WAEC Practical and Physical Geography 2026
Number 1
(1a)
IMAGE
CHECK THE MAP (It’s ticked there)
(1b)
Distance from A to B = 16cm
Scale of the map = 1:50,000
If 1cm represents 50,000cm
..:. 16 cm = 16 x 50,000 = 800,000cm
1km = 100,000cm
800,000cm to km = 800,000/100,000
= 8km
Distance = 8km
(1c)
(i)Farming/Agriculture: Evidenced by plantations, cultivated fields, or scattered cultivation symbols.
(ii)Lumbering/Forestry: Evidenced by forest reserves, thick forest symbols, or sawmills.
(iii)Trading/Commerce: Evidenced by markets, shops, or dense road networks connecting settlements.
(iv)Transportation: Evidenced by roads, railway lines, footpaths, or bridges.
(1d)
(i)Settlements are typically built on gentle slopes or flat plains to avoid steep scarp slopes or flooded areas.
(ii)Roads and railways usually follow flat valleys or pass through gaps in hills to avoid steep gradients.
(iii)Human farming and plantations are established in areas clear of dense, protected forest reserves or rocky terrains.
Number 2
Answers Loading……
Number 3
(3a)
A metamorphic rock is a rock that has been changed from its original form by intense heat, pressure, or chemical action within the Earth’s crust without melting completely.
(3b)
(i) Marble
(ii) Slate
(3c)
(i) Sedimentary rocks are formed by deposition, compaction, and cementation of sediments, while metamorphic rocks are formed when existing rocks are altered by heat and pressure.
(ii) Sedimentary rocks usually contain fossils, while metamorphic rocks rarely contain fossils because the fossils are destroyed during metamorphism.
(iii) Sedimentary rocks have distinct layers or strata, while metamorphic rocks have foliated bands or crystalline structures.
(iv) Sedimentary rocks are generally softer, while metamorphic rocks are generally harder.
(v) Sedimentary rocks are formed at or near the Earth’s surface, while metamorphic rocks are formed deep within the Earth’s crust.
Number 4
(4a)
Weathering is the mechanical breaking down or chemical alteration of rocks and minerals at or near the Earth’s surface by natural agents like water, wind, temperature changes, and biological organisms.
(4b)
(i)Soil formation: Breaks down solid rocks into fertile particles vital for agricultural farming.
(ii)Resource creation: Produces valuable economic mineral deposits like bauxite (aluminum ore) and clay.
(iii)Landscape carving: Shapes beautiful natural tourist landforms like caves, arches, and scenic valleys.
(4c)
(i)Climate: High temperatures and heavy rainfall accelerate chemical weathering processes.
(ii)Rock type: Mineral composition and structural cracks determine how easily a rock degrades.
(iii)Topography: Steep slopes expose rocks faster due to gravity removing protective surface debris.
Number 5
(5a)
The biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships; it is the narrow zone of the Earth’s surface, waters, and atmosphere where life exists.
(5b)
(i)Food supply: Yields essential plant and animal products for human nutrition.
(ii)Climate regulation: Absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen through massive forest photosynthesis.
(iii)Waste recycling: Decomposes organic matter to return vital nutrients back into the soil.
(iv)Raw materials: Supplies essential resources like timber, medicine, fiber, and fuel.
(5c)
(i)Contains all living organisms found on Earth.
(ii)Intersects directly with the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.
(iii)Depends entirely on solar energy to fuel its living systems.
(iv)Maintains a dynamic equilibrium through continuous nutrient cycling.
(v)Features highly diverse ecosystems adapted to varying global climates.
Number 6
(6a)
An alluvial fan is a triangle-shaped deposit of gravel, sand, and smaller sediment formed where a fast-flowing river or stream leaves an upland steep valley and suddenly spreads out onto a flat plain.
(6b)
Mode of Formation
(i)Velocity drop: A river rushes down a steep, narrow mountain channel carrying large loads of sediment.
(ii)Sudden expansion: When the river hits the flat lowland plain, its lateral confinement disappears, and its speed drops instantly.
(iii)Deposition: Lacking the energy to carry its load, the river dumps its heaviest sediment at the mountain mouth, and finer materials settle further out in a fan shape.
-Characteristics-
(i)Shape: Distinctly semi-circular or fan-shaped layout widening downward.
(ii)Sorting: Poorly sorted material with large rocks near the mountain mouth and finer sand at the outer edges.
(iii)Channels: Braided network of shifting distributary channels spreading out across the deposit.
Number 7
(7a)
(i)Distance from the sea (Continentality)
(ii)Prevailing wind direction
(iii)Presence of mountain barriers (Relief)
(iv)Ocean currents (Warm vs. cold currents)
(7b)
-Description-
(i)Angle of solar rays: At low latitudes (near the Equator), sun rays hit the Earth vertically at a direct angle, concentrating heat over a small surface area.
(ii)Atmospheric thickness: Rays hitting high latitudes travel through a thicker layer of atmosphere, scattering and losing heat before reaching the surface.
(iii)Surface spreading: At high latitudes (near the poles), the same amount of solar energy strikes at a slanted angle, spreading out over a much wider area and resulting in colder temperatures.
Number 8
(8a)
Water resources are natural sources of water on Earth that are potentially useful or directly beneficial to humans for survival, domestic chores, agricultural farming, or industrial processes.
(8b)
(i)Destruction of aquatic life: Toxic chemicals deplete dissolved oxygen levels, causing fish kills.
(ii)Spread of waterborne diseases: Contaminated water spreads illnesses like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.
(iii)Disruption of food chains: Heavy metals build up in fish tissue, poisoning animals and humans higher up the food chain.
(8b)
(i)Domestic use: Crucial for everyday drinking, cooking, bathing, and cleaning sanitation.
(ii)Agricultural irrigation: Essential for watering crops to maintain global food security.
(iii)Industrial processing: Acts as a coolant, solvent, and power source (hydroelectricity) for manufacturing plants.
COMPLETED!!!