Civil Service Preliminary Syllabus - Geography Optional

Section-A
Physical Georgraphy

i) Geomorphology

Origin of the earth; Geological Time Scale; Interior of the earth; Types and characteristics of rocks; Folding and Faulting; Volcanoes; Earthquakes; Weathering; Landforms caused by fluvial, aeolian and glacial actions.

ii) Climatology

Structure and composition of atmosphere; Temperature; Pressure belts and Wind systems; Clouds and rainfall types; Cyclones and anti-cyclones; Major climatic types.

iii) Oceanography

Ocean relief; Temperature; Salinity; Ocean deposits; Ocean currents, El Nino and La Nino; Waves and tides.

iv) Biogeography

Origin and types of soils; Major biomes of the world; Ecosystem and food chain; Environmental degradation and conservation.

i) Man and Environment Relationship

Growth and development of Human Geography; Concepts of Determinism and Possibilism.

ii) Population

Races of mankind and tribes; growth and distribution of world population; migration; population problems of developed and developing countries.

iii) Economic Activities

Food gathering and hunting; pastoral herding; fishing and forestry; Types of agriculture-shifting, subsistence, commercial and plantation; Mining, Power; Manufacturing -locational factors of textile, iron and steel, sugar and fertilizer industries; Tertiary activities-trade, transport, communication and services.

iv) Settlements

Origin, types and patterns of rural settlements; Processes of urbanisation; morphology and functional classification of towns; million-cities and mega-cities.

i) Major Natural Regions : Characteristics, economic base and human adaptation.

ii) Regional Geography of Developed Countries : Canada, U.S.A., Western Europe, Russia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

iii) Regional Geography of Developing Countries : S.E. Asia, S.W. Asia, China, Southern Africa and Brazil.

iv) Regional Geography of South Asia.

i) Physical Setting

Landforms, drainage, climate, soils and natural vegetation.

ii) Economic Base

Minerals & energy resources, aquatic resources, forest resources; irrigation, agriculture and industries; trade and commerce.

iii) Population

Growth, distribution and density; demographic characteristics.

iv) Environmental problems, developmental issues and regional planning.

i) Ancient Period : Contributions of Indians, Greeks, Romans and Arabs.

ii) Pre-Modern Period : Contribution of Verenius, Kant, Humboldt and Ritter.

iii) Modern Period : Dichotomy of determinism and possibilism; contributions of Ratzel, Semple, Huntington and La Blache.

iv) Recent Period : Quantitive Revolution; Radicalism, Behaviouralism and Humanism.

i) Maps : Scale and types, uses.

ii) Diagrams : Types and uses

iii) Projections : Types, characteristics and uses.

iv) Remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) : Aerial photographs and imagery, GIS.