VisionIAS Telegram Mapping Exercise

Rivers, Plateaus & Plains

Daily Questions – Answers & Explanations: Week – 5

Q1. At its source in Switzerland, it flows along the boundary of France and Germany and
drains Germany and the Netherlands, and has its mouth near the North Sea.

Which of the following inland waterways is being described in the above passage?

(a) Danube

(b) Mississippi

(c) Volga

(d) Rhine

Answer.D

○ Rhine Waterway - The Rhine flows through industrially advanced nations of

Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The Rhine River is
navigable from Rotterdam for about 870 km. At its source in Switzerland, it flows along
the boundary of France and Germany and drains Germany and the Netherlands, and
has its mouth near the North Sea. Hence option (d) is the correct answer.
○ On its banks are located main cities of Europe like Strasbourg {France}, Bonn, Cologne,
Dusseldorf, and Rotterdam. The vessel takes the cargo of industrial products, and coal
food grains in addition to passengers and tourists which have seen a considerable rise in
the past few decades. For the benefit of tourists, the vessels are fitted with modern
conveniences and sail in both directions of the rift valley. One can enjoy the scenic
beauty of the Vossages of France and the Black Forest of Germany. Each year more
than 20,000 ocean-going ships and 2, 00,000 inland vessels sail in this waterway.
 ○
○ River Danube: The Danube is the second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in
Russia. It flows through much of Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black
Forest into the Black Sea.
○ River Mississippi: The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of
the second-largest drainage system on the North American continent, second only to the
Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern
Minnesota, it flows generally south for 2,340 miles (3,770 km) to the Mississippi River
Delta in the Gulf of Mexico.
○ River Volga: The Volga is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows
through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea.
Q2. Consider the following pairs:

Rivers Flows into

1. Nile Red Sea

2. Amazon Atlantic Ocean

3. Yangtze South China Sea

4. Danube Black Sea

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair

(b) Only two pairs

(c) Only three pairs

(d) All the four pairs

Answer.B

1. The Nile River flows from south to north through eastern Africa. It begins in the rivers
that flow into Lake Victoria (located in modern-day Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya),
and empties into the Mediterranean Sea more than 6,600 kilometers (4,100 miles) to
the north, making it one of the longest river in the world. The Nile River flows over
6,600 kilometers (4,100 miles) until emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. Hence,
pair 1 is not correctly matched.
 ○

2. The Amazon River is a massive, intricate water system weaving through one of the
most vital and complex ecosystems in the world- the Amazon rainforest in South
America. It is by far the mightiest river on Earth in terms of volume and width. Its
westernmost source is high in the Andes Mountains, within 160 km of the Pacific
Ocean, and its mouth is in the Atlantic Ocean, on the northeastern coast of Brazil.
Hence, pair 2 is correctly matched.
 ○

3. Yangtze River is the longest river in both China and Asia and the third longest river in
the world, with a length of 6,300 km. From its source on the Plateau of Tibet to its
mouth on the East China Sea, the river traverses or serves as the border between 10
provinces or regions. More than three-fourths of the river’s course runs through
mountains. Hence, pair 3 is not correctly matched.

○
4. Danube River is the second-longest river in Europe. It rises in the Black Forest
mountains of western Germany and flows for some 2,850 km to its mouth on the
Black Sea. Along its course, it passes through 10 countries: Germany, Austria,
Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine. It is
recently in news along with many other important rivers of Europe because of
extensive drying up. After years of dry weather, scientists are warning that low-water
conditions could become the norm in Europe as the climate changes. Hence, pair 4
is correctly matched.
 ○

Q3. Consider the following pairs.

River Dispute States involved

1. Mahadayi Karnataka and Goa

2. Vansadhara Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
3. Cauvery Karnataka and Tamil Nadu

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer.D

Pair 1 is matched correctly: Mahadayi (Mandovi) river is essentially a rain-fed river shared
between Karnataka and Goa. While a major part of Mahadayi flows in Goa, its tributaries
nourish parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The dispute over sharing of Mahadayi waters
began in the 1980s. Karnataka wants to construct dams and canals under the Kalasa-
Banduri Nala project to divert water from the Mahadayi river basin to the parched districts of
Belgaum, Dharwad and Gadag in north Karnataka, but Goa has raised objections to the
project. It said that sharing water with its neighbour would affect the state's fragile
ecosystem. Therefore, the project was put on hold.
Pair 2 is matched correctly: Vansadhara river dispute is between Andhra Pradesh and
Odisha. Report and decision not given by the Tribunal. State of Odisha has filed an Special
Leave Petition in Supreme Court against the appointment of one of the Members of the
Tribunal.
Pair 3 is matched correctly: Cauvery river dispute is between Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
and Puduchery. Recently Supreme Court directed Karnataka to release 177.25 tmcft of
Cauvery water as against 192 tmcft earlier to Tamil Nadu, which will now get an additional
10 tmcft of groundwater annually.

Q4. Consider the following pairs :

Coast Location

1. Northern Circars Ganga Delta to Krishna Delta

2. Konkan Krishna Delta to Cauvery Delta
3. Malabar Cape Comorin to Goa

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer.C

■ Northern Circars Coast lies between the Ganga and Krishna delta. It is mainly a coast of
emergence. It is full of deltaic deposits , beaches , sand dunes and spits. Hence pair 1 is
correctly matched.
■ Konkan Coast lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. The plain stretches
approximately 330 miles (530 km) from the Daman Ganga River north of Mumbai to the
Terekhol River between Maharashtra and Goa states and Daman and Diu union territory
in the south. Hence pair 2 is not correctly matched.
■ Malabar Coast between Cape Comorin and Goa is compound coast of submergence
and emergence. Hence pair 3 is correctly matched.
○