Geographical Sobriquets

1. Name the city of Russia that is known as `Venice of North`. [66th B.P.C.S. (Pre) (Re-Exam) 2020]

Correct Answer: (b) St. Petersburg

Solution:Saint Petersburg is a city in Russia which is located on the Neva River. St. Petersburg is one of a group of 7 cities which are often called, "The Venice of the North"; it shares this name with Amsterdam, Bruges, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Manchester and Stockholm.

2. The midnight sun appears at- [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1990]

Correct Answer: (e) (a & b)

Solution:The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle. Between these circles and the poles, the sun is visible for the full 24 hours. Accordingly, in countries like Norway situated on the Arctic Circle, the sun is visible even during the night. This is why Norway is known as the country of the midnight sun.

3. Which of the following is known as 'the Continent of Birds'? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1994]

(a) Europe
(b) Australia
(c) South America
(d) Asia

Correct Answer: (c) South America

Solution:11000 species of birds worldwide and Around 3402 Bird species found in the South American continent. That is why the South America is often called a (Bird continent).

4. Match the following:- [R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 1994]

List-I	List-II
A. Niagara Falls	1. Pamir
B. The land of thousand lakes	2. Paris
C. Eiffel Tower	3. Finland
D. The Roof of the World	4. New York State

	A	B	C	D
(a)	3	4	1	2
(b)	4	3	2	1
(c)	1	2	4	3
(d)	4	1	3	2

Correct Answer: (b)

Solution:Niagara falls is located in North America on the Niagara River on the border of the United States of America and Canada.
Finland is often called the land of a thousand lakes.
Eiffel Tower is situated in Paris. Gustave Eiffel, a French civil engineer, is credited with designing the tower that bears his name. The Eiffel Tower is 330 meters tall.
Pamir Plateau is also known as the Roof of the World. It is the meeting point of several mountains. The southern border of Central Asia is determined by the Pamir plateau.

5. Match the following- [R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 1997]

List-I	List-II
A. Dark Continent	1. Finland
B. The Roof of the World	2. Bahrain
C. Country of thousand lakes	3. Africa
D. Pearls Island	4. Pamir

	A	B	C	D
(a)	4	3	2	1
(b)	4	1	3	2
(c)	2	1	4	3
(d)	1	2	3	4

Correct Answer: (b)

Solution:The description of the following geographical names is as follows-

List-I	List-II
Dark Continent	Africa
The Roof of the World	Pamir Plateau
City of thousand lakes	Finland
Pearls Island	Bahrain

6. Which of the following city is known by the name of the city of smoke? [Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2005]

(a) Kolkata
(b) Chicago
(c) London
(d) Lanzhou

Correct Answer: (b) Chicago

Solution:The problem of smoking in Chicago was so huge that the government had to bring an ordinance in the year 2005 to ban smoking. Chicago is also known as the "city of smoke".

7. Which of the following is known as 'Mistress of Eastern Sea'? [38th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1994]

(a) Sri Lanka
(b) Pakistan
(c) Burma
(d) India

Correct Answer: (a) Sri Lanka

Solution:"The Mistress of Eastern Sea" title is given to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is an island situated in the Indian Ocean, at the base of the Indian Sub-Continent, 880 km North to the Equator. It is also known as "the pearl of Indian Ocean".

8. The Ninety East Ridge (90° East Ridge) is located in which of the following oceans? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2022]

(a) Arctic Ocean
(b) Atlantic Ocean
(c) Pacific Ocean
(d) Indian Ocean

Correct Answer: (d) Indian Ocean

9. Which city of South America is known as 'The Paris of America' due to its wide roads? [R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 1993]

(a) Santiago
(b) Buenos Aires
(c) Mexico City
(d) Rio de Janeiro

Correct Answer: (b) Buenos Aires

Solution:Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina. It is also known as "the Paris of South America".

10. Which state of the U.S.A. is also known as the 'Blue Grass State'? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2004]

(a) California
(b) Kentucky
(c) Montana
(d) Texas

Correct Answer: (b) Kentucky

Solution:Kentucky, situated in East South-Central region of the USA is also known as the "Blue Grass State".