IMPORTANT TIPS TO LEARN INDIAN GEOGRAPHY THROUGH MAPS FOR UPSC CSE 2021 - Examarly Blog
Map-based questions are quite common in Indian Geography for UPSC CSE. Learning Indian Geography through maps can be a fun activity, provided you learn it with proper planning. Every year 4-6 questions are asked in the form of Maps in the UPSC prelims exam. “ How to study maps for UPSC ?” is one of the most asked questions by the UPSC aspirants. “ What should you cover to prepare maps for UPSC ?” comes after that. These sorts of questions and the presence of map-based questions almost every year make it very clear that these things are important to learn for the UPSC Prelims exam. Not just for the Prelims exam but it can help you in your Mains exam also.
Detailing your answer is the key to success in the Mains examination and detailing with the maps is a sure-shot way of getting more marks. Questions that demand a sound knowledge of maps are often asked. Most aspirants find it very difficult to solve map-based questions and learning maps is a Herculean task. There are other subjects also other than Geography that might not ask questions from the map directly but the knowledge of maps helps in better framing of answers.
However, here we are going to talk about learning only geography through maps. This article will give you some pointers on how to effectively use the maps for the preparation of Indian Geography along with the World Geography. There are 4-6 questions based on the map but learning the whole subject of Geography through maps will be the best thing for any aspirant.
UPSC asks mostly two types of map-based questions.
A very standard and expected question from a world physical geography point of view.
Turkey is located between (2014)
The Black Sea and the Caspian Sea
The Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea
Gulf of Suez and the Mediterranean Sea
Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea
This question is dynamically linked due to Mercury pollution caused by HUL and has been in
news for quite some time.
Which one of the following is an artificial lake? (2018)
Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)
Kolleru (Andhra Pradesh)
Nainital (Uttarakhand)
Renuka (Himachal Pradesh)
How can you prepare Geography with Atlas/ maps for UPSC CSE?
Now we know that why maps are important. The next question that arises is how can we prepare for it. Here are some tips and tricks that you might find useful.
POLITICAL MAP OF INDIA
There can be a lot of knowledge which is important for Prelims and answer writing in Mains.
PHYSICAL MAP
Physical maps are somewhat different from Political maps. Here you get to know about various rivers, mountains, mountain ranges, islands, and soil.
WORLD MAP
Having a rough idea of the position of all the important countries, capitals, important trading locations, and various International ports or Airports are important. Here are some points that you can consider for the preparation of Geography for UPSC CSE.
IMPORTANT ATLASES TO REFER
Studying the entire map is very time-taking in itself and requires a lot of patience and frequent revisions. You can refer to your UPSC syllabus first to align your preparation. One of the best things to do is divide and structure the things to learn and stick them on the wall or table where you study so that you can constantly refer to it and get reminded.
