This page lists 30 previous year UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination (General Studies Paper-I) questions on Geography in the UPSC 2008 Prelims. Choose an option to see the correct answer and the full explanation on the same page.
Explanations state facts as they stood in the year each question was asked, so words like “recently” or “currently” refer to that year, not today. For the present position, check the latest Current Affairs.
Showing 1–10 of 30 questions
Order of Planets in the Solar System (from the Sun) is Mercury> Venus > Earth > Mars > Jupiter > Saturn > Uranus > Neptune. Mars is the 4th planet from the Sun and Uranus is the 7th planet from the Sun. Therefore the planets that lie between Mars (4th) and Uranus (7th) are Jupiter (5th) and Saturn (6th).
Albedo is the measure of a surface’s reflectivity, with higher albedo indicating greater reflection of sunlight, influencing Earth’s temperature and climate.
Statement 1 is correct: Albedo refers to the reflectivity of a surface, or the fraction of light that a surface reflects. A higher albedo means more reflection of light, which causes an object to appear brighter when viewed with reflected light. This is why snowy surfaces (with high albedo) appear brighter than forests or oceans (with low albedo).
Statement 2 is incorrect: Mercury actually has a much lower albedo than Earth. Mercury’s rocky and heavily cratered surface reflects only about 12 to 14% of sunlight, meaning it absorbs the vast majority of incoming sunlight and appears relatively dark. On the other hand, Earth has a higher albedo due to its cloud cover, oceans, and ice caps, which reflect a significant portion of sunlight back into space. Earth’s average albedo is around 0.30 to 0.35.
The albedo scale ranges from 0 to 1, where 0 means a surface absorbs all incoming sunlight (no reflection) and 1 means a surface reflects all incoming sunlight (no absorption). For example, snow and ice have high albedo values of around 0.8-0.9, while forests and oceans have low albedo values, around 0.1-0.2.
Median age refers to the age at which half the population is younger and half is older. It reflects the demographic profile of a country, with higher median ages indicating older populations. With respect to year in which question has been asked:
India: India, being a developing nation with a younger population and a higher birth rate, has the lowest median age among these countries. China: China’s population control policies (like the one-child policy) and the country’s demographic transition have resulted in a population that is older than India’s but younger than that of the USA and the UK. USA: The USA has a relatively older population compared to India and China due to factors such as higher life expectancy and a stable birth rate. Therefore, the median age is higher than those of India and China but lower than the UK’s. UK: The UK, being an industrialized and developed nation with an aging population, has the highest median age among the four countries. The population has a stable growth rate and a higher proportion of elderly individuals, making the median age of the UK the highest.
India’s National Population Policy, 2000, sets a long-term objective to achieve a stable population by the year 2045. This goal aligns with sustainable economic growth, social development, and environmental protection. The policy emphasizes addressing unmet needs for contraception, healthcare infrastructure, and personnel, aiming to bring the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to replacement levels by 2010. The medium-term objective is to achieve a TFR of 2.1 by 2010, and the long-term objective is to stabilize the population by 2045.
In 2008, the percentage of persons above 65 years of age in India’s population was approximately in the range of 5-6%. According to the World Bank, approximately 7.07% of India’s population was aged 65 and above in 2023. This means that approximately 7.07% of India’s total population is currently aged 65 and above.
According to the Census of India 2001, the percentage of rural population in various states was as follows:
Himachal Pradesh: 90.2% Bihar: 89.5% Orissa (now Odisha): 85.0% Uttar Pradesh: 79.2% Therefore, among the given options, Himachal Pradesh had the highest percentage of rural population to its total population in 2001.
As per 2011 Census, percentage of rural population to the total population in these states is Himachal Pradesh: Approximately 89.97%, Bihar: Approximately 88.72%, Odisha: Approximately 83.32% & Uttar Pradesh: Approximately 77.73%
According to the Census of India 2001, the populations of the given regions were as follows:
Sikkim: 540,851 Mizoram: 888,573 Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry): 974,345 Chandigarh: 900,635 Therefore, among the options provided, Sikkim had the smallest population as per the 2001 Census. According to the Census of India 2011, the populations of the specified regions are Sikkim: 610,577, Mizoram: 1,097,206, Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry): 1,247,953 & Chandigarh: 1,055,450
Option (c) is correct: India holds the largest livestock population in the world, with about 192.5 million cattle and a total bovine population of 307.5 million. India holds around 14-15% of the world’s cattle and leads globally in buffalo population. Options (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:
Brazil has the second-largest cattle population globally, with approximately 194.4 million cattle. However, while Brazil excels in beef production and exports, its total livestock population (including cattle, poultry, goats, etc.) is less than India’s. China has a large livestock population, particularly in poultry and pigs. It is the world’s largest producer of pork and has a significant poultry industry. However, when considering total livestock (including cattle, buffaloes, goats, etc.), China still lags behind India. The United States has a significant cattle population (~94 million), focusing on beef production and exports. The USA also leads in poultry and pig farming, but its total livestock population is lower than India’s.
Statement 1 is incorrect: Chikmagalur, located in Karnataka, is renowned for its coffee production rather than sugar. The region’s elevation, rainfall, and temperature create ideal conditions for cultivating some of the finest coffee beans in the world. Today, Chikmagalur is one of India’s highest coffee-pro-ducing areas, with its culture and lifestyle deeply intertwined with coffee cultivation.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Mandya, also situated in Karnataka, is primarily known for its sugarcane cultivation and sugar production, not coffee. The district is home to several sugar factories and numerous jaggery-making units, underscoring its prominence in sugar production.
The term "million-plus cities" refers to urban agglomerations with a population exceeding one million. Based on the Census of India data below, the populations of the selected cities in 2001 and 2011 are as follows:
City Population in 2001 Population in 2011 Ludhiana 1,398,467 1,618,879 Kochi Urban Agglomeration 1,355,406 2,117,990 Surat 2,433,835 4,467,797 Nagpur 2,052,066 2,405,421 Hence, cities--Ludhiana, Surat, Kochi and Nagpur--were classified as million-plus cities in India based on the 2001 census data.
| Q | UPSC year | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008 | (b) Jupiter and Saturn |
| 2 | 2008 | (a) 1 only |
| 3 | 2008 | (b) India < China USA < UK |
| 4 | 2008 | (c) 2045 |
| 5 | 2008 | (d) 5-6% |
| 6 | 2008 | (a) Himachal Pradesh |
| 7 | 2008 | (d) Sikkim |
| 8 | 2008 | (c) India |
| 9 | 2008 | (d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
| 10 | 2008 | (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
This page covers 30 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Geography in the UPSC 2008 Prelims, asked between 1996 to 2024. 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 Geography in the UPSC 2008 Prelims are available for 29 years, from 1996 to 2024. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
