🔆 ARCTIC CIRCLE

📍 Water Bodies

✅ Chukchi Sea: Connected to the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait at its southernmost end.

✅ East Siberian Sea: One of the least studied water bodies in the area, experiencing an extremely harsh climate.

✅ Laptev Sea: Surrounded on three sides by land.

✅ Kara Sea: Located north of Siberia, between the Barents Sea and the Laptev Sea.

✅ Barents Sea: Off the northern coasts of Russia and Norway; relatively shallower than other parts of the Arctic Ocean.
▪️ The sea is important for the exploration of hydrocarbon resources.
▪️ It is a productive fishing area.
▪️ The Pechora Sea and the White Sea are parts of the Barents Sea.

✅ Wandel Sea: Stretches from Greenland’s northeast to Svalbard.

📍 Note:
HIMADRI – India’s research laboratory in Svalbard, Norway; near the North Pole.

🔆SOUTH EAST ASIA

South East Asia is divided into 2 parts:

📍 1. MAINLAND PART – Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia
✅ Capitals in North to South: Hanoi, Nay Payi Taw, Vientiane, Bangkok, Phnom Pehn
✅ Capitals in East to West: Nay Payi Taw, Bangkok, Vientiane, Phnom Pehn, Hanoi

📌 NOTE – LAOS
✅ All countries of mainland except Laos are on the coast
✅ Laos is the only landlocked country and the only one which shares borders with all 4 other mainland Southeast Asian countries

📍 2. MARITIME PART – Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines
✅ Indonesia: Largest archipelago of the world

📌 Note –
✅ Myanmar: Part of both Maritime and Mainland South East Asia
▪ Arakanyoma and Pegu-yoma mountains in Myanmar
✅ ASEAN: All these 10 countries are part of ASEAN
✅ Equator: Passes only through Indonesia

🔆 Bay of Biscay: A Key Feature of the North Atlantic

📍 Location
✅ Situated along the western coast of Europe, bordered by France (east) and Spain (south).
✅ Lies between 46°N and 43°N latitude, connected to the North Atlantic Ocean.

📍 Key Features
✅ Shape & Size: Triangular-shaped bay, spanning approximately 225,000 km².
✅ Depth: Shallow near the coast; Bay of Biscay Abyssal Plain reaches depths of up to 4,735 meters.
✅ Major Rivers: Receives waters from Loire, Gironde, and Adour in France.

📍 Oceanographic Importance
✅ Strong Tides: Known for its high tidal ranges and rough seas.
✅ Winter Storms: Frequent storms and powerful waves, especially in the northwestern part.
✅ Marine Life: Rich biodiversity, with whales, dolphins, and seabirds commonly sighted.

📍 Historical Significance
✅ Ancient Navigation: Vital for early maritime trade and fishing activities.
✅ Naval History: Site of major battles during the Napoleonic Wars and World War II.

📍 Economic Importance
✅ Fishing Industry: Historically a major fishing zone, though overfishing has led to reduced stocks.
✅ Port Cities: Key ports like Bordeaux (France) and Bilbao (Spain).

📍 Unique Insights
✅ Underwater Features: Includes submarine canyons like Capbreton Canyon and sedimentary basins.
✅ Climate Impact: Affected by the Gulf Stream, contributing to milder climates in coastal regions.
✅ Rare Marine Species: Home to unique cold-water coral ecosystems and rare cetacean species.

#Places_in_news
#Sea_series

Join @Mapping_prelims_mains

🔆Chile

✅Recently, India and Chile signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) to begin negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

✅Location and Borders: Located in South America, Chile is a long, narrow country bordered by:
Peru and Bolivia to the North,
Argentina to the East,
Pacific Ocean to the West.
The Argentina–Chile border is the longest in South America and the third-longest globally.

📍Key Geographical Features:

✅Andes Mountains: The World's longest continental mountain range.

✅Atacama Desert: Driest non-polar desert in the world.

✅Loa River: Chile’s longest river (approx. 440 km).

✅Ojos del Salado: The World’s highest active volcano and 2nd highest peak in South America (6,880 m).

✅Frequent earthquakes and tsunamis due to Chile's location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

✅Economic Resources:
World’s largest copper producer.

✅Member of the “Lithium Triangle” (with Argentina and Bolivia), holding over 75% of global lithium reserves under salt flats.

#mapping

INDIAN FOREST SERVICE EXAMINATION, 2024 final result

🔆New Caledonia:

✅It is a French overseas territory located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,500 km east of Australia.
✅It comprises the main island of Grande Terre (where the capital, Nouméa, is situated), the four Loyalty Islands (Ouvéa, Lifou, Tiga, and Maré), the Belep archipelago, the Isle of Pines, and some remote islands.
✅Just over 270,000 people live in New Caledonia (2019 census).
✅Approximately 39 percent are indigenous ('Kanak'). The remainder are Caledonians of European, Polynesian and other (including Vietnamese, Indonesian and Algerian) origins.
✅It is one of the European Union's Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), but is not part of the European Union, the Euro or Schengen zones.

📍History of Island:
✅New Caledonia, originally inhabited by the Kanaks, came under French control in 1853.
✅Post-WWII, Kanaks gained French citizenship, but 1960s French migration made them a minority, sparking an independence movement.

✅Tensions led to the Matignon Agreements (1988) and Nouméa Accord (1998), promising three independence referendums.
✅The 2018 and 2020 referendums favoured France. ✅Despite COVID-19 concerns, the 2021 referendum also favoured France, angering the Kanaks.

#mapping

🔆 Important Gulfs/Bays

📍 Bay of Biscay
✅ Surrounding Countries: France, Spain
✅ Adjacent Water Body: Atlantic Ocean

📍 Gulf of Bothnia
✅ Surrounding Countries: Sweden, Finland
✅ Adjacent Water Body: Baltic Sea

📍 Gulf of Finland
✅ Surrounding Countries: Finland, Estonia, Russia
✅ Adjacent Water Body: Baltic Sea

📍 Gulf of Lion
✅ Surrounding Country: France
✅ Adjacent Water Body: Mediterranean Sea

Cutoff Indian Forest Service Examination 2024

https://www.tg-me.com/CSE_EXAM

✅ Rangipo Desert
• Located in New Zealand
• A high-altitude volcanic desert near Mount Ruapehu
• Known for its volcanic ash and sparse vegetation

🔆 Glaciers and Their Associated Rivers
1. Batura – Hunza
2. Hispar – Hispar
3. Biafo – Braldu
4. Kedar Bamak – Mandakini
5. Godwin Austen – Tributary of Baltoro Glacier
6. Siachen – Nubra
7. Baltoro – Braldu
8. Bandarpunch – Hanuman Ganga
9. Gangotri – Bhagirathi
10. Yamunotri – Yamuna
11. Satopanth – Alaknanda
12. Milam – Saryu
13. Pindari – Pindar (tributary of Alaknanda)
14. Zemu – Lanchen (tributary of Teesta)
15. Kunchenjunga – Kanchen (very small river)

✅ Coral Sea
• Contains the Great Barrier Reef
• 🌍 Countries (Mnemonic: VASP)
  ✅ Vanuatu
  ✅ Australia
  ✅ Solomon Islands
  ✅ Papua New Guinea

✅ Canterbury Plains
• Fertile temperate grasslands
• Known for animal husbandry

🔆 Important Plains of Europe

📍 North European Plain
✅ Countries: France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Belarus, parts of Russia
✅ Facts:
• Extends from Pyrenees (west) to Ural Mountains (east)
• Largest mountain-free landform in Europe
• Known for fertile soils & extensive agriculture

📍 Pannonian Plain (Carpathian Basin)
✅ Countries: Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Austria
✅ Facts:
• Bounded by Carpathians & Alps
• Contains fertile lands supporting agriculture

📍 East European Plain / Steppes
✅ Countries: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus
✅ Facts:
• Among the largest plains globally
• Includes vast steppes & agriculture zones
• Spans from Ural Mountains to western Russia

📍 Great Hungarian Plains
✅ Countries: Hungary, Serbia, Romania
✅ Facts:
• Contains Pustaz

🔆Chagos Islands

UK's decision to hand over the sovereignty of Chagos Islands including tropical atoll of Diego Garcia to Mauritius under a historic deal.

The UK is giving up the rights of the islands after more than 50 years.

Under the agreement, the UK will have full responsibility for security of strategically-located Diego Garcia.

📍Chagos island Click here

#gs2
#mapping
#prelims
#Places_in_news

@upsc_4_ir
@upsc_prep_squad

Paper -1

📍GS Paper-1
✔️ Hindi Medium