Map-Pointing Guide
Exams show an outline map and ask for places. Learn locations by region and neighbour: "X is between A and B". The maps in these notes (political, physical, rivers, soils, parks, minerals, power, industry, transport) are schematic and are meant to teach the pattern, not to replace an official Survey of India map.
Mountains and passes
| Item | Where |
|---|---|
| Karakoram, Ladakh, Zanskar | North of the Great Himalaya in Ladakh |
| Pir Panjal | South of the Kashmir valley (J&K and Himachal) |
| Kangchenjunga | Sikkim-Nepal border |
| Nanda Devi | Uttarakhand |
| Nathu La | Sikkim (China border) |
| Shipki La | Himachal (Sutlej into India) |
| Zoji La, Banihal, Khardung La | J&K and Ladakh |
| Palghat gap | Between Anamudi and Nilgiri, Kerala-Tamil Nadu |
| Bhor ghat, Thal ghat, Pal ghat | Western Ghats routes: Mumbai-Pune, Mumbai-Nashik, Kerala-Tamil Nadu |
Rivers and lakes
| Item | Where |
|---|---|
| Ganga | Gangotri to Bay of Bengal via Haridwar, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Patna |
| Brahmaputra | Tibet to Arunachal (Dihang) to Assam to Bangladesh |
| Narmada and Tapi | West-flowing; Narmada through Jabalpur, Tapi through Surat |
| Godavari | Nashik to Rajahmundry |
| Krishna | Mahabaleshwar to Vijayawada |
| Cauvery | Kodagu to Srirangapatna, Tiruchirappalli |
| Dal, Wular | Kashmir valley |
| Chilika, Pulicat | Odisha, Andhra-Tamil Nadu coast |
| Loktak | Manipur |
| Sambhar | Rajasthan |
Cities, ports, parks
- Ports (west to east): Kandla, Mundra, Mumbai, JNPT, Mormugao, Mangalore, Kochi, Tuticorin, Chennai, Vizag, Paradip, Haldia.
- National parks: Corbett (Uttarakhand), Kaziranga (Assam), Gir (Gujarat), Ranthambore (Rajasthan), Periyar (Kerala), Dachigam (J&K), Hemis (Ladakh), Sundarbans (WB).
- Steel: Bhilai, Rourkela, Durgapur, Bokaro, Jamshedpur, Vizag.
- Atomic power: Tarapur, Kalpakkam, Narora, Kakrapar, Kudankulam, Rawatbhata, Kaiga.
- Mineral points: Jharia, Raniganj, Bailadila, Kudremukh, Khetri, Malanjkhand, Panna, Koderma.
How to revise maps
- Redraw the outline on paper from the political map.
- Place rivers first; use them as anchors for cities and states.
- Add mountains and plateaus, then coasts, ports and parks.
- Practise each theme (minerals, crops, dams) with 10 items and time yourself.
Keep practising
Notes are only half the work. Test yourself with questions and discuss doubts with other aspirants.
Prepared for exam revision from NCERT, standard geography textbooks, the Census of India 2011, the India State of Forest Report, IMD, Ministry of Agriculture and other official sources. Maps are schematic teaching maps, not Survey of India maps, and zone boundaries are approximate. Figures such as production, capacity, counts of parks and ports, and census status change, so check the latest official source before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.