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Glossary Terms
| Term (EN) | Definition | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Evergreen Forest | Dense multi-layered forest receiving >200 cm rain; trees never shed leaves fully | PYQ 2021 — 5 marks |
| Sal (Shorea robusta) | Dominant tree in eastern India's moist deciduous forests; hard timber | Forest types |
| Teak (Tectona grandis) | Dominant in central-western moist deciduous forests; valuable commercial timber | Forest types |
| Khejri | Rajasthan's state tree (Prosopis cineraria); survives arid conditions; Bishnoi community protects it | Arid vegetation |
| Mangrove | Tidal forests in coastal deltas; pneumatophores for anaerobic soil; cyclone buffers | Tidal forests |
| Sundarbans | World's largest mangrove delta (10,200 sq km); India's 4,260 sq km; WB; Tiger Reserve; UNESCO | Mangroves 5-mark |
| Regur | Black cotton soil from Deccan basalt; self-ploughing; ideal for cotton | Soil type |
| Laterite Soil | Red soil formed by intense leaching in high-rainfall areas; low fertility | Soil type |
| Kankar | Calcareous nodules in Bangar (old alluvial) soils; impedes water percolation | Alluvial soil |
| BCM | Billion Cubic Metres — unit for measuring annual water availability | Water resources |
| Gondwana Coal | Bituminous coal from Gondwana geological formations (Carboniferous–Jurassic); India's main coal type | Mineral resources |
| Jharia Coalfield | India's richest coalfield (Jharkhand); best coking coal; burning fires for decades | PYQ-relevant mineral |
| Bombay High | Offshore oil field (Arabian Sea); discovered 1974; ~40% of domestic crude; ONGC | Petroleum geography |
| Bauxite | Ore of aluminium; India 5th globally; Odisha's Panchpat Mali is largest deposit | PYQ 2023 — 5 marks |
| NALCO | National Aluminium Company; Angul (Odisha); processes Odisha's bauxite | Aluminium industry |
| Bhadla Solar Park | World's largest solar park (2,245 MW); Rajasthan; operational | Renewable energy |
| ISA | International Solar Alliance; India-France initiative (Paris 2015); 121 nations | Solar diplomacy |
| NTPC | National Thermal Power Corporation; India's largest power generator | Power sector |
| NFP 1988 | National Forest Policy 1988 — targets 33% of India's land under forest cover | Policy 2-mark |
| FSI | Forest Survey of India — publishes biennial State of Forest Report | Forest statistics |
| Barmer-Sanchore Basin | Rajasthan's petroleum basin; Cairn India/Vedanta; ~20% of India's crude | Rajasthan resources |
| Digboi | Assam; Asia's oldest oil field (1889); first oil well in India | Petroleum geography |
| Jharkhand Mica Belt | Hazaribagh-Koderma area; world's finest muscovite mica; ~60% global sheet mica | Mineral resources |
| Khetri | Rajasthan (Jhunjhunu); India's largest copper mine; "Copper City" | Mineral Rajasthan |
| Neyveli | Tamil Nadu; India's major lignite coal field (3.5 BT); Neyveli Lignite Corporation | Coal geography |
Sources: Forest Survey of India — State of Forest Report 2021; Ministry of Mines Annual Report 2023; Central Electricity Authority (CEA) March 2024; CGWB Annual Report 2023; NCERT Class 10 & 12 Geography; RPSC Mains PYQ 2013–2023.