Geography: previous-year questions
167 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 67 of them came in the last five papers.
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Questions per year, counted from the official papers.
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Which of the following with reference to Indian States is/are not correct ?
- 1. Uttar Pradesh shares its boundary with the highest number of other Indian States.
- 2. Rajasthan shares the longest international border among all Indian States.
- 3. Sikkim is the only State that shares its boundary with just one other Indian State.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are not correct (c). Statement 1 is correct: Uttar Pradesh touches eight States, plus Delhi, the most of any State. Statement 2 is wrong: the longest international border belongs to West Bengal, with Bangladesh, not Rajasthan. Statement 3 is wrong: Sikkim touches only West Bengal, but Meghalaya also touches only one State, Assam, so the word "only" fails. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the trap: the question asks which are not correct. UP's neighbours are Uttarakhand, Himachal, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. Rajasthan has the longest border with Pakistan, about 1,070 km. Words like "only", "all" and "never" often hide the error.
The question asks for statements that are not correct. Statement 3 is half right; the word "only" breaks it.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Ships from which of the following countries have to cross the Strait of Hormuz to reach out to the Indian Ocean ?
- 1. Bahrain
- 2. Syria
- 3. Qatar
- 4. Egypt
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Bahrain and Qatar must cross the Strait of Hormuz (b). The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is the only sea exit from the Persian Gulf. Items 1 and 3 are right: Bahrain and Qatar lie wholly inside the Gulf, so their ships must pass it. Item 2 is wrong: Syria is on the Mediterranean. Item 4 is wrong: Egypt reaches the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice its importance: about a fifth of the world's oil passes through Hormuz, and much of India's crude and LNG (Qatar is a top LNG supplier). Iran's threats to close it raise prices. The UAE's pipeline to Fujairah and Saudi pipelines to the Red Sea help bypass it.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Tungurahua Volcano, which was declared a Global Geopark by UNESCO in 2025, is situated in which one among the following countries ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Tungurahua is in Ecuador (a). Tungurahua, meaning "throat of fire", is an active stratovolcano in the Andes of central Ecuador, above the town of Baños. UNESCO named the area around it a Global Geopark in 2025. Options (b), (c) and (d), Peru, Bolivia and Colombia, are wrong, though the Andes pass through all of them too.
Notice Ecuador's other famous volcanoes: Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes, and Chimborazo, whose summit is the point farthest from Earth's centre, because of the equatorial bulge. Ecuador also owns the Galápagos Islands. A Global Geopark honours geological heritage; India has none yet, though sites like Lonar have been proposed.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the climate of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
- 1. The climate can be defined as a humid, tropical coastal climate.
- 2. It receives rainfall from both South-west monsoon and North-east monsoon.
- 3. Maximum precipitation is between December and May.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct (b). Statement 1 is right: the islands lie close to the equator in the Bay of Bengal, so they are hot and humid all year, a tropical coastal climate. Statement 2 is right: they get rain from both the south-west and north-east monsoons, from about May to December. Statement 3 is wrong: January to April is the driest part of the year, so maximum rain is not between December and May. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the islands' features: Barren Island, India's only active volcano; Saddle Peak, the highest point; and Indira Point, India's southernmost tip. Rich tropical evergreen forests cover them, and cyclones often form nearby.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following geographical features or phenomena is/are associated with the Peninsular Block of India ?
- 1. Submergence of parts of the western coast due to tectonic activity
- 2. Presence of residual mountain ranges such as the Veliconda hills and Mahendragiri hills
- 3. Deep, V-shaped river valleys formed by fast-flowing rivers
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Features 1 and 2 belong to the Peninsular Block (b). The Peninsula is an old, stable block. Item 1 is right: faulting submerged parts of the west coast. Item 2 is right: long erosion left residual hills such as the Veliconda and Mahendragiri. Item 3 is wrong: Peninsular rivers are mature, with broad, shallow valleys; deep V-shaped valleys belong to the young Himalayan rivers. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice other Peninsular traits: Gondwana coal, Deccan Traps basalt, rift valleys of the Narmada and Tapi, which flow west into the Arabian Sea, and old block mountains like the Aravallis, among the world's oldest. Rivers here are rain-fed, not snow-fed.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements with reference to Lake Turkana is/are correct ?
- 1. It is the largest desert lake in the world.
- 2. The lake is situated in South Sudan along the eastern fringe of the Sahara desert.
- 3. The lake is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also referred to as the ‘Jade Sea’.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (b). Statement 1 is right: Lake Turkana is the world's largest permanent desert lake and its largest alkaline lake. Statement 3 is right: its national parks are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its green colour gives it the name "Jade Sea". Statement 2 is wrong: it lies in the Rift Valley of northern Kenya, with its northern tip in Ethiopia, not in South Sudan at the Sahara's edge. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice its fame for human origins: Turkana Boy, a nearly complete Homo erectus skeleton about 1.5 million years old, was found here. Ethiopia's Gibe III dam on the Omo River, the lake's main feeder, threatens its water level.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements about river bridges connecting India with neighbouring countries :
- 1. ‘Maitri Setu’, built over Feni river, connects Ramgarh in India with Sabroom in Bangladesh.
- 2. Jhulaghat suspension bridge connects India with Myanmar.
- 3. Mechi bridge and its approaches connect Panitanki Bypass in India with Kakarvitta in Nepal.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Only statement 3 is correct (d). Statement 3 is right: the Mechi bridge links Panitanki in West Bengal with Kakarvitta in Nepal. Statement 1 is wrong: Maitri Setu over the Feni river links Sabroom in Tripura with Ramgarh in Bangladesh; the statement swaps the towns. Statement 2 is wrong: the Jhulaghat suspension bridge crosses the Kali river between Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand) and Nepal, not Myanmar. So options (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice why Maitri Setu matters: it gives Tripura access to Chittagong port, only about 80 km away, easing the North-East's dependence on the narrow Siliguri Corridor. It was inaugurated in 2021. The Kali river also forms the India–Nepal border in the Kalapani dispute.
Statement 1 has the right river and the right towns, but each town is in the other country.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements about Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and Critical Minerals is/are correct ?
- 1. Modern technological innovations including Artificial Intelligence, robotics and space exploration extensively utilise Rare Earth Elements (REEs).
- 2. China has the highest share in mining of REEs followed by India.
- 3. The Government of India launched the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) in 2025 to establish a robust framework for self-reliance in the critical mineral sector.
- 4. Rare Earth Elements are a set of 13 metallic elements.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (a) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (a). Statement 1 is right: REEs are used in magnets, chips, batteries and satellites for AI, robotics and space. Statement 3 is right: the National Critical Mineral Mission was approved in January 2025 for self-reliance. Statement 2 is wrong: China leads mining by far, but the next producers are the USA, Myanmar and Australia, not India. Statement 4 is wrong: there are 17 rare earths, the 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. So options (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice India's position: it has about 6% of world REE reserves, mainly in monazite beach sands of Kerala, Odisha and Tamil Nadu, mined by IREL. China also controls most REE processing.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information :
- 1. It has an antecedent drainage system.
- 2. It flows through three countries.
- 3. It originates in the Tibetan Plateau and is an important river for irrigation.
- 4. It does not form distributaries.
Select the answer from the following :
Answer (c) & explanation
The river is the Sutlej (c). Clue 1: the Sutlej rises near Rakshastal in Tibet and cuts across the Himalaya at Shipki La, so it is antecedent, older than the mountains it crosses. Clue 2: it flows through China, India and Pakistan. Clue 3: it feeds Bhakra and the Punjab canals. Clue 4: as a tributary joining the Chenab, it has no delta. Options (a) and (b) are wrong: the Brahmaputra and Indus end in deltas with distributaries. Option (d) is wrong: the Teesta rises in Sikkim, not Tibet.
Notice other antecedent rivers: the Indus and Brahmaputra, which cut deep gorges. The Sutlej is part of the Indus Waters Treaty "eastern rivers", given to India.
Brahmaputra and Indus also rise in Tibet, cross three countries and are antecedent. Statement 4 is the only one that separates them.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
Statement I : The amount of dust particles in the atmosphere is more in subtropical and temperate areas than in equatorial and polar regions.
Statement II : Subtropical and temperate areas have less dry winds.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statement I is correct, Statement II is wrong (c). Statement I is right: dust in the air is highest over the subtropical and temperate belts. Statement II is wrong, because it reverses the reason: these belts have more dry winds, not fewer, and those winds lift dust from deserts and dry land, such as the Sahara, Thar and Gobi. Near the equator, heavy rain washes dust out of the air, and in polar regions, ice and snow give little dust to lift. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice why dust matters: it acts as hygroscopic nuclei around which water condenses into clouds and rain. It also scatters sunlight, giving red sunrises and sunsets. Saharan dust even feeds the Amazon with phosphorus.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
Statement I : In January, in the Northern Hemisphere, the isotherms bend equatorward while crossing the landmasses, and poleward while crossing the oceans.
Statement II : In January, the air over the oceans is warmer than that over the landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer (a) & explanation
Both are correct and Statement II explains Statement I (a). Statement II is right: in the northern winter (January), land loses heat fast, while the oceans stay warmer, because water heats and cools slowly. Statement I follows: a given temperature line, or isotherm, is pushed south (equatorward) over the cold land and north (poleward) over the warm ocean. Options (b), (c) and (d) miss this link.
Notice the reverse in July: land is hotter, so isotherms bend poleward over land. Warm currents like the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift push isotherms further north, keeping Norway's ports ice-free. In the Southern Hemisphere, with more ocean, isotherms run fairly straight.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
Statement I : In the context of effect of water on rocks, chalk is known as a very permeable rock whereas clay is known as quite an impermeable or least permeable rock.
Statement II : Chalk is porous and hence can absorb water.
Statement III : Clay is not at all porous.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer (c) & explanation
Only Statement II is correct and it explains Statement I (c). Statement II is right: chalk is porous and its pores connect, so water soaks through it, making it permeable. Statement III is wrong: clay is actually very porous, often holding more water than chalk, but its pores are so tiny that water cannot pass through, which makes it impermeable. So only II explains I, and options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the key difference: porosity is how much space a rock has for water; permeability is how easily water flows through. Permeable rocks form aquifers that store groundwater, while clay layers act as aquicludes that trap water above or below them, as in artesian wells.
Porous and permeable are not the same. Clay holds water but will not let it through.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- I. Without the atmosphere, temperature would be well below freezing point everywhere on the Earth’s surface.
- II. Heat absorbed and trapped by the atmosphere maintains our planet’s average temperature.
- III. Atmosphere’s gases, like carbon dioxide, are particularly good at absorbing and trapping radiation.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
All three statements are correct (c). Statement I is right: without its air, Earth would average about −18°C, instead of about 15°C now, so it would be below freezing everywhere. Statement II is right: the heat absorbed and trapped by the atmosphere keeps our average temperature. Statement III is right: gases such as water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane absorb the long-wave (infrared) radiation the surface gives off and send part of it back. This is the greenhouse effect. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the difference: the natural greenhouse effect makes life possible, but the enhanced greenhouse effect from burning fossil fuels causes global warming. Water vapour is the largest natural greenhouse gas.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the planet Earth, consider the following statements :
- I. Rain forests produce more oxygen than that produced by oceans.
- II. Marine phytoplankton and photosynthetic bacteria produce about 50% of world’s oxygen.
- III. Well-oxygenated surface water contains several folds higher oxygen than that in atmospheric air.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement II is correct (b). Statement II is right: about half of Earth's oxygen comes from the ocean, mostly from phytoplankton and photosynthetic bacteria such as Prochlorococcus. Statement I is wrong: so rainforests do not produce more oxygen than oceans; the Amazon also uses up most of what it makes. Statement III is wrong: even well-mixed surface water holds far less oxygen than air, only a few millilitres per litre against about 210 in air.
Notice the link to dead zones: warm water holds even less oxygen, and nutrient runoff from fertilisers causes algal blooms that strip it out, as in the Gulf of Mexico and the Arabian Sea. Ocean warming threatens these tiny oxygen makers.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following countries :
- I. United Kingdom
- II. Denmark
- III. New Zealand
- IV. Australia
- V. Brazil
How many of the above countries have more than four time zones?
Answer (b) & explanation
Four of the five have more than four time zones (b). Overseas territories add time zones. Item I is right: the UK has nine, with places like the Falklands and Pitcairn. Item IV is right: Australia has nine with its territories. Item II is right: Denmark has five with Greenland and the Faroes. Item III is right: New Zealand has five with the Chatham Islands, Tokelau, the Cook Islands and Niue. Item V is wrong: Brazil has four, so it does not qualify.
Notice the record holder: France has the most time zones, 12, thanks to territories across the world. Russia has 11 on its mainland. India uses one zone, IST, set at 82.5°E near Mirzapur, five and a half hours ahead of GMT.
Count the islands and territories, not only the mainland. Mainland Denmark has a single zone.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- I. Anadyr in Siberia and Nome in Alaska are a few kilometers from each other, but when people are waking up and getting set for breakfast in these cities, it would be different days.
- II. When it is Monday in Anadyr, it is Tuesday in Nome.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (a) & explanation
Only statement I is correct (a). Statement I is right: the International Date Line runs through the Bering Strait between Anadyr in Siberia and Nome in Alaska, so at breakfast time the two places are on different days. Statement II is wrong: Anadyr, on the western (Asian) side, is a day ahead. So when it is Monday in Anadyr, it is still Sunday in Nome, not Tuesday. So options (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the rule: crossing the Date Line westward, you add a day; crossing eastward, you subtract one. The line roughly follows the 180° meridian but zigzags to keep island groups like Kiribati on one date. The Diomede islands in the strait are just 4 km apart, but a day apart.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Country | Resource-rich in
| I. Botswana | Diamond
| II. Chile | Lithium
| III. Indonesia | Nickel
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
Answer (c) & explanation
All three rows are correctly matched (c). Row I is right: Botswana is among the top diamond producers, from mines such as Jwaneng, one of the richest. Row II is right: Chile has the world's largest lithium reserves, in the Atacama salt flats. Row III is right: Indonesia is the largest nickel producer, and has banned raw ore exports to build its own processing. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the "Lithium Triangle": Chile, Argentina and Bolivia together hold most of the world's lithium. India's KABIL has bought lithium blocks in Argentina. Nickel and lithium are both critical minerals for EV batteries, and Indonesia's ore ban is a model of resource nationalism.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
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?
Answer (c) & explanation
The Andes pass through four of these countries (c). The Andes, the world's longest mountain range above sea, run down the west of South America through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. From this list, that is Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Items II and V are wrong: Brazil and Paraguay lie east of the range, on the Brazilian Highlands and the Gran Chaco plains.
Notice the facts UPSC likes: Aconcagua in Argentina is the highest peak outside Asia; the Atacama Desert lies in their rain shadow; and Lake Titicaca, on the Peru–Bolivia border, is the highest navigable lake. The range is a fold mountain chain on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Region | Country
| I. Mallorca | Italy
| II. Normandy | Spain
| III. Sardinia | France
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
Answer (d) & explanation
None of the rows is correctly matched (d). Row I is wrong: Mallorca is a Balearic island of Spain, not Italy. Row II is wrong: Normandy is in northern France, not Spain. Row III is wrong: Sardinia is an island of Italy, not France. Each region has been paired with a wrong neighbour, so options (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice the nearby trap: Corsica, just north of Sardinia, belongs to France and was Napoleon's birthplace. Normandy is famous for the D-Day landings of June 1944 in World War II. Sicily is Italy's largest island. UPSC often tests islands of the Mediterranean that sit close to a different country.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following water bodies :
- I. Lake Tanganyika
- II. Lake Tonlé Sap
- III. Patos Lagoon
Through how many of them does the equator pass?
Answer (d) & explanation
The equator passes through none of them (d). Item I is wrong: Lake Tanganyika lies in the Rift Valley a few degrees south of the equator. Item II is wrong: Tonlé Sap is in Cambodia, at about 12°N. Item III is wrong: Patos Lagoon is in southern Brazil, near 31°S. The equator crosses Lake Victoria, not Tanganyika.
Notice Tonlé Sap's oddity: its river reverses flow in the monsoon, when the swollen Mekong pushes water back into the lake. Tanganyika is the world's longest freshwater lake and second deepest, after Baikal. The equator also passes through Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Kenya, the DR Congo and Indonesia.
Tanganyika is close to the equator and the trap. The East African lake on the equator is Victoria.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.