How to Study Maps?

How to read and understand maps?

India

• Neighbours: Discover everything there is to know about India's neighbours. Make a list of the many Indian states that have borders with these nearby nations. Give the nations of the Indian Subcontinent a comparatively higher priority. Analyse the Indian Ocean's islands and the peninsular region of India in detail using the map of India. For instance, the size of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; the nations that are closest to the Lakshadweep Islands; different channels such as 10 degrees and 9 degrees, etc.
• Lines: Examine the map of India's key latitude and longitude lines. You should research the states that the Tropic of Cancer goes through, for instance. Make a list of the many states and locations where the Indian Standard Meridian—the longitude through which Indian Standard Time is observed—passes.
• States: You should be able to manually sketch an outline of India's political map (Very important for Mains GS I and GS II Papers). Find out how many and which states have borders with each other. Study the locations of all the major cities in India.
• Rivers: List each Indian river's origin, sources, flow paths, and tributaries. For instance, in order to correctly determine the answer to a Prelims question about the River Teesta, such information was required. Locate the left and right bank tributaries of significant rivers. You should draw rough diagram on a blank paper for each important river drainage basin.
• Lakes: On a political map, you should be able to identify lakes and indicate which states share them. Additionally, many lakes have distinct characteristics. Make a list of these lakes separately. For instance: One of Asia's largest freshwater lakes is Wular Lake, which is located in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Mountains/Glaciers: Make a note of the size and significant peaks of each mountain range, including the Himalayan and Peninsular mountain ranges. On a political map of India, you should be able to depict the entire mountain range together with its highest peak. Investigate the locations of different glaciers that are north of the Vindhyas. It's also important to note the numerous rivers that originate in these mountain ranges and glaciers.
• Natural Vegetation: The wide variety of Indian natural plants should be researched in light of the country's diverse climate. Make a note of the geographic distribution of a specific kind of forest throughout India. For instance: Rajasthan's dry regions are characterised by thorny shrubs and a lack of trees.
• National Parks: You ought to be able to identify all significant national parks, tiger reserves, biosphere reserves, etc., as well as their geographic spread across states.
• Important Locations: You should be able to name all the significant locations in India, such as sacred sites, world heritage sites, nuclear power plants, ports, plateaus, wetlands, mineral-rich areas, etc., as well as any significant local physiographic characteristics.

World

• Lines on the Maps: Examine the world map's significant latitude and longitude lines (like Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Arctic Circle, Equator). Take note of the nations that each line crosses. Study the Prime Meridian, the International Date Line, and the nations that lie on each side.
• Physiographic Features: Make a list of all the significant physiographic characteristics you find in the NCERT textbooks and common geography, history, and economics texts. You must study all of the essential maps in the NCERTs.
• From Current Affairs: Study the location of places that are currently in news in the Atlas. Learn about the borders and neighbouring countries of that country/place. For example, if Syria is very much in the news, you should be able to tell which country shares border with which other countries in West Asia. Also, you should know which countries border Mediterranean Sea, or other nearby seas, etc.

Drawing Schematic Maps of India/World

• Look for a small-scale outline of an India physical map on Google. Try outlining a map of India on a blank paper by using it as a guide.
• Split your map shape into four to five sections. Then work on each component independently. You can begin sketching a complete outline of India if you are confident in drawing every region of the country.
• Draw the map clockwise, beginning at the top with Jammu and Kashmir. The same approach can be used with world maps.