Geography ยท General Awareness
World Geographical Records
2,795 Questions
World geographical records encompass the extremes of physical geography, including the largest lakes, islands, oceans, and trenches. These factual questions test knowledge of global superlatives and major geographical features. This topic is a staple in general studies sections of UPSC, state PSC, and SSC exams.
Largest global islandsDeepest ocean pointsMajor world canalsGlobal polar regionsLargest rivers and reefs
World Geographical Records Questions
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Bhola Island
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Zhongshan Island
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Majuli
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Sumba Island
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Davis Island
C
Correct answer
Explanation
Majuli, located in the Brahmaputra River in Assam, was officially recognized by Guinness World Records in September 2016 as the world's largest river island. It faces threat from erosion and flooding. Bhola Island (Bangladesh) and other options are river islands but smaller than Majuli.
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Pacific
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Arctic
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Atlantic
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African and South American
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African and Indian subcontinental
C
Correct answer
Explanation
This is the correct answer. The map produced using a computer programme to find the best fit of the Atlantic margin was presented by Bullard in 1964.
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the USA
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Brazil
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Canada
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Russia
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Caspian Sea
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Lake Superior
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Lake Baikal
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Lake Victoria
A
Correct answer
Explanation
The Caspian Sea, covering about 371,000 square kilometers, is the world's largest lake by surface area. Despite its name, it's an enclosed body of water without an outlet to the ocean, making it geographically a lake. It's bordered by five countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan.
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Maldives
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Andamans
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Greenland
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Sicily
C
Correct answer
Explanation
Greenland is the world's largest island, covering approximately 2,166,086 square kilometers. It is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Australia is often mistakenly called the largest island, but it is classified as a continent.
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Saint Lawrence
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Zambezi
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Godavari
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Yamuna
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Danube
E
Correct answer
Explanation
The Danube is the second-longest river in Europe (after the Volga in Russia), flowing through 10 countries including Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Romania. It is a major international waterway.
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Africa
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Japan
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Argentina
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Norway
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America
A
Correct answer
Explanation
The East African Rift Valley system is the largest continental rift on Earth, stretching over 6,000 km from the Afar Triangle in Ethiopia to Mozambique. It is an active continental rift zone where the African Plate is splitting into two.
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Asia
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America
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Australia
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Antarctica
D
Correct answer
Explanation
Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent and is almost entirely covered by ice, with about 98% of its surface frozen. It is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent. Asia, America, and Australia have significant ice coverage in certain regions but are not predominantly ice-covered like Antarctica.
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Argentina
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Brazil
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Peru
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Columbia
B
Correct answer
Explanation
Brazil is the largest country in South America by both area (8.5 million sq km) and population (215 million). Argentina is second largest by area. Peru is much smaller. Columbia is a misspelling of Colombia, which is fourth largest.
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Pacific Ocean
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Arabian Ocean
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Mediterranean Sea
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Atlantic Ocean
A
Correct answer
Explanation
The Australian continent is bordered by the Indian Ocean to its west and the Pacific Ocean to its east. This geographic position makes Australia strategically located between these two major bodies of water. The Arabian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea are located in the Northern Hemisphere, while Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Rogun dam - Tajikistan
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Xiaowan - China
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Tehri - India
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Alvaro Obregon - Mexico
A
Correct answer
Explanation
The Rogun Dam in Tajikistan is the world's highest dam at 335 meters (1,099 feet), though construction has been ongoing for many years due to geological and economic challenges. It's a gravel-rock embankment dam on the Vakhsh River.
C
Correct answer
Explanation
The Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand, India, stands at 261 meters (856 feet) tall, making it the sixth-highest dam in the world by height. It's a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River, used for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.
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Hirakud
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Nagarjuna Sagar
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Srisailam
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Bakra Nangal Dam
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None of these
D
Correct answer
Explanation
Bhakra Nangal Dam, built on the Sutlej River in Himachal Pradesh, is indeed one of the highest gravity dams in the world at 226 meters. It's a concrete gravity dam, which means it relies on its own weight for stability. The dam is a major engineering achievement in India's infrastructure.
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Pacific and Atlantic Ocean
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Atlantic and Arctic Ocean
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Pacific and Indian Oceanq
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Antarctic and Atlantic Ocean
A
Correct answer
Explanation
The Panama Canal is an artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) with the Pacific Ocean. It allows ships to bypass the long and treacherous route around the southern tip of South America (Cape Horn). The canal significantly reduces shipping distances and time between the east and west coasts of the Americas. Option C has a typo ('Oceanq' instead of 'Ocean').
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Pacific Ocean
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Atlantic Ocean
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Arctic Ocean
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Indian Ocean
B
Correct answer
Explanation
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean in the world, covering about 20% of Earth's surface. The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean. The Arctic Ocean is the smallest, and the Indian Ocean is the third-largest.