79 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on world places and locations appear here, from 1997 to 2025, across 26 exam years. Country-count questions, such as which countries touch a sea or border the Andes, are the favourite format, along with rivers and the places seen in the news. The explanations list the countries so you can check each option.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 51–60 of 79 questions
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago located in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of Spain. They are a popular tourist destination known for their scenic landscapes, beaches, and cultural heritage. They are an autonomous community of Spain and consist of four main islands.
Pair (a) is correctly matched: Nassau is the capital city of The Bahamas and its largest city. It is located on New Providence Island and is a major tourist hub. Pair (b) is correctly matched: San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. It is the political, economic, and cultural center of the country. Pair (c) is incorrectly matched: Belmopan is actually the capital of Belize, not Nicaragua. The correct capital of Nicaragua is Managua. Pair (d) is correctly matched: Santo Domingo is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic. It is one of the old-est European settlements in the Americas, founded in 1496.
Option (d) is correct: Mount St. Helens is in Washington State, USA, within the Pacific Ring of Fire. Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Washington State, USA. It is part of the Cascade Range and is known for its catastrophic eruption on May 18, 1980, which was one of the most destructive volcanic events in U.S. history. Options (a), (b) and (c) are incorrect:
Chile has several active volcanoes, including Villarrica and Llaima. Japan has famous volcanic mountains like Mount Fuji and Sakurajima. The Philippines has Mount Pinatubo and Mayon Volcano.
Country Famous Volcanoes Italy Mount Vesuvius, Mount Etna Japan Mount Fuji United States Mount St. Helens (Washington), Mauna Loa (Hawaii), Mount Shasta (California) Tanzania Mount Kilimanjaro Indonesia Krakatoa, Mount Bromo, Mount Tambo-ra (Sumbawa) Philippines Mount Pinatubo Venezuela, Brazil, Guyana Mount Roraima Iceland Eyjafjallajökull Chile Mount Parinacota Vanuatu Mount Yasur
Option (b) is correct: Lithuania is a Baltic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Russia (Kaliningrad) to the west. Ukraine does not share a border with Lithuania. Belarus lies between them.
Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, is the northernmost among these cities. Moving southward, Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, comes next. Further south lies Gujranwala, a major industrial city in Punjab province. Finally, Multan, known for its Sufi shrines, is located in southern Punjab, making it the southernmost in the given options. Therefore, the correct north-to-south order is Peshawar Islamabad Gujranwala Multan.
| List-I (City) | List-II (River) |
|---|---|
| A. Washington, D.C. | 1. River Manzanares |
| B. Berlin | 2. River Seine |
| C. Paris | 3. River Spree |
| D. Madrid | 4. River Potomac |
The cities and their respective rivers are: A-4; B-3; C-2; D-1 A is correctly matched with 4: The Potomac River, flowing through the eastern United States, serves as a boundary between Maryland and Virginia and passes through notable cities like Washington, D.C., Alexandria, and Harpers Ferry. B is correctly matched with 3: The Spree River, a tributary of the Havel River, flows through Berlin and is central to the city’s waterways, connecting it to other regions like Cottbus and Spandau. C is correctly matched with 2: The Seine River is one of France’s major rivers, flowing through Paris and other cities like Rouen and Le Havre. It is famous for its iconic landmarks along its banks in Paris, including the Eiffel Tower and numerous historic bridges. D is correctly matched with 1: The Manzanares River, though relatively small, flows through Madrid and plays an important role in local recreation and urban development. Each of these rivers holds cultural, historical, or economic significance for their respective cities.
Statement 1 is incorrect: Great Britain consists of England, Scotland, and Wales. It does not include Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom (UK) comprises Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Statement 2 is correct: England covers approximately 53% of the total area of the UK (130,279 km2 out of 242,495 km2), making the statement accurate.
The Itaipu Dam, located on the Parana River at the border of Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay), is one of the largest hydroelectric plants in the world. Completed in 1984, it is managed by Itaipu Binacional, equally owned by Brazil and Paraguay. The dam generates over 14,000 MW of electricity, supplying nearly 90% of Paraguay’s energy needs and about 15% of Brazil’s consumption. It remains a symbol of successful binational cooperation and a major contributor to renewable energy production globally.
Malaysia is not part of the Mekong River basin. The river does not flow through Malaysia at any point. Malaysia’s major rivers include the Rajang River and Kinabatangan River. The Mekong River is one of the longest rivers in Asia (about 4,350 km long). It originates in China’s Tibetan Plateau and flows through six countries: China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea.
Option (d) is correct: Latvia is a Baltic country in Northern Europe, bordered by four countries: Estonia to the north, Russia to the east, Belarus to the southeast, and Lithuania to the south. It also has a western coastline along the Baltic Sea. Latvia does not share a border with Poland. Options (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:
Latvia shares a border with Russia to the east, specifically in the Pskov and Leningrad regions. Latvia is directly north of Estonia, and both countries share a common border. Lithuania borders Latvia to the south, making this option incorrect.
| Q | UPSC year | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | 2005 | (a) Mediterranean Sea |
| 52 | 2005 | (c) Nicaragua: Belmopan |
| 53 | 2005 | (d) United States of America |
| 54 | 2005 | (b) Ukraine |
| 55 | 2005 | (c) Peshawar-Islamabad-Gujranwala-Multan |
| 56 | 2005 | (d) A-4; B-3; C-2; D-1 |
| 57 | 2005 | (b) 2 only |
| 58 | 2005 | (c) Brazil and Paraguay |
| 59 | 2004 | (b) Malaysia |
| 60 | 2004 | (d) Poland |
This page covers 79 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.
Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, both in West Africa, together produce more than half of the world’s cocoa. The crop grows in humid tropical conditions near the equator, on small family farms.
Canada and the United States, a boundary of about 8,900 km including the border between Canada and Alaska. It is the longest international land border in the world.
The two places lie close together across the Bering Strait, but on opposite sides of the International Date Line. Anadyr in Siberia is a calendar day ahead of Nome in Alaska, despite being a short distance away.
