20 extra multiple-choice questions for Cultural and Political Geography (12th Standard Geography, Samacheer Kalvi), beyond the ones printed in the textbook — each with the correct option highlighted and a clear, worked explanation. Free to read in English and Tamil.
Q1
Which body defined cultural landscapes as "cultural properties representing the combined works of nature and of man"?
- A. UNESCO General Assembly
- B. World Heritage CommitteeCorrect
- C. Census Directorate
- D. Valdai Club
Explanation. The lesson says cultural landscapes have been defined by the World Heritage Committee as cultural properties representing the combined works of nature and of man, and it adopted three categories of them.
Q2
Match the culture regions with their size as given in the lesson.
A. Islamic culture region - 1. Intermediate
B. Spanish Harlem - 2. Exceedingly large
C. Corn Belt - 3. Very small
- A. A-2, B-3, C-1Correct
- B. A-1, B-3, C-2
- C. A-3, B-2, C-1
- D. A-2, B-1, C-3
Explanation. The Islamic region covering North Africa and Southwest Asia is exceedingly large, Spanish Harlem in Manhattan is very small, and the Corn Belt of the mid-western United States is of intermediate size.
Q3
How many cultural realms are there in the modern world according to the lesson?
- A. Six
- B. Eight
- C. Ten
- D. TwelveCorrect
Explanation. Cultural realms are classified on attitude, religious belief, language, racial group and technological development, and the lesson states that there are twelve cultural realms in the modern world.
Q4
D. Stamp used which term for the Indie Cultural Realm?
- A. Sub-continental culture
- B. Paddy cultureCorrect
- C. Oriental culture
- D. Marginalised culture
Explanation. Baker called the Indie Cultural Realm a sub-continental culture, while D. Stamp used the term paddy culture. Germans call the Islamic realm oriental and Toynbee used marginalised for Meso-African culture.
Q5
Historian Toynbee used the term 'marginalised culture' for the traditional culture units of which cultural realm?
- A. Meso-African cultureCorrect
- B. South-East Asian culture
- C. East Asian culture
- D. Islamic cultural realm
Explanation. Meso-African or Negro culture covers tropical Africa and similar groups such as American Red Indians and Australian aboriginals. Toynbee called these traditional units a marginalised culture.
Q6
Which of the following statements about South-East Asian culture is/are correct?
1. It is a transitional culture where different cultures have intermingled.
2. The dominance of Buddhism can be seen in Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
3. The influence of Christianity can be seen in Malaysia.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 onlyCorrect
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Explanation. South-East Asian culture is transitional, with Buddhism dominant in Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Christianity influences the Philippines; Malaysia and the Indonesian islands show Islamic influence, so statement 3 is wrong.
Q7
According to the table of characteristics of major races, which race has a high proportion of blood group B?
- A. Caucasoid
- B. MongoloidCorrect
- C. Negroid
- D. Australoid
Explanation. The table shows the Mongoloid race high in blood group B, the Caucasoid race with more A than B, and the Negroid race high in Rh(D).
Q8
Find the odd one out from the universalizing religions.
- A. Christianity
- B. Islam
- C. Buddhism
- D. ShintoismCorrect
Explanation. Geographers group Christianity, Islam and Buddhism as universalizing religions. Shintoism of Japan is listed with Hinduism, Chinese faiths and Judaism as an ethnic religion.
Q9
Which Dravidian language is not known to have been written in a Brahmi-based script and has been written in the Arabic script?
- A. Tulu
- B. BrahuiCorrect
- C. Kurukh
- D. Gondi
Explanation. Brahui is the only Dravidian language not known to have been written in a Brahmi-based script. It has been written in the Arabic script since the second half of the 20th century in Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Q10
In Arabic, the word Bedouin means
- A. Cattle herders
- B. Desert dwellersCorrect
- C. Bow men
- D. Village headman
Explanation. Bedouin means desert dwellers in Arabic. They are pastoral nomads of the Arabian Peninsula who keep camels, sheep, goats and horses. Bow men refers to the Bhils and village headman to Munda.
Q11
Match the tribes with their regions.
A. Pigmy - 1. Arctic cold region
B. Masai - 2. Mountainous region
C. Bhotia - 3. Equatorial forest region
D. Lapp - 4. Grasslands
- A. A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1Correct
- B. A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
- C. A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1
- D. A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3
Explanation. The lesson lists Pigmy in the equatorial forest region, Masai in the grasslands, Bhotia in the mountainous region and Lapp among the Arctic cold region tribes with Eskimo, Alute and Chukchi.
Q12
The hunting way practised by the Eskimos is known as
- A. Igloo
- B. MaupakCorrect
- C. Sledge
- D. Munds
Explanation. Eskimos, also called Inuits, live in igloos and practise a hunting way known as Maupak. A sledge is their vehicle on ice, and Munds are Toda settlements.
Q13
Which tribe is popularly known as the bow men of Rajasthan?
- A. Gonds
- B. Santhals
- C. BhilsCorrect
- D. Khasis
Explanation. The Bhils are popularly known as the bow men of Rajasthan. They are the most widely distributed tribal group in India and the largest tribe of the whole of South Asia.
Q14
Consider the following statements about the tribes of the Nilgiris.
1. The settlements of the Todas are known as Munds.
2. The Irulas form the second largest group of tribes after the Badagas.
3. The Badagas are classified as a tribe.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 onlyCorrect
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Explanation. Toda settlements are called Munds, and the Irulas are the second largest group after the Badagas. The Badagas belong to the backward class and are not classified as tribal, so statement 3 is wrong.
Q15
Which language was added to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution in 1967 by the 21st Constitutional Amendment Act?
- A. SindhiCorrect
- B. Konkani
- C. Nepali
- D. Bodo
Explanation. Sindhi was added in 1967 by the 21st Amendment. Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali came in 1992 by the 71st Amendment, and Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santali in 2003 by the 92nd.
Q16
G.L. Trage classified the languages of the world into
- A. 4 linguistic phylum and 22 linguistic families
- B. 5 linguistic phylum and 23 linguistic families
- C. 7 linguistic phylum and 30 linguistic familiesCorrect
- D. 12 linguistic phylum and 30 linguistic families
Explanation. G.L. Trage classified the world's languages into 7 linguistic phylum and 30 linguistic families, such as Indo-European, Sino-Tibetan, Afro-Asiatic, African, Ural-Altaic, Dravidian-Malayo-Polynesian and Palaeo Asiatic.
Q17
Assertion (A): Boundaries are static.
Reason (R): Once a boundary is fixed, it hardly changes.
- A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of ACorrect
- B. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
- C. A is true but R is false
- D. A is false but R is true
Explanation. The table distinguishing frontier and boundary says frontiers are dynamic, while boundaries are static because once fixed they hardly change. So R explains A.
Q18
Which place, established as a republic in the 6th century BCE, is called the world's first republic?
- A. VaishaliCorrect
- B. Persia
- C. Sikkim
- D. Manhattan
Explanation. Vaishali was established as a republic in the 6th century BCE, before the birth of Gautama Buddha in 563 BCE, which makes it the world's first republic.
Q19
In Mackinder's theory, Great Britain and Japan are included in the Outer or Insular Crescent because of
- A. their industrial resources
- B. their insularity from EurasiaCorrect
- C. their frozen northern seas
- D. their location in Eastern Europe
Explanation. The Outer or Insular Crescent includes North and South America, Africa south of the Sahara and Australia, and also Great Britain and Japan because of their insularity from Eurasia.
Q20
Which of the following is China's global vision of New Silk Road connectivity, designed to transform the world's trading networks?
- A. BRICS-Plus
- B. Prompt Global Strike
- C. One Belt One Road (OBOR)Correct
- D. Missile Defense Shield
Explanation. One Belt One Road (OBOR) is China's global vision of New Silk Road connectivity, meant to aid a shift from a unipolar American-led order to a multipolar one. The other options are BRICS and US strategies.
