UPSC Prelims 2019·GS1·geography·human and economic geography

Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the 'New World' and introduced into the 'Old World'?

Dalvoy logo
Reviewed by Dalvoy
UPSC Civil Services preparation
Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. ATobacco, cocoa and rubberCorrect
  2. BTobacco, cotton and rubber
  3. CCotton, coffee and sugarcane
  4. DRubber, coffee and wheat

Explanation

This question pertains to the Columbian Exchange, which describes the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas (the 'New World') and the Old World (Europe, Africa, and Asia) in the 15th and 16th centuries. Among the options: Tobacco: Native to the Americas, it was introduced to Europe and then globally. Cocoa: Native to Mesoamerica and South America, it was brought to the Old World. Rubber: The rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is native to the Amazon rainforest in South America, and its cultivation was later introduced to Southeast Asia and other parts of the Old World. Cotton: While some species are native to the New World, cultivated cotton also has ancient origins in the Old World (e.g., India, Africa). Coffee: Native to Africa (Ethiopia). Sugarcane: Native to Southeast Asia. Wheat: Native to the Fertile Crescent in the Old World. Therefore, the group 'Tobacco, cocoa and rubber' exclusively represents plants domesticated in the 'New World' and subsequently introduced to the 'Old World'.
geography: Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the 'New World' and introduced into the 'Old World'?

Related questions

More UPSC Prelims practice from the same subject and topic.