Geography (India and Karnataka)
What this domain tests
Geography covers India's physical features, climate, rivers, soils, agriculture and resources, plus Karnataka's regions and districts. Map-based recall and cause-effect reasoning are common.
Core areas
- India: Himalaya, Indo-Gangetic Plain, Peninsular Plateau, coastal plains and islands; monsoon mechanism; east-flowing and west-flowing rivers.
- Karnataka: 31 districts; three physiographic zones - coastal Karavali, Malnad (Western Ghats) and Maidan plateau. Capital Bengaluru is about 900 m above sea level.
- Rivers: Krishna, Cauvery and Tungabhadra are major east-flowing rivers; Sharavathi and Netravati flow west. Western Ghats receive heavy orographic rainfall.
- Economy link: coffee in Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru, silk in Ramanagara, iron ore in Ballari districts, ports at Mangaluru and Karwar.
Worked example
Question: Why is Bengaluru cooler than Mangaluru in summer? Reason: Bengaluru is on the Deccan plateau at about 900 m, so temperature falls with altitude; Mangaluru is at sea level on the humid coast. The cause is elevation, not latitude. Answer: higher altitude.
Traps that cost marks
Do not call the Western Ghats a rain-shadow region; do not reverse the direction of the Krishna or Cauvery; do not confuse Malnad with the coastal plain. In map questions, locate the district first, then the river or crop.