UPSC Prelims 2015
World Geography Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Explore 7 solved UPSC Prelims 2015 World Geography questions with detailed step-by-step bilingual solutions, option analysis, and answer keys.
The area known as ‘Golan Heights’ sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to:
Detailed Explanation:
Golan Heights is a 1,200 sq-km rocky plateau located in the Middle East, strategically positioned between Syria, Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan.
Originally Syrian territory, it was occupied by Israel in 1967 during the Six-Day War and later annexed in 1981 (not internationally recognized).
“Each day is more or less the same, the morning is clear and bright with a sea breeze; as the sun climbs high in the sky, heat mounts up, dark clouds form than rain comes with thunder and lightning. But the rain is soon over.”
Which of the following regions is described in the above passage?
Detailed Explanation:
The passage describes the Equatorial climate which experiences convectional rainfall with a predictable daily pattern.
Morning: Clear, bright weather with sea breeze due to proximity to oceans and low pressure.
Afternoon: Intense solar heating causes rapid convection currents, forming cumulonimbus clouds that produce short, intense thunderstorms with lightning.
Evening: Rain clears quickly, returning to calm conditions — this daily convectional cycle repeats year-round in regions near the Equator (between 5°N and 5°S), unlike Savannah (distinct wet/dry seasons), Monsoon (seasonal wind reversal), or Mediterranean (dry summers, wet winters).
In the South Atlantic and South Eastern Pacific regions in tropical latitudes, cyclone does not originate. What is the reason?
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Option 2 – Correct: The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) remains predominantly north of the equator and seldom migrates into the South Atlantic and South Eastern Pacific regions, depriving them of the necessary low-level atmospheric instability and converging trade winds required for cyclone genesis.
❌ Option 1 – Incorrect: While cold ocean currents (Benguela Current in South Atlantic, Humboldt Current in South Eastern Pacific) do lower temperatures, sea surface temperatures are not the primary limiting factor.
❌ Option 3 – Incorrect: Coriolis force is adequate at these tropical latitudes (generally above 5° latitude) for cyclone formation; it is not too weak.
❌ Option 4 – Incorrect: Presence or absence of land does not prevent cyclone origination over ocean basins; cyclones form over open waters.
🧐 Not Sure What to Study Next?
Get a personalised study plan based on your goals, time and revision needs.
Which one of the following countries of South-West Asia does not open out to the Mediterranean Sea?
Detailed Explanation:
Jordan is the only country among the four that does not have a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea.
Syria, Lebanon, and Israel all have direct access to the Mediterranean, while Jordan is bordered by Israel to the west, which separates it from the sea; Jordan's only coastline is on the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea).
Consider the following statements:
- The winds that blow between 30 degrees N and 60 degrees S latitudes throughout the year are known as westerlies.
- The moist air masses that cause winter rains in the North-Western region of India are part of westerlies.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Westerlies blow between 30° and 60° latitudes in both hemispheres (i.e., 30°–60° N and 30°–60° S separately), not between 30° N and 60° S as stated.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Western disturbances originating over the Mediterranean region bring winter rains to North-Western India and are carried by westerlies.
What explains the eastward flow of the equatorial counter-current?
Detailed Explanation:
The North and South Equatorial Currents flow westward due to Trade Winds, causing water to accumulate on the western sides of ocean basins and creating a higher sea level in the west.
This convergence and water pile-up generates a pressure gradient that drives the Equatorial Counter-Current to flow eastward between the two equatorial currents in the Doldrums region (where surface winds are weak), restoring oceanic equilibrium.
Tides occur in oceans and seas due to which among the following?
- Gravitational Force of the Sun
- Gravitational Force of the Moon
- Centrifugal force of the Earth
Select the correct answer using the code given below
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: The Sun's gravitational force contributes to tidal generation, producing a tidal force approximately 46% as strong as the Moon's despite its greater mass but larger distance.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The Moon's gravitational pull is the primary cause of tides, creating a tidal bulge on the side of Earth facing the Moon due to stronger gravitational attraction on ocean water.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Centrifugal force from the Earth-Moon system's rotation around their common barycenter creates a second tidal bulge on the side of Earth opposite to the Moon.
UPSC Prelims 2015 - World Geography Chapter-wise Distribution
Climatology
3 Qs (42.9%)Oceanography
2 Qs (28.6%)Important Geographical Features
2 Qs (28.6%)UPSC Prelims 2015 - World Geography Questions FAQs
Q1 How many World Geography questions were asked in UPSC Prelims 2015?
Q2 What is the chapter-wise question distribution for World Geography in UPSC Prelims 2015?
- Climatology: 3 questions (42.9%)
- Oceanography: 2 questions (28.6%)
- Important Geographical Features: 2 questions (28.6%)