Official Answer Key & Detailed Solution
Ready to check the official UPSC Answer Key?
Click any option above to test yourself under exam conditions, or reveal the explanation directly.
Correct Answer: Option (D) — 3 and 4
Concept & Option Breakdown
Standard Reference VerifiedStatement 1 is incorrect: Equatorial regions experience a uniform climate with negligible seasonal variation in temperature, lacking the four distinct seasons typical of mid-latitudes.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Mediterranean climates are characterized by dry, hot summers (due to subtropical high-pressure cells) and wet, mild winters (due to the equatorward shift of westerly cyclonic depressions).
Statement 3 is correct: The China-type (Warm Temperate Eastern Margin / Humid Subtropical) climate receives rainfall throughout the year—monsoonal rains in summer and frontal/cyclonic rains in winter.
Statement 4 is correct: In tropical mountainous areas (e.g., the Andes or Himalayas), changes in altitude create a vertical sequence of distinct climatic and vegetation zones (tierra caliente, templada, fría, helada).
Eliminate Statement 2 immediately: the defining diagnostic feature of the Mediterranean climate is 'winter rain and summer drought'.
Practice Full-Length & Sectional Prelims Mocks on this Interface
50 simulated tests in the APT Prelims Test Series (₹1,493) or 1-on-1 Mentorship with Avinash Sir.