About this quiz
World Geography: Continents, Oceans, Latitude and Time, Mountains, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Rivers, Lakes and Climate
This Lok Sewa practice set has 50 multiple-choice questions (Subject: General Knowledge · For: Kharidar · Level: Medium). Take the quiz above first; after that, use the study list below to revise every question with its correct answer and a short explanation.
Study list: all 50 questions with answers and explanations
How many continents are there?
- A) 5
- B) 6
- C) 7 ✔
- D) 8
Why: There are 7 continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia (Oceania).
Which is the largest and deepest ocean?
- A) Atlantic
- B) Indian
- C) Pacific ✔
- D) Arctic
Why: The Pacific is the largest and deepest ocean, covering about a third of the Earth's surface.
The deepest point of the ocean is in the:
- A) Java Trench
- B) Mariana Trench ✔
- C) Puerto Rico Trench
- D) Tonga Trench
Why: The deepest point, Challenger Deep (about 11 km), is in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific.
The Tropic of Cancer lies at about:
- A) 0°
- B) 23½°N ✔
- C) 23½°S
- D) 66½°N
Why: The Tropic of Cancer lies at about 23½° N. It passes through India, just south of Nepal.
The Prime Meridian passes through:
- A) Paris
- B) Greenwich ✔
- C) New York
- D) Delhi
Why: The Prime Meridian (0° longitude) passes through Greenwich, London.
How much time difference does 1° of longitude make?
- A) 1 minute
- B) 4 minutes ✔
- C) 15 minutes
- D) 1 hour
Why: Each 1° of longitude equals 4 minutes of time (24 h × 60 min ÷ 360°).
Nepal Standard Time is ahead of GMT by:
- A) 5 h 30 min
- B) 5 h 45 min ✔
- C) 6 h
- D) 5 h 15 min
Why: Nepal Standard Time is GMT + 5 hours 45 minutes, based on 86°15′ E.
The point on the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake is the:
- A) Hypocentre
- B) Epicentre ✔
- C) Fault
- D) Crater
Why: The epicentre is the point on the surface directly above the focus, where shaking is usually strongest.
Earthquakes are recorded by a:
- A) Barometer
- B) Seismograph ✔
- C) Hygrometer
- D) Anemometer
Why: A seismograph records the shaking of the ground during an earthquake.
The "Ring of Fire" surrounds which ocean?
- A) Atlantic
- B) Indian
- C) Pacific ✔
- D) Arctic
Why: The Ring of Fire is a belt of volcanoes and earthquake zones around the Pacific Ocean.
Which is the longest river in the world?
- A) Amazon
- B) Nile ✔
- C) Yangtze
- D) Mississippi
Why: The Nile in Africa, about 6,650 km, is usually counted as the longest river.
The largest lake in the world is:
- A) Lake Superior
- B) Caspian Sea ✔
- C) Lake Baikal
- D) Lake Victoria
Why: The Caspian Sea, between Europe and Asia, is the largest lake by area, though it is salty.
The deepest lake in the world is:
- A) Lake Baikal ✔
- B) Lake Tanganyika
- C) Caspian Sea
- D) Rara Lake
Why: Lake Baikal in Russia, about 1,640 m deep, is the deepest lake.
Which is the smallest continent?
- A) Europe
- B) Antarctica
- C) Australia ✔
- D) South America
Why: Australia is the smallest continent.
Climate means:
- A) Weather of one day
- B) Average weather over many years ✔
- C) Rainfall of one month
- D) Temperature at noon
Why: Climate is the average weather of a place over many years, usually at least 30.
The largest continent is:
- A) Asia ✔
- B) Africa
- C) Europe
- D) Antarctica
Why: Asia is the largest continent by area and population.
The coldest continent is:
- A) Antarctica ✔
- B) Europe
- C) Asia
- D) North America
Why: Antarctica is the coldest continent; the lowest temperature, −89.2 °C, was recorded there.
The largest desert in the world (a cold desert) is:
- A) Antarctica ✔
- B) Sahara
- C) Gobi
- D) Thar
Why: Antarctica is the largest desert, because it gets very little precipitation. The Sahara is the largest hot desert.
The smallest ocean is the:
- A) Arctic Ocean ✔
- B) Indian Ocean
- C) Atlantic Ocean
- D) Southern Ocean
Why: The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest ocean.
The Mariana Trench is in the:
- A) Pacific Ocean ✔
- B) Atlantic Ocean
- C) Indian Ocean
- D) Arctic Ocean
Why: The Mariana Trench is in the western Pacific Ocean, near Guam.
The Challenger Deep is about how deep?
- A) About 11 km ✔
- B) About 1 km
- C) About 50 km
- D) About 100 m
Why: The Challenger Deep is about 11 km (around 10,900–11,000 m) deep.
The height of Mount Everest (revised) is:
- A) 8,848.86 m ✔
- B) 8,848 m
- C) 8,611 m
- D) 8,586 m
Why: Nepal and China jointly announced the revised height of Sagarmatha as 8,848.86 m in 2020.
The longest mountain range on land is the:
- A) Andes ✔
- B) Himalaya
- C) Alps
- D) Rockies
Why: The Andes in South America, about 7,000 km long, is the longest mountain range on land.
The highest peak in Africa is:
- A) Kilimanjaro ✔
- B) Mont Blanc
- C) Aconcagua
- D) Elbrus
Why: Mount Kilimanjaro (about 5,895 m) is Africa's highest peak.
Kilimanjaro is in:
- A) Tanzania ✔
- B) Kenya
- C) Egypt
- D) South Africa
Why: Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania, East Africa.
The underground point where an earthquake starts is the:
- A) Focus (hypocentre) ✔
- B) Epicentre
- C) Crater
- D) Fault line only
Why: The focus (hypocentre) is the point underground where the rock breaks and the earthquake starts.
Earthquake magnitude is measured on the:
- A) Richter (or moment magnitude) scale ✔
- B) Celsius scale
- C) Beaufort scale
- D) Decibel scale
Why: Magnitude is measured on the Richter scale or, today, the moment magnitude scale.
A volcano that may erupt again but is quiet now is:
- A) Dormant ✔
- B) Active
- C) Extinct
- D) Dead
Why: A dormant volcano is quiet now but may erupt again.
A volcano not expected to erupt again is:
- A) Extinct ✔
- B) Dormant
- C) Active
- D) Shield
Why: An extinct volcano is not expected to erupt again.
Nepal has big earthquakes because:
- A) The Indian plate pushes under the Eurasian plate ✔
- B) It has active volcanoes
- C) It is near the sea
- D) It has deserts
Why: The Indian plate is pushing under the Eurasian plate, building the Himalaya and causing big earthquakes.
The Gorkha earthquake occurred on:
- A) 2072 Baisakh 12 (25 April 2015) ✔
- B) 2045 Bhadra 5
- C) 2063 Baisakh 11
- D) 2079 Kartik 23
Why: The magnitude 7.8 Gorkha earthquake struck on 12 Baisakh 2072 BS (25 April 2015).
Does Nepal have an active volcano?
- A) No ✔
- B) Yes, several
- C) Yes, one in Kathmandu
- D) Yes, in Mustang
Why: No. Nepal has no active volcano; its mountains formed by plate collision, not volcanic activity.
The largest river by water flow is the:
- A) Amazon ✔
- B) Nile
- C) Ganges
- D) Yangtze
Why: The Amazon carries more water than any other river.
The longest river in the world is the:
- A) Nile ✔
- B) Amazon
- C) Mississippi
- D) Koshi
Why: The Nile is generally counted as the longest river.
The largest freshwater lake by area is:
- A) Lake Superior ✔
- B) Lake Baikal
- C) Caspian Sea
- D) Lake Victoria
Why: Lake Superior in North America is the largest freshwater lake by area.
Lake Baikal is in:
- A) Russia ✔
- B) USA
- C) China
- D) Canada
Why: Lake Baikal is in Siberia, Russia.
The highest waterfall in the world is:
- A) Angel Falls ✔
- B) Niagara Falls
- C) Victoria Falls
- D) Iguazu Falls
Why: Angel Falls (about 979 m) is the highest waterfall.
Angel Falls is in:
- A) Venezuela ✔
- B) Brazil
- C) USA
- D) Zambia
Why: Angel Falls is in Venezuela, South America.
A glacier is:
- A) A slow-moving mass of ice ✔
- B) A fast river
- C) A lake of hot water
- D) A volcano
Why: A glacier is a large mass of ice that moves slowly downhill under its own weight.
Most of the world's fresh water is stored as:
- A) Ice ✔
- B) Rivers
- C) Lakes
- D) Rain
Why: Most fresh water, about two-thirds, is stored as ice in glaciers and ice sheets.
Weather means:
- A) Condition of the air for a short time ✔
- B) Average conditions over 30 years
- C) Ocean depth
- D) Rock type
Why: Weather is the condition of the air (temperature, rain, wind) at a place for a short time.
Climate is usually averaged over at least:
- A) 30 years ✔
- B) 1 week
- C) 1 year
- D) 1 day
Why: Climate is usually averaged over at least 30 years of weather records.
Temperature falls with height by about:
- A) 6.5°C per 1,000 m ✔
- B) 1°C per 1,000 m
- C) 20°C per 1,000 m
- D) It rises with height
Why: Temperature falls by about 6.5 °C for every 1,000 m of height, which is why mountains are colder.
The tropical climate zone lies:
- A) Near the Equator ✔
- B) Near the poles
- C) Only in mountains
- D) Only in deserts
Why: The tropical zone lies near the Equator, between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
Which factor does NOT affect climate?
- A) Population of the country ✔
- B) Latitude
- C) Altitude
- D) Distance from the sea
Why: Latitude, altitude, distance from the sea, winds and ocean currents affect climate; a country's population does not.
Ocean currents affect:
- A) Climate of coastal areas ✔
- B) Only rivers
- C) Only mountains
- D) Nothing
Why: Warm and cold ocean currents affect the climate of coastal areas, as the warm Gulf Stream warms north-west Europe.
Which continent is also called Oceania?
- A) Australia ✔
- B) Antarctica
- C) Africa
- D) Europe
Why: Australia, with nearby Pacific islands, is often called Oceania.
The Southern Ocean is also called the:
- A) Antarctic Ocean ✔
- B) Arctic Ocean
- C) Indian Ocean
- D) Pacific Ocean
Why: The Southern Ocean, around Antarctica, is also called the Antarctic Ocean.
The Sahara desert is in:
- A) Africa ✔
- B) Asia
- C) Australia
- D) South America
Why: The Sahara, the largest hot desert, is in northern Africa.
The "Ring of Fire" has many:
- A) Volcanoes and earthquakes ✔
- B) Deserts
- C) Glaciers only
- D) Rivers only
Why: The Ring of Fire has many volcanoes and frequent earthquakes because of moving plates around the Pacific.