Atlas for UPSC: Oxford Atlas and Orient Blackswan Atlas for UPSC
By Balaji
Updated on: April 20th, 2023
Atlas for UPSC is a substantial part of the preparation for many competitive exams in India including the Civil Services Exam. An atlas is a book or collection of maps that help in studying places and their geographical features. Static, dynamic, and Current Affairs related questions are asked about the atlases. Two of the Best Atlas for UPSC are Oxford and Orient Blackswan. Between these two, the Oxford Atlas for UPSC is more famous among the aspirants.
The article will discuss the importance, types, and best Atlas for UPSC. We will also share some tips and tricks on how to read/understand an Atlas from the UPSC Exam point of view. The Atlas for UPSC is equally important for the Prelims and Mains of Civil Services Exam.
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Best Atlas for UPSC Exam
The preparation for the UPSC Exam, both for Prelims and Mains, is not complete without a good Atlas. Every year, direct or indirect map-based questions are asked from the atlas. An Atlas for UPSC helps in understanding the various geographical features and topographical locations in detail, which is essential in covering the UPSC Prelims Syllabus and UPSC Mains Syllabus.
With the help of an atlas book for UPSC, one gets to understand the geography, history, and economics of a location. Having command over the maps is very important not only for understanding the related topics in the Geography Syllabus for UPSC and in current affairs. The two most important Atlas for UPSC is from Oxford and Orient Blackswan publishers.
Oxford Atlas for UPSC
The Oxford Atlas for UPSC is the most comprehensible atlas book for Civil Service Exam preparation. The Oxford Atlas for Indian Students provides insight into map-based questions, covering essential topics like agriculture, wildlife, flags, GDP, etc. The Oxford Atlas for UPSC is also considered the best among its competitors because it facilitates quick and easy learning in the form of explainable videos and animations, which are provided on a CD, and attached to the end of the book. Moreover, the atlas also has multiple-choice questions at the end of each segment to practice.
Orient Blackswan Atlas for UPSC
The Orient Blackswan Atlas for UPSC is also preferred among the candidates preparing for Geography, UPSC Geography Optional, and in general, covering the UPSC Syllabus. The best thing about this atlas is that it has maps of ancient civilizations of India and the world. Moreover, this atlas book for UPSC has detailed maps, graphical representations, pie charts, and other diagrams related to geographical features. This Atlas for UPSC has a table that portrays the basins of rivers in India, along with only one map for oceanic currents. However, the Orient Blackswan Atlas has physical and political maps of India clubbed together, which makes it cumbersome doing studying.
How to Study Atlas for UPSC?
Generally, two types of questions are asked from the map point of view in the UPSC Exam. One is the static part, which links with the basic questions, and the other is the dynamic part, which is related to the advanced questions mapped with current affairs. Below are some of the sure shots pointers that one should acknowledge to effectively utilize Atlas Book for UPSC.
- With the help of the best Atlas book for UPSC, one can cover physical and anthropogeography well in detail.
- The Oxford Atlas for UPSC offers core preparatory material, which is essential in making Geography Notes for UPSC.
- The Atlas for UPSC also helps in understanding a place’s geopolitical location and aspects, which in turn helps in understanding the whole scenario of an issue.
