UPSC Prelims 1997 · General Studies
Question 1: Geography
About 50% of the world population is concentrated between the latitudes of
AnswerThe answer is (b).
Around half of humanity lives in the belt between 20°N and 40°N. It takes in the Indo-Gangetic plain and north-western India, Pakistan, the Middle East, the plains of eastern China, the Mediterranean rim and the southern United States. Most of the world's land lies in the northern hemisphere, and the old river-valley civilisations grew in this temperate band, so people piled up here. Remember: northern mid-latitudes, monsoon and river-valley Asia.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) 5°N to 20°N holds South India, mainland Southeast Asia and the Sahel, but far fewer people than the belt north of it.
- (b) Right: it holds north India, Pakistan, the Middle East, eastern China and the Mediterranean world.
- (c) 40°N to 60°N covers Europe, Russia and northern America, which together hold much less than half of humanity.
- (d) The southern hemisphere has little land at these latitudes and a small share of world population.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1997, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.