5 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Places and Locations: World Geography (Geography). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–5 of 5 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.
| Q | UPSC year | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007 | (c) Rio de Janeiro |
| 2 | 2007 | (d) Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) |
| 3 | 2007 | (c) Strait of Dover |
| 4 | 2007 | (a) Amazon |
| 5 | 2007 | (a) Australia |
This page covers 5 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Places and Locations: World Geography (Geography), asked from 1997 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Questions on Places and Locations: World Geography (Geography) are available for 26 years, from 1997 to 2025. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
