CBSE Class 12 Geography 2026-27 Syllabus

The syllabus is divided into two parts: (A) Fundamentals of Human Geography (B) India: People and Economy. The theory paper is of 70 marks and 3 hours duration.

Exam Structure

Unit	Chapter	Marks
A	Fundamentals of Human Geography
1	Human Geography	3
2	Population and Human Development	8
3	Human Activities; Transport, Communication and Trade	19
	Map Work	5
B	India: People and Economy
1	Population	5
2	Human Settlements	3
3	Resources and Development	10
4	Transport, Communication and International Trade	7
5	Geographical Perspective on selected issues and problems	5
	Map Work	5
	Total	70

A. Fundamentals of Human Geography

Unit 1: Human Geography

• Introduction to Human Geography
• Approaches to study Human Geography Regional and Systematic Geography, Dualism
• Nature of Human Geography
• Naturalisation of Humans and Humanisation of Nature
• Schools of thought in Human Geography
• Fields and subfields of Human Geography

Unit 2: The World Population: Distribution, Density and Growth

• Population-distribution and density
• Factors influencing the distribution of population
• Population Growth
• Components of Population Change
• Demographic Transition
• Population Control Measures

Unit 3: Human Development

• Human development - concept; selected indicators
• Growth and Development
• The four pillars of Human Development
• Approaches to Human Development
• Measuring Human Development - HDI, HPI and GNH
• International comparisons

Unit 4: Primary Activities

• Hunting and Gathering, Pastoralism; Nomadic Herding, Commercial Livestock Rearing
• Types of agriculture
  • Primitive Subsistence
  • Intensive Subsistence
• Commercial Agriculture
  • Plantation Agriculture
  • Extensive Commercial Grain Cultivation
  • Mixed Farming
  • Dairy farming
  • Mediterranean Agriculture
  • Market Gardening and Horticulture
  • Cooperative Farming
  • Collective Farming
• Mining, factors affecting mining
• Methods of Mining

Unit 5: Secondary Activities

• Manufacturing: Characteristics of Modern large-Scale Manufacturing
• Factors influencing industrial location
• Classification of manufacturing Industries: On the basis of Size, Inputs / raw material, Output / Products and Ownership
• Concept of High-tech Industry

Unit 6: Tertiary and Quaternary Activities

• Tertiary activities-concept and types
• Trade and Commerce: Retail and Wholesale trading, Transport, Factors Affecting Transport
•  Communication
• Services
• People engaged in tertiary activities
• Tourism, Major tourist regions
• Tourist attractions - some examples from selected countries
• Medical Services for Overseas Patients in India
• Quaternary and Quinary activities-concept
• The Digital Divide

Unit 7: Transport and Communication

• Transport
• Modes of Transportation
• Land transport: Roadways, Highways, Road Density, Border Roads.
• Railways: Trans-continental Railways: Trans-Siberian, Trans Canadian, Australian Trans Continental
• Water Transport: Important Sea Routes, Shipping Canals, Inland waterways
• Air transport: Inter-Continental air routes
• Pipelines
• Communications: Satellite Communications and Cyber Space- Internet

Unit 8: International Trade

• History of International trade
• Why Does International Trade Exist?
• Basis of International Trade
• Balance of Trade
• Types of International Trade: Bilateral and Multi-lateral trade
• Case for Free Trade
• Concept of Dumping
• World Trade Organisation
• Regional Trade Blocs
• Concerns Related to International Trade
• Gateways of International trade: Ports
• Types of Port

B. India: People and Economy

Unit 1: Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition

• Distribution of Population
• Density of Population
• Growth of population
• Four distinct phases of population growth
• Regional Variation in Population Growth
• Population Composition: Rural - Urban Composition, Linguistic Composition, Religious Composition
• Composition of Working Population
• Promoting Gender Sensitivity through ‘Beti Bachao–Beti Padhao’ Social Campaign

Unit 2: Human Settlements 

• Rural settlements - types and distribution
• Urban settlements - types, distribution
• Evolution of Towns in India
• Urbanisation in India
• Functional Classification of Towns
• Smart Cities Mission

Unit 3: Land Resources and Agriculture

• Land resources - general land use
• Land use categories
• Land-use Changes in India
• Common Property Resources
• Agricultural Land Use in India
• Cropping Seasons in India
• Types of Farming
• Geographical conditions and distribution of major crops (Wheat, Rice, Tea, Coffee, Cotton, Jute, Sugarcane and Rubber)
• Agricultural development in India
• Growth of Agricultural Output and Technology
• Problems of Indian Agriculture

Unit 4: Water Resources

• Water resources - Surface water and Groundwater Resources
• Lagoons and Backwaters
• Water Demand and Utilisation - irrigation, domestic, industrial and other uses;
• Emerging Water Problems: Deterioration of Water Quality
• Water Conservation and Management; Prevention of Water Pollution; Rain water harvesting and Watershed management

Unit 5: Mineral and energy resources

• Mineral Resources: Introduction and Types
• Major mineral belts of India
• Distribution of Ferrous Minerals (Iron ore and Manganese), Non-Ferrous Minerals (Bauxite and Copper); Non-metallic minerals (Mica)
• Energy Resources: Conventional sources (Coal, Petroleum and Natural gas) and non-conventional sources (Nuclear, Solar, Wind, Tidal and Wave and Geothermal and Bio energy)
• Conservation of Mineral Resources

Unit 6: Planning and sustainable development in Indian Context

• Planning - Introduction
• Target Area Planning: Hill Area Development Programme, Drought Prone Area Programme
• Concept of Sustainable Development
• Case Studies
  • Integrated Tribal Development Project in Bharmaur Region
  • Indira Gandhi Canal (Nahar) Command Area

Unit 7: Transport and communication

• Means of Transport: Land (Road transport, Rail transport and Oil and Gas pipelines), Water transport (Inland waterways and Oceanic routes) and Air transport
• Communication Networks- Personal and Mass Communication Systems

Unit 8: International Trade

• Changing Pattern of the Composition of India’s Exports and Import
• Direction of Trade
• Sea Ports as Gateways of International Trade
• Major Seaports of India along with their hinterlands
• Airports

Unit 9: Geographical Perspective on selected issues

• Environmental pollution- Introduction and types
• Urban-waste disposal
• Rural-Urban Migration: Case Study
• Problems of Slums
• Land degradation: Case study