Consider the following pairs:  

          River                                     Flows into

     1. Mekong                  :          Andaman Sea         

     2. Thames                  :          Irish Sea 

     3. Volga                      :          Caspian Sea 

     4. Zambezi                 :          Indian Ocean

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched? 

a. 1 and 2 only 

b. 3 only 

c. 3 and 4 only

 d. 1, 2 and 4 only 

1. Ans: c

Explanation:

The Mekong is a trans-boundary river in Southeast Asia. It is the world’s 12th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia.

The Mekong rises as the Lancang (Lantsang) in the “Three Rivers Area” on the Tibetan Plateau, From the Tibetan Plateau this river runs through China’s Yunnan province, Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It forms a complex delta system in Vietnam before entering the South China Sea. 

The river is a major trading route linking China’s southwestern province of Yunnan to Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand to the south, an important trade route between western China and Southeast Asia.

                                                                          Mekong River 

Hence, pair 1 is incorrectly matched.

River Thames -The River Thames is the second longest river in the UK flowing 346km. Its source is at the Thames Head, just north of the village of Kemble and south-west of Cirencester in Gloucester. Its mouth is the Thames Estuary, at Southend in Essex. It flows into the North Sea. 

Hence, pair 2 is incorrectly matched.

The Volga River is the world’s 18th longest and Europe’s longest river, covering a distance of about 3,530 kilometers from its source  Valdai Hills in Tver Oblast to the mouth in the Caspian Sea. It is the longest river flowing into the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest closed basin. 

Hence, pair 3 is correctly matched.

 Zambezi River, is Africa’s 4th longest river and the continent’s longest east-flowing stream. The river rises from the Central African Plateau in Zambia and flows for about 2,574 kilometers through Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique before emptying into the Indian Ocean. 

The Zambezi is a Tonga word for “Great River.” 

The river is known for several notable waterfalls, including Victoria Falls, one of the world’s largest waterfalls, and the Chavuma Falls on the Zambia-Angola border. 

Hence, pair 4 is correctly matched.  

Read: Previous Year UPSC Geography Questions (PYQs) With Explanation 2021