UPSC 2017 Geography Questions with Answers

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Indian Ocean Dipole(IOD) is defined by the difference in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) between the western and eastern parts of the Indian Ocean, not the Pacific Ocean. Specifically, it involves the SST gradient between the western equatorial Indian Ocean (50°E-70°E and 10°S-10°N) and the southeastern equatorial Indian Ocean (90°E-110°E and 10°S-0°N).

Statement 2 is correct: A positive IOD (warmer SST in the western Indian Ocean) can help mitigate the adverse effects of El Niño on the Indian monsoon by enhancing monsoonal rainfall. Conversely, a negative IOD (warmer SST in the eastern Indian Ocean) can exacerbate El Niño’s drought-like conditions over India.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Teesta River originates from the Tso Lhamo Lake in North Sikkim, near the Khangse Glacier. The Brahmaputra River originates from the Angsi Glacier in Tibet. Thus, their sources are not the same. The Teesta River flows through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.

Statement 2 is correct: River Rangeet originates from the Himalayas in West Sikkim and is the largest tributary of Teesta River. It joins the Teesta at Melli near the border of Sikkim and West Bengal.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Teesta River does not flow directly into the Bay of Bengal. It joins the Brahmaputra River (called Jamuna in Bangladesh) before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. The Teesta meets the Jamuna near Fulchhari in Bangladesh and then the combined flow reaches the Bay of Bengal.

Explanation

Chandipur, located in Balasore district, Odisha is famous for its unique vanishing sea phenomenon where the sea recedes up to 5 km during low tide and returns during high tide, occurring twice a day. This hide-and-seek of the sea comes to play twice a day and seeing the sea disappear and then return is an unforgettable experience. Thus it is also called the ‘hide-and-seek’ beach. The Bay of Bengal coast experiences semi-diur-nal tides, meaning it has two high tides and two low tides each day. Chandipur beach has a shallow gradient which amplifies the tidal effect and causes the sea to retreat significantly. The gradual slope of the sea bed allows water to move far away and return cyclically. The beach is rich in biodiversity, including horseshoe crabs and red crabs, which become visible when the water recedes. Chandipur also has the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) Integrated Research Range. In this range ballistic missiles are test-fired.

Option (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:

Bhavnagar is located in Saurashtra, Gujarat near the Gulf of Khambhat, which has one of the highest tidal ranges in India (up to 11 meters), but the sea does not recede as dramatically as in Chandipur. Bheemunipatnam is a coastal town near Visakhapatnam. It is known for its historical Dutch settlements, but does not exhibit this tidal phenomenon. Nagapattinam is a port town on the Coromandel Coast in Tamil Nadu. It is known for fishing and trade, but does not have the dramatic sea retreat seen in Chandipur.

Explanation

Option (a) is correct:

Great Nicobar is closest to Sumatra. Great Nicobar lies on the south of the Nicobar Islands of India and it is the largest island of the Nicobar Islands. South of Great Nicobar is the island of Sumatra. The distance between the two places is approximately 150 Kms. The close proximity of Sumatra to Great Nicobar has implications beyond mere geography. Historically, this nearness has influenced trade routes, cultural exchanges, and even ecological patterns between the two regions. For instance, certain flora and fauna exhibit similarities due to this geographical closeness.

Option (b), (c) and (d) are incorrect:

The distance from Great Nicobar to Borneo is 2,398 kms. The distance from Great Nicobar to Java stands at 1,817 kms. The distance from Great Nicobar to Sri Lanka is 1437 kms.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Indian Himalayan spans 13 states and union territories: Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and Meghalaya.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Western Ghats are spread over six states namely Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat and not 5 states.

Statement 3 is correct: Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lake in India and spreads over the two states namely Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Large varieties of birds, including Painted Storks and Grey pelicans, frequent the area every year.

Explanation

The Mediterranean Sea is a significant body of water almost entirely enclosed by land, serves as a natural border for numerous countries across three continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Option (c) is correct: The countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea are Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey.

Explanation

Option (b) is correct: Traveling by road from Kohima in Nagaland to Kottayam in Kerala involves traversing multiple Indian states. To determine the minimum number of states one would pass through, including the origin and destination, let’s analyze the shortest route:

Nagaland: Starting point at Kohima.

Assam: Proceed westward into Assam.

West Bengal: Continue through Assam into West Bengal. Odisha: Travel southward from West Bengal into Odisha. Andhra Pradesh: Proceed further south into Andhra Pradesh. Tamil Nadu: From Andhra Pradesh, enter Tamil Nadu. Kerala: Finally, arrive at Kottayam in Kerala. This route covers seven states in total. Alternatively, after Andhra Pradesh, one could enter Karnataka before reaching Kerala, still totaling seven states.