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Chapter 3 of 18
Revision Notes

GeographyRevision Notes

XAT · General Knowledge

Free Geography revision notes for XAT General Knowledge 2026 — key concepts, formulas, and definitions for quick revision.

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Revision Notes — Geography

Key concepts, formulas, and definitions from Geography for XAT General Knowledge preparation.

Key Topics to Revise

1

The Universe, Galaxies, and the Big Bang

  • The universe is the totality of all physical matter, energy, and space; its study is called Cosmology (cosmos + logos).
  • A galaxy is a vast system of billions of stars, gas clouds (mainly hydrogen), and dust, isolated in space.
  • There are approximately 10¹¹ galaxies in the universe, each with ~10¹¹ stars — totalling ~10²² stars.
2

The Solar System – Sun, Planets, and Other Bodies

  • Solar System: Sun + 8 planets + satellites + asteroids + comets + meteorites; dominated by the Sun (~99.9% of total mass).
  • Planets in order from Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars (inner/terrestrial), Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune (outer/Jovian).
  • Planets in descending order of size: Jupiter > Saturn > Uranus > Neptune > Earth > Venus > Mars > Mercury.
3

The Moon and Earth's Key Data

  • Moon: Earth's only natural satellite; diameter 3475 km; circumference 10,864 km; elliptical orbit.
  • Maximum distance (apogee): 4,06,000 km; Minimum distance (perigee): 3,64,000 km.
  • Sidereal month (rotation on axis = revolution around Earth): 27 days 7 hrs 43 min.
4

Stars, Constellations, and Classification

  • Stars are hot, burning gaseous bodies that emit their own light; ~10²² stars exist in the universe.
  • Nearest star to Earth (after Sun): Proxima Centauri at 4.24 light years.
  • ~8,000 stars visible from Earth with naked eye; ~2,000 visible at any given time from either hemisphere.

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Key Concepts

The universe is the totalityThe Solar System consists ofEarth is the fifthThe atmosphere extends ~1Earth has three concentric layers

Frequently Asked Questions

What topics are covered in Geography for XAT?
Geography is an important chapter in XAT General Knowledge. It covers key concepts and formulas that are frequently tested in the exam. Key topics include: The Universe, Galaxies, and the Big Bang, The Solar System – Sun, Planets, and Other Bodies, The Moon and Earth's Key Data, Stars, Constellations, and Classification.
How important is Geography for XAT?
Geography is a frequently tested chapter in XAT General Knowledge. Questions from this chapter appear regularly in previous year papers.
How to prepare Geography for XAT?
Start by understanding the core concepts, then solve practice questions. Focus on formulas and their applications. Use revision notes for quick review before the exam.

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Practice questions, revision notes, formula sheet and AI doubt-solver for XAT General Knowledge.