JAMB UTME - Geography - 2025
Question 1 Report
Which ONE of the following statements about the railway lines of Africa is false?
Answer Details
The false statement is that Africa's railway lines are all of uniform gauge. In reality, African railways were built by different colonial powers at different times, each choosing its own track gauge. The result is a patchwork of incompatible gauges across the continent:
- Cape gauge (1,067 mm) is common in southern and parts of central Africa.
- Metre gauge (1,000 mm) is used in much of East and West Africa.
- Standard gauge (1,435 mm) is found in Egypt, and newer lines in Kenya and Ethiopia.
- Various narrow gauges exist in other regions.
This lack of uniformity is one of the major obstacles to developing trans-continental rail links in Africa, because trains from one gauge system cannot run on tracks of another without costly transshipment or regauging.
The remaining statements are all true:
- Most African railway lines run from the coast inland, reflecting the colonial pattern of extracting raw materials from the interior for export through coastal ports.
- There is no trans-continental railway in Africa comparable to the Trans-Siberian in length or strategic importance.
- Few railway lines cross national borders, again a legacy of colonial fragmentation.
Question 2 Report
Which of the following lakes owes its origin mainly to faulting?
Answer Details
Lake Malawi (also known as Lake Nyasa) owes its origin mainly to faulting. It occupies the southern end of the East African Rift System, a massive geological structure formed by tectonic forces pulling the African plate apart. As the Earth's crust was stretched and fractured, blocks of rock dropped down between parallel fault lines, creating a deep, narrow trough called a graben. Lake Malawi fills one of these grabens, reaching depths of over 700 metres.
Other rift valley lakes formed by the same faulting mechanism include Lake Tanganyika, Lake Albert, and Lake Turkana.
The other lakes have different origins:
- Lake Superior was shaped primarily by glacial erosion during the Pleistocene ice ages, when advancing ice sheets scoured and deepened pre-existing river valleys in North America.
- Lake Victoria is not a rift lake. It formed by down-warping (gentle sagging of the Earth's surface) between the eastern and western branches of the rift, creating a broad, shallow basin.
- Lake Chad occupies a shallow depression formed by gentle subsidence in the interior of West-Central Africa. It is an extremely shallow lake, unlike the deep rift lakes.
Question 3 Report
Urban floods are mainly caused by
Answer Details
Urban floods are mainly caused by the blockage of drains and waterways. In cities, rainwater is channelled through drainage systems, gutters, and waterways. When these become blocked by refuse, debris, silt, or unplanned construction, water cannot flow away efficiently. During heavy rainfall, the water accumulates on roads and in low-lying areas, resulting in flooding.
Urbanisation itself creates large areas of impermeable surfaces (concrete, tarmac, roofing) that prevent water from soaking into the ground, making cities already vulnerable to surface flooding. When blocked drains compound this problem, the result is severe urban flooding.
Clearance of vegetation on farmlands can contribute to flooding in rural areas through increased surface runoff, but it is not the primary cause of specifically urban flooding. Construction of dams and barrages is actually a flood-control measure, and establishment of shelter belts (rows of trees) is a method of reducing wind erosion, not a cause of flooding.
Question 4 Report
The length of a year is 365(\(\frac{1}{4}\))days because that is the time it takes.
Answer Details
A year is defined as the time it takes for the Earth to complete one full revolution (orbit) around the Sun. This orbital period is approximately 365.25 days, which is why we say a year has \(365\frac{1}{4}\) days.
To account for the extra quarter-day, the calendar adds one extra day every four years, creating a leap year of 366 days (29 February).
The other options describe different astronomical motions:
- The Sun does orbit the centre of the Milky Way galaxy, but this takes approximately 225-250 million years, not 365 days.
- The Moon revolves once around the Earth in approximately 27.3 days (sidereal month) or 29.5 days (synodic month), which defines a lunar month, not a year.
- The Earth rotating on its axis takes approximately 24 hours and defines a day, not a year.
The distinction between rotation (spinning on an axis, producing day and night) and revolution (orbiting around another body, producing the year and seasons) is fundamental in physical geography and astronomy.
Question 5 Report
The vegetation of the warm Temperate Eastern Margin is characterized by
Answer Details
The vegetation of the warm Temperate Eastern Margin climate (also known as the China type or humid subtropical climate) is characterised by mixed coniferous and broad-leaved evergreen forests.
This climate type is found on the eastern sides of continents between approximately 25 and 40 degrees latitude, including southeastern China, southern Japan, southeastern United States, southeastern Brazil, and eastern Australia. It receives adequate rainfall throughout the year (with a summer maximum) and has warm summers and mild winters.
The natural vegetation reflects these conditions: broad-leaved evergreen trees (such as laurels, magnolias, and camphor trees) thrive in the warm, moist environment, while coniferous trees (such as pines and cypresses) are also present, especially at slightly higher elevations or in areas with cooler winters. The result is a mixed forest of both types.
Evergreen shrubs and thickets are more typical of the Mediterranean (warm Temperate Western Margin) climate. Mixed deciduous and coniferous forests characterise the cool Temperate Continental climate. Mixed tropical rainforests and monsoonal forests belong to equatorial and tropical monsoon zones, not the warm temperate margin.
Question 6 Report
When the gradient of a river channel changes from a steep to a gentle angle, the main activity of the river will be
Answer Details
When a river's gradient changes from steep to gentle, its velocity decreases. A river's ability to transport sediment depends on its velocity and energy. As the gradient flattens and the water slows down, the river loses energy and can no longer carry its full sediment load. The river therefore begins depositing material.
This is a direct application of the Hjulstrom curve principle: faster-flowing water erodes and transports, while slower-flowing water deposits. The transition from a steep to a gentle gradient is exactly the condition that triggers deposition.
Common real-world examples of this process include:
- Alluvial fans - formed where a mountain stream meets a flat plain
- Flood plains and deltas - formed where rivers slow down on reaching low-lying areas or the sea
- Levees - built up when a river overflows its banks and immediately loses velocity
Erosion and deepening are dominant processes on steep gradients where the river has high velocity and energy. Terracing is an agricultural land-management technique, not a natural river process.
Question 7 Report
Which of the following phenomena is not directly related to the rotation of the Earth?
Answer Details
The Earth has two main motions: rotation (spinning on its axis, completing one turn every 24 hours) and revolution (orbiting the Sun, completing one circuit every 365.25 days). Each motion produces different phenomena.
Phenomena directly caused by rotation include:
- Night and day - as the Earth rotates, different parts face toward or away from the Sun.
- The deflection of winds and ocean currents (Coriolis effect).
- The apparent movement of the Sun across the sky.
Seasonal changes are caused by the Earth's revolution around the Sun combined with the tilt of the Earth's axis (23.5 degrees from the perpendicular to the orbital plane). As the Earth orbits the Sun, different hemispheres are tilted toward or away from the Sun at different times of the year, producing the seasons. Rotation plays no role in this process.
Varying duration of sunshine hours and unequal solar radiation on the Earth's surface are also consequences of the axial tilt and the Earth's spherical shape, but the question asks specifically about what is not directly related to rotation, and seasonal changes is the clearest answer since it depends entirely on revolution and axial tilt.
Question 8 Report
What does subsistence agriculture mean?
Answer Details
Subsistence agriculture is a farming system in which the farmer grows crops and raises livestock primarily to feed the household rather than to sell for profit. The produce is consumed directly by the farming family, with little or no surplus entering the market.
This contrasts with commercial agriculture (agricultural production for cash), where the primary aim is to sell produce in local or international markets for income.
The terms extensive and intensive agriculture describe how land and labour are used, not the purpose of production. Extensive agriculture uses large areas of land with relatively low inputs per hectare, while intensive agriculture applies high levels of labour, capital, or technology to smaller plots. Either of these can be subsistence or commercial in nature.
The defining feature of subsistence agriculture is therefore that production is for household consumption, not for sale.
Question 9 Report
Which purpose is NOT served by the Kainji Dam?
Answer Details
The Kainji Dam, located on the River Niger in Niger State, Nigeria, was commissioned in 1968. Its purposes include electricity generation, fishing, navigation improvement, and research. However, the provision of water for domestic use all over Nigeria is NOT a purpose served by the dam.
The Kainji Dam serves the following purposes:
- Generation of electricity - the Kainji hydroelectric power station was Nigeria's first large-scale hydropower facility and supplies electricity to the national grid.
- Fishing facilities - the reservoir (Kainji Lake) created behind the dam supports a significant inland fishery, providing fish for local communities.
- Research facilities - the National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR) is located at the dam, conducting research on freshwater ecology and fish production.
The dam does not provide domestic water supply to the entire country. Its reservoir supplies water to nearby communities, but Nigeria's domestic water needs are met by a variety of local sources including boreholes, rivers, and water treatment plants across the country. No single dam could supply domestic water "all over Nigeria" given the country's vast size.
Question 10 Report
Which of the following landforms is associated with parallel faulting?
Answer Details
A rift valley is the landform associated with parallel faulting. A rift valley (also called a graben) forms when two roughly parallel normal faults develop in the Earth's crust and the block of land between them subsides or drops downward relative to the blocks on either side. The resulting elongated, steep-sided trough is the rift valley.
The process requires tensional forces in the crust that pull the rock apart, creating two parallel fault lines. The central block, no longer supported, sinks under gravity to form the valley floor, while the upstanding blocks on either side form the valley walls (escarpments). If the side blocks are pushed upward instead, they form block mountains (horsts).
The most famous example is the East African Rift System (also called the Great Rift Valley), stretching from the Red Sea through Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi. The Rhine Rift Valley in Europe is another well-known example.
The other options are not formed by parallel faulting:
- A gorge is a narrow, deep valley carved by river erosion.
- An inselberg is an isolated hill or mountain rising above a plain, formed by differential weathering and erosion.
- A dyke is a sheet-like intrusion of igneous rock that cuts across existing rock layers, formed by volcanic activity.
Question 11 Report
Which of the following features is associated with the upper course of a river?
Answer Details
A waterfall is the feature associated with the upper course of a river. In the upper course (near the river's source, typically in highland or mountainous terrain), the river flows over steep gradients with high velocity. Where the river crosses bands of rock with different levels of resistance, the softer rock is eroded more quickly than the harder rock, creating a sudden vertical drop in the riverbed. This produces a waterfall.
The upper course is characterised by vertical erosion (downcutting), steep-sided V-shaped valleys, interlocking spurs, rapids, gorges, and waterfalls. The river here has a small volume but high energy due to the steep gradient.
The other features belong to the middle or lower course of a river:
- A meander is a winding bend in a river, typical of the middle and lower courses where lateral (sideways) erosion becomes more significant than vertical erosion.
- A levee is a raised bank along the sides of a river in its lower course, formed by the deposition of sediment during floods.
- A delta is a fan-shaped deposit of sediment formed at the mouth of a river where it enters a sea or lake, characteristic of the very end of the lower course.
Question 12 Report
Which of the following is a wind deposited landforms? Loess is a type of sedimentary deposit formed from wind-blown dust.
Answer Details
Loess is a wind-deposited landform. It consists of fine-grained, yellowish-brown sediment (mainly silt) that has been picked up by wind from desert surfaces, dried-up riverbeds, or glacial outwash plains and deposited over wide areas, sometimes hundreds of kilometres from its source. Loess deposits can accumulate to considerable thicknesses and form fertile soils, as seen in the Loess Plateau of China and parts of central Europe and the American Midwest.
The process that creates loess is aeolian (wind) deposition: wind carries fine particles in suspension over long distances and gradually deposits them when wind speed decreases.
The other options are all landforms produced by wind erosion, not deposition:
- A yardang is an elongated, streamlined rock ridge sculpted by wind abrasion in desert environments.
- A rock pedestal (mushroom rock) is formed when wind-blown sand erodes the base of a rock more than the top, creating a top-heavy pillar shape.
- A deflation hollow is a depression formed when wind removes loose, fine-grained material from the surface, lowering the ground level.
Question 13 Report
Which of the following factors least explains the fast-growing population in Africa?
Answer Details
Population growth occurs when birth rates exceed death rates. The factors that explain Africa's fast-growing population are those that either increase births or reduce deaths.
Control of diseases directly reduces mortality, meaning more people survive to adulthood and old age. A decline in death rate has the same effect: fewer people die each year, so the population grows faster. The education of women in Africa is still relatively low in many regions, and lower female education is strongly associated with higher birth rates, because women with less education tend to marry earlier and have more children. So low levels of female education help explain high population growth.
Improvement in transportation, however, does not directly cause population to grow. Better roads and railways improve the movement of goods and people but do not significantly increase birth rates or reduce death rates. While improved transport can help deliver medical supplies, the transport improvement itself is not a demographic factor that explains rapid population growth.
Of all the options, improvement in transportation has the weakest direct connection to population increase and therefore least explains Africa's fast-growing population.
Question 14 Report
Which pair of activities would you NOT find in an equatorial climate? 1. Commercial grain farming. 2. rice cultivation. 3. lumbering. 4. plantation agriculture. 5. dry farming
Answer Details
An equatorial climate is characterised by high temperatures and heavy rainfall throughout the year, with no distinct dry season. To identify which pair of activities would NOT be found in this climate, consider what each activity requires:
- Commercial grain farming (activity 1) involves large-scale cultivation of cereals like wheat, maize, or barley. This requires a distinct dry season for harvesting and thrives in temperate grasslands (prairies, steppes, pampas), not in the constantly wet equatorial zone.
- Rice cultivation (activity 2) can thrive in equatorial regions because rice grows well in warm, waterlogged conditions.
- Lumbering (activity 3) is a major activity in equatorial regions, where dense tropical rainforests provide valuable hardwood timber.
- Plantation agriculture (activity 4) is well-suited to equatorial climates, producing crops such as rubber, oil palm, cocoa, and coffee.
- Dry farming (activity 5) is a technique used in arid and semi-arid areas with limited rainfall. It involves conserving soil moisture through specific tillage practices. This is entirely unsuitable for the equatorial zone, which has excessive rainfall year-round.
The two activities incompatible with an equatorial climate are therefore commercial grain farming and dry farming (activities 1 and 5). Both require drier conditions that the equatorial zone does not provide.
Question 15 Report
What is the temperature around an aeroplane flying at an altitude of 4000 metres if the temperature on the earth surface is 40 ºC?
Answer Details
This question tests the concept of the environmental lapse rate, which states that temperature decreases by approximately 6.5 \(^\circ\)C for every 1000 metres of altitude gained in the troposphere.
Given information:
- Surface temperature = 40 \(^\circ\)C
- Altitude of the aeroplane = 4000 m
- Lapse rate = 6.5 \(^\circ\)C per 1000 m
Calculation:
Temperature drop = lapse rate \(\times\) altitude (in thousands of metres)
\[\text{Temperature drop} = 6.5 \times \frac{4000}{1000} = 6.5 \times 4 = 26\,^\circ\text{C}\]Temperature at 4000 m:
\[T = 40 - 26 = 14\,^\circ\text{C}\]The temperature around the aeroplane at 4000 metres altitude is 14 \(^\circ\)C.
Exam tip: Always use the standard environmental lapse rate of 6.5 \(^\circ\)C per 1000 m unless a different rate is specified in the question. Convert altitude to kilometres before multiplying.
Question 17 Report
Which of the following phenomena is not directly related to the rotation of the Earth?
Answer Details
The Earth has two main motions: rotation (spinning on its axis, completing one turn every 24 hours) and revolution (orbiting the Sun, completing one circuit every 365.25 days). Each motion produces different phenomena.
Phenomena directly caused by rotation include:
- Night and day - as the Earth rotates, different parts face toward or away from the Sun.
- The deflection of winds and ocean currents (Coriolis effect).
- The apparent movement of the Sun across the sky.
Seasonal changes are caused by the Earth's revolution around the Sun combined with the tilt of the Earth's axis (23.5 degrees from the perpendicular to the orbital plane). As the Earth orbits the Sun, different hemispheres are tilted toward or away from the Sun at different times of the year, producing the seasons. Rotation plays no role in this process.
Varying duration of sunshine hours and unequal solar radiation on the Earth's surface are also consequences of the axial tilt and the Earth's spherical shape, but the question asks specifically about what is not directly related to rotation, and seasonal changes is the clearest answer since it depends entirely on revolution and axial tilt.
Question 18 Report
A typical example of landforms produced by marine erosion is a
Answer Details
Marine (coastal) processes can be divided into erosion and deposition. A stack is a classic landform produced by marine erosion.
Stacks form through a sequence of erosional stages:
- Waves attack lines of weakness (joints and faults) in a headland through hydraulic action, abrasion, and corrosion.
- A cave is carved into the headland.
- If caves form on both sides and eventually meet, an arch is created.
- Continued erosion widens the arch until its roof collapses, leaving an isolated column of rock standing in the sea - this is a stack.
The other options are landforms produced by deposition, not erosion. A spit is a ridge of sand or shingle extending from the coast, formed by longshore drift. A beach is an accumulation of sand, pebbles, or shingle deposited by wave action. A mud-flat is a low-lying area of fine sediment deposited in sheltered coastal zones such as estuaries.
Question 19 Report
Which of the following is not a process of chemical weathering?
Answer Details
Frost action is not a process of chemical weathering. It is a process of physical (mechanical) weathering. Frost action (also called freeze-thaw weathering) occurs when water seeps into cracks in rocks and freezes. As water freezes, it expands by about 9%, exerting pressure on the surrounding rock. Repeated cycles of freezing and thawing gradually widen the cracks until pieces of rock break off. No chemical change occurs in this process.
The other three options are all genuine processes of chemical weathering:
- Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction between minerals in rock and water. Feldspar in granite, for example, reacts with water to form clay minerals (kaolinite), weakening the rock.
- Oxidation is the reaction between minerals (especially iron-bearing minerals) and oxygen in the presence of moisture. It produces iron oxides (rust), giving rocks a reddish-brown colour and making them crumble.
- Carbonation is the reaction between carbon dioxide dissolved in rainwater (forming weak carbonic acid) and calcium carbonate in limestone. The calcium carbonate dissolves, creating features such as caves, sinkholes, and karst landscapes.
Exam tip: Physical weathering breaks rock without changing its chemical composition. Chemical weathering alters the mineral composition of the rock through reactions with water, oxygen, or acids.
Question 20 Report
Which of the following distinguishes rotation from revolution?
Answer Details
The correct distinction between rotation and revolution is that the Earth rotates on its axis while it revolves round the sun on an elliptical orbit.
Rotation is the spinning of the Earth on its own imaginary axis (an imaginary line running from the North Pole to the South Pole). One complete rotation takes approximately 24 hours and is responsible for the alternation of day and night.
Revolution is the movement of the Earth around the Sun along an elliptical (slightly oval-shaped) path called an orbit. One complete revolution takes approximately 365.25 days (one year) and is responsible for the change of seasons, variation in the length of day and night throughout the year, and the apparent movement of the overhead sun between the tropics.
The other options contain factual errors:
- Revolution does not cause day and night; rotation does. And rotation does not cause seasons; revolution (combined with the tilt of the Earth's axis) does.
- Revolution does not take 24 hours; it takes approximately 365.25 days. Rotation does not mark a year; it marks a day.
- Rotation does not cause variation in the lengths of day and night; revolution and axial tilt do. Neither rotation nor revolution causes tides (tides are caused by gravitational pull of the moon and sun).
Question 22 Report
If a map at a scale of 1:50,000 is reduced by half, what is the new scale of the map?
Answer Details
When a map is "reduced by half," every distance on the paper is halved. This means that 1 cm on the new (reduced) map corresponds to what 2 cm represented on the original map.
On the original map at a scale of 1:50,000, each 1 cm on paper represents 50,000 cm on the ground. Therefore, 2 cm on the original map represents:
\[2 \times 50{,}000 = 100{,}000 \text{ cm on the ground}\]
After reduction, that same ground distance of 100,000 cm is now represented by just 1 cm on the new map. The new scale is therefore 1:100,000.
A useful rule to remember: when a map is reduced by half, the scale denominator doubles (the map becomes smaller-scale, showing less detail). Conversely, if a map were enlarged to twice its size, the denominator would halve (the map becomes larger-scale, showing more detail).
Question 24 Report
The main advantage of the chain survey over the prismatic compass survey is that the former
Answer Details
Question 25 Report
The Middle Belt of West Africa is NOT characterised by one of the following. Which one?
Answer Details
The Middle Belt of West Africa is the sparsely populated transitional zone lying between the densely settled coastal south and the Sudano-Sahelian north. It stretches across parts of Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and other West African countries.
The Middle Belt is characterised by:
- Few large towns - settlement is predominantly rural with scattered small villages.
- Low population densities - the area has historically been underpopulated due to factors such as tsetse fly infestation, poor accessibility, and inter-ethnic conflicts.
- Ethnic fragmentation - the zone contains a large number of small ethnic groups, unlike the more homogeneous populations in the far north and south.
However, much export crop production is NOT a characteristic of the Middle Belt. Export crops (also called cash crops) such as cocoa, rubber, and palm oil are concentrated in the wetter southern forest zone, while groundnuts and cotton dominate the northern savanna. The Middle Belt's agriculture is predominantly subsistence-oriented, focused on food crops like yams, guinea corn, millet, and cassava for local consumption rather than large-scale export production.
Question 26 Report
The greatest volume of shipping across the Atlantic Ocean is
Answer Details
The greatest volume of shipping across the Atlantic Ocean is between Europe and North America. This route, known as the North Atlantic shipping route, is the busiest oceanic trade corridor in the world.
Several factors explain this dominance:
- Economic power - Europe and North America are two of the world's most industrialised and economically developed regions, generating enormous volumes of manufactured goods, raw materials, and consumer products for mutual exchange.
- Historical trade links - centuries of trade, migration, and cultural exchange have established deep commercial relationships between these two continents.
- Port infrastructure - major ports on both sides (New York, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Southampton, Montreal) are among the world's most developed and busiest.
- Complementary economies - the two regions trade a wide variety of goods including machinery, vehicles, petroleum products, chemicals, and agricultural produce.
Shipping volumes between Africa and the Americas, or between North and South America across the Atlantic, are considerably smaller due to lower trade volumes and less developed port infrastructure in comparison.
Question 27 Report
How were the major mountain belts of the world produced?
Answer Details
The major mountain belts of the world, such as the Himalayas, the Alps, the Andes, and the Rockies, were produced by folding. These are known as fold mountains.
Folding occurs when tectonic plates converge (move toward each other). The immense compressional forces squeeze layers of sedimentary rock that have accumulated in geosynclines (deep troughs on the ocean floor) between the plates. These rock layers are crumpled and pushed upward into a series of folds, forming mountain ranges. The upward arches are called anticlines and the downward troughs are called synclines.
The other processes do not create mountain belts:
- Wind erosion wears down existing landforms; it does not build mountains.
- Glacial erosion carves and reshapes existing mountains (creating features like cirques, aretes, and U-shaped valleys) but does not produce them in the first place.
- Weathering is the breakdown of rocks in place by physical, chemical, or biological processes. It destroys rather than builds mountains.
All the world's young fold mountain systems were formed by plate convergence and the folding of sedimentary strata, making folding the correct process.
Question 28 Report
Which of the following is a major environmental problem in heavily industrialized regions?
Answer Details
Acid rain is a major environmental problem in heavily industrialised regions. It forms when sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) released from the burning of fossil fuels in factories, power plants, and vehicles react with water vapour, oxygen, and other chemicals in the atmosphere to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid. These acids then fall to the ground as acidic precipitation (rain, snow, fog, or dry deposition).
Acid rain causes widespread environmental damage in industrialised areas and their downwind neighbours:
- It corrodes buildings, monuments, and metal structures.
- It acidifies lakes and rivers, killing aquatic life.
- It damages forests by leaching nutrients from the soil and harming leaves.
- It degrades soil quality, reducing agricultural productivity.
Accelerated erosion and frost damage are not specifically linked to heavy industrialisation. Water pollution can occur in industrial areas but is a broader problem not unique to the most heavily industrialised regions. Acid rain, by contrast, is directly and characteristically caused by the high concentration of industrial emissions that define heavily industrialised regions.
Question 29 Report
The sun is overhead at the tropic of Capricorn on
Answer Details
The Earth's axis is tilted at approximately 23.5 degrees relative to its orbital plane. As the Earth orbits the Sun, this tilt causes the Sun to appear directly overhead at different latitudes throughout the year.
The Tropic of Capricorn is located at latitude 23.5 degrees S. The Sun is directly overhead at this latitude during the December solstice, which occurs on or around December 22. At this time, the Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, making it the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere and the shortest in the Northern Hemisphere.
The other dates correspond to different astronomical events:
- June 21 is the summer solstice, when the Sun is overhead at the Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees N).
- September 23 is the autumnal equinox, when the Sun is overhead at the Equator.
- March 21 is the vernal equinox, when the Sun is again overhead at the Equator.
The correct answer is December 22.
Question 30 Report
Name the most important industrial mineral of Ghana
Answer Details
Gold is Ghana's most important industrial mineral. Ghana was historically known as the Gold Coast precisely because of its abundant gold deposits, and gold mining remains the country's leading mineral industry and a major source of export revenue.
Ghana is one of the largest gold producers in Africa, with major mining operations at Obuasi (operated by AngloGold Ashanti), Tarkwa, and other sites in the Ashanti and Western regions. The gold mining sector is the backbone of Ghana's mining industry and contributes significantly to government revenue and employment.
While Ghana also has deposits of bauxite (at Awaso and Nyinahin) and diamonds (at Akwatia), these are of secondary importance compared to gold. Bauxite mining feeds into aluminium smelting at the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) smelter in Tema, but the scale and economic impact of the gold industry far exceeds that of bauxite or diamond mining in Ghana.
Question 31 Report
Which of the following is an important line of longitude?
Answer Details
The Prime Meridian is an important line of longitude. It is the 0-degree line of longitude that passes through Greenwich, London, and divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. All other lines of longitude are measured east or west from the Prime Meridian, up to 180 degrees.
The key to this question is understanding the difference between lines of latitude and lines of longitude. Lines of longitude (meridians) run from the North Pole to the South Pole, while lines of latitude (parallels) run horizontally around the Earth.
The other three options are all lines of latitude, not longitude:
- The Arctic Circle is a line of latitude at approximately 66.5 degrees N.
- The Antarctic Circle is a line of latitude at approximately 66.5 degrees S.
- The Tropic of Cancer is a line of latitude at approximately 23.5 degrees N.
Exam tip: If a question asks about longitude, look for meridians (vertical lines). If it asks about latitude, look for parallels (horizontal lines). The Prime Meridian is the only line of longitude among any set of options that includes Arctic Circle, Antarctic Circle, Tropic of Cancer, or Tropic of Capricorn.
Question 32 Report
Which of the following gradients is the steepest?
Answer Details
A gradient expressed as "1 in X" means the land rises 1 unit vertically for every X units of horizontal distance. The smaller the value of X, the steeper the gradient, because the same vertical rise occurs over a shorter horizontal distance.
Comparing the four gradients:
| Gradient | Horizontal distance per 1 unit rise | Steepness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in 134 | 134 units | Steepest |
| 1 in 153 | 153 units | |
| 1 in 351 | 351 units | |
| 1 in 531 | 531 units | Gentlest |
1 in 134 is the steepest gradient because the land rises 1 unit over just 134 units of horizontal distance, giving the shortest run for the same rise.
When comparing gradients, always remember: the smaller the denominator, the steeper the slope. You can think of it as a fraction - \(\frac{1}{134}\) is the largest fraction among the four, confirming it represents the steepest incline.
Question 33 Report
Which of the following statements is true about rainfall in station X?
Answer Details
Question 34 Report
Two factors that promote rapid chemical weathering in the tropics are
Answer Details
Chemical weathering is the breakdown of rocks through chemical reactions such as hydrolysis, carbonation, oxidation, and solution. Two factors that greatly accelerate these reactions in the tropics are high temperature and high humidity.
- High temperature increases the rate of chemical reactions. As a general rule, a 10 °C rise in temperature roughly doubles the rate of most chemical reactions. The consistently warm temperatures in the tropics keep these reactions occurring rapidly throughout the year.
- High humidity (and abundant rainfall) ensures a constant supply of water, which is essential for chemical weathering processes. Water acts as a solvent and a reactant in hydrolysis and carbonation. Rainwater absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and soil to form weak carbonic acid, which dissolves minerals in rocks.
Low temperature would slow chemical reactions. Extreme aridity or low humidity would remove the water needed for these chemical processes to occur. This is why chemical weathering is most intense in hot, humid tropical environments and weakest in cold or arid regions.
Question 35 Report
An example fossil fuel is
Answer Details
Fossil fuels are energy sources formed over millions of years from the remains of ancient organisms buried under layers of sediment. Heat and pressure gradually transformed this organic matter into carbon-rich fuels. The three main fossil fuels are coal, petroleum (crude oil), and natural gas.
Coal formed from the remains of ancient swamp plants that were buried, compressed, and heated over geological time. It is a combustible sedimentary rock used widely for electricity generation and industrial processes.
The other options are not fossil fuels:
- Clay is a fine-grained sedimentary material composed of clay minerals; it is used in ceramics and construction, not as a fuel.
- Granite is an igneous rock formed from the slow cooling of magma deep within the Earth's crust.
- Sandstone is a sedimentary rock made of cemented sand grains, used as a building material.
The correct answer is coal.
Question 36 Report
The longitude, which almost bisects Africa into two equal halves, east and west, is longitude
Answer Details
Africa extends roughly from about 17 degrees W at its westernmost point (Cape Verde, Senegal) to about 51 degrees E at its easternmost point (Cape Guardafui, Somalia). To find the longitude that bisects the continent into approximately equal eastern and western halves, we look for the meridian near the middle of this range.
The longitude of 20 degrees E runs through the heart of Africa, passing through countries such as Libya, Chad, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Namibia. It divides the continent into roughly equal portions to the east and west.
The other options do not bisect Africa equally:
- 20 degrees W lies in the Atlantic Ocean, west of the African mainland.
- 40 degrees E passes through the eastern part of Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania), leaving the vast majority of the continent to the west.
- 40 degrees W lies deep in the Atlantic Ocean, far from Africa.
The correct answer is 20 degrees E.
Question 37 Report
The temperature reading at the peak of a volcano is 6ºC. What will be the temperature at the foot of the volcano, which is 3000 metres from the surrounding low land?
Answer Details
This question applies the environmental lapse rate in reverse. Instead of calculating the temperature at a higher altitude, you must calculate the temperature at a lower altitude (the foot of the volcano) given the temperature at the peak.
The environmental lapse rate states that temperature decreases by approximately 6.5 \(^\circ\)C for every 1000 metres of altitude gained. Conversely, temperature increases by 6.5 \(^\circ\)C for every 1000 metres of descent.
Given information:
- Temperature at the peak = 6 \(^\circ\)C
- Height of the volcano = 3000 m above the surrounding lowland
- Lapse rate = 6.5 \(^\circ\)C per 1000 m
Calculation:
\[\text{Temperature increase} = 6.5 \times \frac{3000}{1000} = 6.5 \times 3 = 19.5\,^\circ\text{C}\]Temperature at the foot:
\[T = 6 + 19.5 = 25.5\,^\circ\text{C}\]The temperature at the foot of the volcano is 25.5 \(^\circ\)C.
Question 38 Report
Which of the following currents has a warming influence upon the coast along which it flows?
Answer Details
Ocean currents are classified as either warm or cold depending on whether their water temperature is higher or lower than the surrounding ocean water. Warm currents flow from equatorial regions toward the poles, while cold currents flow from polar regions toward the equator.
The Mozambique current is a warm current. It flows southward along the coast of Mozambique in the Indian Ocean, carrying warm tropical water from near the equator toward higher latitudes. It warms the southeastern coast of Africa and eventually feeds into the Agulhas Current.
The other three currents are all cold:
- The Benguela current flows northward along the south-west coast of Africa, carrying cold water from the Southern Ocean and producing the cool, dry conditions of the Namib Desert.
- The Labrador current flows southward from the Arctic along the north-east coast of North America, bringing cold water and icebergs past Newfoundland.
- The Canaries current flows southward along the north-west coast of Africa, carrying cool water from higher latitudes and contributing to the aridity of the western Sahara coastline.
A reliable pattern to remember: currents flowing from the equator toward the poles are warm; those flowing from the poles toward the equator are cold.
Question 39 Report
Which of the following most accurately describes the climate of coastal lands which are adjacent to cool ocean currents?
Answer Details
Coastal lands adjacent to cool ocean currents experience a distinctive climate pattern characterised by winter rain and summer drought. This is associated with the Mediterranean climate type.
Cool ocean currents (such as the Canary Current off northwest Africa, the Benguela Current off southwest Africa, and the California Current off the western United States) affect adjacent coastlands in specific ways:
- In summer, the cool current chills the air above the ocean surface, creating a stable atmosphere that suppresses convection and rainfall. Onshore winds bring fog and mist but very little actual precipitation, resulting in drought conditions.
- In winter, the subtropical high-pressure belt shifts equatorward, allowing mid-latitude westerlies to bring cyclonic (frontal) rainfall to these coastal areas.
This combination produces the winter-rain, summer-drought pattern. The monsoon pattern is associated with seasonal wind reversal in South and Southeast Asia. Rain all year round is typical of equatorial climates. Summer rain with winter drought describes tropical savanna climates influenced by the seasonal shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
Question 40 Report
Which is not exported by the Republic of South Africa?
Answer Details
South Africa is a major exporter of several agricultural and mineral products, but coffee is not one of them. Coffee cultivation requires tropical conditions with warm temperatures, high humidity, and moderate altitude, typically found between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn in the so-called "coffee belt." South Africa lies mostly south of the Tropic of Capricorn, and its climate is too temperate and dry in most areas for commercial coffee production.
The other products are all significant South African exports:
- Wines - South Africa, particularly the Western Cape region around Stellenbosch and Paarl, is one of the world's major wine-producing and wine-exporting countries.
- Maize - South Africa is the largest maize producer in Africa and regularly exports surplus maize.
- Wool - South Africa has a large sheep-farming industry (notably merino sheep on the Karoo plateau) and is a leading wool exporter.
Coffee-exporting African countries include Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, all located in tropical East Africa.
