UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services) General Knowledge: Geography (Paper II) Syllabus

General Knowledge: Geography (Paper II) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for General Knowledge: Geography (Paper II) in UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Physical Geography

   5 topics

   • Earth's Structure, Latitude and Longitude
   • Landforms: Mountains, Plateaus and Plains
   • Atmosphere and Weather Phenomena
   • Oceans: Currents, Tides and Salinity
   • Rocks, Earthquakes and Volcanoes
2. 2

   Geography of India

   5 topics

   • Physiographic Divisions of India
   • Drainage Systems and River Basins
   • Climate and Monsoon Mechanism
   • Natural Vegetation and Soils
     • Forest types and distribution
     • Major soil groups
   • Agriculture and Cropping Patterns
3. 3

   Economic and Resource Geography

   4 topics

   • Mineral and Energy Resources
   • Industries and Industrial Regions
   • Transport and Communication Networks
   • Population Distribution and Urbanisation
4. 4

   World Geography

   4 topics

   • Continents, Oceans and Major Countries
   • World Climatic Regions and Biomes
   • Major Industrial and Agricultural Regions
   • Time Zones and the International Date Line

General Knowledge: Geography (Paper II) flashcards for UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services)

25 of 51 cards from the General Knowledge: Geography (Paper II) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the three concentric layers of Earth's internal structure, from outside to inside?

   Crust (outermost, thin), Mantle (middle, largely solid silicate rock), and Core (innermost, divided into a liquid outer core and a solid inner core, mainly iron and nickel).

2. What is the discontinuity that separates the Earth's crust from the mantle?

   The Mohorovicic Discontinuity (Moho).

3. Define latitude and longitude.

   Latitude is the angular distance of a point north or south of the Equator (0 to 90 degrees). Longitude is the angular distance east or west of the Prime Meridian (0 to 180 degrees).

4. How many degrees of longitude does the Earth rotate through per hour, and how many minutes correspond to 1 degree of longitude?

   15 degrees of longitude per hour (360 degrees / 24 hours), so 1 degree of longitude equals 4 minutes of time.

5. On which longitude is Indian Standard Time (IST) based, and how far ahead of GMT is it?

   IST is based on 82.5 degrees E longitude (passing near Mirzapur), and it is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT/UTC.

6. Name the major lines of latitude: Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, and the two polar circles, with their values.

   Tropic of Cancer 23.5 degrees N, Tropic of Capricorn 23.5 degrees S, Arctic Circle 66.5 degrees N, Antarctic Circle 66.5 degrees S.

7. How are fold mountains, block mountains, and volcanic mountains formed?

   Fold mountains form by compression and folding of crustal rocks (e.g., Himalayas, Alps). Block mountains (horsts) form by faulting where a block is uplifted between two faults (e.g., Vosges, Black Forest). Volcanic mountains form by accumulation of erupted lava and ash (e.g., Mt. Fuji).

8. What is the difference between a plateau and a plain?

   A plateau is an elevated, flat-topped highland rising sharply above surrounding land. A plain is a low-lying, flat or gently rolling area, usually below 200 m elevation, often very fertile.

9. What is an intermontane plateau? Give an example.

   A plateau enclosed or surrounded by mountain ranges. Example: the Tibetan Plateau (highest in the world) and the Bolivian Plateau.

10. Distinguish a young (immature) river plain from an old (mature) one in terms of landforms.

    Young rivers (upper course) produce V-shaped valleys, gorges, waterfalls and rapids. Old rivers (lower course) produce floodplains, meanders, oxbow lakes, levees and deltas.

11. Name the layers of the atmosphere from the surface upward.

    Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere (Ionosphere), and Exosphere.

12. In which atmospheric layer does almost all weather occur, and where is the ozone layer located?

    Almost all weather occurs in the Troposphere; the ozone layer lies in the Stratosphere.

13. What is the normal rate of decrease of temperature with height in the troposphere (normal lapse rate)?

    Approximately 6.5 degrees C per 1000 metres (about 1 degree C per 165 m).

14. What are the three main types of rainfall by mechanism?

    Convectional rainfall (heating and rising air), Orographic/relief rainfall (air forced up over mountains), and Cyclonic/frontal rainfall (warm and cold air masses meeting).

15. What is humidity, and what is the difference between absolute and relative humidity?

    Humidity is water vapour content of air. Absolute humidity is the actual mass of water vapour per unit volume of air; relative humidity is the percentage ratio of actual vapour present to the maximum the air can hold at that temperature.

16. What is an isobar, and what does close spacing of isobars indicate?

    An isobar is a line joining places of equal atmospheric pressure. Closely spaced isobars indicate a steep pressure gradient and therefore strong winds.

17. State the Coriolis effect's influence on winds in the two hemispheres.

    Due to Earth's rotation, moving air (and water) is deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere (Ferrel's Law).

18. What is the difference between a warm ocean current and a cold ocean current, with one example of each?

    Warm currents flow from the equator toward the poles carrying warm water (e.g., Gulf Stream). Cold currents flow from the poles toward the equator carrying cold water (e.g., Labrador Current).

19. What causes ocean tides, and what are spring and neap tides?

    Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon (and Sun) plus Earth's rotation. Spring tides (highest) occur at new and full moon when Sun, Moon, Earth align; neap tides (lowest) occur at first and third quarters when Sun and Moon are at right angles.

20. What is the average salinity of ocean water, and where is salinity highest and lowest?

    Average ocean salinity is about 35 parts per thousand (35 g/kg). Salinity is highest in enclosed seas like the Dead Sea and Lake Van; among open seas the Red Sea is very high. It is lowest near the equator and where large rivers or melting ice add fresh water (e.g., Baltic Sea).

21. Name the cold current and warm current systems off the western coast of South America and the eastern coast of North America.

    Off western South America: the cold Humboldt (Peru) Current. Off eastern North America: the warm Gulf Stream.

22. What are the three main classes of rocks based on origin?

    Igneous (solidified from magma/lava), Sedimentary (deposited and compacted sediments), and Metamorphic (rocks changed by heat and pressure).

23. Give one example each of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock, and name the metamorphic forms of limestone and coal.

    Igneous: granite/basalt. Sedimentary: sandstone/limestone. Metamorphic: marble/slate. Limestone metamorphoses into marble; coal metamorphoses into graphite (and ultimately diamond under extreme conditions).

24. What is the focus and the epicentre of an earthquake?

    The focus (hypocentre) is the point inside the Earth where the earthquake originates; the epicentre is the point on the surface directly above the focus.

25. What are the three types of seismic waves, and which cannot pass through liquids?

    P-waves (primary, longitudinal, fastest), S-waves (secondary, transverse), and L-waves (surface waves, most destructive). S-waves cannot pass through liquids, which is evidence that the outer core is liquid.

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