Geography · General Awareness

World Geographical Records

2,791 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

Multiple choice

What is the largest fresh water lake, holding 5,500 cubic miles (23,000 cubic km) of water?

  1. Lake Baikal, Russia

  2. Lake Superior, United States and Canada

  3. Lake Victoria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya

  4. Great Bear Lake, Canada
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Lake Baikal in Russia is the world's largest freshwater lake by volume, containing about 20% of the world's unfrozen surface fresh water. While Lake Superior has a larger surface area, Baikal holds significantly more water.

Multiple choice

What is the longest living structure on Earth?

  1. the Great Barrier Reef

  2. the Amazon rain forest

  3. the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

  4. the Nile river
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Great Barrier Reef is a massive living structure composed of billions of tiny organisms called coral polyps, and it is visible from space, making it the largest living structure on Earth.

Multiple choice movements of ocean and sea water oceans : temperature, salinity and density geography tides and ocean currents circulation of ocean water oceanic circulations study of water pollution threats to water resource pollution and environment

The water of which of the following seas is most saline?

  1. Black Sea

  2. Dead Sea

  3. Baltic Sea

  4. Red Sea
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

With 33.7% salinity, the Dead Sea is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water. The Dead Sea is landlocked and in the lowest valley on earth. All the minerals of the surrounding countryside get washed into one pool, which in turn gets baked by the sun. This concentrates the salts so much that the Dead Sea is 10 times as salty as the ocean.

Multiple choice geography ocean currents movements of ocean water movements of ocean and sea water oceanic circulations

In which of the following, the direction of Ocean currents are reversed with season?

  1. In Pacific Ocean

  2. In Atlantic Ocean

  3. In Indian Ocean

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The current systems of the Indian Ocean are largely controlled and modified by landmasses and monsoon winds. The currents in the northern Indian Ocean change their flow direction twice a year due to north-east and south-west monsoon winds.

Multiple choice geography ocean currents movements of ocean water movements of ocean and sea water oceanic circulations

Which is the deepest oceanic trench? 

  1. Java

  2. Puertorico

  3. Mariana

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is the deepest known point in Earth's oceans. 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 with an average width of 69 kilometres (43 mi).

Multiple choice geography ocean currents movements of ocean water movements of ocean and sea water oceanic circulations

The oceanic currents flowing towards the Equator are ______.

  1. warm currents

  2. cold currents

  3. streams

  4. drifts
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Ocean currents act much like a conveyer belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Thus, currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface. Without currents, regional temperatures would be more extreme—super hot at the equator and frigid toward the poles—and much less of Earth’s land would be habitable.

Multiple choice geography ocean currents movements of ocean water movements of ocean and sea water oceanic circulations

Choose the odd one out.

  1. Brazil Current

  2. California Current

  3. Gulf stream

  4. Kuro Siwo Current
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

All stream currents are westerly bound currents while California currents are easterly bound currents

Brazil current is the western boundary current of the South Atlantic subtropical gyre. It transports warm water polewards. Near 22 S, the Brazil current splits; one component flows eastward and the other component hugs the coast and flows toward the southwest and interacts with the colder Malvinas Current.

The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Drift is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and stretches to the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States 

The Kuroshio is a north-flowing ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean. It is similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic and is part of the North Pacific ocean gyre. As the Gulf stream, it is a strong western boundary current.

California Current is a Pacific Ocean current that moves southward along the western coast of North America, beginning off southern British Columbia and ending off southern Baja California Peninsula. It is considered an Eastern boundary current due to the influence of the North American coastline on its course.

Multiple choice geography ocean currents movements of ocean water movements of ocean and sea water oceanic circulations

Generally the warm ocean currents originate near __________.

  1. Poles

  2. Equator

  3. Lakes

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Ocean currents may be cold, warm and hot. Warm ocean currents originate near the equator and move towards the poles or higher latitudes while cold currents originate near the poles or higher latitudes and move towards the tropics or lower latitude. 

Multiple choice evs atmosphere- wind importance of oxygen is air present everywhere around us? air as a natural resource

Choose the correct answer from the alternatives given.
The largest reservoir of nitrogen on earth is:

  1. soil

  2. oceans

  3. air

  4. granite rocks
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

It is true that 70% or so of the Air is nitrogen but that it needs to be the largest reservoir. Nitrogen is an essential part of most living organisms. Most of the bodily fluids and enzymes have nitrogen in a bonded form. This is true even in the case of plants. So, the correct answer is "Air".

Multiple choice geography climate and natural vegetation equatorial climatic region climatic regions the biosphere natural regions natural regions of the world

Which ocean has the world's largest number of active volcanoes & so is called 'Ring of Fire'?

  1. Indian Ocean

  2. Atlantic Ocean

  3. Pacific Ocean

  4. Antarctic Ocean
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Pacific Ocean is surrounded by a series of plate boundaries that host the majority of the world's active volcanoes and earthquakes, known as the Ring of Fire.