The Yarlung Zangbo river flowing through Tibet is known by which name after it enters India?

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: Brahmaputra

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question deals with transboundary rivers and asks you to connect the name of a river used in Tibet with the name used in India. Many large rivers flow through more than one country and are known by different local names along different stretches of their course. Recognising that Yarlung Zangbo becomes Brahmaputra is an important part of Indian and world geography.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The river name given is Yarlung Zangbo, a Tibetan name.
  • The question asks what this river is called in India.
  • Options include Godavari, Brahmaputra, Ganga, Indus and Teesta.
  • We assume standard descriptions of the Brahmaputra river system in geography textbooks.


Concept / Approach:
The river known as Yarlung Zangbo flows eastwards across the Tibetan plateau. Near the eastern edge of the Himalayas, it takes a sharp bend, flows through a deep gorge around Namcha Barwa and then enters India through Arunachal Pradesh. After entering India, it is known as the Brahmaputra. Further downstream, it flows into Bangladesh where it merges with the Ganga before entering the Bay of Bengal.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Yarlung Zangbo is a Tibetan name widely mentioned in connection with the Brahmaputra river. Step 2: Remember that the river flows across Tibet, then bends around the eastern Himalayas and enters India. Step 3: Note that once it enters Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, it is known as the Brahmaputra. Step 4: Eliminate Godavari, Ganga, Indus and Teesta, which have entirely different sources and courses. Step 5: Select Brahmaputra as the correct answer.


Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done through any world atlas or Indian geography textbook in the section on river systems. These sources explain that the upper course of the Brahmaputra is called Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet and also describe the great bend near Namcha Barwa. Diagrams and maps that show the course of the river from China to India and then to Bangladesh confirm that Yarlung Zangbo and Brahmaputra refer to two different stretches of the same river.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Godavari is a peninsular river that rises in Maharashtra and flows entirely within India before entering the Bay of Bengal, so it has no Tibetan upper course. Ganga originates in the Himalayas in Uttarakhand and is not called Yarlung Zangbo at any point. Indus originates near Lake Manasarovar in Tibet but its local Tibetan name and its course differ from that of Yarlung Zangbo. Teesta is a river in Sikkim and West Bengal but again is distinct from Yarlung Zangbo in both course and nomenclature.


Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse Yarlung Zangbo with the Indus because both have Tibetan origins and cross international borders. Another error is to forget that the Brahmaputra flows through three countries, China, India and Bangladesh, and therefore carries different local names along its path. To avoid such confusion, memorise that Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet, Brahmaputra in India and Jamuna in Bangladesh are different names for the same major river system.


Final Answer:
Brahmaputra

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