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A narrow strip of land that connects two larger land areas and separates two bodies of water is called an:
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Answer: Option D — Isthmus
Detailed Solution
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land, bordered by water on two sides, that connects two larger landmasses. The word comes from the Greek "isthmos", meaning "neck".
Famous isthmuses:
Isthmus of Panama: connects North America and South America, and separates the Caribbean Sea (Atlantic Ocean) from the Pacific Ocean. The Panama Canal cuts across it.
Isthmus of Suez: connects Africa and Asia, and separates the Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea. The Suez Canal cuts across it.
Isthmus of Corinth: connects the Peloponnese peninsula with mainland Greece. The Corinth Canal cuts across it.
Isthmus of Kra: the narrowest part of the Malay Peninsula, in southern Thailand. A canal across it has often been proposed to shorten shipping routes between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.
Importance of isthmuses:
They have often been important land bridges for the movement of people, animals and plants between continents. For example, the formation of the Isthmus of Panama about 3 million years ago allowed animals to move between North and South America (the Great American Interchange).
They are natural sites for canals, which shorten sea routes. That is why many of the world's important canals are built across isthmuses.
The opposite feature:
- A strait is the water equivalent of an isthmus: a narrow stretch of water connecting two larger bodies of water and separating two landmasses.
- For example, the Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and separates Europe from Africa.
Related landforms:
- Peninsula: a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides, such as the Indian peninsula.
- Cape: a pointed piece of land extending into the sea, such as the Cape of Good Hope.
Why not the other options?
- ✗A peninsula is land surrounded by water on three sides.
- ✗A strait is a narrow stretch of water, not land.
- ✗A delta is a landform formed by the deposition of sediment at the mouth of a river.
Quick tip
Remember: Isthmus = narrow land connecting two larger lands (Panama, Suez); strait = narrow water connecting two larger waters.
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World Geography — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of World Geography, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the physical and political geography of the world: continents, major countries, mountain ranges, plateaus, rivers, deserts, grasslands, and the world's important cities, ports and resources. Exams test the longest rivers (the Nile and the Amazon), the highest peaks and the ranges they belong to, the largest deserts, and the local names of grasslands, such as the Prairies, Pampas, Steppes and Veld. Questions on cities located on rivers, such as Baghdad on the Tigris or London on the Thames, are also common. Practise the world geography questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.