Indian Geography: Rivers, Soils and Climate Basics

Geography questions in Bihar exams combine India with the state. Start with these basics and then connect them to rivers of Bihar.

Indian rivers

• Himalayan rivers (Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Indus) are perennial, fed by rain and snow, and have large basins.
• Peninsular rivers (Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Mahanadi) are seasonal and mostly flow east into the Bay of Bengal.
• Narmada and Tapi flow west through rift valleys into the Arabian Sea.
• The Ganga is the most important river of India; the Godavari is the longest peninsular river.

Major soils of India

• Alluvial soil: the most widespread; found in the Ganga–Brahmaputra plains including Bihar; ideal for rice, wheat and sugarcane.
• Black (regur) soil: rich in clay, retains moisture; best for cotton.
• Red soil: iron-rich, found in the peninsula; suited to millets and pulses.
• Laterite soil: found in heavy rainfall areas; used for tea, coffee and cashew.
• Desert, mountain and saline soils are found in arid and hill regions.

Climate and the monsoon

India has a tropical monsoon climate. The south-west monsoon usually reaches Kerala around 1 June and covers the country by mid-July. The year has four seasons: winter (December–February), summer (March–May), south-west monsoon (June–September) and retreating monsoon (October–November).

Revision tips

• Draw a simple map of rivers and mark the states they cross.
• Link each soil to its main crop.
• Practise map-based questions from our PYQs.