Places and Locations: World Geography: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Geography)
2 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 1–2 of 2 questions
UPSC 2023Geography · Places and Locations: World Geography
Q1. Consider the following countries: 1. Bulgaria 2. Czech Republic 3. Hungary 4. Latvia 5. Lithuania 6. Romania How many of the above-mentioned countries share a land border with Ukraine?
Explanation
Ukraine is a country located in eastern Europe. Its capital is Kyiv which is located on the Dnieper River in north-central Ukraine. Ukraine shares its borders with seven countries:
Poland to the west Slovakia to the west Hungary to the west Romania to the southwest Moldova to the southwest Russia to the east and northeast Belarus to the north Among given countries Ukraine shares borders with Hungary and Romania only. The other countries-Bulgaria, Czech Re-public, Latvia, and Lithuania do not share a land border with Ukraine.
UPSC 2023Geography · Places and Locations: World Geography
Q2. Which one of the following is a part of the Congo Basin?
Explanation
Option (a) is correct: The Congo Basin is a vast region in Central Africa, encompassing approximately 3.7 million square kilometers. It spans across several countries, including Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It is home to the Congo Rainforest which is the second-largest tropical rainforest globally, after the Amazon. This region plays a crucial role in climate regulation, carbon storage, and biodiversity conservation. Cameroon forms the northwestern boundary of the Congo Basin. The southeastern parts of Cameroon--especially the regions of East, South, and Centre provinces--are covered by dense equatorial rainforests that are part of the basin.
Option (b),(c) and (d) are incorrect:
Nigeria is located further west. Nigeria’s terrain is dominated by savannah, mangroves, and rainforests but it is located outside the Congo Basin. South Sudan is rich in wetlands (Sudd Swamp) but it lies northeast of the Congo Basin and is part of the Nile Basin. Uganda shares a border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo but it belongs to the Great Lakes Region and Nile River Basin and not the Congo Basin.
Additional insight:
Congo Basin is home to over 10,000 species of plants, 400 species of mammals, and 1,000 species of birds. It stores around 8% of the world’s forest-based carbon which is crucial for mitigating climate change. It supports indigenous tribes like the Baka Pygmies, who depend on the forests for survival.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2023
(a) Only two
2
2023
(a) Cameroon
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Places and Locations: World Geography?
This page covers 2 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.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
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.
Which years are covered for Places and Locations: World Geography?
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.
