Test: World Geography: Continents - UPSC MCQ

The terms longitude and latitude were first used by Eratosthenes. Eratosthenes of Cyrene was a Greek mathematician, geographer, poet, astronomer, and music theorist. He was a man of learning, becoming the chief librarian at the Library of Alexandria.

Tropic of cancer. Tropic of Capricorn as well as equator pass through the Africa.

The angle at which the magnetic field lines intersect the surface of the earth. This angle ranges from 0 degrees at the equator to 90 degrees at the poles. Intensity: The magnetic field also varies in strength over the earth's surface. It is strongest at the poles and weakest at the equator.

The Tetrahedral hypothesis is an obsolete scientific theory attempting to explain the arrangement of the Earth's continents and oceans by referring to the geometry of a tetrahedron. Although it was a historically interesting theory in the late 19th and early 20th century, it was superseded by the concepts of continental drift and modern plate tectonics.

Mercator's projection is used for marine navigation due to the fact that it shows loxodromic as straight lines.

90^oE Ridge lies in Indian Ocean. The Ninety East Ridge (also rendered as Ninety cast Ridge. 90E Ridge or 90^oE Ridge) is a linear, age-progressive seamount chain in the Indian Ocean and is named for its near-parallel strike along the 90th meridian. It is approximately 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi) in length and can be traced topographically from the Bay of Bengal southward towards the Southeast Indian Ridge (SEIR), though the feature continues to the north where it is hidden beneath the sediments of the Bengal Fan. The ridge extends between latitudes 33^oS and 17^oN and has an average width of 200 km.

Limpopo, River of Africa crosses the tropic of Capricorn twice. The Limpopo River rises in central southern Africa, and follows generally eastwards to the Indian Ocean.

Isohels represent points receiving equal amounts of Sunshine.

The international data line is located about 180^oE (or 180^oW) of Green witch.

Europe does not have a desert. It has Accona desert- a semi-desert in central Italy.

Asia has large areas of inland drainage because rainfall is seasonal and scanty.

The continents Africa and South America can be considered as mirror images of each other due to their similar shapes and positions on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. If you were to draw a line down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Africa and South America would appear as if they could fit together like puzzle pieces. This resemblance is a result of the continental drift theory, which suggests that the Earth's continents were once joined together in a supercontinent called Pangaea and have since moved apart over millions of years. The similarities in the coastlines and geological features between Africa and South America support this theory.

Statement I states that El Nino is a temperature rising phenomenon over the Pacific Ocean and usually causes dry monsoon in South Asia. This is true. El Nino is a climate pattern characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, which can have significant impacts on weather patterns around the world. In South Asia, El Nino often leads to reduced rainfall and dry conditions during the monsoon season.

Statement II states that tsunamis are usually not noticed as the massive ocean waves move silently but assume a destructive form as they travel through shallow waters of continental shelves. This statement is also true. Tsunamis are usually not easily noticeable in deep ocean waters because they have long wavelengths and low amplitudes, causing the water to rise and fall gradually. However, as they approach shallow waters near the coast, the wave energy gets compressed, and the tsunami wave height increases, leading to destructive and devastating effects when it reaches the shoreline.

Therefore, both statements are individually true. Additionally, statement II provides a correct explanation for the occurrence and nature of tsunamis.

The equatorial circumference of the Earth is nearly 40,000 km. This means that if you were to measure the distance around the Earth at the equator, it would be approximately 40,000 kilometers. This measurement represents the longest circumference of the Earth since the equator is the widest part of the planet. The Earth's circumference is often used as a reference for measuring distances on Earth and for understanding the size and scale of our planet.

A great circle is a circle formed on the surface of a sphere where the circle's center coincides with the center of the sphere. It is the largest possible circle that can be drawn on a sphere. Therefore, statement C) is incorrect.

On a sphere, there are infinitely many great circles that can be drawn. Each great circle divides the sphere into two equal halves, and any two points on the sphere's surface are connected by a unique great circle arc. The Equator, which is the circle of latitude at 0 degrees, is an example of a great circle.

When it comes to navigation, following the great circle arc between two points on the Earth's surface is the shortest distance between them. Ships and airplanes often use this route to save time and fuel, as it represents the most efficient path along the Earth's curvature.