UPSC 2003 Geography Questions with Answers

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Ethnic Albanians are the largest minority in Macedonia. In 2007, rising tensions over Kosovo’s final status appeared to spark outbreaks of violence. Ethnic Albanian extremists were seeking to break away from Macedonia to join Kosovo. Likewise, Macedonians are a minority in Albania. Greeks are the largest minority of Albania.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Serbs are the largest minority group in Kosovo while the Ethnic Albanian makes up the majority. The conflict in Kosovo was largely driven by ethnic Albanian demands for independence from Serbia.

Explanation

Below is a table summarizing approximate population figures for the four countries in question for the years 2003 and

2024:

Country Population (2003) Population (2024) Indonesia ~222 million ~275 million Pakistan ~158 million ~240 million Japan ~127 million ~123 million Sudan ~39 million ~45 million

Explanation

Based on the data from the Census of India 2001 and 2011, the population densities (persons per square kilometer) for the specified states are as follows:

State Population Density (2001) Population Density (2011) West Bengal 903 1,029 Kerala 819 860 Uttar Pradesh 698 829 Madhya Pradesh 196 236

Explanation

Option (b) is correct: The descending order of the lengths of the rivers is as follows:

Godavari River: The total length is 1,465 km. It is the second-longest river in India after the Ganges and flows eastward from its origin in Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra, to the Bay of Bengal. Narmada River: The total length is 1,312 km. It originates from the Amarkantak Plateau in Madhya Pradesh and flows westward into the Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Khambhat. Mahanadi River: The total length is approximately 851 km. It originates from the highlands of Chhattisgarh and flows eastward into the Bay of Bengal. Tapi (Tapti) River: The total length is about 724 km. It originates from the Satpura ranges in Madhya Pradesh and flows westward into the Arabian Sea. Therefore, the correct sequence of rivers in the descending order of their length is Godavari - Narmada - Mahanadi - Tapi.

Explanation

Nanda Devi is the second-highest mountain in India and is located in the Kumaon Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand. It is part of the Greater Himalayas and is renowned for its challenging climbing routes and stunning natural beauty. Indus River Punjab Himalaya Kumaon Himalay Satluj River Kali River Teesta River Dihang River Kailash Range Ladakh Zaskar Karakoram Nepal Himalay Assam Himalay

Explanation

Option (a) is correct: Amongst the given options Bangalore has the highest altitude above mean sea level. Altitude above mean sea level of the given options is as follows:

Bangalore (Bengaluru): 920 meters.

Nagpur: 310 meters.

Delhi: 216 meters.

Jodhpur: 231 meters.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: In west to east arrangement, Indore comes first then Bhopal and in last comes Jabalpur. Thus, the longitude corresponding to Jabalpur’s location is not between those of Indore and Bhopal.

Statement 2 is correct: As coming from the north we first find Vadodara and then Aurangabad and in the last Pune which means Aurangabad is between Vadodara and Pune. Hence, the latitude corresponding to Aurangabad’s location is between those of Vadodara and Pune.

Statement 3 is correct: Bangalore is at a lower latitude (12.9716°N) than Chennai (13.0827°N). Hence Bangalore is south of Chennai.

Explanation

Area of the states in the options given are:

Gujarat: 196,024 square kilometers Karnataka: 191,791 square kilometers Andhra Pradesh: 160,205 square kilometers Tamil Nadu: 130,058 square kilometers Therefore Tamil Nadu is the smallest among the four states.

Explanation

In India, The Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) passes through 8 Indian states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. Location of the given cities in comparison to the Tropic of Cancer is the following:

Delhi: 28.7041°N Jodhpur: 26.2389°N Tropic of Cancer: 23.5°N Kolkata: 22.5726°N Nagpur: 21.1458°N Thus, Kolkata is nearest to the Tropic of Cancer. Other cities near to the Tropic of Cancer:

Udaipur (Rajasthan): 24.5854°N.

Agartala (Tripura): 23.8315°N.

Aizawl (Mizoram): 23.7271°N.

Ranchi (Jharkhand): 23.3441°N.

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): 23.2599°N.

Gandhinagar (Gujarat): 23.2156°N.

Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): 23.1815°N.

Kolkata (West Bengal): 22.5726°N.

Explanation

Option (d) is correct: Victoria Falls, known locally as "Mosi-oa-Tunya" or "The Smoke That Thunders," is located on the Zambezi River. It straddles the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Zambezi River is the fourth-longest river in Africa and flows through several countries, including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, and Mozambique. Options (a), (b) and (c) are incorrect:

The Amazon River, which is the largest river in the world by discharge, flows through South America, primarily through Brazil, but does not have Victoria Falls. The Missouri River is a major river in the United States, flowing through several states. It does not have any waterfalls as famous as Victoria Falls. The St. Lawrence River flows through Canada and the United States, connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. While it has several rapids and is an important waterway for shipping, it is not associated with Victoria Falls.