CDS Geography Trend Analysis

Below are the questions asked from Geography section in CDS Exam. 

As you can easily see, understanding of geography is very important to crack Paper 2 of CDS exam. Topics of Geography overlaps with the Topics of Environment, Current Affairs, etc. As per the recent trends, approximately 18-20 questions are asked from this section in Paper 2 of the CDS Exam.

Topper's Approach to Prepare Geography for all Defence Exams

Know the Basics

While studying Geography, understanding of basic concepts is very important. Everybody who has earlier clears the written examination of CDS talks about the understanding of concepts, with it you won’t be able to attempt many questions asked in the exam.

Use Map While Studying Geography

Geography is fun to learn with the map. It is easy to understand and remember facts using a map. You can use Orient Black Swan Atlas.

Geography is divided into two parts

1. Indian Geography 
2. World Geography

Indian Geography

Indian Geography is further divided into parts

• Physiography
• Rivers in India
• Minerals
• Climate
• Soil, Agriculture and Forests
• Human Geography
• Important topics related to Environment also asked

1.Physiography 

1. The Himalayas 
1. The Greater Himalayas
2. Lesser Himalayas
3. Sub- Himalayas
2. Peninsular Plateau and peninsular Mountains
3. Northern Plains and Coastal plains
4. Indian Desert
5. Islands

Point to remember

1. Read and remember some key points like the Himalayas are young, weak and flexible
2. How the Himalayas are formed?
3. What is the impact of the Himalayas on weather, the climate of the country
4. Vegetation or Types of Forest found
5. The soil along the slopes 
6. Biodiversity of the region

2.River System in India

In India River systems are broadly divided into two systems

1. Himalayan consisting of Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra (In short - BIG rivers).
2. The peninsular river system consists of many rivers.

Points to Remember

• Read about how these river systems are formed?
• What are their characteristics? For example Peninsula- The Peninsular river have narrow catchment area whereas the Himalayan rivers have a large catchment area.
• The states these rivers flow through
• Difference and similarities between Himalayan and Peninsular rivers
• Hydro-Power projects, Dams etc on these rivers.
• Read about west-flowing rivers in India as the question has been asked from this topic many times in the exam.
• Why do east-flowing rivers form delta?
• Rivers and their tributaries
• To remember the tributaries you can make a story, etc for example- Important left bank tributaries of Ganga (Ramganga, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandhak, Kosi )- Ramjane Gomti ka Ghar Ganda Kese.

3.Minerals

   Point to Remember

• What are their types?
• Read the area in which they are found
• What are their characteristics?
• Industries in which they are used, etc?

4.Climate

Before reading Climate, Monsoon in India, Basic understanding of Climate topic is required. Read Climate topic of world geography before starting this topic to have a better understanding.

Points to Remember

• Read factors determining the Climate of India
• Indian Monsoon 
• It’s characteristics, significance etc.
• Cyclone is also an important topic
• El- Nino, La- Nino 
• How they are developed, what is the impact on India, etc?

5. Soil, Agriculture and Forests

1. For Soils in India Focus on types of soil, States in which they are found, The crop which is grown there.
2. What is the special feature of these soils ex. Black soil is black in colour because it formed from weathered lava rocks.
3. Read about of soil erosion, types of erosion, soil conservation etc.
4. Remember Important points of Soil Conservation methods- crop rotation, contour farming, Terracing, cover crops, etc.
5. Read about important crops grown in the country ex- Wheat, sugarcane Millets, coffee, Tea, Rice, etc
1. States in which they are grown
2. Climate conditions required 
3. Classification of crops into categories - Kharif, Rabi and Zaid
6. Irrigation methods
7. Farming and its types- Shifting cultivation, Terrace cultivation etc. Their advantages and disadvantages.
8. For the forest section cover types of forests found in India.
9. Climate required for these forests
10. Economic utilities of these forests.

6. Human Geography

1. Major Tribal groups and the states in which they belong to, festivals, arts, etc.
2. Demographic dividend

Important topics related to Environment also asked

1. National Parks, Bird Sanctuary, tiger reserves, Wetlands, Ramsar sites
2. Endangered species, Vulnerable and Extinct species
3. Protected areas and Important species found there.

World Geography

1.The Solar system

1.  Differences between meteors,
2.  Asteroids, comets and region where they are found
1. The motion of the Earth – Rotation and Revolution – it impacts on Day and Night;
2. The inclination of the Earth’s Axis – it’s the effect on seasons
3. Latitude and Longitude
4. Important Parallels and Meridians – the countries they pass through
5. General understanding of Solar Eclipse, Lunar Eclipse and Tides and their significance
6. Earth’s crust
7. The Structure of the Earth
8. Classification of Rocks – Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic with examples.

2..Landforms

• Read about Continental Drift Theory, Plate tectonics, Seafloor, etc.
• Geomorphic Process
• Volcanoes- Important volcanic sites, why and how they are formed?
• Weathering process, impact on different regions.
• Mass Movements- avalanches, landslides, creep
• Earth’s movements like folding, faulting, warping and its impact on Landforms
• Basic ideas on other landforms like deltas, valleys, meanders, alluvial fans, caves, glaciers, cliffs, terraces, dunes
• Erosion and Deposition
• All about earthquakes, how they have formed Earthquake Waves like P waves, S Waves, L Waves.
• Geographical features including Deserts, important mountains, plateau etc.

3. Atmosphere

• Read various layers of atmosphere and significance of these layers
• What are important gases found in the atmosphere and their percentage, their role in the existence of life? The example ozone layer protects life on earth from ultraviolet rays.
• Heating and cooling of the atmosphere.
• Heat budget
• Greenhouse gases, Global warming and their impacts on eath
• Temperature zones on the globe
• Global Pressure belts- Low, High-pressure belts, Doldrums, ITCZ etc.
• Concepts like Albedo, Temperature Inversion etc.

4.Wind Systems and Ocean Currents

• Read about the velocity and direction of the wind. How corolis force affects the erection of the wind?
• Shifting of Planetry wind belts and its impact on the northern and southern hemisphere?
• Inter-tropical and convergence Zone
• Seasonal and local winds- Monsoon, land and sea breezes, Chinook, Fohn, etc
• Fronts- Cold and warm
• Upper air circulation
• Read about cyclones Tropical and Temperate (Tropical cyclone is more important)
• How they are formed 
• What gives them energy?
• How they lose their energy?
• Difference between these two types
• Important cold and warm ocean currents in the world
• Important locations around these currents.
• Impacts of these currents, etc.
• Concepts like High tide, Tsunami, etc

5. Cloud and Precipitation

• Classification of clouds
• Read about condensation and its forms- Dew, frost, fog, smog etc
• How they are different from one another?
• Conditions required for their formation
• Read about precipitation, forms- Rainfall, Sleet, Snowfall, Hail
• Adiabatic cooling
• Types of Precipitation
• Conventional 
• Orographic
• Cyclonic 
• Frontal

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