NDA (National Defence Academy) Exam Geography (GAT Paper II, Part F) Syllabus

Geography (GAT Paper II, Part F) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Geography (GAT Paper II, Part F) in NDA (National Defence Academy) Exam, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   The Earth and Physical Geography

   3 topics

   • Earth as a Planet
     • Shape and size of the Earth
     • Latitudes and longitudes, concept of time
     • International Date Line, movements of Earth and their effects
   • Interior and Landforms
     • Origin of Earth, rocks and their classification
     • Weathering, earthquakes and volcanoes
   • Atmosphere and Oceans
     • Atmosphere and its composition, temperature and pressure belts
     • Planetary and local winds, humidity, condensation and precipitation
     • Ocean currents and tides
2. 2

   Geography of India

   3 topics

   • Physical Features of India
     • Physical divisions, climate and monsoon
     • Natural vegetation and soils
   • Resources and Agriculture
     • Mineral and power resources
     • Agricultural and industrial activities
   • Transport and Trade
     • Means of transport and communication
     • Location and distribution of major industries, import and export of India
3. 3

   Maps and Climatology

   3 topics

   • Map Reading and Scale
     • Map projections and conventional symbols
     • Topographical maps, scale and distance
   • Climate and Regions
     • Major natural regions of the world
     • Regional geography of India
   • Weather Elements and Instruments
     • Weather and climate, elements of weather
     • Measurement of temperature, rainfall and humidity

Geography (GAT Paper II, Part F) flashcards for NDA (National Defence Academy) Exam

21 of 50 cards from the Geography (GAT Paper II, Part F) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the shape of the Earth called, and what does it mean?

   The Earth is an oblate spheroid (geoid) — slightly flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator due to its rotation.

2. What are the equatorial and polar diameters of the Earth approximately?

   Equatorial diameter is about 12,756 km; polar diameter is about 12,714 km — the equatorial being roughly 42 km greater.

3. What causes day and night, and what causes the seasons?

   Rotation of the Earth on its axis causes day and night; revolution of the Earth around the Sun combined with the 23.5 degree axial tilt causes the seasons.

4. What is the angle of the Earth's axial tilt, and why is it significant?

   23.5 degrees from the perpendicular to the orbital plane; it causes seasons and the changing length of day and night through the year.

5. Define equinox and name the two equinox dates.

   An equinox is when day and night are equal everywhere; it occurs around 21 March (vernal/spring) and 23 September (autumnal).

6. What happens at the summer solstice (around 21 June) in the Northern Hemisphere?

   The Sun is vertically overhead at the Tropic of Cancer; the Northern Hemisphere has its longest day and shortest night.

7. What happens at the winter solstice (around 22 December) in the Northern Hemisphere?

   The Sun is vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn; the Northern Hemisphere has its shortest day and longest night.

8. List the three main concentric layers of the Earth's interior from outside to inside.

   The crust (outermost), the mantle (middle), and the core (innermost, divided into outer liquid core and inner solid core).

9. What are the two main divisions of the crust and their dominant compositions?

   SIAL (continental crust, rich in silica and aluminium) and SIMA (oceanic crust, rich in silica and magnesium).

10. What is the Mohorovicic discontinuity (Moho)?

    The boundary that separates the Earth's crust from the underlying mantle, marked by a sudden change in seismic wave velocity.

11. What is the chief constituent of the Earth's core, and what generates the magnetic field?

    The core is composed mainly of iron and nickel (NIFE); the movement of the molten outer core generates the Earth's magnetic field.

12. Distinguish between extrusive (volcanic) and intrusive (plutonic) igneous rocks.

    Extrusive rocks form from lava cooling at the surface (e.g., basalt); intrusive rocks form from magma cooling slowly underground (e.g., granite).

13. What is a fold and what is a fault in landform formation?

    A fold is a bend in rock strata caused by compression; a fault is a fracture along which rock blocks move due to tension or compression.

14. Name the three types of mountains based on their mode of formation, with an example each.

    Fold mountains (Himalayas), block/fault mountains (Vosges), and volcanic mountains (Mt. Fuji, Kilimanjaro).

15. What are the three rock types in the rock cycle?

    Igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks (formed by deposition and compaction), and metamorphic rocks (formed by heat and pressure).

16. What is the standard sequence and approximate thickness of the Earth's atmospheric layers from the surface upward?

    Troposphere (0-12 km), Stratosphere (12-50 km), Mesosphere (50-80 km), Thermosphere (80-700 km), and Exosphere (beyond).

17. In which atmospheric layer does weather occur, and which layer contains the ozone layer?

    Weather occurs in the troposphere; the ozone layer lies in the stratosphere where it absorbs ultraviolet radiation.

18. What is the normal lapse rate of temperature in the troposphere?

    Temperature decreases at about 6.5 degrees C per 1,000 metres (1 degree C per 165 m) of altitude — the normal lapse rate.

19. What are the major gases of the atmosphere by volume?

    Nitrogen about 78 percent, oxygen about 21 percent, with argon, carbon dioxide and other gases making up the remaining roughly 1 percent.

20. Define humidity and the difference between absolute and relative humidity.

    Humidity is water vapour in air; absolute humidity is the actual mass of vapour per unit volume, while relative humidity is the ratio (percent) of actual to maximum vapour the air can hold at that temperature.

21. Name the three main planetary (prevailing) wind belts.

    The trade winds (blowing toward the equator), the westerlies (mid-latitudes), and the polar easterlies.

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