About this quiz
50 questions covering every section of the note.
This Lok Sewa practice set has 50 multiple-choice questions (Subject: Geography of Nepal · For: Kharidar, Nayab Subba, Section Officer · Level: Easy). 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
The most important factor controlling Nepal's climate is:
- A) Distance from the sea
- B) Altitude ✔
- C) Ocean currents
- D) Longitude
Why: Altitude controls Nepal's climate most: within about 150 km, height rises from about 60 m to 8,849 m, giving tropical to arctic zones.
Temperature falls by about how much for every 1,000 m rise?
- A) 1 °C
- B) 3 °C
- C) 6.5 °C ✔
- D) 10 °C
Why: Temperature falls by about 6.5 °C for every 1,000 m of height (the normal lapse rate).
Which climatic zone lies below 1,000 m?
- A) Tropical ✔
- B) Temperate
- C) Alpine
- D) Tundra
Why: Areas below about 1,000 m, such as the Terai and Chure, have a tropical climate.
Areas above 5,000 m have which climate?
- A) Subtropical
- B) Temperate
- C) Tundra (arctic) ✔
- D) Tropical
Why: Above about 5,000 m the climate is tundra (arctic), with snow and ice most of the year.
About what share of Nepal's rain falls in the summer monsoon?
- A) 30%
- B) 50%
- C) 80% ✔
- D) 100%
Why: About 80% of Nepal's yearly rain falls during the summer monsoon (June–September).
The summer monsoon reaches Nepal from:
- A) Arabian Sea
- B) Bay of Bengal ✔
- C) Mediterranean Sea
- D) Caspian Sea
Why: The summer monsoon reaches Nepal from the Bay of Bengal.
The monsoon enters Nepal first from the:
- A) West
- B) North
- C) East ✔
- D) South-west only
Why: The monsoon enters from the east and moves west, so eastern Nepal gets rain earlier and more.
Winter rain in Nepal is caused by:
- A) Summer monsoon
- B) Western disturbances ✔
- C) Trade winds
- D) Cyclones from the Bay of Bengal
Why: Winter rain and snow come from western disturbances, weather systems from the Mediterranean region.
Which part of Nepal gets more winter rain?
- A) Eastern
- B) Western ✔
- C) Central
- D) None
Why: Western Nepal gets more winter rain because western disturbances come from the west.
Which is the wettest place in Nepal?
- A) Lumle ✔
- B) Jomsom
- C) Pokhara
- D) Dharan
Why: Lumle in Kaski is the wettest place, with over 5,000 mm of rain a year, as monsoon winds hit the Annapurna range.
Which is the driest place in Nepal?
- A) Lo Manthang ✔
- B) Nepalgunj
- C) Lumle
- D) Biratnagar
Why: Lo Manthang in Upper Mustang, in the rain shadow of the Himalaya, is one of the driest places.
Which district lies in a rain shadow area?
- A) Kaski
- B) Mustang ✔
- C) Ilam
- D) Jhapa
Why: Mustang lies north of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges, which block monsoon rain, so it is a rain shadow area.
Shrawan and Bhadra form which season?
- A) Grishma
- B) Barsha ✔
- C) Sharad
- D) Shishir
Why: Shrawan and Bhadra are Barsha (rainy season).
Chaitra and Baisakh form which season?
- A) Basanta ✔
- B) Hemanta
- C) Grishma
- D) Sharad
Why: Chaitra and Baisakh are Basanta (spring).
Magh and Falgun form which season?
- A) Hemanta
- B) Shishir ✔
- C) Sharad
- D) Barsha
Why: Magh and Falgun are Shishir (late winter).
Dashain and Tihar fall in which season?
- A) Sharad ✔
- B) Barsha
- C) Grishma
- D) Basanta
Why: Dashain and Tihar fall in Sharad (autumn, Asoj–Kartik).
Which body issues weather forecasts in Nepal?
- A) Department of Mines
- B) Department of Hydrology and Meteorology ✔
- C) Nepal Electricity Authority
- D) Department of Roads
Why: The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology issues weather forecasts and flood warnings.
Sheetlahar in the Terai means:
- A) Heat wave
- B) Cold wave ✔
- C) Flood
- D) Drought
Why: Sheetlahar is a cold wave, often with dense fog, in the Terai in winter.
GLOF stands for:
- A) Glacial Lake Outburst Flood ✔
- B) Great Landslide of Forests
- C) Global Land Overflow
- D) Glacier Low Oxygen Flow
Why: GLOF is Glacial Lake Outburst Flood: a sudden flood when a glacial lake bursts its natural dam.
Which mountain range blocks cold winds from Central Asia?
- A) Chure
- B) Mahabharat
- C) Himalaya ✔
- D) Siwalik
Why: The Himalaya blocks cold winds from Central Asia, keeping Nepal warmer in winter.
Which month range is the summer monsoon in Nepal?
- A) March–May
- B) June–September ✔
- C) October–November
- D) December–February
Why: The summer monsoon lasts roughly from June to September.
The monsoon usually leaves Nepal by:
- A) Mid-June
- B) Early October ✔
- C) December
- D) August
Why: The monsoon usually withdraws by early October.
Western disturbances originate near the:
- A) Bay of Bengal
- B) Mediterranean ✔
- C) Arabian Sea
- D) Pacific
Why: Western disturbances form near the Mediterranean and travel east.
Lumle, the wettest place in Nepal, is in:
- A) Kaski ✔
- B) Mustang
- C) Ilam
- D) Jhapa
Why: Lumle is in Kaski district.
Lo Manthang, one of the driest places, is in:
- A) Mustang ✔
- B) Manang
- C) Dolpa
- D) Humla
Why: Lo Manthang is in Upper Mustang.
The subtropical zone lies at about:
- A) Below 1,000 m
- B) 1,000–2,000 m ✔
- C) 2,000–3,000 m
- D) 3,000–4,000 m
Why: The subtropical zone lies at about 1,000–2,000 m, including much of the middle hills.
The temperate zone lies at about:
- A) 1,000–2,000 m
- B) 2,000–3,000 m ✔
- C) 3,000–4,000 m
- D) 4,000–5,000 m
Why: The temperate zone lies at about 2,000–3,000 m.
The subalpine zone lies at about:
- A) 2,000–3,000 m
- B) 3,000–4,000 m ✔
- C) 4,000–5,000 m
- D) Above 5,000 m
Why: The subalpine zone lies at about 3,000–4,000 m.
The alpine zone lies at about:
- A) 3,000–4,000 m
- B) 4,000–5,000 m ✔
- C) Above 5,000 m
- D) 2,000–3,000 m
Why: The alpine zone lies at about 4,000–5,000 m, with meadows and shrubs.
Which slopes get more sun and rain in Nepal?
- A) North-facing
- B) South-facing ✔
- C) East-facing only
- D) None
Why: South-facing slopes face the sun and the monsoon winds, so they get more sun and rain.
Why does eastern Nepal get more summer rain?
- A) It is higher
- B) The monsoon enters from the east ✔
- C) It is closer to Tibet
- D) It has more forests
Why: The monsoon enters from the east, so the east gets more rain before the winds weaken going west.
Barsha ritu covers which months?
- A) Shrawan–Bhadra ✔
- B) Asoj–Kartik
- C) Magh–Falgun
- D) Baisakh–Jestha
Why: Barsha (rainy season) covers Shrawan–Bhadra.
Sharad ritu covers which months?
- A) Asoj–Kartik ✔
- B) Mangsir–Poush
- C) Jestha–Asar
- D) Chaitra–Baisakh
Why: Sharad (autumn) covers Asoj–Kartik.
Hemanta ritu covers which months?
- A) Mangsir–Poush ✔
- B) Magh–Falgun
- C) Asoj–Kartik
- D) Shrawan–Bhadra
Why: Hemanta (early winter) covers Mangsir–Poush.
Grishma ritu covers which months?
- A) Jestha–Asar ✔
- B) Chaitra–Baisakh
- C) Magh–Falgun
- D) Asoj–Kartik
Why: Grishma (summer) covers Jestha–Asar.
Basanta ritu (spring) covers:
- A) Chaitra–Baisakh ✔
- B) Magh–Falgun
- C) Jestha–Asar
- D) Mangsir–Poush
Why: Basanta covers Chaitra–Baisakh.
How many ritu (seasons) are in the Nepali calendar?
- A) 4
- B) 5
- C) 6 ✔
- D) 3
Why: The Nepali calendar has 6 ritus, each of two months.
Manang and Dolpa are examples of:
- A) Rain shadow areas ✔
- B) Wettest areas
- C) Tropical zones
- D) Inner Terai
Why: Manang and Dolpa lie behind high mountains that block monsoon rain, so they are rain shadow areas.
Nepal lies roughly in which latitude belt?
- A) Equatorial
- B) Subtropical ✔
- C) Temperate
- D) Polar
Why: Nepal lies between about 26° and 30° N, in the subtropical belt.
Which body issues weather forecasts in Nepal?
- A) Department of Hydrology and Meteorology ✔
- B) Department of Mines
- C) Nepal Rastra Bank
- D) NAST
Why: The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.
Dense winter fog and cold waves in the Terai are called:
- A) Sheetlahar ✔
- B) Loo
- C) Pashchimi wayu
- D) Barsha
Why: They are called sheetlahar (शीतलहर).
Pre-monsoon months in the Terai often bring:
- A) Heat waves and thunderstorms ✔
- B) Snowfall
- C) Western disturbances only
- D) Fog
Why: Before the monsoon, the Terai often has heat waves and thunderstorms.
Areas above 5,000 m have:
- A) Tundra/arctic climate ✔
- B) Tropical
- C) Temperate
- D) Subtropical
Why: Areas above 5,000 m have a tundra (arctic) climate.
If temperature at 1,000 m is 25 °C, about what will it be at 3,000 m?
- A) 12 °C ✔
- B) 19 °C
- C) 6 °C
- D) 22 °C
Why: A rise of 2,000 m lowers temperature by about 2 × 6.5 = 13 °C, so 25 − 13 = 12 °C.
Which zone covers the Terai and Chure foothills?
- A) Tropical ✔
- B) Temperate
- C) Alpine
- D) Subalpine
Why: The Terai and Chure foothills are in the tropical zone.
The Himalaya stops cold winds coming from:
- A) Central Asia ✔
- B) Bay of Bengal
- C) Arabian Sea
- D) Indian plains
Why: The Himalaya stops cold winds from Central Asia (Tibet and Siberia).
Western Nepal receives more ______ than eastern Nepal.
- A) Winter rain and snow ✔
- B) Summer rain
- C) Monsoon rain
- D) Fog
Why: Western Nepal gets more winter rain and snow from western disturbances.
Kathmandu valley mostly has which climate?
- A) Subtropical/warm temperate ✔
- B) Tundra
- C) Alpine
- D) Tropical
Why: Kathmandu Valley (about 1,300 m) has a subtropical to warm temperate climate.
Climate change in Nepal is causing:
- A) Glacier retreat ✔
- B) More permanent snow
- C) Lower temperatures
- D) No effect
Why: Rising temperatures are causing glaciers to retreat and glacial lakes to grow, raising GLOF risk.
The Bay of Bengal monsoon is a:
- A) South-east monsoon ✔
- B) North-east monsoon
- C) Western disturbance
- D) Jet stream
Why: The Bay of Bengal monsoon is the south-east monsoon, which brings Nepal's summer rain.