UPSC World Geography – Chapter 17: South America (24 MCQs)

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UPSC World Geography – Chapter 17: South America (24 MCQs) – 24 questions, subject: Geography. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

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1.  

The highest peak of South America is:

Correct Answer: C [Aconcagua]

Explanation:

about 6,961 m, Argentina.

2.  

Lake Titicaca lies on the border of:

Correct Answer: A [Peru and Bolivia]

Explanation:

Lake Titicaca lies on the Altiplano and is shared by Peru and Bolivia.

3.  

The highest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls, is in:

Correct Answer: B [Venezuela]

Explanation:

Angel Falls drops from a tepui of the Guiana Highlands in south-eastern Venezuela.

4.  

The Pampas grasslands are found mainly in:

Correct Answer: D [Argentina]

Explanation:

The Pampas are the temperate grasslands of Argentina (and Uruguay), used for wheat, maize and cattle.

5.  

The Atacama Desert is very dry mainly because of the:

Correct Answer: B [cold Humboldt Current]

Explanation:

The cold Humboldt Current chills the coastal air, creating a stable inversion that prevents rising air and rain.

6.  

Patagonia is dry mainly because it lies in the:

Correct Answer: C [rain shadow of the Andes]

Explanation:

The Andes block the moist westerlies, so Patagonia on their eastern (leeward) side receives little rain.

7.  

The Llanos grasslands are drained by the:

Correct Answer: B [Orinoco]

Explanation:

The Orinoco flows through the Llanos grasslands of Venezuela and Colombia to its Atlantic delta.

8.  

Which of the following is a landlocked country of South America?

Correct Answer: D [Paraguay]

Explanation:

Bolivia is the other.

9.  

The Salar de Uyuni, rich in lithium, is in:

Correct Answer: C [Bolivia]

Explanation:

The Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, lies on the Bolivian Altiplano.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. The equator passes through Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil.
2. The Tropic of Capricorn passes through Paraguay.
3. The Amazon flows into the Pacific Ocean.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

The equator crosses Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil and the Tropic of Capricorn crosses Paraguay; the Amazon enters the Atlantic.

11.  

Assertion (A): Fish catches off Peru fall sharply in El Niño years.

Reason (R): During El Niño, warm water replaces the cold, nutrient-rich water off the Peruvian coast.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Warm El Niño water stops the upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water, so plankton and anchoveta catches collapse.

12.  

The Iguazu Falls lie on the border of:

Correct Answer: A [Argentina and Brazil]

Explanation:

The Iguazu Falls lie on the Iguazu River, a Paraná tributary, on the Argentina–Brazil border.

13.  

The Carajás region of Brazil is known for:

Correct Answer: D [iron ore]

Explanation:

Carajás in Pará state is one of the world's largest iron-ore mining provinces.

14.  

The Río de la Plata estuary lies between:

Correct Answer: C [Buenos Aires and Montevideo]

Explanation:

The Paraná and Uruguay rivers form the Río de la Plata, with Buenos Aires and Montevideo on its banks.

15.  

The Drake Passage separates South America from:

Correct Answer: D [Antarctica]

Explanation:

The Drake Passage links the Atlantic and Pacific between Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula.

16.  

The Galápagos Islands belong to:

Correct Answer: B [Ecuador]

Explanation:

The Galápagos Islands in the Pacific are a province of Ecuador.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. COP30 held at Belém
2. Itaipu begins generating power
3. MERCOSUR founded
4. Amazon Cooperation Treaty signed

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [4-2-3-1]

Explanation:

1978, 1984, 1991, 2025.

18.  

Chile is the world's leading producer of:

Correct Answer: A [copper]

Explanation:

Chile is the world's largest copper producer, from mines such as Escondida and Chuquicamata.

19.  

The Altiplano is a high plateau mainly of:

Correct Answer: D [Bolivia and Peru]

Explanation:

The Altiplano is the high plateau of the central Andes in Bolivia and Peru, holding Titicaca and Uyuni.

20.  

The Campos grasslands are found in:

Correct Answer: A [Brazil]

Explanation:

The Campos are the savanna grasslands of the Brazilian Highlands.

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2025

Consider the following countries:

1. Bolivia
2. Brazil
3. Colombia
4. Ecuador
5. Paraguay
6. Venezuela

Andes mountains pass through how many of the above countries?

Correct Answer: C [Only four]

Explanation:

Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.

22.  
UPSC Prelims 2007

Which one among the following rivers is the longest ?

Correct Answer: A [Amazon]

Explanation:

At about 6,400 km the Amazon is far longer than the Congo, Lena and Amur.

23.  
UPSC Prelims 2007

Where is Copacabana Beach located ?

Correct Answer: C [Rio de Janeiro]

Explanation:

Brazil.

24.  
UPSC Prelims 1999

Which one of the following port cities in Venezuela has been developed as an oil port ?

Correct Answer: B [Maracaibo]

Explanation:

Maracaibo, on the strait linking Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela, grew as Venezuela's oil port.

➤ Full notes, maps, tables, a reason for every option and Mains PYQs – U10 · World Geography (UPSC book, ₹249): www.shanmugamiasacademy.in/study-materials/upsc-world-geography

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