Hello aspirant,

Here is the syllabus

1. Our world

(i) Geographic grid – Latitudes & Longitudes

(a) Concept of latitudes: main latitudes, their location with degrees, parallels of latitude and their uses.
(b) Concept of longitudes – Prime Meridian, time (local, standard and time zones, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and
International Date Line (IDL). Eastern and Western hemisphere.

(ii) Rotation and Revolution

Rotation – direction, speed and its effects (occurrence of day and night, the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, Coriolis effect) Revolution of the earth and its inclined axis – effects: the variation in the length of the day and night and seasonal changes with Equinoxes and Solstices.

2. Structure of the Earth

(i) Earth’s Structure Core, mantle, crust – meaning, extent and their composition.
(ii) Rocks – difference between minerals and rocks, types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic, their characteristics and formation.
(iii)Volcanoes – Meaning, Types – active, dormant and extinct. Effects – constructive and destructive. Important volcanic zones of the world.
(iv) Earthquakes – Meaning, causes and measurement. Effects: destructive and constructive. Earthquake zones of the World
(v) Weathering – Meaning, types and effects of weathering. Types: Physical Weathering – block and granular disintegration, exfoliation;
Chemical weathering – oxidation, carbonation, hydration and solution;
Biological Weathering – caused by humans, plants and animals.

3. Hydrosphere

Meaning of hydrosphere.
Tides – formation and pattern.
Ocean Currents – their effects (specifically of Gulf Stream, North Atlantic Drift, Labrador Current, Kuro Shio and Oya Shio.)

4. Atmosphere

(i) Composition and structure of the atmosphere. Troposphere, Stratosphere, Ionosphere and Exosphere; Ozone in the Stratosphere, its depletion. Global warming and its impact.

(ii) Insolation
• Meaning of insolation and terrestrial radiation.
• Factors affecting temperature: latitude, altitude, distance from the sea, slope of land, winds and ocean currents.

(iii)Atmospheric Pressure and Winds.
• Meaning and factors that affect atmospheric pressure.
• Major pressure belts of the world.
• Factors affecting direction and velocity of wind – pressure gradient, Coriolis Effect.
• Permanent winds – Trades, Westerlies and Polar Easterlies.
• Periodic winds – Land and Sea breezes, Monsoons.
• Local winds – Loo, Chinook, Foehn and Mistral.
• Variable winds – Cyclones and Anticyclones.

(iv) Humidity
• Humidity – meaning.
• Precipitation – forms (rain, snow, and hail).
• Types of rainfall – relief/orographic, convectional, cyclonic/ frontal with examples from the different parts of the world.

5. Pollution

(a) Types – air, water (fresh and marine), soil, radiation and noise.

(b) Sources:
• Noise: Traffic, factories, construction sites, loudspeakers, airports.
• Air: vehicular, industrial, burning of garbage.
Water: domestic and industrial waste.
• Soil: chemical fertilizers, bio medical waste and pesticides.
• Radiation: X- rays; radioactive fallout from nuclear plants.

(c) Effects – on the environment and human health.

(d) Preventive Measures – Carpools, promotion of public transport, no smoking zone, restricted use of fossil fuels,
saving energy and encouragement of organic farming.

6. Natural Regions of the World

Location, area, climate, natural vegetation and human adaptation.
Equatorial region, Tropical Deserts, Tropical Monsoon.

7. Map Work

On an outline map of the World, candidates will be required to locate, mark and name the following:

1. The major Natural Regions of the world – Equatorial, Tropical Monsoon, Tropical Deserts.

2. The Oceans, Seas, Gulfs and Straits – all Major Oceans, Caribbean Sea, North Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, South China Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Carpentaria, Hudson Bay, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Guinea, Bering Strait, Strait of Gibraltar, Strait of Malacca.

3. Rivers – Mississippi, Colorado, Amazon, Paraguay, Nile, Zaire, Niger, Zambezi, Orange, Rhine, Volga, Danube, Murray, Darling, Hwang Ho, Yangtse Kiang, Ob, Indus, Ganga, Mekong, Irrawaddy, Tigris, Euphrates.

4. Mountains – Rockies, Andes, Appalachian, Alps, Himalayas, Pyrenees, Scandinavian Highlands, Caucasus, Atlas, Drakensburg, Khinghan, Zagros, Urals, Great Dividing Range.

5. Plateaus – Canadian Shield, Tibetan Plateau, Brazilian Highlands, Patagonian Plateau, Iranian Plateau, Mongolian Plateau.

All the best for your future