World Geography Short Notes for Competitive Exams

WORLD GEOGRAPHY – SHORT NOTES (Exam-Oriented)

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1. Continents & Oceans

• Continents (7): Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia

• Largest Continent: Asia

• Smallest Continent: Australia

• Oceans (5): Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic

• Largest Ocean: Pacific

• Deepest Point: Mariana Trench (~11,034 m)

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2. Mountains & Mountain Ranges

• Highest Peak: Mount Everest (8,848 m, Nepal/China)

• Himalayas: Asia, youngest fold mountains

• Andes: South America, longest continental mountain range (~7,000 km)

• Rockies: North America

• Alps: Europe

• Atlas: Africa

• Ural Mountains: Europe/Asia boundary

• Great Dividing Range: Australia

• Major Peaks: K2 (Pakistan), Kanchenjunga (India/Nepal), Lhotse (Nepal)

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3. Rivers & Lakes

Major Rivers by Continent

• Asia: Yangtze (China), Ganga (India), Mekong (Southeast Asia), Indus (Pakistan/India)

• Africa: Nile (Longest river, Egypt/Sudan), Congo, Niger, Zambezi

• Europe: Volga (Russia), Danube, Rhine, Seine

• North America: Mississippi-Missouri, St. Lawrence

• South America: Amazon (Largest discharge), Paraná

• Australia: Murray, Darling

Important Lakes

• Caspian Sea: Largest lake, Asia/Europe

• Lake Superior: Largest freshwater lake, North America

• Lake Baikal: Deepest lake, Russia

• Great Lakes: North America

• Victoria Lake: Africa

• Aral Sea: Asia, shrinking due to irrigation

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4. Deserts

• Sahara: Africa, largest hot desert

• Kalahari: Southern Africa

• Gobi: China/Mongolia

• Thar: India/Pakistan

• Arabian Desert: Middle East

• Antarctic Desert: Coldest desert, largest by area

• Great Victoria: Australia

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5. Climate & Weather

• Köppen Climate Classification: Tropical, Arid, Temperate, Continental, Polar

• Monsoon Climate: South & Southeast Asia

• Mediterranean Climate: Coastal California, Southern Europe, North Africa

• Tropical Rainforest Climate: Amazon, Congo, Southeast Asia

• Savanna Climate: Africa

• Tundra & Ice Cap: Antarctica, Greenland, Arctic

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6. Vegetation & Biomes

• Tropical Rainforest: Amazon, Congo, Southeast Asia

• Savanna / Grassland: Africa, Brazil

• Desert Vegetation: Cacti, shrubs, succulents

• Temperate Forest: Europe, USA

• Taiga (Coniferous Forest): Russia, Canada

• Tundra: Arctic, Antarctica, permafrost regions

• Mangroves: Sundarbans (India/Bangladesh), Florida (USA)

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7. Natural Resources

• Minerals: Iron (Australia, Brazil), Copper (Chile), Gold (South Africa), Coal (USA, India)

• Oil & Gas: Saudi Arabia, Russia, USA, Iran

• Water Resources: Amazon basin, Nile, Ganga, Mississippi

• Forests: Amazon, Congo, Taiga

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8. Continents – Political Geography

Asia

• Largest Country: Russia (partly in Asia), China (by population)

• Important Capitals: Beijing (China), Tokyo (Japan), New Delhi (India), Jakarta (Indonesia), Seoul (South Korea)

Africa

• Largest Country: Algeria

• Most Populous: Nigeria

• Important Capitals: Cairo (Egypt), Pretoria (South Africa), Nairobi (Kenya), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

Europe

• Largest Country: Russia

• Smallest Country: Vatican City

• Important Capitals: London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Moscow

North America

• Largest Country: Canada

• Most Populous: USA

• Important Capitals: Washington D.C., Ottawa, Mexico City

South America

• Largest Country: Brazil

• Important Capitals: Brasília (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Lima (Peru), Santiago (Chile)

Oceania

• Largest Country: Australia

• Important Capitals: Canberra, Wellington (NZ), Suva (Fiji)

Antarctica

• No permanent population; research stations; governed under Antarctic Treaty

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9. Important Islands & Island Nations

• Greenland: Largest island

• Madagascar: Africa, unique biodiversity

• Iceland: Europe, volcanic island

• Japan: Archipelago, East Asia

• Philippines: Archipelago, Southeast Asia

• Sri Lanka: Indian Ocean

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10. Population & Demography

• Most Populous Country: China (~1.4B)

• Second Most Populous: India (~1.4B)

• Least Populous Country: Vatican City

• Highest Population Density: Monaco

• Lowest Population Density: Mongolia

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11. Time Zones & Important Coordinates

• Prime Meridian: 0° longitude, Greenwich

• International Date Line: 180° longitude

• Indian Standard Time (IST): UTC +5:30, 82.5° E longitude

• GMT / UTC: Greenwich Mean Time / Coordinated Universal Time

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12. Important Economic Geography

• Agriculture:

  • Rice → China, India, Indonesia

  • Wheat → Russia, USA, Canada

  • Tea → India, China, Sri Lanka

• Industry:

  • Steel → China, India, USA

  • Automobiles → Japan, Germany, USA

• Trade & Ports: Shanghai, Singapore, Rotterdam, Dubai

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13. International Organizations

• UN: New York, USA

• WHO: Geneva, Switzerland

• IMF & World Bank: Washington D.C., USA

• WTO: Geneva, Switzerland

• BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa

• ASEAN: Southeast Asia

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14. Quick Revision One-Liners

• Highest waterfall: Angel Falls, Venezuela

• Longest river: Nile (Africa) / Amazon (by volume)

• Largest desert: Sahara

• Largest lake: Caspian Sea

• Deepest lake: Lake Baikal (Russia)

• Largest island: Greenland

• Largest peninsula: Arabian Peninsula

• Highest peak in Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro

• Largest rainforest: Amazon