1. World Geography: Some Glimpses

• Blue — water bodies such as oceans, seas, lakes and rivers.
• Green — plains and forested areas.
• Yellow/Brown — plateaus and dry lands.
• Dark brown — high mountains.
• Light yellow — deserts.
• White — ice and glaciers, as in Antarctica and Greenland.

• The amount of oxygen in the air would fall, and all living beings would find it harder to breathe.
• Plankton are food for small fish and even blue whales. Without them, the ocean food chain would collapse.
• Fish would die, and people who depend on fishing would lose food and income.
• Less carbon dioxide would be absorbed, so climate change would become worse.

The map of Asia shows the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau, the Ural Mountains, the Siberian Plain, the Eurasian Steppes and the Gobi Desert. It also shows water bodies like the Pacific Ocean. Mountains appear in dark brown, plateaus in yellow-brown, plains in green, deserts in light yellow and water in blue.

In the 2021 picture, the lakes are bigger and there are some new lakes. This is because rising temperatures have melted more snow and glaciers. It shows the effect of climate change on the ‘Third Pole’.

• Climate: They block the cold winds from Central Asia and stop the monsoon winds, causing rain in north India.
• Water towers: Their snow and glaciers feed rivers like the Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra throughout the year.
• Biodiversity hotspot: They have many plants and animals, such as the snow leopard, red panda and rhododendrons.
• Natural boundary: They form a natural wall along India’s northern border with China, Nepal and Bhutan.

France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Ukraine and the western part of Russia.

The Nile rises in the highlands of East Africa — the White Nile from the region of Lake Victoria and the Blue Nile from Ethiopia. It flows towards the north and falls into the Mediterranean Sea.

It flows through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt.

The Amazon has a huge number of trees. They absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide and release oxygen, just as lungs help us breathe. So it is called the ‘Lungs of the Earth’.

• Short-term effects: Loss of habitat for animals, soil erosion, and loss of homes and livelihood of indigenous communities.
• Long-term effects: Less rainfall, more carbon dioxide in the air, faster climate change and extinction of species.
• Protection: Stop illegal cutting, plant trees, support indigenous communities who protect the forest, and use land already cleared for development.

Most of the map is yellow and light brown, so a large part of Australia is desert or dry land (the Great Australian Desert). Green areas are mainly along the eastern and southern coasts, which are plains with more rainfall. The Great Barrier Reef lies off the north-eastern coast.

The Earth is an oblate spheroid (nearly round). A map shows it on a flat surface. Just as an orange peel cannot be laid flat without tearing, a round Earth cannot be shown on a flat map without changing some shapes or sizes. So every map projection has some distortion.

• It is the highest and largest plateau on Earth, with an average height of over 4,500 m.
• It was formed by the collision of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates.
• It influences the climate of Asia.
• It is the source of major rivers like the Indus, Brahmaputra and Yangtze.
• It is called the ‘Third Pole’ because it has the largest store of freshwater outside the polar regions.

Like rainforests, coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. They give food and shelter to about one-quarter of all ocean species, such as fish, crabs, turtles and sponges.

• They absorb heat and release it slowly.
• They add moisture to the air, which forms clouds and rainfall.
• Ocean currents carry warm and cold water and affect the climate of coastal areas. For example, the Gulf Stream keeps the United Kingdom warmer.

Human activities — overfishing, pollution and climate change. They change the chemistry and temperature of ocean water, which causes coral bleaching and death.

Its huge number of trees absorb a lot of carbon dioxide and release a large amount of oxygen. So it helps the Earth ‘breathe’, just as lungs do.

• Climate — Indian Ocean: The distant Southern Indian Ocean influences the monsoon in India. The Bay of Bengal influences the climate of eastern India.
• Climate — Pacific Ocean: As the largest ocean, it absorbs and spreads a huge amount of heat and moisture across the world.
• Trade — Indian Ocean: It has warm waters and has been important for international trade for centuries. Routes through the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Malacca and the Suez Canal connect India with Europe and East Asia.
• Trade — Pacific Ocean: It connects Asia with the Americas and carries a large share of world shipping.

Reef bleaching

• Causes: Rising sea temperatures due to climate change, changes in the chemistry of ocean water and pollution.
• Impacts: Corals turn white and die. Fish and other sea animals lose their home. Fishing and tourism suffer.
• Solutions: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, control pollution and plastic waste, stop overfishing and protect reefs as marine parks.

I would choose the Western Ghats. They are a biodiversity hotspot with many unique plants and animals. They are the source of rivers like the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri that supply water to millions. They also influence the monsoon rainfall on the west coast. Mining, deforestation and unplanned construction are harming them. So I would advise protecting forests, controlling mining and involving local communities in conservation.

Sample pitch — Asia and Europe: We can start from India, cross the Himalayas to the Tibetan Plateau, see the Gobi Desert and ride across the Eurasian Steppes. Then we cross the Ural Mountains into Europe, drive across the fertile European Plain and end in the Alps. We will see mountains, plateaus, deserts, grasslands and plains in one trip — and all by road!