh's plains are too hot and dry in summer.
Notice the wider pattern: the Northeast and the Western Ghats together hold most of India's roughly 1,300 orchid species; Sikkim's state flower is the noble dendrobium orchid. Trap: three of the four states lack the humid, hilly conditions orchids need.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Salinization occurs when the irrigation water accumulated in the soil evaporates, leaving behind salts and minerals. What are the effects of salinization on the irrigated land ?
Answer (b) & explanation
It makes some soils impermeable is correct (b). When irrigation water evaporates, it leaves salts behind. Sodium salts break down the soil's crumb structure, and a hard crust forms that water and roots cannot pass through. Such saline and alkaline soils, called reh, usar or kallar, lose fertility, as in parts of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. (a) is wrong: salinisation reduces crop yields. (c) is a cause, not an effect: over-irrigation raises the water table and brings salts up, but salinisation itself does not raise it. (d) is wrong: that describes waterlogging.
Notice the remedies: gypsum application, flushing with good water, sub-surface drainage and salt-tolerant crops. The CSSRI at Karnal leads this research.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The lower Gangetic plain is characterised by humid climate with high temperature throughout the year. Which one among the following pairs of crops is most suitable for this region ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Paddy and jute is correct (c). The lower Ganga plain, covering West Bengal and Bangladesh, is hot, humid and flooded in the monsoon, with rich, renewed alluvium. Paddy needs high temperature, heavy rain and standing water, and jute needs warm, wet conditions and water for retting, so this is the world's main jute belt. (a) and (d) are wrong: cotton prefers drier conditions and black soil, as in Maharashtra and Gujarat. (b) and (d) are wrong: wheat needs a cool, dry season, which suits the upper Ganga plain and Punjab.
Notice the rule: West Bengal is India's top rice producer and leading jute producer. The 'golden fibre' is also grown in Assam and Bihar. Trap: wheat is grown in winter, but the region's character favours rice.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
A state in India has the following characteristics :
- 1. Its northern part is arid and semi-arid.
- 2. Its central part produces cotton.
- 3. Cultivation of cash crops is predominant over food crops.
Which one of the following states has all of the above characteristics ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Gujarat is correct (b). Gujarat's north, including Kutch and Banaskantha, is arid and semi-arid (1). Its central and Saurashtra black-soil belt grows a large share of India's cotton, making it India's top cotton state in most years (2). Cash crops such as cotton, groundnut, castor and tobacco take more land than food grains (3). (a) is wrong: Andhra Pradesh is a rice state. (c) is wrong: Karnataka's north is semi-arid, but its cotton belt is not central and food crops dominate. (d) is wrong: Tamil Nadu has no arid north and is mostly rice-based.
Notice the wider facts: Gujarat leads India in castor, groundnut and cumin, and in Bt cotton area. Trap: Karnataka fits part, but only Gujarat fits all three.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
World geography and places in the news (mapping) 1
Between India and East Asia, the navigation-time and distance can be greatly reduced by which of the following ?
- 1. Deepening the Malacca straits between Malaysia and Indonesia.
- 2. Opening a new canal across the Kra isthmus between the Gulf of Siam and Andaman Sea.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statement 2 only is correct (b). A canal across the Kra Isthmus in southern Thailand would link the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand (Siam), letting ships skip the long loop around the Malay Peninsula through Singapore and save about 1,000 km and two to three days (2). Statement 1 is wrong: deepening the Strait of Malacca would let bigger ships pass but would not shorten the route. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the current plan: Thailand has discussed a 'Land Bridge' of ports, road and rail across Ranong and Chumphon instead of a canal. The Malacca Strait carries about a quarter of world trade, and China calls its dependence on it the 'Malacca dilemma'. Trap: deeper is not shorter.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
All years by topic
Every question from 2011 to 2026, grouped by syllabus topic, with year-wise trends.