WAEC Geography Syllabus 2024

The WAEC Geography syllabus often goes unnoticed, yet it holds valuable insights students should not overlook. It serves as a comprehensive guide, directing your focus towards key topics crucial for success in the exam.

The exam itself comprises three main sections:

1. Physical Geography: This section assesses your understanding of weather and climate dynamics, global vegetation patterns, and related phenomena.
2. Human Geography: Here, you’ll encounter questions on population distribution, various settlement patterns, and economic activities that shape societies.
3. Regional Geography: This part tests your knowledge of different continents, including their cultures, landscapes, and resources.

To excel in your exams, diligent study of this syllabus is essential. Regular practice with past questions is highly recommended. Additionally, forming study groups with friends can foster collaborative learning and enhance comprehension for some individuals.

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WAEC Geography Syllabus

1. ELEMENTS OF PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

(i) Maps: meaning, types and uses.

• Map reading and interpretation based on contoured survey maps of parts of West Africa: scale, measurement of distances, direction and bearing, map reduction and enlargement, identification of physical features such as spurs, valleys, etc. and cultural features such as city walls, settlements, communication routes, etc.; measurement of gradients, drawing of cross profiles, inter-visibility, description and explanation of drainage characteristics and pattern; patterns of communication, settlement and land use.

(ii) Principles of elementary surveying

• Definitions of terms, instruments, chain and prismatic compass, plotting of traverse, avoiding obstacles in the field.

(iii) Geographic Information System (GIS)

• GIS: Basic concepts, components (hardware, software, data, procedures and experts); sources of data (land surveying, remote sensing, map digitizing, map scanning, field investigation and tabular data etc); uses (defence, agriculture, urban development, mapping, surveying, transportation, census etc), problems (power, personnel, capital etc).

(iv) Statistical maps and diagrams

• Graphical representation of statistical data: Bar graphs, Line graphs, flow charts, dot maps, proportional circles, density maps, isopleth maps.

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(v) Elements of Physical Geography

• The earth as a planet in relation to the sun, latitude and distance, longitude and time, earth’s rotation and revolution and their effects, structure of the earth (internal and external).

(vi) Hydrosphere

• Ocean basins, salinity, ocean current ( causes, types and their effects on the temperature of adjacent coastlands), lakes, rivers, lagoons, water as an environmental resource.

(i) Rocks

• Types, characteristics, formation and uses.

(ii) Tectonic processes

• Vulcanicity, earthquake, landforms: Mountains, plains, karsts and coastal landforms (formation, characteristics and importance).

(iii) Denudational processes

• Agencies modifying landforms such as weathering, mass movement, running water, underground water, wind and waves
• Simple weather study based on local observation, description of the Stevenson’s screen and uses of basic weather instruments e.g. rain gauge, thermometer, barometer, wind vane etc.

(iv) Weather and climate

• Rainfall, sunshine, air pressure, wind, humidity, temperature and cloud. Factors affecting climatic elements e.g. altitude, latitude, ocean currents, land and sea breezes, continentality, aspect. Interpretation of climatic charts and data.

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(iv) Weather and climate

(v) Climate

• Major types of climate (Hot climate – Equatorial, Tropical Continental, Desert; Temperate climate – warm and cool). Classification of climate based on Greek and Koppen

(a) Elements

• Meaning, causes, effects and remedies.

(b) Classification

• Major types (Tropical Rainforest, cool/warm temperate woodland, Tropical Grassland); characteristics, distribution, factors affecting their distribution, plant communities.
  Vegetation as an environmental resource. Conservation of vegetation resources.

(vi) Vegetation

• Definition, local types and characteristics. Factors and processes of soil formation, soil profile, importance to man and the effects of human activities on soil. Soil erosion and conservation.

(vii)Soil

• Meaning, classification ( renewable and non renewable) types ( vegetation, water, mineral, atmospheric, etc ) and the importance of each.

(vii)The environment

• Types (soil erosion, drought, desert encroachment, flooding and pollution), causes, effects and prevention of each.
• (a) Environmental resources
• (b) Environmental problems/ hazards
• (c) Environmental conservation

2. ECONOMIC AND HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

(i) World Population

• Factors and patterns of growth, distribution and movement, growth rate problems.

(ii) Settlement

• Types (rural and urban); patterns and factors affecting location; growth and size; functions of rural and urban settlements; interaction patterns( urban-rural, rural-urban, urban-urban, rural-rural); migration.

(iii) Transportation

• Modes (roads, railways, water, air, pipeline, cables, ropeways etc.) Transportation and economic development (movement of people and commodities, national and international trade, diffusion of ideas and technology, national integration); problems of transportation and their solutions.

(iv) Industry

• Classification (primary, secondary and tertiary); types (heavy and light industry); factors of industrial location; contributions to development; problems/solutions.

(v) Trade

• Meaning, types (national and international), reasons for trade, importance.

(vi) Tourism

• Meaning, centres, reasons (leisure, recreation, education etc ); importance, problems and solutions.

3. REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY OF NIGERIA

(a) Nigeria on broad outline

• Location, position, size, distance and political divisions. Relief, drainage, climate, vegetation

(b) Physical setting

• Size, distribution, structure, population quality, population movement, population data ( sources and problems/solutions)

(c) Population

• Mineral (petroleum, gas, coal, tin/columbite, iron ore, limestone)- distribution, methods of extraction, problems and solutions)

(d) Resources

• Power (Petroleum, gas, coal HEP, solar energy) Water (rivers, lakes, dams, sea, underground water)
  Vegetation (trees, food and cash crops; timber,etc)- forest, savanna, biosphere.

(e) Agriculture

• Types of agricultural practices, food and cash crops, importance, problems and solutions.

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(f) Transportation

• Mode, advantages and disadvantages, problems and solutions, influence of transportation on human activities.

(g) Communication

• Communication networks, advantages and disadvantages, importance, problems and solutions.

(h) Industry

• Definition, types, major industrial zones, factors of location, importance, problems and solutions.

(i) Trade

• Meaning, types (national and international), stock exchange, capital market, forex, major commercial areas, importance of commercial activities.

(j) Tourism

• Meaning, centres, reasons for tourism, importance, problems and solutions.

(k) Issues on development and environmental concerns

• Issues of Development and Environmental Conservation: Rural and regional development, resource management and conservation, environmental pollution e.g. air, water, soil, noise; waste disposal, etc.

(l) ECOWAS

• Meaning, member countries, purposes/mandate, advantages/benefits, disadvantages, problems and solutions.

(m) Geo-political issues

• Geopolitical issues-Land reclamation.

3. Regional Geography of Ghana

(a) Ghana in Broad Outline

• Location, position, size, distance, and political divisions.

(b) Physical Setting

• Physical environment: Geology, relief, drainage, climate, vegetation, and soils.

(c) Population

• Size, growth, distribution, and density.
• Age/sex structure: Fertility, morbidity and mortality, migration.

(d) Settlement

• Origin and types: Rural and urban.
• Characteristics, hierarchy, land use, urbanization processes, problems, and solutions.

(e) Primary Economic Activities

(i) Agriculture

• Types: Subsistence (intensive and extensive), commercial (vegetable, livestock, dairying, commercial grain), plantation.
• Issues: Problems and solutions.

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(ii) Fishing

• Types: Inland and ocean (in-shore/off-shore).
• Methods, types of fish, storage, marketing, importance, problems, and solutions.

(iii) Lumbering

• Sources of timber, methods of exploitation, types of species (for internal use and for export).
• Issues: Problems, solutions, and conservation.

(iv) Mining

• Types and distribution of minerals, methods of extraction, importance, problems, and solutions.

(f) Manufacturing

• Types of manufacturing industries, distribution, factors influencing location of industries, problems of industrialization.

(g) Trade and Commerce

• Services, transport and communication, recreation and tourism, administration.

(h) Tourism

• Meaning, centers, reasons for tourism, importance, problems, and solutions.

(i) Energy and Power

• Water: Akosombo and Kpong Hydro-electric Power projects (benefits and side effects).
• Other sources: Fuel wood and charcoal, petroleum and natural gas (Saltpond), solar, wave, and wind energies (Donkorkrom and Kokrobite), biogas (e.g., cow dung).

(j) Issues on Development and Environmental Concerns

• Rural and regional development, resource management and conservation, environmental pollution (e.g., air, water, soil, noise), waste disposal, etc.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What topics should I focus on the most for the WAEC Geography exam?

Focus on all topics listed in the syllabus. They all have the same level of importance.

How should I prepare for the essay section of the exam?

Familiarize yourself with map drawing and labeling, as you may be required to draw maps and identify specific locations or landmarks.

Conclusion

Here You have it, the syllabus that will help you prepare for your exam very well. If you need more information, kindly reach out to us through the comment section.