UPSC Prelims 2005 Q5: Geography – Physical Geography & Geomorphology
Consider the following statements :
1. Total land area of Earth is approximately 1475 lakh square kilometers
2. Ratio of land area to water area on Earth is approximately 1 : 4
3. Maximum percentage of Earth's water is in the Pacific Ocean.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 3
- (b) 2 and 3
- (c) 1 only
- (d) 3 only
Answer: (a) 1 and 3
Explanation
Land and water on Earth
| Statement | Verdict |
|---|---|
| 1. Land area is about 1475 lakh sq km | True (about 29% of Earth's surface, roughly 148 million sq km) |
| 2. Land : water is about 1 : 4 | False: it is about 29 : 71, nearly 1 : 2.5 |
| 3. Maximum water is in the Pacific Ocean | True — the largest and deepest ocean |
Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Land is about 29% and water about 71% of Earth's surface, which is not a 1 : 4 ratio.
Answer: (a) 1 and 3.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Statements 1 and 3 hold; the 1 : 4 ratio is wrong.
- (b) Incorrect. Statement 2 is wrong, since the ratio is nearly 1 : 2.5.
- (c) Incorrect. Statement 3 is also correct.
- (d) Incorrect. Statement 1 about the land area is also accepted as correct.
Key point
Land 29%, water 71%; Pacific holds the most water.
Remember
Land is about 29% of Earth's surface; the Pacific holds the most water.
Common mistakes
- Treating 71% water as a 1 : 4 ratio instead of about 1 : 2.5.
- Confusing the Pacific with the Atlantic as the largest ocean.
- Mixing lakh sq km with million sq km (1475 lakh = 147.5 million).
Exam tip
Quick check: 29 : 71 is about 2 : 5, never 1 : 4.
Sources
- NCERT Class XI Geography — Fundamentals of Physical Geography
- United States Geological Survey — Water Science School: How much water is there on, in, and above the Earth?