Prelims: General geography and geography of Bihar · 38 में से Unit 15
World Geography and Distribution of Key Resources
Continents, major physical features, straits and choke points, climatic regions, and world distribution of minerals, energy and crops.
यह Unit Syllabus के इन बिंदुओं को कवर करती है
- Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent)
- Important geographical features and their location
- World geography: map-based knowledge
Continents and major features
| Continent | Key physical features |
|---|---|
| Asia | Himalayas (Everest 8,849 m), Tibetan Plateau, Siberian plains, Gobi; rivers Yangtze, Mekong, Ob |
| Africa | Sahara (largest hot desert), Nile (longest river), Great Rift Valley, Kilimanjaro, Congo basin |
| North America | Rockies, Appalachians, Great Lakes, Mississippi, Prairies |
| South America | Andes (longest mountain range), Amazon (largest river by volume), Atacama, Pampas |
| Europe | Alps, Danube, Rhine, Volga (longest in Europe), North European Plain |
| Australia | Great Dividing Range, Great Barrier Reef, Murray–Darling, Great Artesian Basin |
| Antarctica | Ice sheet (about 70% of the world's fresh water) |
Straits and choke points
| Strait / canal | Connects | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Malacca | Andaman Sea and South China Sea | Busiest route for East Asian oil; India's Andamans overlook it |
| Hormuz | Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman | About 20% of world oil |
| Bab-el-Mandeb | Red Sea and Gulf of Aden | Houthi attacks (2023–24) diverted shipping round Africa |
| Suez Canal | Mediterranean and Red Sea | Opened 1869 |
| Panama Canal | Atlantic and Pacific | Opened 1914; droughts restricted traffic (2023) |
| Bosphorus / Dardanelles | Black Sea and Mediterranean | |
| Gibraltar | Atlantic and Mediterranean | |
| Palk Strait | Bay of Bengal and Palk Bay | Between India and Sri Lanka |
| Ten Degree Channel | Separates the Andaman and Nicobar groups | |
| Eight / Nine Degree Channels | Near Lakshadweep and Minicoy, the Maldives |
Climatic regions (simplified)
| Region | Location | Features | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equatorial | 0–10° (Amazon, Congo, Indonesia) | Rain all year, dense forest | Plantations (rubber, oil palm) |
| Tropical monsoon | South and South-East Asia | Seasonal rain | Rice, jute, tea |
| Savanna | Africa, Brazil (campos), Venezuela (llanos) | Wet summers, tall grass | Wildlife, grazing |
| Hot desert | Western margins, 15–30° (Sahara, Thar, Kalahari, Atacama) | Very dry | Oases, minerals |
| Mediterranean | Western margins, 30–40° | Dry summer, wet winter | Citrus, grapes (wine), olives |
| Temperate grassland | Continental interiors | Hot summers, cold winters | Wheat, ranching |
| Taiga (boreal forest) | Canada, Siberia | Conifers | Timber, fur |
| Tundra | Arctic | Permafrost | Herding (reindeer) |
World distribution of key resources
- Crude oil:
- Reserves are largest in Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
- The USA is the top producer, ahead of Saudi Arabia and Russia.
- India imports about 85–88% of its crude, mainly from Russia, Iraq and Saudi Arabia (2024–25).
- Natural gas: reserves are largest in Russia, Iran and Qatar. Qatar is a major LNG supplier to India.
- Coal: China is by far the largest producer and consumer. India is second, and Indonesia and Australia are major exporters.
- Iron ore: Australia (Pilbara) and Brazil (Carajás) are the largest exporters; China is the largest importer.
- Critical minerals:
- Lithium: Australia, and the "lithium triangle" of Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. India found reserves in Reasi (J&K) in 2023.
- Cobalt: DR Congo.
- Rare earths: China. India's reserves are in monazite sands.
- Policies: India's National Critical Mineral Mission (2025) and its list of 30 critical minerals. KABIL acquires mineral assets overseas.
- Food and cash crops:
- Rice: China and India.
- Wheat: China, India, Russia.
- Coffee: Brazil.
- Cocoa: Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana.
- Rubber: Thailand.
- Tea: China and India.
- Jute: India and Bangladesh.
- Fisheries: the richest grounds are where warm and cold currents meet: the Grand Banks (Newfoundland), the North Sea, the coast of Peru, and around Japan.
South Asia
- Shared rivers: the Indus, Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna and Kosi–Gandak systems.
- Treaties with Nepal: the Kosi Agreement (1954) and the Gandak Agreement (1959).
- Mountain passes:
- Khyber and Bolan (Pakistan–Afghanistan);
- Nathu La (Sikkim–Tibet; border trade);
- Shipki La (Himachal);
- Lipulekh (Uttarakhand; the Kailash route);
- Zoji La (Srinagar–Leh; a tunnel is under construction).
Exam tip: Prelims map questions follow current affairs. Locate every place in the news (wars, disasters, summits) on a blank map along with its neighbours and nearby water bodies. A few minutes each day with an atlas is better than one long session.
Mains practice
हर उत्तर अपनी परीक्षा की शब्द सीमा में लिखें। ढांचे के लिए ऊपर के Notes देखें: भूमिका, तथ्यों और उदाहरणों के साथ मुख्य भाग, और छोटा आगे का रास्ता।
- Explain the strategic significance of global maritime choke points for India's energy security. (150 words)
- Why are rare earth elements called 'critical minerals'? Discuss India's strategy to secure them. (150 words)