Q21. Which river in China is characterized by its heavy load of yellow-colored silt sourced from the Loess Plateau?
Major Rivers and Lakes of the World: RAS Prelims MCQs
80 RAS Prelims MCQs on the major rivers and lakes of the world cover the longest rivers, tributaries, deltas, lake basins and river features. The Amazon and its tributaries, the Congo at the Equator, the Volga and the Caspian, the Mississippi delta and the Aral Sea are tested, and the explanations link each river to its basin and mouth.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 21–30 of 80 questions
Q22. Select the correct order of the following major rivers from longest to shortest total length:
Explanation
By the usual measurements the Nile is the longest river, followed by the Amazon, the Yangtze and the Mississippi-Missouri. The order is Nile, Amazon, Yangtze, Mississippi-Missouri.
Q23. What geomorphological feature acts as primary evidence that a river like the Brahmaputra is an antecedent drainage system?
Explanation
Antecedent drainage occurs when a river maintains its course while the land beneath it undergoes tectonic uplift. In the case of the Brahmaputra, the primary evidence for this classification is the presence of incredibly deep gorges. These narrow valleys are formed as the river aggressively erodes downward through the Himalayan mountain range at a rate equal to the uplift.
Q24. What is the main cause of the exceptionally high salinity levels found in the Dead Sea?
Explanation
The extreme salinity of the Dead Sea is a result of its unique geographical and climatic setting. Situated in a hot, arid environment, the lake experiences exceptionally high rates of evaporation. Because it is an endorheic basin with no outlet, dissolved minerals and salts brought in by the Jordan River accumulate and concentrate over thousands of years.
Q25. Match List-I (Lake) with List-II (Continent) and select the correct option:
| Lake | Continent |
|---|---|
| A. Lake Victoria | i. South America |
| B. Lake Baikal | ii. North America |
| C. Lake Erie | iii. Africa |
| D. Lake Titicaca | iv. Asia |
Explanation
Global lakes are distributed across various continents, each possessing unique characteristics. Lake Victoria is located in Africa and is the continent’s largest. Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake, is situated in Asia. Lake Erie is one of the Great Lakes of North America. Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake, is located in the Andes of South America.
Q26. Identify the incorrect statement regarding the Rhine River.
Explanation
The Rhine River is a critical European waterway that originates in the Swiss Alps and serves as a major industrial transport route. It forms part of the border between France and Germany. However, the river does not flow into the Black Sea; instead, it travels northward through Germany and the Netherlands to discharge into the North Sea.
Q27. The extensive drainage basin of the Amazon River encompasses a significant portion of South America. Which of the following is NOT a major tributary of the Amazon?
Explanation
The Amazon River possesses a massive drainage basin with hundreds of significant tributaries. Major rivers such as the Purus, Madeira, and Xingu all flow into the Amazon from different directions. The Orinoco River, however, is a separate and distinct river system located primarily in Venezuela and Colombia, draining into the Atlantic Ocean independently of the Amazon.
Q28. Consider the following statements about the Congo River:
I. It possesses the second largest drainage basin in the world by area.
II. It flows extensively through dense equatorial rainforests.
III. It discharges completely into a large inland lake without reaching the ocean.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?
I. It possesses the second largest drainage basin in the world by area.
II. It flows extensively through dense equatorial rainforests.
III. It discharges completely into a large inland lake without reaching the ocean.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?
Explanation
The Congo River is a major African waterway with the world’s second-largest drainage basin. It is characterized by its course through extensive equatorial rainforests. Contrary to some inland systems, the Congo River does not discharge into a lake; it flows all the way to the western coast of the continent and empties directly into the Atlantic Ocean.
Q29. Identify the odd one out from the following list of lakes based on their water salinity profile.
Explanation
Lakes can be broadly categorized as freshwater or saline based on their mineral content. The Caspian Sea, the Dead Sea, and the Aral Sea are all known for their significant salinity levels, often existing in endorheic basins. Lake Superior, one of the North American Great Lakes, is a freshwater body. Thus, it is the exception among these saline examples.
Q30. The following question consists of two statements -- Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Answer the question by selecting the appropriate option:
Assertion (A): The major Siberian rivers (Ob, Yenisei, Lena) frequently cause severe widespread flooding during the spring season.
Reason (R): Their mouths in the Arctic ocean remain frozen longer than their upper reaches in the south, causing massive ice jams that block river flow.
Choose the correct option:
Assertion (A): The major Siberian rivers (Ob, Yenisei, Lena) frequently cause severe widespread flooding during the spring season.
Reason (R): Their mouths in the Arctic ocean remain frozen longer than their upper reaches in the south, causing massive ice jams that block river flow.
Choose the correct option:
Explanation
The major rivers of Siberia, such as the Ob and Yenisei, experience severe flooding during the spring thaw. This phenomenon occurs because the rivers flow from warmer southern regions toward the frozen Arctic in the north. The southern reaches melt first, but the downstream northern sections remain blocked by ice, creating massive jams that force water over the banks.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 21 | (c) Huang He River |
| 22 | (a) Nile, Amazon, Yangtze, Mississippi- Missouri |
| 23 | (d) Deep gorges cut directly through rising mountain ranges |
| 24 | (a) High evaporation rates in a hot, arid climate with no outlet to the ocean |
| 25 | (c) A-iii, B-iv, C-ii, D-i |
| 26 | (a) It flows into the Black Sea forming a large delta. |
| 27 | (d) Orinoco |
| 28 | (b) III only |
| 29 | (c) Lake Superior |
| 30 | (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. |
Key facts from Major Rivers and Lakes of the World
- By the usual measurements the longest rivers run in the order Nile, Amazon, Yangtze, Mississippi-Missouri.
- The Rio Negro is a major left-bank tributary of the Amazon.
- The Congo River crosses the Equator twice.
- The Volga, the longest river of Europe, drains into the Caspian Sea; the Thames passes through London.
- The Mississippi forms a bird’s-foot delta; the Huang He carries yellow silt from the Loess Plateau.
- The Aral Sea has shrunk mainly because rivers were diverted for large-scale irrigation; Lake Tanganyika is the second deepest lake in the world.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Major Rivers and Lakes of the World?
This page has 80 practice MCQs on Major Rivers and Lakes of the World (World Geography). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
Which river crosses the Equator twice?
The Congo River in Africa. It flows through both hemispheres, which gives its basin rainfall in all seasons and makes it a river with a very steady flow.
Why has the Aral Sea shrunk?
Because the rivers that fed it, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, were diverted for large-scale irrigation of cotton and other crops. With little inflow, the lake lost most of its area and became a major environmental disaster.
Where does the Volga drain?
Into the Caspian Sea. The Volga is the longest river in Europe, and because the Caspian is an inland sea, the river is an example of inland drainage.