America Chiristopher Columbus
South Pole Amundsen
Sea-route to India Vasco-da-Gama
Suez Canal Designed by Ferdinand de
North Pole Robert Peary

A
America’s Motor City Detroit

B
Britain of the South New Zealand
Bowl of the world Cuba

C
City of Dreaming Spires Oxford (England)
City of Eternal Springs Quito (S.America)
City of Flowers Cape Town (S.Africa)
City of Golden Gate San Francisco (USA)
City of Magnificient BuildingsWashington (USA)
City of Quiet thoroughfares Venice
City of Seven Hills Rome (Italy)
City of Skyscrapers New York (USA)
China’s Sorrow River Hwang Ho
Cockpit of Europe Belgium Land of Setting Sun United Kingdom
D
Dark Continent Africa

E
Emerald Isle Ireland

Empire City New York
Eternal City of Hopes Rome, Italy
F

Forbidden City Lhasa (Tibet) Loneliest Island Tristan De Gumha

G

Garden City Chicago (Mid. Atlantic)
Garden in the desert Ethiopia
Garden of England Kent (England) Pillars of Hercules Straits of Gibraltar
Gate of tears Strait of bab-el-
Golden City Johannesburg
Gift of Nile Egypt
Gibraltar of Indian Ocean Aden
Granite City Aberdeen

H

Hanging Valleys Valley of Switzerland
Herring Pond Atlantic Ocean
Hermit Kingdom Korea Sugar
Holy Land Palestine
Human Equator of the Earth Himalayas

I
Island Continent Australia
Island of Cloves Zanzibar
Island of Pearls Bahrain (Persian Gulf)
Islands of Sunshine West Indies

K
Key to Mediterranean Gibraltar
Kashmir of Europe Switzerland

L
Land of Golden Pagoda Myanmar
Land of Thunderbolt Bhutan
Land of Lakes Scotland
Land of Golden Fleece Australia
Land of Lilies Canada
Land of Morning Calm Korea
Land of Midnight Sun Norway
Land of Thousand Lakes Finland
Land of Kangaroo Australia
Land of Rising Sun Japan
Land of Thousand Elephants Laos
Land of White Elephant Thailand
Land of Maple Canada
Land of Five Seas South West Asia

M
Manchester of Japan Osaka (Japan)
Mandeb Play Ground of Europe Switzerland

Q
Queen of the Adriatic Venice
Quaker City Philadelphia

R

Roof of the World The pamirs (Tibet)
River in the Sea Gulf Stream

S
Sickman of Europe Turkey

V
Venice of the East Bangkok
Venice of the North Stockholm

W

White City Belgrade
Workshop of Europe Belgium
Windy City Chicago
World’s Loneliest Island Tristan Da Cunha
Y
Yellow River River Hwang Ho (CHINA)

1. Which of the following rocks is different from the remaining three on the basis of its mode of origin?
(A) Limestone
(B) Sandstone
(C) Shale
(D) Marble
Ans : (D)

2. Which of the following land forms is not associated with river erosion?
(A) Waterfall
(B) V-shaped valley
(C) Moraines
(D) Ox-bow lake
Ans : (C)

3. Which of the following latitudes is the longest?
(A) 23°N
(B) 66°N
(C) 0°
(D) 80°N
Ans : (C)

4. Two places on the same meridian must have the same—
(A) Length of summer
(B) Length of winter
(C) Latitude
(D) Solar time
Ans : (D)

5. When it is 6.00 AM on 0° meridian, at the same time what time would be there in India?
(A) 6.30 AM
(B) 9.30 AM
(C) 11.30 AM
(D) 5.30 AM
Ans : (C)

6. Which of the following processes helps in the formation of rift valley?
(A) Seismism
(B) Faulting
(C) Folding
(D) Volcanism
Ans : (B)

7. Which of the following names is given to the planetary winds blowing between the tropics?
(A) Monsoon
(B) Polar winds
(C) Westerlies
(D) Trade winds
Ans : (D)

8. Which of the following cities is not located on Varanasi-Chennai rail-route?
(A) Hyderabad
(B) Nagpur
(C) Jabalpur
(D) Allahabad
Ans : (D)

9. Where is Dead Sea situated in the following continents?
(A) Europe
(B) Australia
(C) Asia
(D) Africa
Ans : (C)

10. Which of the following industries is most developed in the Great Lakes region of North America?
(A) Cement and Paper
(B) Steel and Engineering
(C) Film industry
(D) Textile and Chemicals
Ans : (B)

11. Which of the following group of countries is most famous for exporting wool and meat?
(A) Australia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia
(B) Argentina, France, Chile
(C) Australia, Argentina, New Zealand
(D) New Zealand, Argentina, Italy
Ans : (C)

12. Which of the following soils is most suitable for the cultivation of cotton in India?
(A) Red soil
(B) Laterite soil
(C) Alluvial soil
(D) Regur soil
Ans : (D)

13. Which of the following state groups is the largest producer of iron-ore in India?
(A) Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar
(B) Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab
(C) Maharashtra, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh
(D) Bihar, W. Bengal, Orissa
Ans : (A)

14. Which of the following landforms is different from other three on the basis of the mode of origin?
(A) Fold
(B) Anticline
(C) Nappes
(D) Rift Valley
Ans : (D)

15. Which of the following landform is not associated with glaciation?
(A) Hanging valley
(B) Moraines
(C) Inselberg
(D) Drumlin
Ans : (C)

16. Which of the following order is given to the planets of solar system on the basis of their size?
(A) Saturn, Jupitar, Mercury, Neptune
(B) Jupitar, Saturn, Neptune, Mercury
(C) Jupitar, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn
(D) Neptune, Mercury, Saturn, Jupitar
Ans : (B)

17. As we go higher into the atmosphere, the air becomes—
(A) Thinner
(B) Denser
(C) Warmer
(D) Visible
Ans : (A)

18. From which of the following longitude the Indian standard time is determined?
(A) 82° 30′ East
(B) 80° West
(C) 90° East
(D) 81° 30′ East
Ans : (A)

19. Which of the following oceans are connected by Panama Canal?
(A) Pacific and Atlantic
(B) Atlantic and Indian Ocean
(C) Indian Ocean and Pacific
(D) Atlantic and North Ocean
Ans : (A)

20. For which crop production is ‘Saopalo’ famous?
(A) Cotton
(B) Maize
(C) Coffee
(D) Tea
Ans : (C)

21. Which of the following State group is largest producer of mineral oil in India?
(A) Gujarat, U. P., Maharashtra
(B) Maharashtra, W. Bengal, Assam
(C) Assam, U. P., Bihar
(D) Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra
Ans : (D)

22. Which of the following water-ways does not pass through the Panama Canal?
(A) London-Honolulu.
(B) New York-San francisco
(C) New York-Buenos Aires
(D) New York-Sydney
Ans : (C)

23. Which of the following latitudes is a great circle?
(A) Equator
(B) 66°N
(C) 20°S
(D) 23°S
Ans : (A)

24. Which of the following city is not located on Delhi-Kolkata rail route?
(A) Kanpur
(B) Allahabad
(C) Gaya
(D) Varanasi
Ans : (D)

25. Which of the following industries is famous in the Ruhr industrial region of Europe?
(A) Textile and Chemicals
(B) Steel and Engineering
(C) Cement and Paper
(D) Ship building
Ans : (B)

The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the world’s oceans, and the lowest elevation of the surface of the Earth’s crust. It is located in the western Pacific Ocean, to the east of the Mariana Islands. The trench is about 2,550 kilometres (1,580 mi) long but has a mean width of only 69 kilometres (43 mi). It reaches a maximum-known depth of about 10.91 kilometres (6.78 mi) at the Challenger Deep, a small slot-shaped valley in its floor, at its southern end, although some unrepeated measurements place the deepest portion at 11.03 kilometres (6.85 mi). If Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth at 8,848 metres (29,029 ft), was set in the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, there would be 2,076 metres (6,811 ft) of water left above it.^[3]

The Mariana Trench is part of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc geological boundary system that forms the boundary between two tectonic plates. In this system, the western edge of one plate, the Pacific Plate, is subducted beneath the smaller Mariana Plate that lies to the west. Because the Pacific plate is the largest of all the tectonic plates on Earth, crustal material at its western edge has had a long time since formation (up to 170 million years) to compact and become very dense; hence its great height-difference relative to the higher-riding Mariana Plate, at the point where the Pacific Plate crust is subducted. This deep area is the Mariana Trench proper. The movement of these plates is also responsible for the formation of the Mariana Islands.

At the bottom of the trench, where the plates meet, the water column above exerts a pressure of 1,086 bars (15,750 psi), over one thousand times the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level.

Because the Earth is not a perfect sphere, the trench is not the part of the seafloor closest to the center of the Earth – parts of the Arctic Ocean seabed are at least 13,000 metres (43,000 ft) closer to the Earth’s center than the Challenger Deep seafloor.

Name of Continents   Area (Sq. Km.)
Asia    41667920
Africa    29800540
North America    24320000
South America    17599050
Antarctica    14245000
Europe    9699550
Australia    7687120

A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus.

Here are the major Peninsulas name and the size of the World:
Peninsulas     Area (Sq. Km.)
Arabia     32,50,000
Southern India     20,72,000
Alaska     15,00,000
Labrador     13,00,000
Scandinavia     8,00,000
Iberian     584,000

1. The International date line deviates from 1800 meridian in the North Pacific Ocean due to
1              Aleutian Islands
2              Samoa Islands
3              Fuji Islands
4              Cook Islands
Ans:1
2. The world’s highest hydel power project ‘Rongtong’ is located in
1              Rangoon
2              Kathmandu
3              Himachal Pradesh
4              Beijing
Ans:3
3. Artesian wells are found in
1              Sedimentary rocks
2              Igneous rocks
3              Metamorphic rocks
4              None of these
4. Which one of the following is the farthest from the centre of the earth?
1              Equator
2              Tropic of Capricorn
3              Antarctic Circle
4              South Pole
Ans:1
5. The multipurpose Sardar Sarovar Project is being built across which river ?
1              Tapti
2              Narmada
3              Sabarmati
4              Godavari
Ans:2
6. Which one of the following rivers orginates near Mahabaleshwar?
1              Godavari
2              Krishna
3              Kaveri
4              Tapi
Ans:2
7. Put in descending order of content of fixed carbon 1.Peat 2.Lignite 3.Bituminous Coal  4.Anthracite
1              4, 2, 3, 1
2              1, 2, 3, 4
3              3, 4, 2, 1
4              4, 3, 2, 1
Ans:4
8. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? (Lake — Location)
1              Superior — US-Canada
2              Baikal — Russia
3              Great Bear — Canada
4              Great Slave — Russia
Ans:4
9. Which of the following has the minimum humus?
1              Gray-desert soil
2              Red-desert soil
3              Chestnut soil
4              Cher nozem
Ans:2
10. Choose incorrect statement
1              Capacity of air to hold moisture decreases with a rise in temperature of the air
2              The air pressure decreases with an increase in temperature
3              Absolute humidity is expressed in grams per cubic metre of air
4              With an ascent of every 165 metres, the temperature is reduced by 10C
Ans:1
11. Which of the following crops requires water logging?
1              Tea
2              Oil seeds
3              Cotton
4              Rice
Ans:1
12. Coal is found in
1              volcanic rocks
2              metamorphic rocks
3              igneous rocks
4              sedimentary rocks
Ans:1
13. Trade winds blow in the norhtern hemisphere from
1              North to south
2              South to north
3              Northwest to southwest
4              Northeast to southwest
14. “Namibia” was earlier known as
1              South- West Africa
2              New Guinea
3              British Guyana
4              British Columbia
Ans:1
15. Which one of the following gases is predominant in the atmosphere?
1              Argon
2              Nitrogen
3              Carbon Dioxide
4              Oxygen
Ans:2
16. Osaka (japan) is known as the
1              Queen of the Adriatic
2              Manchaster of the Orient
3              Land of Morning Calm
4              Land of Cakes
Ans:2
17. Most of the weather phenomena take place in the -
1              Stratosphere
2              Troposphere
3              Tropopause
4              Ionosphere
Ans:2
18. `Sakshat’ is
1              A website
2              A missile
3              An artificial satellite
4              A railway project
Ans:1
19. Which one of the following nations has recently pushed back its time and synchronised with the Indian Standard Time?
1              Sri Lanka
2              Bangladesh
3              Bhutan
4              Nepal
Ans:1
20. The mainstream of river Ganga which flows beyond Farakka is known as
1              Bhagirathi
2              Hooghly
3              Padma
4              Subarnarekha
Ans:3
21. The collective farms in the steppes of Eurasia are termed as
1              Campos
2              Estancias
3              Kolkhoz
4              Corals
Ans:3
22. Duncan Pass is between
1              India and Sri Lanka
2              Andaman and Nicobar
3              North and South Andaman
4              North and East Andaman
Ans:3
23. Which type of rain is caused by ascent of moisture laden air along a mountain?
1              Convectional rainfall
2              Orographic rainfall
3              Cyclonic rainfall
4              All of the above
24. In India which of the following are the southernmost hills?
1              Annamalai hills
2              Cardamom hills
3              Nilgiri hills
4              Javadi hills
Ans:2
25. Which of the following is known as “Island of precipitation” ?
1              Fault Mountains
2              Fold Mountains
3              Dome Mountains
4              Block Mountains
Ans:3
26. A sudden fall in the barometric reading indicates
1              rain
2              storm
3              fine weather
4              extreme cold
Ans:2
27. Winds and air currents differ in the aspect that
1              air currents blow much faster than winds
2              air currents are always moisture laden while winds are usually dry
3              the winds blow on lands while air currents blow over seas and oceans
4              winds are horizontal movements of air while air currents are the vertical movements of air
Ans:4
28. The Chilka Lake region lies in between the deltas of
1              Mahanadi and Godavari
2              Krishna and Kaveri
3              Godavari and Krishna
4              Ganga and Mahanadi
Ans:1
29. Black Soil is best suited for -
1              Tea
2              Rice
3              Cotton
4              Coffee
Ans:3
30. The controversial Perambikulam-Aliyar project (PAP) which is built on the river Aliyar serves mainly for irrigation purpose involves which two states
1              Kerala & TN
2              Kerala & Karnataka
3              Kerala & Goa
4              Kerala & Maharashtra
Ans:1

Latitudes and Longitudes
India lies entirely to the north of the Equator, between latitudes 8°-4´ and 37°-6´ north and longitude 68°-7´ and 97°-25´ east.

The latitude of the South Pole is 90°. South Pole has no longitude.

Longitude of a place is its distance east or west of a fixed meridian. The distance of any place north or south of the Equator is called the Latitude of that place.

Parallels of latitude: are lines drawn on a map (or globe) showing the latitude of a place.

Meridians (or lines) of longitude: These are lines drawn on a map (or globe) showing the longitude of a place. These lines join the north and south pole cutting the Equator at right angles.

(Latitudes and Longitudes should be clearly distinguished from Parallels of Latitude and Meridians of Longitude respectively.)

By knowing these lines, we can find out exact location of a place. By knowing the latitude of a place we can find out its average temperature, as also its distance from the Equator. By knowing the longitude of a place, we can calculate its local time.

Longitude is the angular distance of a place east or west of the prime meridian. The earth rotates upon its axis once in 24 hours and covers 360° in 24 hours. Thus it takes 60 x 24/360 or 4 minutes to cover a degree of longitude or we may say that in four minutes, the earth moves through 1°. There is thus a difference of 4 minutes for each degree of longitude. This fact is used for determining the longitude of a place. All longitudes are measured from the meridian of Greenwich.

We can determine the latitude of a place in the northern hemisphere by measuring the altitude of the Pole Star. The altitude of the Pole Star is the latitude of that place. For example, if the altitude of Pole Star at Delhi is 28.5° North, its latitude will also be 28.5°N. The altitude of Pole Star is measured by an instrument called Sextant.

Rocks
Three main groups of rocks: Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.

Classification of rocks
Igneous rocks: granite.
Sedimentary rocks: sandstone; limestone; shale; coal.
Metamorphic rocks: marble.
Phyllite: This rock is formed by deposits of animal shells and skeletons.

Types of Soil in India
The main categories of soils in India are: (i) Alluvial soils (ii) Black soils (iii) Red soils (iv) Laterite soils (v) Mountain and hill soils (vi) Terai soils (vii) Desert (or Arid) soil and (viii) Peat soils.

Alluvial soil and Black soil
Alluvial soil is that soil which is formed by deposition of silts brought down by the rivers. It is rich in hydrated oxides of iron and is very fertile. Black soil or the black cotton soil has a good water-holding capacity and is best suited for deep-rooted crops like cotton. The black soil in wet condition is compact and sticky.

The most extensive soil cover of India comprises alluvial soils.

Soil Erosion: The soils are usually six to twelve inches in depth. In course of time, the fertility level of the soil is depleted with the result that the soil no longer remains suitable for agriculture. Soil conservation is, therefore, necessary for continued agricultural prosperity.

The agencies of erosion are winds, water and waves of which the water erosion is most common. Rain water removes soil from the surface of sloping lands. Winds remove top soil of lands.

Laterite soils are formed by the weathering of laterite rocks. These can be distinguished from other soils by their acidity. Laterite soils are generally poor on the higher levels and cannot retain moisture. In the plains, however, they consist of heavy loams and clay and can retain moisture.

Laterite soils occur in Madhya Pradesh, Assam and along the Eastern and Western Ghats. Tea plantation requires acidity which is there in the laterite soil. It is, therefore, common in these areas.

Monsoons in India
Monsoons are periodic winds which blow from sea to land for six months in summer and from land to sea for six months in winter. Monsoon winds prevail over India at different seasons.

South-West Monsoons: These are rain-bearing winds which prevail from about the end of May to the end of September. During summer, the sun’s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Cancer making the Indian plains intensely hot. But the rays of the sun fall obliquely over the Indian Ocean during this period. The land is hotter than the sea, there is, therefore, low pressure over the land and high pressure over the sea. The winds blow from high to low pressure i.e., from the sea to the land, and are therefore wet winds. Because of the rotation of the earth, the monsoon winds blowing over India deflect to the right after crossing the Equator and become south-west winds. These are, therefore, called south-west monsoons.
India depends largely on these rain-bearing south-west winds. These winds give to India about 90% of the total rainfall. During their prevalence, the chief crops cultivated are rice, cotton, tobacco, tea, jawar and bajra.

North-East Monsoons (or Winter Monsoons): During the months of November to January i.e., in winter, the sun’s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Capricorn. The air over the Indian Ocean during this period thus becomes hot and light and there is low pressure. The sun’s rays fall obliquely on the plains of India during these months with the result that the air over these plains is cold and heavy and there is high pressure. The winds, therefore, blow from plains to the Indian Ocean. While crossing the Equator, they deflect to the left and are known as north-east monsoons.

The North-East Monsoons bring only about 10% of the total rain to India as they are chilly and dry land winds. But the moisture that they pick from the Bay of Bengal, little as it is, is very useful. Wheat, barley, oats, oilseeds and sugarcane are cultivated during this season.

1. Nanda Devi (Uttrakhand),
2. Nokrek (Meghalaya)
3. Manas (Assma)
4. Dibru-Saikhowa (Assam),
5. Sundarban (West Bengal),
6. Gulf of Mannar (Tamil Nadu),
7. Great Nicobar (Andaman & Nicobar Islands),
8. Similipal (Orissa),
9. Dehang-Debang (Arunachal Pradesh),
10. Khangchendzonga (Sikkim),
11. Pachmarhi (Madhya Pradesh),
12. Achanakmar-Amarkantak (Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh),
13. Agasthyamalai (Tamil Nadu and Kerala),
14. Katchchh (Gujarat) and
15. Cold Desert (Himachal Pradesh).

A strait is a narrow, navigable channel of water that connects two larger navigable bodies of water.

Straits of Dover—-separates England and France

Strait of Hormuz–Separates Persian Gulf and Oman sea

Strait of Malacca–Separates Malaysia and Sumatra, Indonesia

Cook strait—separates the North And South Islands of New Zealand

Strait of Gibraktar—Separates Atlantic Ocean and Meditteranian sea

Bass strait–Separates Australia and Tasmania

Strait of Bosphorous–Separates Meditteranian sea and Black sea

Bering Strait— Separates Alaska and Siberia

Sobriquets-Geographical nicknames
Geographical nicknames or sobriquets as they are popularly known as forms an integral part of any PSC or Bank PO exam. Many Quiz or trivia questions are made using these. Here is a collection of a few sobriquets.

Africa ——————————————The dark continent
Atlantic ocean———————————- The hering pond
Netherlands———————————The Land of Canals
Bangalore————————————– The garden city of India
Aberdeen————————————-The Granite city
Turkey —————————————-The sick man of europe
Calcutta—————————————- The city of palaces
Egypt—————————————— The gift of Nile
Belgrade—————————————The white city
Venice—————————————The Queen of the Adriatic
Finland—————————————– The land of thousand lakes
Japan ——————————————The land of rising sun
Oxford —————————————-The city of dreaming spires
Korea—————————————-The Hermit Kingdom
Punjab —————————————–The land of rivers
Amritsar————————————— The city of golden temple
San Francisco——————————-The City of the Golden Gate
Huangho River-China————————— The sorrow of china
Damodar River———————————-The Sorrow of Bengal
Rome —————————————– The city of seven hills
Thailand————————————— The land of white elephants
Bab el Mendab———————————The gateway of tears
Moscow—————————————The port of five seas
Cuba——————————————The Sugar Bowl of the World
Chicago—————————————The windy city
Gibraltar————————————The key of Meditteranian
Guinea coast——————————–The White Man’s Grave
Banrain————————————-The island of pearls
Tristan da Cunha————————— The World’s Lonliest island

Islands of the World

1.What is Angkor Wat of Kampuchea

Ans : A temple

2.Which is the longest river in the African continent

Ans : Nile

3.What is sobriquet (Geographical surname) of Finland

Ans : The land of Thousand Lakes

4.Which countries are linked by the Khyber Pass

Ans : Afghanistan and Pakistan

5.The longest river in the world Nile, drains into which sea

Ans : Mediterranean Sea

6.The Great Barrier Reef is situated on the coast of

Ans : Australia

7.The third largest continent in the world

Ans : North America

8.The longest river of Europe is

Ans : Volga

9.A European country has 5500 lakes within its territory. Which is the country

Ans : Finland

10.Eritrea is on the banks of which sea

Ans : Red sea

11.The Grand Canyon is located on the

Ans : Colorado River

12.The second largest desert in the world is

Ans : Gobi

13.The largest desert in the world is

Ans : Sahara

14.Location of Mohave desert is in

Ans : Southwestern United States

15.Location of Simpson desert is in

Ans : Australia

16.Location of Thar desert is in

Ans : India/Pakistan

17.Location of Kyzyl Kum desert is in

Ans : Uzbekistan

18.Location of Kalahari desert is in

Ans : Southwestern Africa

19.Location of Sonoran desert is in

Ans : Mexico/southwestern United States

20.Durand line is the International boundary which separates the countries

Ans : Pakistan-Afghanistan