485 previous year UPSC Prelims Geography questions are on this page, from 1996 to 2025, in 10 chapters. Indian Geography, Human and Economic Geography, the two Places and Locations chapters and Climatology are the largest. Physical geography (climate, oceans, landforms) and location-based pairs are the usual formats. Filter by chapter to revise one area, or by year for a single paper.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 261–270 of 485 questions
Copacabana Beach is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a city renowned for landmarks such as Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, and its famous beach. With its lively Carnival festival, samba music, and beautiful beaches, Rio is a key cultural and tourist hub in South America.
Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) does not have the same clock time as the other three cities at any given instant. Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) follows East Africa Time (EAT), which is GMT+3, meaning it is always ahead by 3 hours compared to the other three cities.
The Strait of Dover is the strait through which the Channel Tunnel (Eurotunnel) connects the United Kingdom and France. The Channel Tunnel, also known as the Eurotunnel, is an underwater rail tunnel that connects Folkestone (UK) with Cal-ais (France) beneath the Strait of Dover in the English Channel. The tunnel is about 50.45 km (31.35 miles) long, with a 37.9 km (23.5 miles) underwater section, making it one of the longest undersea tunnels in the world. Options (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:
Davis Strait: Located between Greenland and Canada’s Baffin Island, it connects the Labrador Sea to Baffin Bay. Known as the world’s broadest strait, it has depths of 1,000-2,000 meters and fierce tides. It is significant for Arctic navigation and holds potential oil and gas reserves. Denmark Strait: Separating Greenland and Iceland, it connects the Arctic Ocean to the Atlantic. It features the Denmark Strait Cataract, the world’s largest underwater waterfall, formed by cold Arctic water plunging beneath warmer Atlantic water. Strait of Gibraltar: This narrow strait connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, separating Spain and Morocco. At its narrowest, it is 8 miles wide. It is vital for global trade and features unique water flow dynamics due to differing salinity levels.
The Amazon River is the longest river among the given options. The Amazon River flows through South America, mainly in Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. It has the largest discharge volume of any river in the world. Some sources debate whether the Amazon or the Nile is the longest river, but in this set of options, Amazon is the longest. Comparison of the approximate lengths of the given rivers:
Amazon River: 6,992 km (4,345 miles)(approximately) Amur River: 4,444 km (2,763 miles) Congo River: 4,700 km (2,922 miles) Lena River: 4,400 km (2,736 miles)
The Nile is traditionally considered the longest, the Amazon has the largest discharge of water in the world, making it the largest river by volume.
The largest coral reef in the world is the Great Barrier Reef, which is located off the coast of Australia. The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, stretching over 2,300 km (1,400 miles) along the north-east coast of Australia in the Coral Sea. It consists of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands. It is visible from space and is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a crucial ecosystem, home to diverse marine life.
Statement 1 is correct: The Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (RINL), also known as Vizag Steel, is a prominent integrated steel producer located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. By the year 2007, RINL had been granted "Mini Ratna" status by the Indian government. This designation recognizes the company’s strong performance and gives it greater autonomy in financial and operational decision-making.
Statement 2 is correct: In 2006, The Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO), formerly an independent entity, was successfully merged with the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). SAIL, a major public sector steel producer in India, undertook this merger to consolidate its operations, enhance efficiency, and streamline its production processes. The merger of IISCO with SAIL has integrated the resources and expertise of both organizations, creating a larger and more robust entity within the Indian steel sector.
Assertion (A) is False: Mars takes a longer time than Earth to orbit the Sun. The time taken by a planet to orbit around the Sun is called its orbital period or year. Mars has an orbital period of about 687 Earth days which means it takes 687 days to complete one revolution around the Sun. Earth takes 365.25 days (about 365 days) to complete one revolution around the Sun. Reason (R) is True: Mars does have a smaller diameter than Earth. The diameter of Earth is 12,742 km. The diameter of Mars is 6,779 km (almost half of Earth). The time taken by a planet to orbit the Sun depends on its distance from the Sun, not its diameter. Since Mars is farther from the Sun than Earth thus it has a longer orbital period.
The Diamantina Trench is a deep-sea trench located in the southeastern Indian Ocean, off the coast of Western Australia. It is part of the Diamantina Fracture Zone, a complex series of deep troughs and ridges. The trench was formed due to seafloor spreading and tectonic activity in the Indian Ocean basin. It is not associated with a subduction zone, unlike many other deep-sea trenches such as the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean.
Statement 1 is incorrect: As per the 2006 data, Petronet LNG Ltd. was setting up another LNG terminal at Kochi, Kerala (not Mangalore).
Statement 2 is correct: The Head Office of the Dredging Corporation of India is at Visakhapatnam. DCI is a crucial organization for maintaining and developing India’s waterways. They are responsible for dredging harbors, ports, and shipping channels, ensuring safe and efficient navigation for vessels.
Statement 3 is correct: The Narwapahar Mine is operated by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited. UCIL is the primary company responsible for uranium mining and processing in India, and the Narwapahar Mine in Jharkhand is one of their key operations. It’s an important source of uranium ore, which is essential for India’s nuclear power program.
Statement 1 is incorrect: Electricity-related appeals are handled through a structured system. While each state has a State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) to oversee its electricity sector, including tariffs, licensing, and consumer complaints, appeals against SERC orders don’t go to a state-level body. Instead, they are directed to the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL), a national-level tribunal. The APTEL also hears appeals against orders from the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and adjudicating officers. While the idea of having accessible avenues for appeals related to electricity matters is important, the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) is actually a national-level body, not one established by each individual state government.
Statement 2 is correct: The Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (APDRP), later revamped and renamed as the Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) and now subsumed under the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), did indeed have a strong focus on upgrading the sub-transmission and distribution network as a core component.
The Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), launched in December 2014 by the Ministry of Power, aims to strengthen sub-transmission and distribution networks in urban areas. It focuses on reducing Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses, metering, IT-enabled energy accounting, smart metering, and underground cabling. Solar panel installations on government buildings are also included.
| Q | UPSC year | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| 261 | 2007 | (c) Rio de Janeiro |
| 262 | 2007 | (d) Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) |
| 263 | 2007 | (c) Strait of Dover |
| 264 | 2007 | (a) Amazon |
| 265 | 2007 | (a) Australia |
| 266 | 2007 | (c) Both 1 and 2 |
| 267 | 2006 | (d) A is false, but R is true. |
| 268 | 2006 | (c) Indian Ocean |
| 269 | 2006 | (c) 2 and 3 only |
| 270 | 2006 | (b) 2 only |
This page covers 485 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Geography, asked from 1996 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
Indian Geography has the most with 115 questions, then Human and Economic Geography with 89, Places and Locations: World Geography with 79, Places and Locations: Indian Geography with 66, and Climatology with 55.
Open one chapter at a time with the Chapter filter, attempt the questions, then read the key facts at the end of the page. For location questions, repeat them with a map open to fix the places in memory.
No. Questions that depend on a map, figure or diagram cannot be shown without that figure, so they are left out. Every Geography question here can be answered from its text alone.
