Reference tables
The 62 named-fact pairs NDA Geography actually tests
Single page, every paired fact grouped by domain. Indian Rivers ↔ states ↔ tributaries. Indian Mountain Peaks ↔ ranges. Mineral & Crop ↔ producer states. Local Winds + Climate Zones. Each row links to the playbook where that fact most appears. Bookmark and active-recall the morning of the exam.
- named facts indexed
- 62
- themed clusters
- 4
- page to revise from
- 1
- years of PYQs behind it
- 10
How to use this page
- First read: cover-to-cover. Mark facts you DON’T already know cold — the ones you couldn’t derive from the entity name or the context alone. Most candidates know ~30 of the 62.
- Active recall: cover the right two columns (paired fact + context), read the entity NAME, write the paired fact + one context note from memory. Repeat for any you miss.
- Drill the playbook: click the ‘Playbook’ link on any row to jump to the chapter’s deep-dive + drill the bank questions where that fact appears.
- Trap-aware: the amber ‘Note’ on a row flags the most-common distractor for that pair (Mahendragiri = Odisha not TN; Suez has NO locks; Helmand is endorheic).
Indian Rivers & Tributaries
River↔state↔tributary pairs appear in every paper. Himalayan rivers (perennial, glacier-fed) vs peninsular rivers (seasonal, rain-fed). Drill against the /playbooks/indian-geography-physical deep-dive.
| River | States / Source | Tributaries + outflow | |
|---|---|---|---|
Indus Note:Indus Waters Treaty 1960 — India gets E rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej); Pakistan gets W (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab). | Source: Mansarovar Lake (Tibet) · India (J&K) → Pakistan | Tributaries (5 of Punjab): Jhelum + Chenab + Ravi + Beas + Sutlej · Outflow: Arabian Sea | Playbook |
Ganga | Source: Gangotri Glacier (Uttarakhand) · India → Bangladesh | Tributaries: Yamuna, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, Son · Outflow: Bay of Bengal (Sundarbans delta) | Playbook |
Yamuna | Source: Yamunotri (Uttarakhand) · Tributary of Ganga at Allahabad/Prayagraj | Tributaries: Chambal, Betwa, Ken (all peninsular, from Vindhyas) | Playbook |
Brahmaputra Note:Called Siang/Dihang in Arunachal, Brahmaputra in Assam, Jamuna in Bangladesh. | Source: Mansarovar (Tibet, as Tsangpo) · Arunachal → Assam → Bangladesh | Tributaries: Lohit, Dibang, Subansiri, Manas · Joins Ganga in Bangladesh → Bay of Bengal | Playbook |
Mahanadi | Source: Sihawa Hills (Chhattisgarh) · CG → Odisha | Hirakud Dam (largest earthen dam in India) · Outflow: Bay of Bengal (Paradip delta) | Playbook |
Godavari | Source: Triambakeshwar (Maharashtra) · MH → Telangana → Andhra Pradesh | Longest peninsular river ('Dakshin Ganga') · Tributaries: Pranhita, Indravati, Manjira · Bay of Bengal delta | Playbook |
Krishna | Source: Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra) · MH → Karnataka → Andhra Pradesh | Tributaries: Bhima, Tungabhadra, Koyna · Outflow: Bay of Bengal (Andhra delta) | Playbook |
Kaveri | Source: Talakaveri, Brahmagiri Hills (Karnataka) · KA → Tamil Nadu | Sacred 'Dakshin Ganga' of S India · Outflow: Bay of Bengal (Tanjavur delta) · Cauvery Water Disputes | Playbook |
Narmada Note:Narmada and Tapi are the ONLY major west-flowing peninsular rivers; both form estuaries, not deltas. | Source: Amarkantak (Madhya Pradesh) · MP → Gujarat | WEST-flowing rift-valley river · Forms ESTUARY (no delta) into Arabian Sea · Sardar Sarovar Dam | Playbook |
Tapi (Tapti) | Source: Multai (Madhya Pradesh) · MP → Maharashtra → Gujarat | WEST-flowing rift-valley river · Forms estuary into Arabian Sea (Gulf of Khambhat) | Playbook |
Chambal | Source: Janapao Hills (MP) · MP → Rajasthan → UP | Tributary of YAMUNA · Famous for badlands ravines · Gandhi Sagar + Rana Pratap Sagar dams | Playbook |
Luni Note:Inland-drainage river — endorheic, doesn't reach ocean. | Source: Pushkar (Rajasthan) · Rajasthan only | Only river of Thar desert · Inland drainage — disappears in Rann of Kutch (does NOT reach sea) | Playbook |
Chilika Lake | Odisha · Brackish lagoon on east coast | LARGEST coastal lagoon in India · Largest brackish-water lake · Ramsar site | Playbook |
Wular Lake | J&K · Freshwater lake fed by Jhelum | LARGEST freshwater lake in India · Glacial origin | Playbook |
Sambhar Lake | Rajasthan · Inland salt lake | Largest inland salt lake in India · India's largest source of natural salt | Playbook |
Indian Mountain Peaks & Ranges
Peak↔range↔state and Himalayan-pass identifications appear every paper. Greater Himalayas, Pir Panjal, Karakoram, peninsular ghats. Drill against /playbooks/indian-geography-physical (densest-HARD: Mountains subtopic 43% HARD).
| Peak / Pass | Range | State + elevation + note | |
|---|---|---|---|
Kanchenjunga Note:India's highest peak. Kanchenjunga = 3rd-highest in world. | Greater Himalayas (Himadri) | Sikkim · 8586 m · India's HIGHEST peak (K2 in PoK technically not in India) | Playbook |
Nanda Devi Note:Highest peak ENTIRELY within India (Kanchenjunga is India-Nepal border). | Greater Himalayas | Uttarakhand · 7816 m · India's 2nd-highest peak (entirely in India) | Playbook |
Anamudi | Western Ghats | Kerala · 2695 m · Highest peak in PENINSULAR India + Western Ghats | Playbook |
Mahendragiri Note:Eastern Ghats highest = ODISHA (NOT Tamil Nadu — TN has a separate 1647m peak in W Ghats also called Mahendragiri). | Eastern Ghats | Odisha (Gajapati district) · 1501 m · Highest peak of EASTERN GHATS | Playbook |
Guru Shikhar | Aravalli Range | Rajasthan (Mt. Abu) · 1722 m · Highest peak of Aravalli (oldest fold mountain in India) | Playbook |
Zoji La (pass) Note:Zoji La is in ZANSKAR range (NOT Pir Panjal — that's Banihal). | Zanskar Range | J&K · Connects Srinagar–Leh · 3528 m | Playbook |
Khardung La (pass) | Ladakh Range | Ladakh · World's HIGHEST motorable pass · 5359 m · Leh–Nubra Valley | Playbook |
Rohtang (pass) | Pir Panjal Range | Himachal Pradesh · 3978 m · Manali–Leh route (Atal Tunnel bypass since 2020) | Playbook |
Nathu La (pass) | Dongkya Range | Sikkim · India–China border pass · Major Indo-China trade route | Playbook |
Banihal (pass) | Pir Panjal Range | J&K · Jammu–Srinagar route · 2832 m · Jawahar Tunnel bypass | Playbook |
Sela Pass | Eastern Himalayas | Arunachal Pradesh · 4170 m · Gateway to Tawang | Playbook |
Western Ghats Note:Western Ghats = CONTINUOUS; Eastern Ghats = DISCONTINUOUS (broken by rivers). | Continuous range, W coast | Gujarat → Tamil Nadu · Length 1600 km · UNESCO World Heritage biodiversity hotspot · Anamudi highest | Playbook |
Vindhya Range | Central India (divides N + S India) | Madhya Pradesh + nearby states · Block + fold mountains · Old + eroded | Playbook |
Mineral & Crop Producer States
Mineral↔leading state and crop↔leading-state pairs are the dominant Indian Geography Economy recall lever (81 q chapter, 24% HARD). Drill against /playbooks/indian-geography-economy.
| Mineral / Crop | Leading producer state(s) | Use / region note | |
|---|---|---|---|
Iron Ore | Odisha (#1), Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh | Hematite + Magnetite · Used in steel · Bailadila + Bellary mines | Playbook |
Coal | Jharkhand (#1), Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal | Jharia + Bokaro (Jharkhand), Talcher (Odisha), Raniganj (WB) · Thermal power + steel | Playbook |
Bauxite | Odisha (#1), Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra | Aluminium ore · Konkan coast + Eastern Ghats deposits | Playbook |
Copper Note:Copper is in Rajasthan + Jharkhand (NOT Karnataka — that's iron + gold). | Rajasthan (#1 — Khetri), Jharkhand (Singhbhum) | Used in electrical wiring · India is import-dependent | Playbook |
Uranium | Jharkhand (Jaduguda mine — only commercial) | Nuclear fuel · India also explores in AP, Karnataka, Meghalaya | Playbook |
Gold | Karnataka (Kolar — closed; Hutti — active) | India is world's largest gold consumer (imports most) | Playbook |
Mica | Jharkhand (#1 — Koderma), Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh | Electrical insulation · India was world's largest producer historically | Playbook |
Petroleum Note:Gujarat oil fields: Ankleshwar + Kalol + Cambay + Navagam (NOT Bombay High — that's offshore Maharashtra). | Mumbai High (offshore #1), Gujarat (Ankleshwar), Assam (Digboi), KG basin (Andhra) | India is import-dependent (~85% of crude) · ONGC + OIL + Reliance | Playbook |
Rice | West Bengal (#1), Punjab, UP, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar | Kharif crop · Needs warm + humid + clay-loam soil | Playbook |
Wheat Note:Wheat is RABI (sown Oct, harvested Apr) — NOT kharif. | Uttar Pradesh (#1), Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana | RABI crop · Needs cool + alluvial soil | Playbook |
Cotton | Gujarat (#1), Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka | Kharif cash crop · Needs BLACK/REGUR soil (moisture-retaining) + 200 frost-free days | Playbook |
Sugarcane | Uttar Pradesh (#1), Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu | Long-duration crop (12+ months) · Source of sugar + ethanol · Needs hot + humid | Playbook |
Tea | Assam (#1), West Bengal (Darjeeling), Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris) | Plantation crop · Needs heavy rainfall + slopes + cool | Playbook |
Coffee | Karnataka (#1, ~70% of India), Kerala, Tamil Nadu | Plantation crop · Western Ghats Coorg + Chikmagalur districts | Playbook |
Jute | West Bengal (#1), Bihar, Assam, Odisha | Kharif fibre crop · 'Golden fibre' · Hooghly basin | Playbook |
Groundnut | Gujarat (#1), Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu | Kharif oilseed · Needs sandy loam + warm | Playbook |
Spices (esp. pepper, cardamom) | Kerala (#1 for pepper + cardamom), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu | Pepper = 'king of spices' · Western Ghats spice gardens | Playbook |
Local Winds & Climate Zones
Local-wind name↔region↔character pairs (Loo, Kalbaisakhi, Chinook, Foehn, Mistral, Sirocco) + Koeppen climate zone identifications. Drill against /playbooks/climatology-atmosphere-weather.
| Wind / Zone | Region | Character + note | |
|---|---|---|---|
Loo | North India (May–June) | Hot dry NW summer wind · Causes heat-stroke · 'Loo lagi' | Playbook |
Kalbaisakhi | West Bengal, Assam, Bangladesh | Pre-monsoon thunderstorms · Local name 'Norwester' | Playbook |
Chinook Note:Chinook is WARM (NOT cold). Warm-dry downslope = Chinook (Rockies), Foehn (Alps), Berg (S Africa), Santa Ana (California). | Rocky Mountains lee side (USA + Canada) | WARM DRY downslope wind · Called 'snow eater' (melts feet of snow in hours) | Playbook |
Foehn | Alps lee side (Switzerland, Austria, Germany) | WARM DRY downslope wind · European equivalent of Chinook | Playbook |
Mistral | Rhône valley (S France) | COLD DRY N wind · Funnels through valley, can damage crops | Playbook |
Sirocco | Sahara → S Europe (Italy, Spain, Greece) | HOT DRY DUSTY S wind · Brings Saharan dust to Mediterranean basin | Playbook |
Harmattan | West Africa (Sahel — Nigeria, Ghana) | Dry dusty E wind from Sahara · Reduces visibility · Dec–Feb | Playbook |
Santa Ana Note:Santa Ana = fire-promoting wildfire wind in Southern California (2026 EASY NDA PYQ tests this). | Southern California, USA | WARM DRY downslope wind · FIRE-PROMOTING (responsible for wildfires) | Playbook |
Bora | Adriatic coast (Croatia, Slovenia) | COLD DRY downslope wind · Strong winter wind | Playbook |
Af — Tropical Rainforest | Amazon basin, Congo basin, Indonesia | Hot + wet year-round · Most biodiverse biome · Evergreen broadleaf | Playbook |
Aw — Tropical Savanna | Sub-Saharan Africa, parts of India + S America + N Australia | Tropical grassland + scattered trees · Wet + dry seasons · Lions, elephants | Playbook |
Csa — Mediterranean | Mediterranean basin, coastal California, central Chile, SW Australia, Cape Town | Hot dry summer + mild wet winter · Olives, citrus, grapes | Playbook |
Cwa — Subtropical Monsoon | Northern India, S China, parts of SE Asia | Hot wet summer + cool dry winter · Rice-wheat agriculture · India's largest climate zone | Playbook |
BWh — Hot Desert | Sahara, Arabian, Thar (Rajasthan), Atacama | Very low rainfall · Extreme temperature range · Sand + rock landscapes | Playbook |
ET — Tundra | Northern Canada, Siberia, Greenland, Iceland | Treeless · Permafrost subsoil · Lichens + mosses · Short summer | Playbook |
Trade Winds | 30° → 0° (towards equator) | NE in N hemisphere, SE in S · Coriolis-deflected · Drove sailing routes historically | Playbook |
Westerlies | 30° → 60° (towards poles) | SW in N hemisphere, NW in S · 'Roaring Forties' in S hemisphere (no land to slow them) | Playbook |
Why plain-text tables (no maps)
NDA Geography recall is almost entirely text-pair memorisation — river name ↔ states crossed; peak name ↔ range; mineral ↔ leading producer state; wind name ↔ region. The map-anchoring (where exactly Mahendragiri sits, which state Coal Belt covers) is best learned from your atlas alongside this page; the named-fact pairings live in tables.