Which is the nearest planet to Sun?

Geography General Awareness covers Physical Geography (mountains, rivers, plains, climate), Human Geography (population, economy, industries), and World Geography (continents, oceans, countries). In competitive exams like UPSC, SSC CGL, and Railway NTPC, questions cover Indian geography, world physical features, climate zones, and natural resources.

Major rivers of India: Ganga originates from Gangotri glacier in Uttarakhand, Yamuna from Yamunotri glacier, Brahmaputra from Tibet's Mansarovar lake, Godavari from Nashik Maharashtra (longest peninsular river), Krishna from Mahabaleshwar, Kaveri from Talakaveri Karnataka. Himalayan rivers are perennial while Peninsular rivers are seasonal.

Major mountain ranges in India: Himalayas in the north (highest), Western Ghats along the west coast (Sahyadri), Eastern Ghats along the east coast (discontinuous), Aravalli in Rajasthan (oldest range in India), Vindhya Range in central India, Satpura Range, and Nilgiri Hills in South India. The Western Ghats are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and biodiversity hotspot.

India has diverse climate zones: Tropical Monsoon (most of India), Semi-Arid/Arid (Rajasthan), Highland Climate (Himalayas and Deccan Plateau), Tropical Wet (Western Ghats and northeastern states), and Tropical Dry (Deccan Plateau). India has four seasons: Winter, Summer, Monsoon (June-Sep), and Retreating Monsoon (Oct-Nov).

Important geographical facts: India is the 7th largest country by area (3.28 million sq km) and 2nd most populous. It is bounded by Himalayas in north, Arabian Sea in west, Bay of Bengal in east, and Indian Ocean in south. Tropic of Cancer passes through 8 states. India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories.