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Q38 (IAS/2020) Geography › Maps & Locations › World physical geography Official Key

Consider the following pairs : River Flows into The 1. Mekong - Andaman Sea 2. Thames - Irish Sea 3. Volga - Caspian Sea 4. Zambezi - Indian Ocean Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ?

Result
Your answer:  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 3 (3 and 4 only). This is determined by the geographical drainage patterns of the major rivers mentioned.

  • Pair 3 is correct: The Volga is Europe's longest river. It flows through Central Russia and drains into the Caspian Sea, forming a large delta.
  • Pair 4 is correct: The Zambezi is the largest river flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. It originates in Zambia and passes through several countries before reaching its mouth in Mozambique.

The other pairs are incorrectly matched:

  • Pair 1 is incorrect: The Mekong flows through Southeast Asia and empties into the South China Sea, not the Andaman Sea.
  • Pair 2 is incorrect: The Thames flows through London and empties into the North Sea, whereas the Irish Sea lies to the west of Great Britain.

Therefore, only pairs 3 and 4 are accurately matched with their respective drainage basins.

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PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following pairs : River Flows into The 1. Mekong - Andaman Sea 2. Thames - Irish Sea 3. Volga - Caspian Sea 4. Zambezi - Ind…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 · 5/10
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This question is a hybrid of direct NCERT recall (Volga) and basic map visualization (Mekong/Thames). It punishes 'text-only' readers who memorize river names without tracing their path on a physical map. The Volga fact acts as the anchor to eliminate 50% of the options immediately.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
For the Mekong River, does it flow into the Andaman Sea?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 4/5
"The Mekong River is the world’s 12th longest river covering close to 5,000 kilometers from its source in the Tibetan Plateau to the Mekong Delta."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states where the Mekong ends: the Mekong Delta.
  • The passage names the river’s terminus (Mekong Delta) rather than the Andaman Sea, implying the Mekong does not flow into the Andaman Sea.
Web source
Presence: 3/5
"Andaman Sea, Sea, eastern extension of the Bay of Bengal."
Why this source?
  • Defines the Andaman Sea as the eastern extension of the Bay of Bengal (a distinct sea region).
  • Shows the Andaman Sea is a separate body of water; the Mekong’s listed terminus (Mekong Delta) is not identified as the Andaman Sea in the provided passages.

Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 26: Tropical Cyclones > More Freshwater Flow Into The Northern Hemisphere > p. 369
Strength: 5/5
“• More land surface means more rivers and more freshwater in the tropics and subtropics of the northern hemisphere. The Bay of Bengal Ganges; the Gulf of Mexico The Mississippi and Amazon Rivers; South China Sea Pearl (Zhu) River, Mekong River, etc. The freshwaters of the Yellow River (which flows into the Bohai Sea) and Yangtze (which flows into the East China Sea) also contribute.”
Why relevant

Explicitly lists the Mekong River among freshwaters contributing to the South China Sea region (Mekong River included in a list alongside South China Sea rivers).

How to extend

A student could use a map to note the Mekong's mouth relative to the Andaman Sea versus the South China Sea to judge whether it flows into the Andaman Sea.

INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Structure and Physiography > EXERCISES > p. 16
Strength: 3/5
“• 1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below. • (i) Which one of the water bodies separates the Andaman from the Nicobar? • (a) 11°° Channel (c) 10°° Channel • (b) Gulf of Mannar (d) Andaman Sea• (ii) On which of the following hill range is the 'Dodabeta' peak situated? • (a) Nilgiri hills (c) Cardamom hills• (b) Anaimalai hills (d) Nallamala hills• • 2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words. • (i) If a person is to travel to Lakshadweep, from which coastal plain does he prefer and why?• (ii) Where in India will you find a cold desert?”
Why relevant

Identifies the Andaman Sea as a named body of water in the region (asks which water body separates Andaman from Nicobar islands), clarifying the Andaman Sea's geographic identity.

How to extend

A student could locate the Andaman Sea on a map to compare its position with the Mekong delta to see if they coincide.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > The Manipur River > p. 17
Strength: 3/5
“It rises from the northern part of Manipur and flows southwards. On passing through Imphal, this river drains the Loktak Lake and joins the Chindwin Valley, a tributary of the River Irrawaddy in Myanmar (Burma).”
Why relevant

Shows that some rivers in northeastern India/Myanmar region (Manipur River) join larger Myanmar river systems (Irrawaddy), illustrating that regional drainage connects to seas east of the Indian subcontinent.

How to extend

A student could trace regional river systems on a map (Irrawaddy, Mekong) to determine which sea each ultimately reaches and thus infer whether Mekong reaches the Andaman Sea.

INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Drainage System > Important Drainage Patterns > p. 19
Strength: 2/5
“If you look at the Figure 3.1 you can see that many rivers have their sources in the Himalayas and discharge their waters either in the Bay of Bengal or in the Arabian Sea. Identify these rivers of North India. Large rivers flowing on the Peninsular plateau have their origin in the Western Ghats and discharge their waters in the Bay of Bengal. Identify these rivers of the South India. The Narmada and Tapi are two large rivers which are exceptions. They along with many small rivers discharge their waters in the Arabian Sea. Name these rivers of the western coastal region from the Konkan to the Malabar coast.”
Why relevant

Gives a general pattern that many rivers in South/SE Asia drain into specific nearby seas (Bay of Bengal or Arabian Sea), demonstrating that regional drainage tends to reach geographically proximate seas.

How to extend

Using this pattern plus a map, a student can check whether the Mekong's geographic course makes the Andaman Sea a likely outlet compared with other nearby seas (e.g., South China Sea, Bay of Bengal).

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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