Physical & Regional Geography

Catalonia - It is located in Spain. - It is bordered by France and Andorra in the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the east, the autonomous community of Valencia to the south, and the autonomous community of Aragon to the west. The Republic of Crimea - Officially part of Ukraine, lies on a peninsula stretching from the south of Ukraine between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. - It is separated from Russia by the narrow Kerch Strait. Mindanao - It is an island located in the Philippines. - It is surrounded by the Bohol, Philippine, Celebes, and Sulu seas. Oromia - It is a regional state of Ethiopia. - Ethiopia is a landlocked country located in Eastern Africa.

Sumatra is the geographically closest island to Great Nicobar. Great Nicobar is part of the Nicobar Islands of India, located north of Sumatra (Indonesia). Borneo is a much larger island further east in Southeast Asia. Java is another large island in Indonesia, but further west compared to Sumatra. Sri Lanka is a separate island nation south of India, significantly farther away than Sumatra. Therefore, the answer is (A) Sumatra.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: The IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between the tropical Western Indian Ocean and the tropical Eastern Indian Ocean, not the Eastern Pacific Ocean. During a positive IOD, the western Indian Ocean is warmer than the eastern Indian Ocean, and vice versa for a negative IOD. Statement 2 is Correct: The IOD phenomenon can indeed influence El Nio's impact on the Indian monsoon. El Nio itself is a climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean, but it can interact with the IOD. Depending on the phases of both phenomena (positive/negative IOD and El Nino/La Nina), the overall impact on the Indian monsoon rainfall can be amplified or weakened. Hence, option B is the correct answer.

If you travel by road from Kohima (Nagaland) to Kottayam (Kerala), you would need to travel through a minimum of 7 states within India: - Nagaland (Origin - Kohima) - Assam - West Bengal - Odisha - Andhra Pradesh (or) - Tamil Nadu (depending on the chosen route) - Kerala (Destination - Kottayam) Hence, option B is the correct answer.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Himalayas stretch across several states in northern and northeastern India, including Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and parts of Assam and West Bengal. Statement 2 is incorrect: The Western Ghats encompass six states in western India Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Statement 3 is correct: Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India, situated on the Coromandel Coast. It is shared by Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Distribution: Roughly 84% of the lake lies in the Tirupati district (formerly Nellore) of Andhra Pradesh, and about 16% lies in the Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu. Hence, option B is the correct answer.

The countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea among the given options are : - Lebanon (3) - Syria (4) The Mediterranean Sea is a large body of water separating Europe and Africa. While several countries have coastlines on the Mediterranean, Jordan and Iraq are landlocked countries in Western Asia and don't border this sea. Hence, option C is the correct answer.

The unique phenomenon you described, where the seawater recedes several kilometres twice a day, exposing the seabed for walking, can be seen at Chandipur Beach in Odisha, India. Chandipur Beach is also known as the "hide-and-seek beach" due to this fascinating tidal phenomenon. The receding water allows visitors to explore the seabed, revealing seashells and marine life during low tide. Hence, option C is the correct answer.

Out of the listed pairs, the following are correctly matched: 2. Khajuraho - Bundelkhand (Correct).
5. Tirupati - Rayalaseema (Correct). Incorrectly matched pairs:
1. Bodhgaya - Baghelkhand (Incorrect). Bodhgaya lies in the Magadh region of Bihar, not Baghelkhand (which is in Madhya Pradesh).
3. Shirdi - Vidarbha (Incorrect). Shirdi is located in Ahilyanagar district (formerly Ahmednagar) in western Maharashtra, not in Vidarbha.
4. Nasik (Nashik) - Malwa (Incorrect). Nashik is in the northwest region of Maharashtra, not Malwa, which is located in Madhya Pradesh.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India under the Ministry of Shipping had proposed to guide and support Rajasthan government for building an Inland Shipping Port at Jalore. The port and the terminal that are to be created will help develop inland navigation facilities in western Rajasthan and will also bring about socio-economic development of the region. Business development opportunities along the canal for limestone, gypsum, lignite, and cement factories are to be explored by the state government.

Shale gas is a natural gas that is found trapped within shale formations. - In India, shale gas resources are found in several regions. - The Cambay Basin, located in western India, is one of the oldest and most productive sedimentary basins in India and has been a major source of conventional oil and gas. - The Cauvery Basin and Krishna-Godavari Basin are also known to have shale gas resources. Therefore, all three basins mentioned in the options are known to have shale gas resources. Hence, the correct answer is (d) 1, 2 and 3.